Women in the Process of Expatriation

Given an international mobility of managers enhanced by world growth on the one hand, and managerial competencies, a level of training, a participation rate to active life comparable among men and women on the other hand, it seems that all the elements required to achieve equal gender representation among expatriates are gathered. Paradoxically, whereas the working population includes more and more women, the population of expatriates remains mainly male. Women remain largely underrepresented among international managers. This study offers an analysis of the women's situation at the different steps of the expatriation process. It aims at understanding and testing the tenacious prejudices that play against women in their access to international mobility and following them when they manage to go abroad. In spite of the discriminations they run across both in the selection and in the expatriation processes, women show levels of performance and success comparable to those of their male counterparts, including countries in which business culture gives little place and credit to women on the workplace. Adapted from the source document.