Asia better than Australia for women in business - Women's Agenda

Asia better than Australia for women in business

Australian women are thriving in leadership roles in Asia and reporting less gender bias in the region than back home, according to a new report.

The study, Women and the Asian Century: Women’s perspectives in 2013, raises issues requiring serious consideration, according to UGM cultural competence expert Dr Margaret Byrne. She believes gender balance and inclusive workplace cultures will assist in doing business in the Asian Century.

“We need to get real here. Professional, talented, ambitious women moving up in their career [in Australia] do experience bias,” she told Women’s Agenda, referring to the “sexist humour” experienced by many Australian women but unheard of by women in Asia.

“Asia is refreshing for Australian women,” she said.

A number of senior managerial women working in Asia and quoted in the report agreed: “I have actually found working in Asia to be far more positive than current thinking would suggest. There is a far greater representation of women in the workplace, in significant roles, than I experienced in Australia,” said one based in Hong Kong.

Another, working with a large Australian organisation, said women are treated equally in Asia. “Unlike in Asia where it is quite normal and expected for women to be given similar business and advancement opportunities as men, women in Australia tend not to be given similar opportunities as Australian men,” she said. “Generally speaking, Asian women are likely to be more receptive to doing business with Australian women rather than Australian men.”

But simply being a foreigner may also contribute to a woman’s success in Asia, according to Byrne, who refers to the “three genders” in the region: male, female and foreign. The report revealed that even those countries identified as more challenging for their own women – Japan, South Korea and India – are considered relatively accepting of expatriate or visiting women holding senior positions.

“As a foreign woman you can be seen in a different category from a Japanese woman. Maybe you can make your pathway a little smoother because you are viewed differently,” Byrne said, referencing the “foreign first and female second” mentality in some Asian countries. “You are not treated as a local woman and there are two aspects to your social identity.”

As to why Australian women are thriving in Asia and experiencing less gender bias, Byrne highlighted the availability and affordability of paid and unpaid childcare in Asian countries as a practical reason for women’s success.

“The women [surveyed] noted that local women have more family support and support at home during their reproductive years. It’s easier to stay in the workforce and climb the ladder,” Byrne said.

But more accessible childcare in Asia also means women are expected to return to work relatively soon after having children, according to the study.

The report also quoted a number of other research studies that have examined the extent to which behaviour norms in business and the professions are “masculine”. It noted that such studies find Australia to be a “fairly masculine society where women are expected to conform to male norms as the ‘gold standard’.” Some Asian cultures, but not all, do not adhere to such standards.

Byrne said that while Australia is not at the top of the international indexes of masculinity (the top spot is taken by Japan) we’re still relatively high up on the scale of masculinity compared to other Asian countries, such as Thailand and Indonesia.

Conducted by UGM Consulting in conjunction with Women on Boards, the study surveyed just a small sample of women, with 224 surveyed over two weeks.

The report was released last week at the Women on Boards Conference in Sydney where international business leaders from the USA, UK and Australia discussed the next steps needed to get more women to move into leadership and board roles in Australia.

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