The glass ceiling in China: 'it is a virtue for women to have no capability'

摘要

This MSc Business and Management Dissertation research examined obstacles that women face in business and management, the reasons for the 'glass ceiling', the strategies being used to access senior positions and the HR strategies adopted by employers to address the 'glass ceiling'. Fundamentally, it is focused on the challenges faced by women in aspiring to senior management positions in a Chinese context. There is evidence to suggest that HR practice is being westernised, principally driven my multi-national companies (MNCs) in China and ethnocentricity in HR practice. Interestingly, diversity and equality of opportunity policies, according to Nakajima and Harry (2006), are an example of the 'imposition of ethnocentric HR practice by MNCs and are often perceived by the host country nationals (HCNs) as a means of domination', but perhaps this is something for a future article. China is, of course, a large and diverse environment for business practice and general trends in women in management are not claimed in this research, but interesting insights are garnered and presented.