Beyond window dressing: corporate awareness, executive programmes and gender diversity in leadership

Purpose This study examines how perceived organizational inclusion awareness (POIA) relates to gender diversity in corporate leadership. It investigates whether organizational signals of inclusion are sufficient to translate into structural outcomes, or whether actionable mechanisms are required to influence women's access to board-level positions. Design/methodology/approach Based on survey data from 101 Spanish organizations collected by EJE&CON, this study uses structural equation modeling to examine the links between POIA, inclusion-related incentives and women's representation on corporate boards. Drawing on signaling theory, POIA is operationalized as a latent construct reflecting a senior organizational respondent's interpretation of three formal inclusion signals: DEI training, equality-related policy references and formal career advancement plans for women. Findings POIA is positively associated with the adoption of inclusion-related incentives, albeit modestly. However, it shows no direct association with women's board representation. In contrast, well-defined incentive mechanisms are positively and significantly linked to female representation on corporate boards. Research limitations/implications This study distinguishes between symbolic inclusion signals and actionable organizational mechanisms, indicating that awareness alone is insufficient to shape leadership outcomes. It highlights the importance of embedding inclusion within incentive and accountability systems. Future research should explore boundary conditions and longitudinal dynamics linking awareness, organizational practices and leadership outcomes. Originality/value By introducing POIA and empirically separating it from actionable mechanisms, this study refines the distinction between symbolic and substantive inclusion. It provides evidence that inclusion becomes consequential for gender diversity in leadership only when it is embedded in organizational systems that shape evaluation, reward and promotion decisions.