Experiences of women professionals abroad: comparisons across Japan, China and Turkey

Successful female expatriates as agents: Positioning oneself through gender, hierarchy, and culture

“…In this case, the reason for not giving international assignments to women is linked to the culture of the host country. Some studies (Adler, 2002;Napier & Taylor, 2002;Taylor & Napier, 1996) however, reinterpret this structural barrier as an advantage for women working internationally. For instance, female professionals in Japan mentioned that their higher visibility and memorability were positive for their adjustment and work success (Taylor & Napier, 1996).…”

“…As in the case of myth one, although the effects of culture are considered positive rather than negative, the perspective mainly remains centred on culture as a structural factor and women's agency is underplayed. Only one study (Napier & Taylor, 2002) suggests the active use of 'femininity' by female expatriates to deal with 'older Chinese men' as a way to gain information.…”

“…Although this focus is legitimate given the male dominance of the international management context, future research may want to study female expatriates' interaction with other female actors. Because some studies (Napier & Taylor, 2002) suggest that female expatriates experience problems with local women, future research may want to examine how they position themselves vis-à-vis other women and how these positioning strategies differ from the ones they use vis-à-vis male actors. In a similar vein, future research may want to compare female expatriates' interpreting and positioning strategies when interacting with local men versus men from headquarters.…”

“…They argue that it is precisely because of their female skills that female expatriates can become successful (Caligiuri & Cascio, 1998;Napier & Taylor, 2002;Taylor & Napier, 1996). For instance, female expatriates' attention to the personal side of business and their skills in building interpersonal relationships may give them an edge over male expatriates.…”

“…The few studies that go in the direction of female expatriates' agency provide preliminary evidence for this assertion. Female expatriates may use what they consider women's unique qualities such as interpersonal skills (Adler, 2002) or their 'femininity' (Napier & Taylor, 2002), to position themselves. Gherardi and Poggio's (2001) study identifies an additional positioning strategy, taking a 'one down position' to avoid direct competition with male colleagues, showing humility towards the male hierarchy to safeguard a broader playfield within the organization.…”