Study links CEO political views to recognition of women inventors

New research from UCD Smurfit School finds firms led by conservative chief executives are less likely to credit women as inventors – though high-status leaders face scrutiny that reduces the effect

Firms led by politically conservative chief executives are less likely to credit women as inventors or list them as lead inventors on patents, according to new research from UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School.

The study examined 162 S&P 500 companies and more than 85,000 patent applications filed between 2005 and 2014. 

It found that as CEO political conservatism increases, the share of women named on company patents falls, as does the proportion of patents with a woman listed first.

Researchers measured political ideology using a composite index based on corporate leaders’ political donations. 

They suggest that conservative CEOs, who tend to hold more traditional gender attitudes, may display unconscious bias that favours male-led projects and associates innovation with stereotypically masculine traits.

However, the bias weakens among CEOs with higher social status, defined by professional qualifications and invitations to sit on outside boards. 

The authors say greater visibility and accountability reduce the likelihood of discrimination in inventor recognition.

The study argues that boards and investors should take leadership values into account when assessing diversity and inclusion performance, since executive ideology can influence which ideas and individuals receive recognition inside a company.

Professor Luca Pistilli, Assistant Professor at UCD Smurfit School, said: “Inventor recognition is not neutral. We show that a CEO’s political ideology measurably shapes who gets named: firms led by more conservative leaders credit fewer women and list fewer women as lead inventors.

“Crucially, this gap narrows when the CEO has higher social status—credentials and outside board roles bring scrutiny that curbs bias. The implication is clear for boards and investors: leadership values are not just personal preferences; they steer recognition, resource allocation, and, ultimately, innovation.”

READ MORE: ‘Study links female-dominated classrooms to higher lifetime earnings for women‘. Research by Durham University Business School and the University of Basel suggests that girls surrounded by more female peers at school are more likely to enter better-paid careers and narrow the gender pay gap.

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