GENDER EQUALITY STANDARDS: EVIDENCE FROM FIRST ADOPTERS ITALIAN SMALL FIRMS

Purpose. The study aims to investigate the characteristics of the first Italian small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that adopted the gender equality certification (UNI/PdR 125:2022). It seeks to identify which types of companies are early adopters and what organisational or managerial features influenced their decision. Design/methodology/approach. This paper focuses on 21 certified companies and adopts an explorative–qualitative descriptive analysis based on a combination of primary survey data and secondary data sources. The available company information was interpreted aiming at reconstructing the context and identifying emerging patterns among early adopters of gender equality certification. Findings. The findings suggest that public procurement incentives are a stronger motivator for certification adoption than tax incentives. Certified firms tend to be innovative, export-oriented, and male-dominated in leadership and workforce. However, there is concern that some companies may adopt the certification superficially, without truly implementing gender equality principles. The study underscores the importance of monitoring certification effectiveness and ensuring its integration into company practices, beyond simply using it to gain competitive advantage in public tenders. Practical implications. The findings highlight the need for a dual policy approach. In the short term, public procurement strongly drives certification uptake but risks encouraging symbolic adoption, making monitoring, audits, and reconfirmation essential. In the long term, lasting change requires embedding gender equality into SMEs’ strategies and practices, supported by training, awareness, and best-practice sharing. Tax incentives play a weaker role initially but may matter over time. A combined strategy of coercive, normative, and mimetic measures can strengthen the credibility of UNI/PdR 125:2022 and foster systemic change in Italian SMEs. Originality of the study. This is among the first empirical studies on the initial adopters of Italy’s national gender equality certification. It provides a detailed profile of these firms and integrates institutional theory by examining coercive, normative, and mimetic pressures behind adoption. By focusing on early adopters, the study contributes to the literature on corporate social responsibility and gender equality standards, highlighting both opportunities and risks related to voluntary certification schemes in SMEs.