Women and International Business

Internet reading
Female Expatriates and the Civil Rights Act of 1991
Tips for Women Working Overseas

According to recent research by KPMG Peat Marwick, most multinational companies feel it is increasingly important to send people on international assignments but the availability of people who are will to accept global assignment is not growing at the same rapid rate. There are two primary reasons why businesses should seriously consider sending women abroad to work: 1) it increases the number of competent candidates available for overseas assignments 2) it is might be illegal NOT to consider women as candidates for international assignments As already demonstrated, internationally, there can be great differences in gender equality, especially in the role women take, the value placed on women, and the amount of respect shown to women. Research, however, has shown that women can work successfully in cultures where the status of women is considerably lower than in their own.

Myths (source Adler 1993)
Women do not want to be international managers - not true based on research, there is no statistically significant difference between men and women in their interest or desire to have an international career.

Companies refuse to send women abroad - true

Foreigners are prejudiced against women expatriate managers - not true

Halo effect- women are often viewed more favorably because foreigners think that this woman must be the best

Gain- women are viewed as foreigners first
Foreigners are used to dealing with female managers.
Many have been educated in the West and experience with female MBAs
Many have worked with women in the U.S. and Europe
At the end of the Bush Administration, the top three US trade jobs--trade representative, secretary of commerce and customs commissioner- were all held by women.

Legal issues Title VII prohibits discrimination despite local customs or traditions. Even if a host country prefers not to conduct business with women, US women cannot be unfairly denied access to jobs, training, promotions, etc. in foreign countries. Only in countries where it is illegal for women to do a particular job can male be a BFOQ.

Indeed, women may have advantages that men do not. Women:

Are women appropriate for International Assignments? Please state yes or no and defend your position.
Yes women are appropriate for International Assignments. Women expatriates ultimately have an advantage over men in overseas assignments as they are "accustomed to operating in a system in which the majority of power is held by people unlike themselves, i.e., men." Women have personal characteristics that enabled them to function in an unfamiliar environment and positively affected their assignment overseas. Characteristics they portray are being open minded, outgoing, flexible and adaptable, enjoying challenges, and having a positive outlook on life; all skills that most inter-culturists feel are needed to foster cross-cultural relationship building. Many women naturally possess characteristics that may make it easier for them to succeed in a vastly different culture and bridge the cultural differences." It would make sense for overseas assignment decision-makers to look more attentively at potential candidates' characteristics and evaluate how these may affect overseas assignments. They need to become more aware of the