International decision processes within SMEs: the influence of biological sex and stereotypical gender roles

This study examines the influence of decision-makers characteristics, such as biological sex and stereotypical gender roles, on the international decision process within a small and medium-sized enterprise (SME), with particular attention to the strategic decision-making process (SDMP). We tested our hypotheses on a sample of 188 Italian SMEs using hierarchical multiple regression. The results reveal that women have a greater ability than men to involve the organization members in making decisions, regardless of the degree of formalization of the process and the level of decentralization of the responsibilities within the company. Moreover, regarding stereotypical gender roles, only masculinity showed a relationship with the SDMP dimensions, especially with the levels of formalization and hierarchical decentralization of the decisions. This paper provides a combination of analyses of biological sex, stereotypical gender roles and SDMP dimensions. It is also one of the few studies of this kind in the field of international strategy.