The career narratives of professional self-initiated expatriate women living and working in Beijing

334 Pages·2017·3.39 MB·English

Southern Cross University
THE CAREER NARRATIVES OF
PROFESSIONAL SELF-INITIATED
EXPATRIATE WOMEN LIVING AND
WORKING IN BEIJING, CHINA

Melinda Jane Muir
A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment
of the requirements of the degree of
DOCTOR OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION

Southern Cross University
Australia
July 2014
DECLARATION

The complete work in this thesis has not been previously submitted for a degree or
diploma at any other education institute. To the best of my knowledge and belief, this
thesis contains no material previously published or written by another person, except
where due reference is made.

Melinda Jane Muir
Date: July, 2014

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This study is not the beginning, nor the end, but rather a consolidating pause in the
journeys of all the women who have contributed to a better understanding of
self-initiated expatriation.

— Melinda Muir, July 2014

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I have many people to thank for their encouragement, reassurance and assistance during
my DBA journey. First and foremost to all the women who participated in this study,
without whom this thesis would not have been possible – an enormous thank you! I am
truly indebted to each and every one of my 31 participants for sharing their stories with
such sincerity and candour. You followed your own agendas and your own hearts. You
gave generously of your time, were enthusiastic about my work and believed in my
ability to represent you honestly and fairly. I hope that I have not disappointed you.
This study represents my apprenticeship in the world of research training. But what is
an apprentice without a teacher? To that end my warmest appreciation and gratitude to
my supervisors at Southern Cross University, Dr Don McMurray and Associate
Professor Michelle Wallace, for their guidance, insight, reassurance and friendship in
often the most challenging and difficult of times.
I am also reminded of Dr Seuss’ words that: You can get help from teachers, but you
are going to have to learn a lot by yourself, sitting alone in a room. I didn’t realise just
how lonely that room could be so to my family and friends who cheered me on from far
and near and every corner of the globe, my heartfelt thanks.
Within the greater community, I am indebted to several people. In particular, my
‘critical’ friend Elizabeth, the librarians from the Lismore and Gold Coast campuses;
the ever calm and accommodating administrators, Margot and Gina, John Revington,
for his word smithing skills and Hannah Murphy for her grand designs.
Finally, to ‘JFW’— who has ‘lived’ this experience with me. What can I say! You have
been my greatest cheerleader, my compass to guide me and my comfort when I have
faltered. I am truly blessed.
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ABSTRACT
The primary research focus of this study was to explore the career experiences of 31
western professional women living and working in Beijing, China, as self-initiated
expatriates (SIEs). The host location was chosen for its growing economic and political
influence on the global landscape, as well as its emergence as a major destination for
international assignees. Nonetheless, as a destination for SIEs, China remains under-
represented and under-researched within the current literature. Furthermore, although it
is not clear how many foreign professionals make their way to China as SIEs, evidence
suggests an increasing percentage of them are women.
The study has been informed by emerging developments and directions in the
‘new careers’ literature and global-mobility research and practice, which reside within
the broader human resource management (HRM) and international human resource
management (IHRM) literature . Not only are the numbers of the internationally mobile
increasing but the pattern and direction of mobility are also changing. The increasingly
varied array of assignees has been driven largely by a growing shortage of and demand
for cross-border talent, as well as concern about the cost of international assignments.
In sum, international careers are no longer the domain of company-assigned expatriates.
Despite a growing interest in SIEs, the question remains: What, in truth, do we
know of the career dynamics and experiences of this expanding group of expatriates? A
rich body of research on expatriation examines the career experiences of company-
assigned expatriates, but the literature on the career constructs and career paths of SIEs
in general and female SIEs in particular is limited.
An exploratory qualitative mode of social enquiry was applied, since the
purpose of the study was to investigate the little-understood trend of professional
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women initiating their own expatriation. An interpretive narrative approach provides
the framework to give voice to those whose experiences may otherwise not be heard.
The objective in exploring the careers of this purposive sample was to develop
information-rich narratives that captured the women’s lived experiences in enough
detail and depth to enable others to better understand how professional SIE women
explain, account for and make sense of their careers.
An outcome from the study was the emergence of four career orientations
relating to the respondents. The typology exemplifies an initial mapping of what a
professional SIE woman’s career might look like. As such it provides a platform for
future investigation and exploration of the array of career patterns for female SIEs, and
possibly SIEs overall. An added conclusion worth noting is the observation that the
women themselves did not identify with the world of the expatriate as it is commonly
regarded. Thus, while the term SIE has become part of the lexicon over the past decade,
it may no longer aptly describe how these women have come to view themselves.
The study addresses gaps in the extant literature and contributes to new
knowledge and an understanding of the career-related behaviours, expectations and
outcomes of professional SIE women, especially those living and working in Beijing,
China. Given the overall shortage of skilled and experienced mid-level management
and leadership talent in China, these women present as a potentially valuable source of
talent to both local and multinational organisations. Understanding the career
experiences of SIE women is a critical component of organisational HR recruitment and
retention strategies.
Key words: self-initiated expatriate; women; new careers; identity; China.
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RELATED PUBLICATIONS, PRESENTATIONS AND AWARDS ARISING
FROM THIS STUDY

 Muir, M., Wallace, M., and McMurray, D. (2013). Don’t Call Me an Expat,
Paper presented at the Global Conference on International Human Resource
Management (IHRM), Pennsylvania State University (USA), May 9-10, 2013.

 Muir, M., Wallace, M., and McMurray, D. (2013). Self-initiated Female
Expatriates Working in China: Global Careerists or International Itinerants?
Paper presented at the Australian and New Zealand Academy of Management
(ANZAM) Conference, Hobart (Australia), December 4-6, 2013.

 Muir, M., Wallace, M., and McMurray, D. (2014). Women on the Move: The
Self-initiated Expatriate, Journal of Global Mobility (accepted for publication
May 2014).

 2013 Southern Cross University Winner of the Three Minute Thesis
Competition — Narratives of self-initiated expatriate women living and working
in Beijing: 31 stories.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Declaration ................................................................................................................ ii
Acknowledgement ................................................................................................... iii
Abstract ..................................................................................................................... v
Related Publications, Presentations and Awards Arising From This Study ........... vii
List of Figures ........................................................................................................ xiv
List of Tables .......................................................................................................... xv
Notations and Abbreviations ........................................................................... xvi

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION AND SCOPE OF RESEARCH
1.1 Scope of Research ................................................................................................ 1
1.2 Setting the Scene: Background to the Research .................................................... 3
1.3 Situating the Research ........................................................................................... 10
1.3.1 Why women? ........................................................................................... 10
1.3.2 Why Beijing, China? ................................................................................ 12
1.3.3 The business context ............................................................................... 14
1.3.4 The researcher’s background ................................................................... 16
1.4 Justification for the Research ................................................................................ 17
1.5 Research Aims and Objectives.............................................................................. 18
1.6 The Research Design ............................................................................................ 20
1.7 Outline of the Thesis Structure ............................................................................. 22
1.8 Delimitations of Scope ............................................................................................... 23
1.9 Summary and Conclusion .......................................................................................... 24

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CHAPTER 2: THE LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1 Chapter Overview ................................................................................................. 25
2.2 Conducting the Literature Review ........................................................................ 26
2.2.1 A literature map of the research ............................................................... 28
2.2.2 Situating the study ................................................................................... 29
2.3 Expatriation and the Internationally Mobile ......................................................... 30
2.3.1 Who gets to go: selecting expatriates ....................................................... 32
2.3.2 Women and expatriation .......................................................................... 34
2.3.3 The changing nature and face of expatriate careers ................................. 38
2.3.4 SIEs: the beginning .................................................................................. 40
2.3.5 SIEs: an evolving genre ........................................................................... 44
2.3.6 Issues of permanence ............................................................................... 46
2.3.7 Influencing factors to become an SIE ..................................................... 47
2.3.8 Differences between SIEs and other types of expatriates ........................ 49
2.3.9 Women SIEs: what do we know? ............................................................ 51
2.3.10 Summary ................................................................................................ 54
2.4 The Notion of Career and Changing Career Landscapes ...................................... 55
2.4.1 A changing career landscape ................................................................... 55
2.4.2 Non-standard employment arrangements ................................................ 57
2.4.3 Emerging career frameworks and theories............................................... 60
2.4.4 The next generation of career concepts ................................................... 66
2.4.5 SIEs and the new career theory ............................................................... 67
2.4.6 Career transition ....................................................................................... 67
2.4.7 Career redefined ....................................................................................... 69
2.4.8 Women’s careers ...................................................................................... 71
2.4.9 Women’s career patterns: a contradiction in terms? ................................ 73
2.3.10 The ‘opt-out’ revolt ................................................................................ 75
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