Expatriates on the margins––a study of Japanese women working in Singapore

Extreme Expatriation: The Effect of Location Factors and Masculine Environments on Women’s International Assignment Participation in Oil and Gas Exploration and Production

“…Despite the challenges of being accepted as 'one of the boys' and the high levels of confidence needed to cope in a 'macho' male culture, women report high career contribution, and the potential for friendship and camaraderie in exploration environments (Shortland 2011a). The expatriate experience potentially provides solo women with an opportunity for reflexivity, self-discovery and empowerment (Thang et al 2002).…”

L’expérience de la rencontre avec l’autre imaginé : cercle interprétatif et négociation identitaire chez les expatriés occidentaux en Inde

“…Le phé-nomène d'expatriation se rapporte le plus souvent à un séjour à court terme pour des motifs professionnels, dans un certain confort, et impliquant un regroupement entre pairs dans des structures déjà en place (Amit 2001 ;Nagy 2007 ;Thang, MacLachlan et Goda 2002). Si ce type d'insertion correspond en effet au cas des Occidentaux rencontrés en Inde, leur déplacement était cependant à long terme (voire sans projet de retour) et très rarement initié pour des motifs professionnels.…”

Reframing Singapore : Memory - Identity - Trans-Regionalism

“…Consequently, globalisation has affected Japanese working women as well. Thang et al (2002Thang et al ( , 2004Thang et al ( , 2006 have analysed the work and experiences of Japanese women in Singapore, and they have confirmed that Singapore and Hong Kong have emerged as two of the top destinations for Japanese women seeking employment overseas. Human resource recruitment agencies in Japan have recorded huge upsurges in the number of women applying for jobs at these two locations, and by 1994, at least one major recruitment firm had established a profitable business in career seminars catering to women looking for job opportunities in the northeast and Southeast Asia (Thang et al 2006).…”

“…Singapore is an especially interesting location for expatriates, as the Japanese constitute one of the largest expatriate communities in the country, numbering about 20,000. Japanese expatriates have gained prominence in Singapore over the last three decades with the expansion of Japanese direct foreign investment in manufacturing industries in Singapore in the 1980s and 1990s (Thang et al 2002). The number of workers in the service sectors and customer service has increased and become diversified in order to support the growing number of Japanese expatriates.…”

“…In Singapore, they would hold fulltime positions, usually as secretaries or in administrative occupations, as well as sales, marketing, and teaching positions. These jobs usually required a proficiency in the Japanese language (Thang and MacLachlan 2002).…”