La présence féminine dans les entreprises marocaines favorise-t-elle l'adoption de pratiques de gestion énergétique ? Une analyse quasi-expérimentale

Abstract

In developing economies, firms' energy transition remains uneven, and the role of ownership gender in the adoption of environmental practices remains empirically ambiguous. While the literature suggests that female owners exhibit greater sensitivity to sustainability issues, female-owned firms are also typically smaller and less capitalized, potentially constraining their capacity to invest in environmental initiatives. This study estimates the causal effect of having at least one female owner on the adoption of energy management systems or practices among Moroccan firms. Using data from the 2019 World Bank Enterprise Survey for Morocco, the analysis employs a propensity score matching strategy to address the non-random selection of female ownership. The matching model incorporates firm age, firm size, internal research and development investment, and perceived institutional constraints, including access to electricity, workforce education, corruption, environmental regulations, and access to finance. Three matching estimators (nearest-neighbor, kernel, and stratification matching) yield consistent results. Firms with at least one female owner are 17% to 19% more likely to adopt energy management systems or practices than otherwise comparable firms without female ownership. The estimated effect is statistically significant at the 5% level for two of the three matching methods and is further confirmed by a direct logistic regression analysis. This study provides one of the first causal estimates of the relationship between female ownership and energy management adoption in Morocco and supports the implementation of targeted public policies to promote environmental investment among female-owned and mixed-ownership firms.