International Business Blog #1

Should MNCs protect shareholder value by restricting the placement of female employees in certain foreign countries? Discuss sexism in international business

In my eyes I feel that MNC’s should in fact be careful and put restrictions/limits on their placement of female employees in certain foreign countries.  One area that I feel that they would need to put these restrictions and limits on would be the middle east.  In the 1970’s only 17% of the women in the Middle East were literate.  Women were not offered schooling, and for the most part were not allowed to hold any sort of job.  However, by the 2000’s the literacy rate had increased to 53%.  More families and women were deciding to go to school because they were actually being allowed to attend.  Although women were getting more chances to get educations, they were still being restricted from getting jobs.  Most women in the Middle East are expected to be stay at home mothers, where they take care of all of the housework, cooking, cleaning, and taking care of the children.

Women are not allowed to pick who they marry, they are just treated like a material possession by there father, and then the same by there husbands.  Many people are not properly educated about places like this, so when they send people overseas, especially women, they run into quite a bit of problems.  I feel that if you are a MNC and are thinking about sending a female over to the Middle East you are either ignorant and not educated about the sexism that takes place there, or you have efficiently prepared your female employee on what to say and do when there.  In my eyes I feel that only in situations when you absolutely HAVE to send that female over there, and she is trained properly, should you even consider this option.  If an untrained female employee is sent to the Middle East to conduct some sort of business proposition, the business you are dealing with will feel extremely disrespected and will probably almost instantly refuse to do business with you.

Sexism is everywhere, but it is more prevalent in certain countries.  One must weigh the options in which will help and hurt you when thinking about sending a female to a sexist country.  This is a very important issue that needs to be dealt with when considering using a female employee.

3 thoughts on “International Business Blog #1

  1. I can’t imagine how horrible it would be to arrive in a foreign country, all excited and ready to go, and find out that I can not even book a meeting. Talk about having your ego pounded to a pulp.

    BTW, will you please change your blog name so I can tell you from Josh Bush at a glance?

    thanks!

  2. I agree buddy. It would almost be ignorant for businesses to send women overseas to do business. Talk about being uneducated and naive… As a woman I would be pissed if I was told by my company to go overseas to do a business deal and as soon as they walked in the room I got “the look” and there was no chance for me to do my job or close the deal.

  3. I agree with what you are saying about the Middle East and sending females over their to do business. When woman are not viewed very good by other countries then it is hard to get any business accomplished and it would most certainly be a waste of time and money. Business need to let the woman know the reason why just so that female does not feel violated. I’d hate to be a well trained business woman and have profession experience and walk into a room full of people not even willing to look at me. Would make me feel silly and useless.

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