How Gender Affect Corporate Financial Decisions and Risk Taking

Case Study from the year 2016 in the subject Business economics - Investment and Finance grade: 83% University of Westminster course: MSc Finance Banking and Insurance language: English abstract: It is now becoming increasingly evident that gender plays a vital role in investment and financing decisions of many organisations today as men and women tend to behave and act differently. Women are generally perceived to be detail-oriented keen and sceptical in decision making relative to their male counterparts who are more risk tolerant. This study examines a number of empirical studies and other relevant literature to help justify as to whether or not there is a relationship between gender corporate financial decisions and risk taking.Using General Motors (GM-US) a company that experienced a CEO and Board Chair changeover from male to female in early 2014 and 2016 respectively as a case study the essay examines measures like leverage solvency M&A activities and other metrics that can directly be attributed to CEO/Board chair's decisions and how these decisions alter the company's risk profile in the period prior to and after the transition.