Challenges for Women in International Management (Essay Sample)

Challenges for women in international management
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Introduction
During the last two decades of the 20th century and the early years of the 21st there was a significant increase in international business activity as a result of globalization. International mobility materialized within the framework of competitive differentiation for organizational success within the international economy. As a result international professions for women have become a normal focus for both academicians and practitioners. Various companies seem to have some beliefs that reinforce the hesitation to send women in expatriate assignments. Some of the reasons for hesitating to send women on expatriate assignments include the belief female expatriates face stressful life in host nations compared to male counterparts because of the difficulties associated with balancing work and private spheres. Traditional norms regarding women care and domestic responsibilities are significant within various western nations and are persistent even for women seeking expatriate assignments. Lifestyle choices considered by female expatriate managers appear to be difficult compared to those of domestic female managers. A culmination of various theories result in many obstacles that female managers have to overcome in order to be able reach a position that would enable international assignment. However, the prolonged theory on the subject regarding few women in international assignment includes duality of work-family conflict as well as the perceived future conflict between work and family. Two possible strategies that can be used by MNCs in order to influence the potential of female managers and the strategies include equity approach and complimentary approach. The equity approach assumes similarity between men and women while complementary approach focuses on the assumed differences between the genders. International human resources management involves employing and rewarding people in international organization and includes management of people and not merely expatriates. Culture as well as environmental diversity remains an essential issue in International human relations with one of the major dimensions being masculinity versus femininity.
MNCs hesitation to send women on international assignments
Companies have various reasons for hesitation when sending women on international assignment among the reasons is the belief that foreigners are prejudiced against women and that female leaders would not be successful. Moreover, dual-career issues are inseparable as well as the concern for female physical safety because of the dangers that may be involved in travelling to underdeveloped nations. As well, MNC consider the isolation as well as loneliness that may be associated to an expatriate assignment. The frequent reason companies offer for hesitating to send female managers on international assignments include foreigner prejudice against women that make the women ineffective as expatriate managers. The main reason for selecting males over females is linked to the needs of the business that mainly involves avoiding a costly failure and promoting as well as optimizing competitive viability of business abroad. The main reasons for selecting men over females include the presence of strong cultural restrictions regarding the role of women in international business setting as well as the predominance of men in international business interactions. Moreover, other reasons include the great numbers of qualified males for international assignments and relative inability of females to adapt to challenging requirements present in foreign assignments. As well, hesitation by MNC to send women on international assignment is justified by the great vulnerability of females to the aggressive nature within foreign business environment that is dominated by males (Linehan & Scullion, 2001). Glass ceiling offers a stereotypical description of assumption by domestic senior management regarding women as managers and their suitability, availability and preferences for international assignments (Joshua-Gojer, n.d). It has been shown that women face barriers to their advances in organizations, barriers that do not exists for their male counterparts because many women hit the glass ceiling as they navigate the managerial hierarchy. Although, the metaphor regarding glass ceiling may be misleading, various counterproductive layers have influence on women seeking international assignments like tradition, socialization and negative stereotype that hinder development to senior managerial positions. Some of the barriers that hinder women from reaching senior management and being expatriate managers include, lack of mentoring, isolation and loneliness, exclusion from formal and informal networking and work-family conflict (Ravasi, Salamin & Davoine, 2013).
Female expatriate managers imply that tradition practices as well as views reinforce patriarchal system where male operating procedures in companies are embedded in all cultures. Companies use human capital argument to underline the unsuitability of women’s characteristics as expatriates; hence women are either not selected because they present greater risk compared to their male counterparts. Moreover, women may have to prove themselves to a greater extent before they are selected even when their competencies correlate with expatriate success. The human capital argument with regard to women characteristics indicate that women invest less time in education compared to men and their investment target female-friendly subjects. These subjects are considered to be suitable for gaining employment in areas were females dominate instead of the international business environment that conventionally require male expatriation. However, education attainment indicators do not support the human capital argument with rest to overall investment in education (Mariano, Mohamed & Mohiuddin, 2011). Moreover, there are signs that gender gap in subject choices is closing and is likely going to positive influence the participation of females in the traditionally male environment (Mariano, Mohamed & Mohiuddin, 2011).
The low uptake of women in global assignments is explicated by their inclination to put families before their careers when women get to a certain stage in life. Women usually have a non-linear career path and they often risk foregoing much in pursuing a traditionally linear male career pattern. Therefore, career interventions in organizations may not account for this because they tend to follow male model of linear employment continuity; hence, organizations lack specific career initiatives aimed at aiding women participation as expatriates. However, the changing nature of employment security, results in both men and women taking portfolio careers that enhance their drive for personal challenge and development; hence careers for both women and men are non-linear and discontinuous (Harris, 2002). However, women participation as expatriates is disadvantaged through organizational career structures and decisions that are made with respect to and development in them.
Another challenge for women in expatriate jobs is the concern that considers women to have low social capital, which posits as a reason for slow entry into the expatriate world especially in male-dominated industries where opportunities for gaining social capital may be predicted as low (Harzing and Pinnington, 2011). However, policies regarding provision of facilities in order for women to access networks and role models acts as a facilitator in for female expatriation by increasing social capital for women. Studies indicate respectability of these interventions by women and the value women perceive that the support would enhance their expatriate careers. The prevailing social norms allow men to rationally achieve employment goals without foregoing family life; however, this is not the same for women. The rationale choice for many women is to engage in a satisfying behavior in order to reach a high level of career and family goals instead maximizing one while risking the other. Although gender stereotype do not necessarily qualify or disqualify the entry of women, women tend to prefer occupations considered to be relatively easy to interrupt to allow childbearing. Nevertheless, gender forms part an individual’s identity and although individuals assert their identities based on their differences, this always requires collective validation. Women are therefore categorized according to their perceived general abilities instead of the abilities specific to a certain woman and shown as part of her identity. Therefore, social categorization as well as stereotyping of women in female roles in institutionalized decision-making systems seems to have a strong influence on women’s selection for expatriation making women less likely to be validated in expatriate selection decisions. Studies show that women can be successful expatriates and that the perception with regard to foreigners is a myth (Mariano, Mohamed & Mohiuddin, 2011).
It is acknowledged that expatriates experiences helps in adjustment; hence, men have advantage in having greater expatriate experience compared to women. This is particularly true in the male-dominated sectors like construction, mining, oil and engineering where men hold expatriates roles. Hence, women’s low familiarity in these sectors may be construed as the reason for their non-appointment to foreign postings. To redress this balance, institutional action is needed to develop interventions aimed particularly to women who may seek to be expatriated to other nations. Women seem to face huge obstacle in being expatriates in their backyard because decisions seem to originate from preferences by home country managers for security and confor...