Introduction
According to Ricks, male dominance is still the chief characteristic of the modern-day international business (78). Additionally, while the women population makes up a huge section of the workforce in individual countries, they only represent 6% of the business expatriate (Ricks 83). However, the situation is rapidly changing. Organizations are being forced by the increasing global competition towards realizing that achievement of success is largely dependent on individuals regardless of their gender, nationality, or race. In the current study, a general overview of women in international business will be documented.
Analysis
While the global business is dominated by men, the situation is vastly changing as more female subjects attain top managerial positions. Such a change has been facilitated by the increasing interest in foreign assignments by women. Going into the future, the number of women participating in the international assignments is likely to increase due to the recent incorporation of corporate operations and functions outside the U.S territories into the Equal Opportunity Act of 1991.
Despite the reported change and the projected future outcomes, a set of misconceptions still exist. On one hand, organizations have shown that they have faith in women taking the role of negotiators and managers. One the other hand, they have portrayed hesitation to send their female employees overseas fearing that they might be received poorly in cultures such as Latin America and Asia, which are said to be male-dominated.
Considering that top corporate positions are almost exclusively held by men in these two cultures, organizations often believe that women representatives will be taken less seriously or they will not be authorized to undertake assignments. Furthermore, as Moreno mentioned, fears that women are vulnerable to social issues including sexual harassment in societies whose social codes and legal protections are fewer, or different from those of the U.S, are still prevalent (527).
Irrespective of the challenges attributed to global business, many women are doing well in countries with a male-dominated culture. Indeed, as Moran and Riesenberger found out, they have realized that most critical barriers usually come from within corporations in such cultures, as opposed to situations encountered during international assignments (47). The researchers recommended that women must establish their competence, authority, and experience for foreign executives to treat them professionally and to take them seriously (Moran and Riesenberger 55). However, corporations have to play a role by gaining confidence and making a huge investment in sending, and maintaining female representatives overseas.
Besides, they have to provide training and education, which provides a realistic picture and seeks to impart information, to women. Such an approach, according to Moreno, would assist and encourage women to become more effective and increase their efficiency in handling different assignments in foreign countries (528).
Conclusion
In conclusion, the topic of women in international business is an interesting one. It has been revealed in the above discussion that the global business sphere is male-dominated. To some extent, due to the prevalent misconceptions, corporates are playing a role in furthering the male dominion. However, there have been changes in society, which have provided women with an opportunity to take their chances in overseas assignments. Among these include policy reforms such as the extension of the Equal Opportunity Act of 1991. Researchers have also recommended several individuals and corporate approaches, which can be adopted to ensure that more women participate more in global business.
Works Cited
Moran, Robert and John Riesenberger. The Global Challenge. London: McGraw-Hill Companies, 2004. Print.
Moreno, María Ángeles Escribá. “International handbook of women and small business entrepreneurship.” International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal 2.4 (2006): 527-529. Print.
Ricks, David A. Blunders in international business. London: John Wiley & Sons, 2009. Print.