Exam 17: Human Resource Management in the Global Firm

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Many firms create career development programs that provide high-potential employees with opportunities to gain experience both at headquarters and in the firm's operations around the world. They do this because, as the firm generates an increasing proportion of sales and earnings from abroad, it needs globally experienced employees capable of managing company operations worldwide. This approach broadens the pool of global talent for managerial positions and visibly demonstrates top management's commitment to global strategy.
Women still do not enjoy equal access to senior management positions in most countries. Even in the advanced economies, they are sometimes not afforded the same opportunities for education and training as their male colleagues. Although evidence suggests just as many women seek international positions as men, relatively few are asked to fill expatriate positions. There are several reasons for this. First, senior managers may assume women do not make suitable leaders abroad or that foreign men do not like reporting to female managers. Firms are reluctant to send women to locations where the demarcation between male and female roles is sharp. Even obtaining a work visa can prove problematic in certain male-dominated countries. In many countries, male managers drink together, go to sports events, or enjoy the night life. Some women may feel uncomfortable in such all-male settings.
Having children and other family obligations can disrupt career paths. Although flexible and part-time work policies are often beneficial to women's progress up the corporate ladder, not all companies provide such opportunities. Finally, because women currently occupy relatively few top management positions (in Europe, they hold only 15-25 percent of senior executive posts), there are fewer women with sufficient experience to be sent abroad for important positions.