Gender Diversity In The Management Consulting Industry

Gender diversity in the workplace is a heavily debated topic, yet there is an absence of studies centered on female representation in the consulting industry. With the use of data from a sample of81consulting firms, this thesis examines the relationship between female representation in consulting firms and firm performance. The research begins with a qualitative overview of reasons for low numbers of female professionals in top positions in consulting firms and benefits of increased female representation. This is later complemented by a quantitative analysis through the use of a multiple regression model, which shows a positive relationship between female representation at partner level and consulting firm performance in terms of profit per partner. This research not only fills the void of empirical and consulting firm oriented gender diversity studies, but also has the practical implication of shedding light on the current status of female representation in the consulting industry, and benefits firms may gain by increasing the proportion of female professionals.