From compliance to performance. The impact of gender strategies on economic outcomes in Knowledge-Intensive Organizations (KIOs)

In light of recent sustainability trends at regulatory and economic levels, gender strategies assume a relevant role in Knowledge-intensive organizations (KIOs). In particular, this includes Directive 2014/95/EU, Directive 2022/2464/EU, and the United Nations’ SDGs. This paper aims to analyze whether the introduc-tion of gender strategies into the planning process enables the achievement of better performance. We applied a qualitative-quantitative method. Firstly, we carried out a content anal-ysis to investigate the quality and quantity of gender planning in strategic planning and to assign a score regarding the focus on gender in strategic planning. Subse-quently, we conducted a correlation analysis between this score and the leading economic performance indicators, as displayed in annual reports. In this perspec-tive, our research context is the universities, as pivotal KIOs. To create our sample, we started with the Italian small state universities, as reported by the last edition of Censis’ classification. Therefore, we checked the availability of annual reports and strategic plannings for all universities in the sample. Finally, we carried out the analysis. This article intends to support academics, practitioners, and decision-makers. Mainly, it contributes to the existing literature about i) the relevance of gender issues on performance and ii) the role of gender strategies in KIOs. Additionally, this leads decision-makers to reflect on how gender strategies influence performance. This article addresses a gap in the literature by arguing that integrating gender equality into strategic planning should not be viewed merely as a compliance requirement, but as a strategic lever to enhance organizational performance. This perspective suggests that organizations will increasingly develop gender-focused plans not simply to fulfill regulatory obligations, but to adopt the most effective and comprehensive strategies for achieving gender equality.