Margaret Linehan

Networking for Female Managers' Career Development: Empirical Evidence.

In recent years there has been an increase in the number of women pursuing managerial careers. Previous studies have established that, throughout Europe, women’s advancement to senior domestic management positions has been very slow, despite legislative changes, including the European Union’s social protocol, to enforce issues related to equal opportunity such as equal pay and sex discrimination. The number of women managers pursuing international management careers, however, remains considerably lower than the number in domestic management. Previous research has established that only 3 percent of women are international managers. The data presented in this paper assert that female managers who are not part of an organisational support network experience even further career disadvantages. Based on an extensive empirical research study conducted with senior female international managers, the paper highlights the role which organisational networks have on the career development of female managers.

Repatriation of European female corporate executives

The increased internationalization of business in recent years has made the understanding of international human resource management problems more important for executives in multinational companies. In recent years, researchers have paid considerable attention to the issues of adjustment of managers to international assignments. Interestingly, comparatively little research has been undertaken on the topic of repatriation, i.e. re-entry and readjustment of international managers and their families to their home countries. Despite the growth of women in international management there are very few studies that document the repatriation experiences of female international managers. In particular, very few studies have been conducted outside North America on the topic of repatriation of female corporate executives. This paper reports on the experiences of re-entry to home organizations and home countries by an exclusively senior sample of female international managers in Western Europe. Based on extensive empirical research, the findings establish that the repatriation phase of the international career move may be even more stressful than expatriation. The findings also establish that female international managers experience more difficulties than their male counterparts because of their pioneering roles. Finally, the paper suggests that home-based mentors and access to networks while abroad are important factors in contributing to the successful repatriation of international managers. The research findings make a theoretical contribution, not only to the analysis of gender and international human resource management but, also, to wider debates within the contemporary women in management and career theory literatures.

Barriers to advancing female careers in the high‐tech sector: empirical evidence from Ireland

Purpose – This paper sets out to examine the experiences of female managers in order to enhance our understanding of why there is a relative scarcity of senior female managers in one of the newest sectors of the Irish economy, the high‐tech sector. Because this sector has effectively only emerged in Ireland in the last 15 years, it had been expected to provide a unique genderless environment in which female managers would emerge in equal numbers to their male counterparts.Design/methodology/approach – This paper takes a qualitative approach. A series of interviews were carried out with 20 female junior and middle managers in this industry segment.Findings – The results of the interviews illustrate that a combination of formal and informal organizational policies and procedures, together with a “self‐imposed” glass ceiling hamper women in junior and middle management positions from advancing to senior managerial roles in this important segment of the Irish economy.Research limitations/implications – One of...

Barriers to women's participation in international management

From the extant research in international human resource management it is evident that women are not progressing to senior international management positions at comparable rates to their male counterparts. Previous research has estimated that only 3 percent of expatriate managers are women. This paper argues that female international managers have to overcome many additional overt and covert barriers before being developed for international assignments. Based on an extensive empirical research study conducted with senior female international managers in a European context, the paper highlights a number of the barriers which the interviewees believed limit women’s international career opportunities. The paper also highlights the implications of these barriers for international human resource management policies and practices.

Mentoring relationships and the female managerial career

Mentoring relationships may be important for female managers seeking career advancement in both domestic and international management. The relative scarcity of mentoring relationships for female managers, particularly outside the USA, raises certain questions. This paper reviews some of the current literature on mentoring in order to highlight the barriers faced by female managers in developing mentoring relationships. In particular, the paper presents the results of empirical research in relation to mentoring conducted with senior female international managers in Europe. The findings suggest that mentoring relationships may be even more important for the career successes of female international managers in comparison to female managers employed in their home‐country organisations. Gender differences in mentoring relationships are also discussed. Finally, some implications for practice and an agenda for further research are presented.

Senior female international managers: breaking the glass border

The experience of women in international management – especially within a European context – has received little attention in the international human resource management literature. In particular, there is a dearth of empirical research which details the role and career moves of the senior female international manager. The particular focus of this paper is on the senior female international managerial career move in Europe. A total of 50 senior female expatriate managers were interviewed, representing a wide range of industry and service sectors. The article highlights a number of covert and overt barriers which the interviewees believed limit women’s international career opportunities. The findings indicate that it is timely for organisations to face and address the difficulties female managers encounter in their progression to senior managerial positions in order to ensure that future opportunities for progression to senior management is equal to that of their male counterparts.

Key Issues in the Senior Female International Career Move: A Qualitative Study in a European Context

Research investigating the position of women in management has, largely, been confined within national boundaries. Over the last 15 years, empirical studies of women in international management have been undertaken, predominantly in North America. Overall, however, in this research field, many questions remain unanswered or have been only partially addressed. The particular focus of this study is on the senior female international managerial career move in Europe – a relatively unexplored area. Fifty senior female expatriate managers were interviewed, representing a wide range of industry and service sectors. The aims of the study were to develop an understanding of the senior female international career move in a European context in order to more fully understand both the covert and overt barriers that may limit womens international career opportunities. The results of the study show that the senior international career move has largely been developed along a linear male model of career progression, a development which, taken together with gender disparity both in organizations and family responsibilities, frequently prevents women employees from reaching senior managerial positions. The findings suggest that organizations which adopt a proactive approach to female expatriate managers should have a competitive advantage in the international environment.

The repatriation of female international managers: An empirical study

This paper focuses on the repatriation of senior female international managers in western Europe and establishes that the repatriation phase of the international career move may be even more stressful than expatriation. It is argued that female international managers may experience more difficulties than their male counterparts because of their pioneering roles. Finally, the paper identifies that home‐based mentors and access to networks while abroad are important factors in contributing to the successful repatriation of international managers.

European female expatriate careers: critical success factors

The particular focus of this paper is female expatriates in Europe, which is a relatively under‐researched area. A total of 50 senior female expatriate managers were interviewed, representing a wide range of industry and service sectors. The aims of the paper are to highlight a number of critical factors which are necessary for successful female expatriate assignments. The results of the study show that female expatriates are disadvantaged in their careers because of the lack of organizational support which is readily available to their male counterparts. This lack of organizational support, together with the invisible barriers which constitute the glass ceiling, explain the relative scarcity of female expatriate managers.

International human resource management: a critical text

International Human Resource Management provides a critical assessment of contemporary international HRM. Written by leading international scholars, this text explores the challenges confronting organizations as they seek to develop effective resourcing strategies in a global environment. International Human Resource Management is an excellent companion text for upper level undergraduate, postgraduates and MBA students studying international or comparative HRM.