Female Successors, Gender Pressures, and ESG Performance

This study empirically examines the impact of female heirs on corporate environmental, social, and governance (ESG) performance and its underlying mechanism using a sample of A-share listed family firms from 2009–2021. The study finds that female heirs significantly contribute to the overall ESG performance of their family firms, and this contribution is more significant when the degree of external gender discrimination is high and the family control within the firm is weak. This suggests that female heirs use ESG performance enhancement to combat gender pressures. The study findings expand the perspective of gender research on the intergenerational inheritance of family firms, reveal the value of ESG as a strategic tool for female heirs to break through the constraints of patriarchy, and provide a theoretical basis and practical inspiration for the modernization of corporate governance, policy formulation, and female leadership development.