Women’s leadership on human capital performance: a systematic review

Purpose This study systematically reviews how women's leadership contributes to human capital performance by identifying relevant attributes, leadership processes, organizational enablers and contextual barriers that influence outcomes. Design/methodology/approach A systematic literature review was conducted on 1,709 articles indexed in Scopus between 1976 and 2024, using screening and quality assessment procedures based on Tranfield et al. (2003). After applying inclusion and exclusion criteria, 59 articles were selected for in-depth analysis. The findings were synthesized into an integrative conceptual framework adapted from DeRue et al. (2011) and Buss et al. (2024), incorporating qualitative and quantitative evidence. Findings A review of 59 empirical studies shows that role congruity, social role and leadership theories are most used. Women’s leadership attributes influence individual and organizational performance through transformational behavior, self-efficacy and relational dynamics shaped by gender climate and culture. Based on these findings, this review outlines a theoretical model of women’s leadership, connecting multi-level factors with behaviors, barriers and outcomes. So far, limited empirical work has explored the causal relationship between women's leadership and human capital outcomes. This result signals the need for further theoretical development and stronger methodological designs. Practical implications The review shows that building women’s confidence and leadership identity matters, but this cannot work well unless organizations also address the structural barriers that keep women from participating equally. The study provides practical guidance for organizations and policymakers on how to strengthen inclusive leadership through training that is sensitive to gender dynamics, offering fair opportunities for advancement and implementing policy measures that support the goals of Sustainable Development Goal 5. Originality/value Research on women’s leadership and human capital performance remains fragmented. This review synthesizes evidence to show how multi-level factors shape leadership behaviors under structural barriers and generate individual and organizational outcomes. It gives scholars a lens for future theoretical and methodological exploration.