To compete in the global market place, American companies have to select the most able and culturally adaptable workers to send overseas. So how come they're overlooking a big chunk of the qualified pool--the nation's working women?
Among workers currently assigned overseas, only 5 percent are women, finds Moran, Stahl & Boyer, a corporate consulting firm that recruits and tracks expatriate employees. Since it's often a way to the top in companies, women want and expect overseas posting. And they have the attitudes necessary for success.
"Our studies show that, against many odds, women do well abroad," says research director Banu Golesorkhi. What makes or breaks expates are family factors and ability to adapt to the culture.
Woman are especially sensitive to cultural nuances. And they are well-received in foreign cultures, even prejudiced ones. Locals assume any woman selected over a male must be good.
When American companies do send women abroad, they set them up for failure. They give them no time to adapt, no margin for error, and fail to provide the support they know is crucial to success--adjustment of the spouse.
