Gender and internal control systems in Spanish local governments

Purpose The presence of women is lower than that of men in positions of responsibility in economic management in public administration, although there has been a more significant increase in local administration. The purpose of this study is to determine whether the application and development of the internal control system in local governments improves through the presence of women in positions of management and responsibility in these institutions. Design/methodology/approach The authors use a multivariate model that allows them to verify the predictive capability of their previously defined explanatory variable gender in 1,527 Spanish local governments. They analyze the empirical relation between the gender and internal control system by multivariate regression models. Findings The authors find that the presence of women in management positions in local governments affects internal control system influences as well as a series of financial and non-financial variables. They conclude that in local governments of more than 50,000 inhabitants, the presence of women in the management has a positive influence on internal control systems and also promotes transparency and a more effective fight against corruption, thus enhancing internal control systems. Research limitations/implications The presence of women in positions of management and responsibility in local government will favor a decrease of corruption in local governments and increase their efficiency and transparency. This study can facilitate women’s access to positions of more economic and financial responsibility in public administration, as well as improve the management and efficiency in these institutions. Originality/value This research is novel in that it determines whether the application and development of the internal control system in local governments improves through the presence of women in the position of management and responsibility in these institutions.