Career management issues of female business expatriates

Emerald - 2002
JanSelmer1, Alicia S.M.Leung1
1Department of Management, School of Business, Hong Kong Baptist University, Kowloon, Hong Kong

Tóm tắt

Few studies have delved into career management issues of women on foreign assignments, especially compared to male expatriates. Therefore, a large‐scale mail survey was directed towards Western female and male business expatriates in the same host location. Controlling for the effects of differences in the demographic background of the gender groups, we found that female business expatriates could less often meet their career goals within their corporation than their male counterparts. There was also a tentative indication that women may regard their expatriation as a less useful career move than men. Implications of these findings for globalizing firms, female executives and future research are discussed.

Từ khóa


Tài liệu tham khảo

Adler, N.J. (1984), “Women in international management: where are they?”, California Management Review, Vol. 26 No. 4, pp. 78‐89.

Adler, N.J. (1987), “Pacific basin managers: a Gaijin, not a woman”, Human Resource Management, Vol. 26 No. 2, pp. 169‐91.

Adler, N.J. (1993), “An international perspective on the barriers to the advancement of women managers”, Applied Psychology: An International Review, Vol. 42 No. 4, pp. 289‐300.

Adler, N.J. (2000), “Coaching global executives: women succeeding in a world beyond here”, in Goldsmith, M., Lyons, L. and Freas, A. (Eds), Coaching for Leadership: How the World’s Greatest Coaches Help Leaders Learn, Jossey‐Bass, San Francisco, CA.

Aryee, S. and Debrah, Y.A. (1993), “A cross‐cultural application of a career planning model”, Journal of Organizational Behavior, Vol. 14, pp. 119‐27.

Bird, A. and Dunbar, R. (1991), “Getting the job done over there: improving expatriate productivity”, National Productivity Review, Spring, pp. 145‐56.

Birdseye, M.G. and Hill, J.S. (1995), “Individual, organizational/work and environmental influences on expatriate turnover tendencies: an empirical study”, Journal of International Business Studies, Vol. 26 No. 4, pp. 787‐813.

Black, J.S. (1991), “Returning expatriates feel foreign in their native land”, Personnel, Vol. 68 No. 8, pp. 32‐40.

Black, J.S. and Gregersen, H.B. (2000), “High impact training: forging leaders for the global frontier”, Human Resource Management, Vol. 39 Nos 2,3, pp. 173‐84.

Black, J.S. and Porter, L.W. (1991), “Managerial behaviors and job performance: a successful manager in Los Angeles may not succeed in Hong Kong”, Journal of International Business Studies, Vol. 22 No. 1, pp. 99‐113.

Boyacigiller, N. (1990), “The role of expatriates in the role of interdependence, complexity, and risk in multinational corporations”, Journal of International Business Studies, Vol. 21 No. 3, pp. 357‐81.

Boyacigiller, N. (1991), “The international assignment reconsidered”, in Mendenhall, M.E. and Oddou, G.R. (Eds), International Human Resource Management, PWS‐Kent, Boston, MA.

Brewster, C. and Scullion, H. (1997), “A review and agenda for expatriate HRM”, Human Resource Management Journal, pp. 32‐41.

Brousseau, K.R., Driver, M.J., Eneroth, K. and Larsson, R. (1996), “Career pandemonium: realigning organizations and individuals”, Academy of Management Executive, Vol. 10 No. 4, pp. 52‐66.

Caligiuri, P.M. and Cascio, W.F. (1998), “Can we send her there? Maximizing the success of Western women on global assignments”, Journal of World Business, Vol. 33 No. 4, pp. 394‐416.

Caligiuri, P.M. and Tung, R.L. (1999), “Comparing the success of male and female expatriates from a US‐based multinational company”, International Journal of Human Resource Management, Vol. 10 No. 5, pp. 763‐82.

Caligiuri, P.M., Joshi, A. and Lazarova, M. (1999), “Factors influencing the adjustment of women on global assignments”, International Journal of Human Resource Management, Vol. 10 No. 2, pp. 163‐79.

Carpenter, M.A., Sanders, WmG. and Gregersen, H.B. (2000), “International assignment experience at the top can make a bottom‐line difference”, Human Resource Management, Vol. 39 Nos 2,3, pp. 277‐85.

Caudron, S. (1994), “HR revamps career itineraries”, Personnel Journal, April, pp. 64C‐64P.

Cava, A. and Mayer, D. (1993), “Gender discrimination abroad”, Business and Economic Review, Vol. 40, pp. 13‐16.

Chusmir, L.H. and Frontczak, N.T. (1990), “International management opportunities for women: women and men paint different pictures”, International Journal of Management, Vol. 7 No. 3, pp. 295‐301.

Crampton, S.M. and Wagner, J.A. III (1994), “Percept‐percept inflation in microorganizational research: an investigation of prevalence and effect”, Journal of Applied Psychology, Vol. 79 No. 1, pp. 67‐76.

Daily, C.M., Certo, S.T. and Dalton, D.R. (2000), “International experience in the executive suite: the path to prosperity?”, Strategic Management Journal, Vol. 21, pp. 515‐23.

Davison, E.D. and Punnett, B.J. (1995), “International assignments: is there a role for gender and race in decisions?”, International Journal of Human Resource Management, Vol. 6 No. 2, pp. 411‐38.

de Leon, C.T. and McPartlin, D. (1995), “Adjustment of expatriate children”, in Selmer, J. (Ed.), Expatriate Management: New Ideas for International Business, Quorum Books, Westport, CT.

Desatnick, R.L. and Bennett, M.L. (1978), Human Resource Management in the Multinational Company, Nichols, New York, NY.

Dowling, P.J., Welch, D.E. and Schuler, R.S. (1999), International Human Resource Management: Managing People in a Multinational Context, 3rd ed., South‐Western College Publishing, Cincinnatti, OH.

Downes, M. and Thomas, A.S. (1997), “Expatriation and internationalization: a theoretical linkage”, Journal of International Management, Vol. 3 No. 4, pp. 323‐49.

Dunbar, E. and Ehrlich, M.H. Jr (1993), “Preparation of the international employee: career and consultation needs”, Consulting Psychology Journal, Winter, pp. 18‐24.

(The) Economist (2001), Pocket World in Figures, Profile Books, London.

Edström, A. and Galbraith, J.R. (1977), “Transfers of managers as a coordination and control strategy in multinational organizations”, Administrative Science Quarterly, Vol. 22, pp. 248‐63.

Ettorre, B. (1993), “A brave new world: managing international careers”, Management Review, April, pp. 10‐15.

Feldman, D.C. and Thomas, D.C. (1992), “Career management issues facing expatriates”, Journal of International Business Studies, Vol. 23 No. 2, pp. 271‐93.

Feltes, P., Robinson, R. and Fink, R. (1993), “American female expatriates and the Civil Rights Act of 1991: balancing legal and business interests”, Business Horizons, March‐April, pp. 82‐5.

Florakowski, G.W. and Fogel, D.S. (1999), “Expatriate adjustment and commitment: the role of host‐unit treatment”, International Journal of Human Resource Management, Vol. 10 No. 5, pp. 783‐807.

Forster, N. (1997), “‘The persistent myth of high expatriate failure rates’: a reappraisal”, International Journal of Human Resource Management, Vol. 8 No. 4, pp. 414‐33.

Forster, N. and Johnsen, M. (1996), “Expatriate management policies in UK companies new to the international scene”, International Journal of Human Resource Management, Vol. 7 No. 1, pp. 177‐205.

Friedman, B. and Overstall, O. (1996), “International assignment policies: the starting‐point for expatriate cost management”, Benefits & Compensation International, Vol. 26 No. 4, pp. 8‐14.

Global Relocation Trends 1996 Survey Report (1997), Windham International and the National Foreign Trade Council (NFTC), New York, NY.

Granrose, C.S. and Portwood, J.D. (1987), “Matching individual career plans and organizational career management”, Academy of Management Journal, Vol. 30 No. 4, pp. 699‐720.

Gregersen, H. and Black, J.S. (1990), “A multifaceted approach to expatriate retention in international assignments”, Group & Organization Studies, Vol. 15 No. 4, pp. 461‐85.

Haines, V.Y. III and Saba, T. (1999), “International mobility policies and practices: are there gender differences in importance ratings?”, Career Development International, Vol. 4 No. 4, pp. 206‐11.

Hall, D.T. (1986a), “An overview of current career development theory and practice”, in Hall, D.T. (Ed.), Career Development in Organizations, Jossey Bass, San Francisco, CA.

Hall, D.T. (1986b), “Dilemmas in linking succession planning to individual executive learning”, Human Resource Management, Vol. 25 No. 2, pp. 235‐65.

Hall, D.T. (1990), Careers in Organizations, Goodyear, Santa Monica, CA.

Handler, C. and Lane, I. (1997), “Career planning and expatriate couples”, Human Resource Management Journal, Vol. 7 No. 3, pp. 67‐78.

Harvey, M. (1995), “Addressing the dual‐career expatriation dilemma”, Human Resource Planning, Vol. 19 No. 4, pp. 18‐39.

Harvey, M. (1996), “The impact of dual‐career families on international relocations”, Human Resource Management Review, Vol. 5 No. 3.

Harvey, M. (1997), “Dual‐career expatriates: expectations, adjustment and satisfaction with international relocation”, Journal of International Business Studies, Vol. 28 No. 3, pp. 627‐58.

Harvey, M. (1998), “Dual‐career couples during international relocation: the trailing spouse”, International Journal of Human Resource Management, Vol. 9 No. 2, pp. 309‐31.

Harzing, A.W.K. (1997), “Response rates in international mail surveys: results of a 22‐country study”, International Business Review, Vol. 6 No. 6, pp. 641‐65.

Heneman, H.G., Judge, T.A. and Heneman, R.L. (1999), Staffing Organizations, Irwin McGraw‐Hill, Middleton, WI.

Hofstede, G. (1989), “Women in management: a matter of culture”, International Management Development Review, Vol. 5, pp. 250‐4.

Izraeli, D.N., Banai, M. and Zeira, Y. (1980), “Women executives in MNC subsidiaries”, California Management Review, Vol. 23, pp. 53‐63.

Kanter, R.M. (1977), Work and Family in the United States: A Critical Review and Agenda of Research Policy, Russel Sage Foundation, New York, NY.

Kilgore, J.E. and Shorrock, M.B. (1991), “International relocation: the future of spouse relocation assistance”, Journal of Career Development, Vol. 17 No. 4, pp. 271‐84.

Klenke, K. (1996), Women and Leadership: A Contextual Perspective, Springer, New York, NY.

Leung, A., Luk, V. and Lo, S. (2000), “Mid‐career managerial employees in Hong Kong”, International Journal of Employment Studies, Vol. 8, pp. 95‐119.

Loannou, L. (1994), “Women’s global career ladder”, International Business, December, pp. 57‐60.

Lord, R. and Maher, K. (1991), Leadership and Information Processing: Linking Perceptions and Processes, Unwin & Hyman, Boston, MA.

Naumann, E. (1993), “Antecedents and consequences of satisfaction and commitment among expatriate managers”, Group and Organization Management, Vol. 18, pp. 153‐87.

Nicholson, N. and West, M.A. (1988), Managerial Job Change: Men and Women in Transition, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.

Nunnally, J.C. (1978), Psychometric Theory, 2nd ed., McGraw‐Hill, New York, NY.

Ohlott, P.J., Ruderman, M.N. and McCauley, C.D. (1994), “Gender differences in managers’ developmental job experiences”, Academy of Management Journal, Vol. 37, pp. 46‐67.

Paik, Y. and Vance, C.M. (2002), “Evidence of back‐home selection bias against American female expatriates: comparing the perceptions of US, German, Mexican, and Korean managers”, Women in Management Review, Vol. 17 No. 2, pp. 68‐79.

Podsakoff, P.M. and Organ, D. W. (1986), “Self‐reports in organizational research: problems and prospects”, Journal of Management, Vol. 12, pp. 531‐44.

Prahalad, C.K. and Doz, Y.L. (1981), “An approach to strategic control in MNCs”, Sloan Management Review, Vol. 2 No. 4, pp. 5‐13.

Punnett, B.J. (1997), “Towards effective management of expatriate spouses”, Journal of World Business, Vol. 32 No. 3, pp. 243‐57.

Punnett, B.‐J., Crocker, O. and Stevens, M.‐A. (1992), “The challenge for women expatriates and spouses: some empirical evidence”, International Journal of Human Resource Management, Vol. 3 No. 3, pp. 585‐92.

Ragins, B.R. and Cotton, J.L. (1996), “Jumping the hurdles: barriers to mentoring for women in organizations”, Leadership & Organization Development Journal, Vol. 17 No. 3, pp. 37‐41.

Ragins, B.R. and Sundstrom, E. (1989), “Gender and power in organizations”, Psychological Bulletin, Vol. 105, pp. 51‐88.

Ragins, B.R., Townsend, B. and Mattis, M. (1998), “Gender gap in the executive suite: CEOs and female executives report on breaking the glass ceiling”, Academy of Management Executive, Vol. 12 No. 1, pp. 28‐42.

Roberts, D. (Ed.) (1992), Hong Kong 1992: A Review of 1991, Government Information Services, Hong Kong.

Roper, M. (1996), “Seduction and succession: circuits of homosocial desire in management”, in Collinson, D.L. and Hearn, J. (Eds), Men as Managers, Managers as Men, Sage, London.

Rosenzweig, P.M. (1994), “The new ‘American challenge’: foreign multinationals in the United States”, California Management Review, Spring, pp. 107‐23.

Sackett, P.R., DuBois, C.L. and Wiggins‐Noe, A. (1991), “Tokenism in performance evaluation: the effect of work group representation on male‐female and black‐white differences in performance ratings”, Journal of Applied Psychology, Vol. 76, pp. 263‐7.

Scullion, H. (1993a), “Creating international managers: recruitment and development issues”, in Kirkbride, P. (Ed.), Human Resource Management in Europe, Routledge, London.

Scullion, H. (1993b), “Strategic recruitment and development of the international manager: some European considerations”, Human Resource Management Journal, Vol. 3 No. 1, pp. 57‐69.

Selmer, J. (2001), “Psychological barriers to adjustment and how they affect coping strategies: Western business expatriates in China”, International Journal of Human Resource Management, Vol. 12 No. 2, pp. 151‐65.

Selmer, J. and de Leon, C.T. (1996), “Parent cultural control through organizational acculturation: HCN employees learning new work values in foreign business subsidiaries”, Journal of Organizational Behavior, Vol. 17, pp. 557‐72.

Shackleton, V. and Newell, S. (1997), “International assessment and selection”, in Anderson, N. and Herriot, P. (Eds), Handbook of Selection and Appraisal, John Wiley & Sons, London.

Shaffer, M.A., Harrison, D.A. and Gilley, K.M. (1999), “Dimensions, determinants, and differences in the expatriate adjustment process”, Journal of International Business Studies, Vol. 30 No. 3, pp. 557‐81.

Sheley, E. (1996), “Expatriate services target cost control”, HR Magazine, Vol. 41 No. 1, pp. 63‐5.

Solomon, C.M. (1996), “Expats say: help make us mobile”, Personnel Journal, Vol. 75 No. 7, pp. 47‐52.

Stroh, L.K., Varma, A. and Valy‐Durbin, S.J. (2000), “Why are women left at home: are they unwilling to go on international assignments?”, Journal of World Business, Vol. 35 No. 3, pp. 241‐55.

Taylor, S. and Napier, N. (1996), “Working in Japan: lessons from Western expatriates”, Sloan Management Review, Vol. 37, pp. 76‐84.

US Department of Labor (1995), “Good for business: making full use of the Nation’s human capital”, Glass Ceiling Commission, Washington, DC, March.

Vaughn, R.H. and Wilson, M.C. (1993), “Career management using job trees: charting a path through the changing organization”, Human Resource Planning, Vol. 17 No. 4, pp. 43‐55.

Walker, J.W. (1973), “Individual career planning: managerial help for subordinates”, Business Horizons, February, pp. 65‐72.

Wright, E.O., Baxter, J. and Birkelund, G.E. (1995), “The gender gap in workplace authority: a cross‐national study”, American Sociological Review, Vol. 60, pp. 407‐35.