| Over the last 30 years intensive research has been done on expatriation and the expatriate experience: addressing the lack of female expatriates, measuring the comparative performance of men and women while on foreign assignments, addressing the glass ceiling and how it applies to expatriation in the form of the glass border, as well as the topic of accompanying spouses (usually women, though sometimes, and increasingly, men) and their key role in the success of the expatriation. This research focuses on women working for multinationals who either accepted or turned down an offer to go on an international assignment, and aims to understand their motives in making that decision. The theoretical lenses related to this study include feminist and women's development theory, social gender expectations, and gender stereotyping theory, as well as dual career issues. With in-depth qualitative interviews of 25 women working for multinationals in China and elsewhere, this qualitative study reveals the motivation, influencing factors, and challenges women face when offered a foreign assignment. It gives insights into why some accept the offer whereas others turn it down. Issues such as national culture, stereotyping, and self-actualization are addressed and developed into a model of understanding. Perhaps most significantly, the findings challenge the common assumption that women turn down an offer to expatriate either only or mainly for family reasons.;Keywords: Expatriate Professional Women, Multinationals, China, Gender Social Stereotypes, Dual Career, Trust, Self-Efficacy, Self-Actualization. |
