Ask us equally if we want to go

Abstract

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore gender differences in career prospects and changes in attitudes to international assignments over recent decades in Finland. This is relevant in light of the international immobility trend among staff with which MNCs especially are struggling, coupled with the persistent unequal ratio of male to female expatriates. The paper aims to increase the understanding of how gender and family relations affect international career prospects and what changes have evolved over time. Design/methodology/approach – The paper compares differences and changes in opportunities to and preferences for long-term international assignments between male and female business graduates in Finland. It uses survey data on attitudes to expatriation from 1994 to 2008. Findings – A general shift from individual career centeredness towards family centeredness was detected between the two points in time. Paradoxically, this research shows that while gender equality seems to be increasing between spouses, it seems to be decreasing in who is being offered international assignments. The results give valuable insights into how the trend of international immobility has occurred and how the gender relations and gendered values are developing in society. Practical implications – While the international immobility trend persists, women apparently remain as an under-utilized resource when searching for employees to send on long-term expatriate assignments. Global HR professionals should pay more attention to whom expatriate assignments are offered and to how dual career couples and families can be better supported in the expatriation process. Originality /value – The paper contributes to the understanding of gendered careers and women's opportunities in international assignments with a unique comparison of changes over time.

Cultural differences in geographic mobility readiness among business management students in Germany and Spain ahead of graduation

“…Liu et al 2020;Whiston and Keller 2004). This also supports previous research that has identified family related antecedents of mobility decisions (Gripenberg et al 2013;Mutter 2017;Patton and Doherty 2017;Tarique and Weisbord 2013).…”

Taking a Step Back? Expatriation Consequences on Women in Dual-Career Couples in the Gulf

“…Similarly, repatriation has been used as a form of negotiation to enable the 'lagging' partner to reinvest in their career [22]. International experience is increasingly becoming a prerequisite for senior-level progression [23], and although there is an increase in DCCs, women are still under-represented within the expatriate workforce [4] which could hinder their long-term career progression. Känsälä et al's [5] final category, loose coordination strategy, describes a scenario where partners' career decisions are made independently which may result in only one partner relocating internationally; thus, their careers take priority over family life.…”

“…Progress has been made in the development of our understanding of how gender and family relations affect international career opportunities. However, Gripenberg, Niemistö and Alapeteri [4] report that while equality between partners is increasing, the equality of employment offers, for example, salary levels, between men and women is decreasing; thus, international assignments appear to reinforce traditional gender roles [5].…”

“…It is important to continue developing our understanding in this field because different sociocultural environments may hinder expatriates' decisions to pursue international work opportunities if coordinated career strategies cannot be achieved. Furthermore, although women's participation in expatriation has increased, they are still under-represented [4]. Thus, increasing our understanding of the implications for women in DCCs may provide insight into how this imbalance can be addressed.…”

To Be or Not to Be a Woman? - Highly Educated Women's Perceptions of Gender Equality in the Workplace

“…Dolado, Felgueroso and Jimeno, 2003). Even in industrialized countries, the number of women attaining higher positions remains low (Gripenberg et al, 2013).…”