scholarly journals Female expatriates’ motivations and challenges: the case of oil and gas

2018 ◽  
Vol 33 (1) ◽  
pp. 50-65 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan Shortland
Keyword(s):  
Research Design ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Gender Diversity ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Oil And Gas Exploration ◽  
Theoretical Approaches ◽  
Oil And Gas Firms

Purpose This case study is designed as a teaching exercise and this paper aims to highlight the key issues for organisations’ expatriating women within masculine industry sectors and/or into challenging international environments. Design/methodology/approach This case study draws together key published findings relating to women’s expatriation in the oil and gas exploration and production sector. It demonstrates a triangulated research design, drawing upon organisational policy from two oil and gas firms, semi-structured interviews with 14 human resource professionals and 26 female expatriates, as well as from 71 female assignees’ questionnaire responses. Findings Career and financial drivers underpin women’s motivations for accepting organisationally assigned expatriation. Women expatriates engage in satisficing and career compromise. The main challenges women face in masculine industries include access to expatriate roles because of limited female networks, family concerns, managing working time and work-life balance and coping with loneliness. Research limitations/implications The oil and gas case findings are based on a cross-sectional research design. The majority of female expatriates undertook long-term assignments; limited numbers engaged in flexpatriation. Practical implications While organisational policy supporting expatriation does not usually address gendered expatriate concerns specifically, inclusion of interventions that are identified by women as helpful to their expatriate participation can assist in increasing expatriate gender diversity. Originality/value This oil and gas research case brings together and presents a summary of the motivations, problems and challenges faced by women in male-dominated expatriate environments, together with relevant theoretical approaches and organisational interventions to help us understand and increase expatriate gender diversity.

Deterrents to knowledge-sharing in the pharmaceutical industry: a case study

2015 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 296-314 ◽  
Author(s):  
Athar Mahmood Ahmed Qureshi ◽  
Nina Evans
Keyword(s):  
Pharmaceutical Industry ◽  
Knowledge Sharing ◽  
Pharmaceutical Company ◽  
Manufacturing Industry ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Pharmaceutical Manufacturing ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Content Type

Purpose – This study aims to explore deterrents to knowledge-sharing in pharmaceutical manufacturing. Effective knowledge-sharing is fundamental to stimulation of the process of knowledge absorption. The limited proximal communication between the employees in the pharmaceutical industry stifles their knowledge-sharing behaviour significantly. Design/methodology/approach – A cross-sectional case study, consisting of semi-structured interviews with managers and scientists, was conducted in a multinational pharmaceutical company in Australia. Respondents were asked to answer questions regarding their current knowledge-sharing practices and to identify organisational deterrents to knowledge-sharing. The data were condensed into themes according to the thematic analysis method. Findings – The pharmaceutical industry is extensively regulated and its excessive competitiveness is cultivating organisational reticence towards the development of a knowledge-sharing culture. Nine categories of deterrents to intra- (within) and inter-organisational (between organisations) knowledge-sharing have been identified. These categories include high cost of sharing knowledge, information technology limitations, knowledge-hiding, lack of socialisation, lack of trust culture, non-educational mindset, organisational politics, poor leadership and time pressure. Research limitations/implications – The population of this study consists of managers and practitioners working for a pharmaceutical company. Hence, the generalisability of the findings to other health-care settings is unknown. Practical implications – The findings have implications for leaders and managers who should be aware of these professional diversities, instigators as well as the ripple effects of limited knowledge-sharing to guide the organisation towards developing an optimal knowledge-sharing culture. Originality/value – A focussed investigation of knowledge-sharing behaviour within the pharmaceutical industry in Australia, considering the pressure applied to this industry over the past decade. This case study specifically focusses on the diversity of deterrents to knowledge-sharing in the pharmaceutical manufacturing industry.

scholarly journals International rotational assignments: women's challenge to occupational gender segregation

2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (7) ◽  
pp. 693-714
Author(s):  
Susan Shortland
Keyword(s):  
Personal Development ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Gender Segregation ◽  
Exploratory Research ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Selection Processes ◽  
Market Opportunities ◽  
Research Propositions

PurposeThe purpose of this exploratory research is to understand how women have accessed male-dominated oil and gas international rotational assignments and why they believe these roles to be professionally worthwhile.Design/methodology/approachThis cross-sectional qualitative study is based on semi-structured interviews and correspondence with female international rotational assignees, and interviews with HR professionals involved in selection and deployment for such assignments.FindingsHR personnel stereotype women as unsuitable for international rotational assignments. Women must be exceptionally determined and/or circumvent selection processes to access such roles. Women value the professional and personal development gained from international rotational assignments which helps them widen their occupational skills capacity.Research limitations/implicationsTo extend these findings, larger samples of female international rotational assignees and research in a wider range of industries are required. Longitudinal studies could further our understanding of women’s career progression building upon their international rotational assignment experience.Practical implicationsTo reduce stereotyping of women's perceived unsuitability, greater understanding of international rotational assignment roles/environments is required by managers involved in selection. Transparent selection processes are required to support diversity. Greater interest in the work performed by international rotational assignees will raise their profile and assist with wider labour market opportunities.Social implicationsOrganisational representatives unintentionally reinforce occupational segregation by stereotyping women as less appropriate workers than men for international rotational assignments.Originality/valueThis research hears women's voices as they begin to make inroads into the masculine world of oil and gas international rotational assignments. Research propositions and recommendations for practice are suggested to assist in breaking down male monopoly in this context.

Mitigating the effects of COVID-19: an exploratory case study of the countermeasures taken by the manufacturing industry

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Atif Saleem Butt
Keyword(s):  
United Arab Emirates ◽  
Manufacturing Industry ◽  
Manufacturing Firms ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Study Approach ◽  
Process Manufacturing ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The purpose of this study is to understand how manufacturers (both discrete and process) are managing disruptions amid the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak, using UAE as an empirical context. Design/methodology/approach This research uses a multiple case study approach and undertakes 36 semi-structured interviews with senior management of four discrete and four process manufacturing firms that outsource products/components from overseas and domestic suppliers. Findings Results reveal that manufacturing firms are using six distinct actions to mitigate the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. For instance, they are relying on the automation process, transferring new and updated knowledge to the current and new suppliers, managing workforce diversity, understanding the impact of demand’s disruption, managing the ecosystem and finally using digital technologies to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Research limitations/implications This study has some limitations. Firstly, the results of this study cannot be generalized to a broader population as it attempts to build an initial theory in manufacturing supply chains within the context of a pandemic outbreak. Second, the study uses a cross-sectional approach to explore the actions used by manufacturing firms to mitigate the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Practical implications Manufacturing firms can replicate the actions proposed in this study to lessen the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic and emerge stronger in the post-COVID-era. Originality/value This study contributes to the manufacturing supply chain literature within the context of pandemic outbreaks by exploring the steps taken by manufacturing firms to minimize the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Particularly, it explores such steps by considering both the discrete and process manufacturing industries within the United Arab Emirates.

scholarly journals Unlocking inhibitors to women's expatriate careers: can job-related training provide a key?

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 85-105
Author(s):  
Susan Shortland ◽  
Christine Porter
Keyword(s):  
Human Capital ◽  
Longitudinal Research ◽  
Gender Diversity ◽  
Skills Training ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Knowledge And Skills ◽  
Training Interventions

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to examine what job-related training interventions female expatriates seek and can access in order to build necessary knowledge and skills to progress into further career-enhancing expatriate positions.Design/methodology/approachThis study uses a cross-sectional qualitative research approach, drawing upon semi-structured interviews in respect of organisational training practice with 26 current female expatriates and nine human resource, international assignments and training managers in two oil and gas exploration firms.FindingsBudgets, time and travel restrictions and competitive business pressures constrain on-the-job training provision for expatriates. Assignees require specific knowledge and skills ahead of appointment to subsequent expatriate positions. HR personnel believe training provides appropriate knowledge and capability development, supporting women expatriates' career ambitions. Women assignees view training available within their current roles as insufficient or irrelevant to building human capital for future expatriate posts.Research limitations/implicationsLongitudinal research across a wider spectrum of industries is needed to help understand the effects of training interventions on women's access to future career-enhancing expatriation and senior management/leadership positions.Practical implicationsOrganisations should ensure relevant technical skills training, clear responsibility for training provision, transparent and fair training allocation, positive communication regarding human capital outcomes and an inclusive culture that promotes expatriate gender diversity.Originality/valueSet within the framework of human capital theory, this study identifies the challenges that female expatriates experience when seeking relevant job-related training to further their expatriate careers. It identifies clear mismatches between the views of HR and female assignees in relation to the value of job-related training offered and women's access to it.

scholarly journals Role models: expatriate gender diversity pipeline or pipe-dream?

2014 ◽  
Vol 19 (5) ◽  
pp. 572-594 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan Shortland
Keyword(s):  
Role Models ◽  
Role Model ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Gender Diversity ◽  
Oil And Gas Industry ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Theoretical Contribution ◽  
Female Role Model ◽  
Expatriate Assignments

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the extent to which – and how – female expatriate role models support women to take up expatriate assignments in the male-dominated oil and gas industry. Design/methodology/approach – The research uses data from a census survey of female expatriates supported by semi-structured interviews with a stratified sample of the survey respondents, triangulated with interviews with human resource (HR) professionals and analysis of organizational policy relevant to expatriation. Findings – Potential assignees value the information that women role models can provide on living in challenging, masculine locations. Role models are particularly important to women undertaking unaccompanied assignments and also when assignment periods exceed traditional lengths. Current female expatriates do not view themselves as role models, despite HR professionals recognizing their value in inspiring women's expatriation. Research limitations/implications – This research was set in a sector with very few female expatriate role models. Further research is needed to understand the influence of role models on women's expatriation in different sectors and organizations with greater female role model representation. Practical implications – Training for current assignees, time to be set aside within work duties and communications links to enable current and returned female expatriates to connect with potential assignees are needed to widen expatriate gender diversity. Originality/value – This research contributes to theory by linking the importance of role models to women's career stages. It proposes a new theoretical contribution by linking role model importance to the types of assignments women undertake. Practical suggestions for organizations are given to widen expatriate gender diversity via support for role models.

scholarly journals What seals the deal? How compensation and benefits affect women’s decisions to accept expatriation in the oil and gas industry

2018 ◽  
Vol 47 (3) ◽  
pp. 765-783 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan Shortland
Keyword(s):  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Oil And Gas Industry ◽  
Housing Quality ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Healthcare Provision ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Good Communication ◽  
Oil And Gas Exploration ◽  
Leave Policy ◽  
Oil And Gas Firms

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine how decisions to undertake organisationally assigned expatriation are influenced by employers’ international assignment (IA) compensation and benefits policies, seen through the lens of female expatriate breadwinners working in the male-dominated oil and gas exploration and production industry. Design/methodology/approach A triangulated qualitative research approach draws upon: policy analysis in two oil and gas firms; interviews with two IAs Managers in Human Resources; and in-depth interviews with 26 female expatriates with experience of a variety of assignment types. Findings The paper identifies premiums that uplift salary, housing quality, access to healthcare, travel and leave arrangements, dual careers and children’s education as women’s main deal makers. Research limitations/implications Longitudinal studies and comparisons of men’s and women’s views on policy aspects that support assignment acceptance and cause assignment rejection are needed across a range of industries. Practical implications Housing quality is a key factor in women’s assignment acceptance. Good communication prior to expatriation can help build confidence in healthcare provision. Employers should consider how travel and leave policy can be implemented flexibly. Assistance with seeking work visas for partners and coordinating dual career couples’ assignments can facilitate female expatriation. Originality/value This paper provides new knowledge on how the content of organisations’ international compensation and benefits policies influences female expatriate breadwinners’ assignment acceptance set within the theoretical framework of compensating differentials. It proposes a model to depict financial and non-financial deal makers to women’s assignment acceptance.

Sell-side analysts and corporate acquisitions: case study findings

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 437-464
Author(s):  
Patric Andersson ◽  
Johan Graaf ◽  
Niclas Hellman
Keyword(s):  
Research Design ◽  
Capital Expenditure ◽  
Case Study Research ◽  
Accounting Information ◽  
Relevant Information ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Corporate Acquisitions ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Organic Growth

Purpose This paper aims to investigate how sell-side analysts form expectations on, analyse, and communicate the effects of corporate acquisitions. Design/methodology/approach The paper reports on case studies of three listed firms who are frequent acquirers. The case data comprise semi-structured interviews and content analysis of analyst reports and corporate reports. Findings The paper reports three sets of findings. First, the analysts viewed acquisitions as heterogeneous events and, therefore, also treated acquisitions differently depending on factors such as size and acquisition strategy and the perceived “authenticity” of the acquisition (i.e. whether parts of the acquisition would be more accurately described as organic growth and regular capital expenditure (CAPEX) investments). Second, the authors find that analysts struggle with analysing the effects of acquisitions at the announcement date because of a mismatch between the analysts’ need of and the analysts’ access to relevant information. Although clients demand evaluations of announced acquisitions, relevant accounting information is not published until much later and the information at hand only allows for cursory analyses. Finally, the authors find that the analysts’ valuation models were too inflexible to fully incorporate the effects of the acquisition. In sum, the analysts, therefore, developed acquisition-driven investment cases without supporting accounting information and without converting expected acquisitions into forecasts. Originality/value By adopting a qualitative case study research design, the paper contributes to the ongoing efforts to open the “black-box” of sell-side analyst behaviour. In particular, the unique research design focusses on effects related to specific corporate events (acquisitions) rather than analysts’ everyday work.

The effects of goodwill and competence trust on strategic information sharing in buyer–supplier relationships

2019 ◽  
Vol 34 (2) ◽  
pp. 389-400 ◽  
Author(s):  
William James Newell ◽  
Chris Ellegaard ◽  
Lars Esbjerg
Keyword(s):  
Information Sharing ◽  
Single Case ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Strategic Information ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Supplier Relationships ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Types Of Information ◽  
Positive Effect

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore how the choice of buying managers to share or limit the sharing of strategic information with their suppliers relates to the presence or absence of goodwill and competence trust in the buyer–supplier relationship.Design/methodology/approachAn interpretive single case study of a mid-sized retailer was used. In total, 17 semi-structured interviews examining information sharing events were conducted with buying managers, along with the analysis of company documents.FindingsGoodwill and competence trust have a positive effect on strategic information sharing, yet this study reveals several tactics used by buying managers in the presence of competence trust only. With a lack of established trust, or earlier trust breaches, little to no information sharing occurs.Research limitations/implicationsThis study featured cross-sectional data of a single case from the buyer’s perspective. This limits its generalizability, yet provides opportunities to test the findings through longitudinal studies, potentially gathering data from both buyers and suppliers.Practical implicationsRelating which types of information being shared for different forms of trust guides managers’ expectations on which type of trust they wish to build for each of their buyer–supplier relationships.Originality/valueThis study examines the trust and information sharing relationship in more detail, linking different types of trust to categories of strategic information. It also distinguishes between the different concepts of encouraging information sharing and deliberately limiting strategic information sharing.

Overcoming the theoretical duality on social enterprise formation

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Leandro da Silva Nascimento ◽  
Viviane Santos Salazar
Keyword(s):  
Theoretical Approach ◽  
Social Enterprise ◽  
Process Model ◽  
Continuous Process ◽  
Social Enterprises ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Theoretical Approaches ◽  
Initial Idea

Purpose Nowadays, creation and discovery theories are the two main theoretical approaches supporting the studies on the emergence of enterprises and some scholars analyze these theories in isolation. In addition, studies that investigate the emergence of social enterprises based on these theories together are scarce. This paper aims to analyze if and how discovery and creation theories can coexist in the formation process of social enterprises. Design/methodology/approach A multi-case study based on semi-structured interviews with the founders of eight Brazilian social enterprises was conducted. Findings From the results, it is identified that there is a continuous process between discoveries and creations that lead to the maturation of the initial idea and, consequently, to the formation of a social enterprise. Therefore, a continuous process model between discovery and creation of opportunities in the formation of a social enterprise (i.e. a mixed theoretical approach) is proposed, going beyond a theoretical duality between creation or discovery. Originality/value This study helps to overcome limitations inherent in both discovery and creation theories, proposing a mixed theoretical approach. This new theoretical approach praises the existence of new paths to understand the emergence of social enterprises, by overcoming the theoretical duality between creation or discovery of opportunities, i.e. a new understanding of an integrating process rather than a dichotomous one.

scholarly journals The beauty of constructive culture: planting the seeds for widespread performance information use among councilors

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tomi Rajala ◽  
Lotta-Maria Sinervo
Keyword(s):  
Financial Management ◽  
Information Use ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Performance Information ◽  
Political Climate ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Accessible Information

PurposeAlthough politicians' use of performance information affects political decisions and, through them, the well-being of society, there is a lack of studies exploring what contextual factors are associated with annual active performance information use among politicians. Furthermore, past studies on this subject have been cross-sectional rather than longitudinal.Design/methodology/approachIn this qualitative case study, triangulation of observations and 10 semi-structured interviews were used to ensure the robustness of findings. The study was conducted in a Finnish municipality known as Kangasala.FindingsA dialogue culture, constructive political climate, trusted information sources and high-quality information attained via accessible information channels explained the high information use in primarily unfavorable conditions to such use. The authors’ findings contradict many prior interview and survey studies that did not recognize the simultaneous contributions of the information provider, channel and quality, along with organizational and environmental factors to high performance information use. The results contradict to some extent the findings from other countries as these studies have explained high levels of use with unique combinations of drivers, whereas we identify common attributes of these combinations and talk about their meaning in the success of Kangasala's public financial management. However, the findings of this case study cannot be generalized.Originality/valueThis study describes a case organization that created a supportive environment for politicians' frequent performance information use that contributed to improvements. Past studies provide little knowledge about establishing sustained high levels of information use among politicians, so the case offers ideas and inspiration for improving this use.

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