Inclusive leadership and financial–marketing decision-making in crises: gender diversity and brand resilience

Introduction This paper explores how the gender and diversity of leadership, as well as institutional context, influence crisis strategies and brand equity resilience across the UK and Saudi Arabia. Methods The study has used upper echelons and role congruity theories, a mixed-methods explanatory sequential design integrated survey data from 298 firms with interviews from 32 executives. Results Structural equation modeling analysis indicated that female leadership and financial austerity were found to be positive drivers of marketing investment and empathetic communication which mediated the indirect relationship between these two factors and brand equity resilience. Gender-diverse leadership teams exhibited higher brand resilience than did single-gender teams and the institutional context moderated these relationships with the UK showing sharper gender differences rather than Saudi Arabia. Qualitative findings shed light on how gendered communication and context-specific norms influence decision-making in crises. Discussion The results highlight that it is marketing and stakeholder communication to maintain activity, not austerity, that will protect brand equity. Organizations should promote a gender-balanced leadership, and empathetic communication to enhance the resilience of businesses in economic recessions.