Transcript IHRM: Cross Cultural Gender Issues IBUS618 By

IHRM: Cross Cultural
Gender Issues
IBUS618
By
Felix Castuera
Greta Van Everen
Fan Yang
Suguru Nakamura
Omar Brodrick
Focus Areas

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Felix- Women Expatriates vs.
Men Expatriates
Greta- The Netherlands
Fan Yang and
Suguru Nakamura- Japan
Omar- Women Expatriates:
A Roadmap to Success
Advantages of Women
Expatriates
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Accustomed to operating in a system in
which the majority of power is held by men
Personal characters that enabled them to
function in an unfamiliar environment
– Open minded, outgoing, flexible and adaptable,
positive outlook on life, consensus-building,
relationship orientation, and greater sensitivity to
non verbal cues
Demographic Characteristics
of Women Expatriates
Source: International Journal of Human Resource Management
Education
HS Degree
8.6%
BS Degree
47.1%
Language
Fluent in
Second
language
54.3%
Do not speak
second language
45.7%
Marital
Status
Children
Yes/No
Living Alone
54.3%
Married/With
Partner 45.7%
Yes 75%
No 25%
MA
32.9%
PhD
11.4%
Position, Industry Characteristics,
and Problems Encountered
by Women Expatriate
Source: International Journal of Human Resource
Position
Strategic
Planning
52.9%
Sales
Managers
20%
HR and
Training
18.6%
Financial
Analyst
8.6%
Industry
Electrical
37.1%
Service
27.1%
Chemical
15.7%
Other
12.9%
Tenure
Over 2
years
45.7%
1 year
27.1%
Less than 1
year 25.7%
Problems
Encountered
Culture
38.7%
Emotional
Problems
25.8%
Political
Climate
11.3%
Medical
8.1%
Stereotypes of Woman
Expatriates
Source: Runzheimer Int’l Report

Overseas local males will treat females very
much like they treat local females?
– Local males do not mentally classify a foreign
woman in the same way as they classify local
women
– Expatriate professional females have an
advantage in being at first outside the local
normal classification system
– Newly arrived female expatriates looks, acts, and
think in unique ways, thus, local male coworkers can’t or won’t fit her into their usual
mental classification of “local female” co-workers
Continue


So, woman expatriate is free to build a
unique classification for herself in the mind
of local people
Local male co-workers might create
performance barriers for the female
expatriates?
– Many women who encounter significant barriers
are more likely to complain about their fellow
expatriate male co-workers
– American men erect the highest barriers because
of their mentality remains grounded in the U.S.
Advantages of American
Female Expatriates


Accustomed to operating in male
dominated environment
Learned to attain their goals through
– Influence
– Collaboration
– Sensitivity to the points of view of others
Liabilities for American
Woman Expatriates

Being Single
– both local people and fellow expatriates often don’t know how to
comfortably fit a single person into their social lives especially
women

Being Young
– Tradition and wisdom associated with age is more valued in nonwestern cultures
– American companies have the tendency to send young managers
abroad
– It makes other cultures uncomfortable and resistant
– Expect seniority in rank is closely linked to with seniority in age

Being Americans
– U.S. business culture
– Task orientation, time oriented, competitiveness, and directness
Tips for Women
Expatriates










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Go for it
Be assertive, persistent, proactive
Ask for what you need and want
Find a female mentor
Use your resources
Negotiate carefully before accepting anything
Assess the workload before hand
Do your own research
Learn the local language
Be yourself and
Enjoy!
JAPAN
日本
Suguru Nakamura
Fan Yang
Geography



Location: Eastern Asia, island
chain between the North
Pacific Ocean and the Sea of
Japan, east of the Korean
Peninsula
Main islands: Honshu,
Hokkaido, Kyushu, and
Shikoku.
Capital: Tokyo
(http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/ja.html)
Government



Type : Constitutional
monarchy with
parliamentary
government
Prime minister : Junichiro
Koizumi since 2001
Legal system : modeled
after European civil law
system with EnglishAmerican influence
(http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/
geos/ja.html)
People




Total population
127,417,244
Age structure
0-4 years: 14.3%
15-64 years: 66.7%
65 years and over: 19%
Major religion
Shinto and Buddhist 84%
Other 16%
Ethnic group
Japanese 99%
Other 1%
(http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbo
ok/geos/ja.html)
Economy





Monetary unit : Yen
GDP : $3.582 trillion
GDP real growth rate is 2.7%
Unemployment rate : 5.3%
labor force : 66.66 million people
(occupation : agriculture 5%, industry
25%, and services 70%)
(http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/ja.html)
Social Background

High Masculinity Society:
full-time housewife increases household stability.

Aging Society:
 25% of population are over 60
 Traditionally, female are expected
to be responsible for children and elders.
(Kimoto, K. “Labor Conditions for Women in Contemporary Japan”)
Working conditions


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Average monthly salaries : 300,000 to
500,000 JPY ($2,560 to $4,270 USD)
Japan also has a bonus system, which
is a major part of the salary structure.
Japanese companies are required to
register all employees on a group
medical plan with the Japanese health
care system.
Female Economic Condition

Labor force participation Rate:
Japan - 46%
U.S. - 60%
U.K. - 55%


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40.2 % are part-time employees
Female earnings is only 64.9% of male’s
Below the standards of developed nations
Female Labor Force
Population Ratio
1980
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
1519
2024
2529
3034
3539
4044
Age
4549
5054
5559
60- 65+
64
Corporate Background

Two Careers Tracks
Employment Duration Differences
Labor Force Participation
Rate
 Percentage of
working-age
population
employed (15
years or over)
(ILO: Key Indicators of the Labor Market 2003)
Corporate Background
Managerial
Track
Wage
Increase
Lifetime
Employment
Promotions
Male
Corporate Background
Assistant
Clerical
Works
No
Promotion
Expected
to Leave
before 30
Female
% of Female Manager
50%
46%
45%
40%
33%
35%
30%
25%
20%
15%
10%
10%
5%
0%
Percentatges
Japan
U.S.
U.K.
10%
46%
33%
Regulation Background

Ineffective EEOL (1985):
Promoted equality, yet did not “forbid”
discrimination.

Tax Deduction:
Income Tax & Residential Tax deduction,
if spouse’s salary is limited.
Part-Time Workers
 Part-time
employment
as a percent
of total
employment
(ILO: Key Indicators of the Labor Market 2003)
% of Female Part-time
Employment by nation
40%
40%
37%
35%
30%
25%
20%
17%
15%
10%
5%
0%
Percentatges
Japan
U.S.
U.K.
40%
17%
37%
UN Statistics Division. http://unstats.un.org/unsd/default.htm
Changing Situation

Reduction in life time employment:
Increasing job mobility.

EEOL Amendment in 1997:
Aggressively Prohibit gender
discrimination.

Decreasing Full-time housewife population:
Full-time housewife is now minority.
Female Labor Force
Population Ratio
1980
2002
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
15- 20- 25- 30- 35- 40- 45- 50- 55- 60- 65+
19 24 29 34 39 44 49 54 59 64
The Netherlands
Greta Van Everen
The Netherlands:
General Overview

Capital: Amsterdam

Government type:
constitutional monarchy
– PM: Jan Peter Balkenende
– Queen Beatrix

Language: Dutch, Frisian

Currency: EURO €
1 € = $ 1.28

Population: 16,318,199
(July 2004 est.)
http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/nl.html
http://www.koninklijkhuis.nl/UK/royal_house/members.html?koningin.html
Population
Characteristics
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Amsterdam (735,328), Capital;
Rotterdam (593,321), the leading seaport;
The Hague (440,900), the seat of government;
Utrecht (234,323), a transport and services hub.
Encarta: http://encarta.msn.com/text_761572410___0/Netherlands.html
Labor Force

7.5 million employed workers
– 73 percent work in trade and services;
– 21 percent are employed in industry, including
manufacturing and mining;
– and 3 percent work in agriculture, forestry, and fishing1.

Total percentage of women in the workforce is
44%2.

Approximately one-third of Dutch workers belong to
labor organizations.
1 Encarta: http://encarta.msn.com/text_761572410___0/Netherlands.html
2 UN Statistics Division. http://unstats.un.org/unsd/default.htm
Working in the Netherlands:
Salaries and Vacations

The Average salary is from € 25,000 to €
30,000.
– Salaries are usually paid at the end of each
month.
– Twice a year employees will receive an extra
payment

The Average employee is entitled to 20 days
of paid vacation per year.
European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions
Industrial Relations
Climate

Treated in Collective Agreements – which cover around 75% of
workforce:
– Childcare Arrangements:

No very well developed yet
– Parental Leave


Provision to switch to part-time
Paid Maternity Leave: 16 weeks (4-6 to be taken prior to the
delivery)
– Sexual Harassment:

Consist of complaints procedures and prevention policies
– Legal protection from discrimination
European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions
Federation of European Employers:http://www.fedee.com/condits.html#The%20Netherlands
Doing Business in the
Netherlands: Cultural Aspects

Achievement Society/Egalitarian Society
–

Consensus
–

Decision-making process are complex: everybody needs to be heard (meeting are
held for hours)
Directness
–

Status and respect are gained through education and personal skills
Politeness is considered a waste of time, as unpleasant messages may be hidden
Power Distance – Specific Culture
–
Professional and private lives are “strictly separate”. Clear separation between
public and private lives.
Intercultural Communication
Comparative Management
Hofstede’s Dimension
“This relatively low MAS Index
value may be indicative of a
low level of differentiation and
discrimination between
genders.
In this culture, females are
treated more equally to males
in all aspects of society. This
low Masculinity ranking may
also be displayed as a more
openly nurturing society”
Index Scores
PDI=38,
IDV=80,
MAS=14, UAI=53,
LTO=44
Data Obtained: (http://www.geert-hofstede.com/hofstede_netherlands.shtml)
Question for the
Audience?
Based on what we have seen so far, do
you think that the gender pay gap in
the Netherlands is lower than the
average in the rest of the E.U.?
The Gender Pay Gap in
Europe
Women's Average Pay as % of Men's Monthly Salary
90%
85.00%
84.50%
82.00%
81.70%
80%
77.00%
80.60%
76.90%
76.50%
K
U
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en
Sw
Sp
ai
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Po
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ga
l
ay
or
w
N
nd
s
Ita
ly
et
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N
Ire
la
nd
70%
Commission of the European Communities (2005).
The Netherlands:
A Dominant Male Corporate Culture

70% of Dutch Women work Part-time1
Number of Women on Dutch Boards: 7%2
– 60% of which are foreigners, primarily
from UK or USA.

Less than 5% of Professors in Dutch
Academic Institutions are women2.

1 Gunn,
2 van
Natasha. Where do all women go?
der Boon Mary. Glass Ceiling in the Netherlands.
Key Barriers to Women on
Domestic Labor Market

Dutch culture feels that parents should take
care of their children1.

Mothers typically choose to stay home or to
work part time2

Even when children are older Dutch women
“would rather take painting lessons”3
Sloan Work and Family Research Network.
Work and Family Research Network.
3 van Der Boon Mary . Glass ceiling in the Netherlands.
1
2 Sloan
Share of part-time employees among
women and men employees, in EU Member
States - 2004
Commission of the European Communities (2005).
Key Barriers to Women on
International Assignments
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Lack of experience in managerial positions.
Assumption that women do not want to be
International Managers
Refusal of some companies to send women abroad
Belief that foreigners’ prejudices might have a
negative impact on women performance.
Van Der Boon – Forget the Myths
Current Issues for Dutch
Expatriates


The vast majority of Dutch Expatriates are
men.
The majority of trailing spouses are women
– 50% of which have a career in the home
country.
– It is hard for these women to obtain working
permit in host countries
– The Permits Foundation based in the Hauge is
currently lobbying to make it easier for women
to obtain these permits.
Hamm Jennifer. Expatica
KIT Intercultural
Communication


Provides Consultancy services that helps expatriates
to work effectively in an international context.
Clients: Management and Senior Staff Members of
Public and Private organizations.
–
–
–
–
–
ING Bank NV
KLM
Philips
Shell
Unilever
http://www.kit.nl/frameset.asp?/about_kit/default.asp&frnr=1&
KIT Training Programs

Group Target “We inform and coach anyone who is going to work
abroad, long term or short term”

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
Objective:



businessmen/women;
expatriates in general;
their partners and children.
Participants get to know culture and communication patterns of new country.
Focuses on cultural differences between home country and host country
Methods:

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awareness of one's own intercultural competencies;
interactive training modules in how to do business in the new culture;
workshops and lectures on the political and economical background of the new
culture;
workshops on norms and values in day to day life;
partner workshops and partner career workshops;
re-entry workshops.
http://www.kit.nl/frameset.asp?/about_kit/default.asp&frnr=1&
Women Expatriates:
A Roadmap to Success
Omar Brodrick
A Road Less Traveled

Expatriate selection from middle to senior
management
– Generally male, middle-aged, and married with
children
– Women equal only a small proportion

Women are under-represented in expatriate
positions
– 3% in 1980s
– 5% in 1990s
– 15% in 2000
(Women in Management Review, 2004)
A Road Less Traveled


Japan- 5% 1
Europe- 16%1
Netherlands
1Cendent
International Assignment Survey, 2001
2Catalyst Women in Business Study, 2000

US- 13%2
Global market requires MNCs to
Optimize Talent Pool


Women equal near 50% of total world population
Number of skilled, educated workers declining as
demand increases
– Particularly in Developed countries

Need to recruit and retain the most qualified
managers to effectively compete on a global scale
– Can no longer limit or exclude talent pool based on gender
or other personal characteristics
(Sloan Management Review, 1992)
Roadblocks for Women
Expatriates



Unfavorable bias in
selection process
Unfair belief that host
countries cultural norms will
restrict women
Headquarters hold women
to lower expectations in
overseas assignments
(Woman in Management Review, 2002)
Bias in Selection Process

Men make most selection decisions (US)
– Hold traditional views and stereotypes towards
women in leadership roles 3


Women do not “fit” the criteria for effective
international managers (European)
– Emphasis on interpersonal, co-operative, and
intuitive styles of management 4
Influence of other critical selection systems
– Use of closed/informal system seen to create gender bias
in recruitment 4
3International
Journal of Management, 1999
4Thunderbird International Business Review, 2002
MNCs Must Develop Selection
Process

Study and Conduct
Research on Women (US)
– Substantial facts over stereotypes and
“myths” 5
 Women more conceptual fit for
model- 根回し“binding the roots of
the trees”

Convert to open/formal
systems (European)
– Consistency in expatriate selection
with formal criteria to reduce
discrimination of women 4
5Journal
on Managerial Psychology, 2003
4Thunderbird International Business Review, 2002
Cultural Norms will Restrict
Women

Women not “Internationally mobile”(US)
– Clients outside the US are more comfortable working with
men 6

Female expatriates face prejudice from
foreigners 4
– Excluded from business interactions and minimal
participation
6American
Compensation Association, 2001
4Thunderbird International Business Review, 2002
MNCs Must Develop a
Geocentric Mindset

Based on “gender”, “career,”and
“culture”as a framework
(US/Netherlands in Asia)
– Over time “career” emerges and
leads to a re-composition of
perception 6

Viewed as foreigners , not just
women (US in Japan)
– Not subject to same cultural
constraints as local women 7
6Leadership
and Organization Development Model, 2003
7International Studies of Management and Organization, 1994
Lower Expectations in
Overseas Assignments

Biggest obstacle faced is home
country managers (US)
– Low performance expectation held by
headquarters 8

World of business dominated by
men
– Skeptical on success

8The
9
Implicit prejudice through all
stages of expatriation 9
Journal of World Business, 2000
9The Journal of Management Development, 1994
MNCs Must Develop Support
Mechanisms

Give female expatriate every opportunity
to succeed
– Accord full status at outset, not temporary or experimental


97% from survey reported success in
expatriation experience (US/Europe in
Asia)
Recognize differences and begin steps
towards equity
(The Journal of Management Development, 1994)
An IHRM Roadmap to Success
for Women Expatriates

Develop Expatriate Selection
process

Develop a Geocentric
Mindset

Develop Support
Mechanisms
any questions?
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