Does Board Gender Diversity Drive Green Innovation in Chinese Family Firms? Evidence from Listed Companies

This study examines whether board gender diversity encourages green innovation in Chinese family firms, using 1,200 firm-year observations from 2015 to 2024. Based on resource dependence, agency, and institutional theories, the analysis considers both internal governance features and regional environments. Across fixed-effects, instrumental-variable, and system GMM models, the results show that board gender diversity has a clear and significant positive effect on green innovation. Family ownership concentration weakens this effect, while higher regional institutional quality strengthens it. ESG performance partly explains the relationship, suggesting that gender-diverse boards improve sustainability practices that help firms pursue green innovation. These findings add to existing research by showing how gender diversity works within family-owned firms and under different regional conditions. The study also provides practical suggestions for improving family firm governance and policy guidance for promoting board diversity and strengthening local regulatory systems. JEL Classification Code: G34, M14, Q55, J16.