Individualism-collectivism barriers for Asian women in management

¶ … Asian women. There are three references used for this paper.

Asian women face a number of challenges in the workplace. It is important to look at how individualism-collectivism is a barrier to these women, and determine possible resolutions which can help them overcome this barrier.

Individualism-Collectivism

Of the "psychological dimensions that differentiate between individuals from different cultures, it is argued that the individualism-collectivism dimension is most relevant to vocational psychology (Leung, 2002)." Compared to the work values of individualism and self-direction which are seen in the United States, Asian communities exhibited work values that are "more collectivistic in orientation, such as altruism, tradition, and conformity. Parental and family expectations have always been salient factors in the career choice process for Asian women (Leung, 2002)."

Goals

Employees of Japanese businesses were asked to "rate their experiences of conflicts with their supervisors in terms of goals, tactics, and outcomes. The findings indicated that the employees generally wanted to achieve collectivistic goals more strongly than individualistic goals. Fairness goals, however, thought to be more individualistic, increased confrontational tactics. Achievement of fairness goals significantly determined the employee's satisfaction with the outcomes of conflict, but collectivistic goals did not (Matsumoto, 1999)."

Resolutions

Asian women are currently working to overcome barriers by becoming well-educated, highly skilled workers. The "education level of Asian women has improved dramatically and, in some countries, now exceeds that of many Asian men, thus positioning women well for professional and managerial jobs. In Singapore, for example, women workers are generally better educated than their male counterparts, with approximately 60% of employed women, compared with 48% of their male counterparts, holding at least secondary qualifications (Adler, 1993)."

Another way for Asian women to overcome many of the barriers is to provide career counseling. Career counselors for these women "have to help their clients to achieve a delicate balance between personal goals and family or social loyalties. Counselors have to respect the collectivistic orientation that clients might use to assess their career concerns (Leung, 2002)."

Conclusion

Asian women have found they face an individualism-collectivism barrier in the workplace in past years. While there is an increase in the number of Asian women in management positions who are educated and highly skilled, many still face cultural conflicts. It is important for all Asian women to get appropriate career counseling in order to overcome these barriers.