Current Perspectives on Asian Women in Leadership

Session Submission Type: Symposium

Short Description

Researchers from three Asian countries who recently collaborated on a book on this topic will present current perspectives on Asian women in leadership. After the presentations, they will discuss convergence (commonalities) and divergence (differences) across the three Asian countries, engage attendees in a discussion about unique Asian perspectives as compared to Western perspectives, and provide implications for future research and practice.

Detailed Abstract

Asia as a research context is significantly different, in many ways, from western countries where a majority of studies on women in leadership have been conducted. Women’s appointment to high-ranking leadership roles in Asia is extremely challenging because traditional culture (e.g., Confucianism) and religious beliefs (e.g., Buddhism) dictate the inferior status of women in their daily lives. Women’s roles as mothers and wives are still strongly upheld as the fundamental duty for women in many parts of Asia. As the meaning of work and family vary across cultures, there is an immediate need to consider cultural differences when researching women in leadership in Asia.

In this symposium, we will present current perspectives on Asian women in leadership through the three Asian countries’ presentations on their women leaders’ current state of working conditions and balance between personal and professional lives. We chose the three authors from three Asian countries (Indonesia, Japan, and South Korea) who have collaborated in writing a book on the topic in the past year. Based on their presentations, we will discuss convergence (commonalities) and divergence (differences) across the three Asian countries, engage session attendees in discussion about unique Asian perspectives compared to western (especially the U.S.-centered) perspectives, and provide implications for future research and practice.

The purpose of this symposium is to give participants an opportunity to understand women in leadership from uniquely Asian perspectives. We will go through the following process to effectively manage this symposium:

• Chair’s short introduction to the symposium (5 minutes)
• Three country presentations (10 minutes each)
• Commentator’s overall feedback on presentations (10 minutes)
• Chaired discussion with symposium participants (30 minutes)
• Presenters’ and commentator’s final thoughts (3 minutes each)
• Chair’s concluding remark (3 minutes)

At the end of this symposium, participants will gain an understanding of women in leadership in three Asian countries from uniquely Asian perspectives compared to western (especially the U.S.-centered) perspectives. They will recognize convergence (similarities) and divergence (differences) between Asian women in leadership and western countries’ women in leadership. They will also understand that there are cultural differences across the three Asian countries based on their unique cultural and historical backgrounds.

To engage participants in constructive discussion on the topic, we will present the following discussion questions:

• Is “woman/female leadership” different from “leadership”?
• Do your traditional values/religious beliefs limit or liberate women in leadership?
• How have social views on the role of women (leaders) changed (or not changed)?
• What are the underlying causes of the paradox, which is a low ranking on the gender gap but strong economic status, as in South Korea?
• What are possible strategies to tackle challenges that are caused by your traditional values/religious beliefs?
• What organizational and social changes are necessary for women to advance to and be sustained in leadership positions?
• What opportunities should be provided for women and women in the leadership pipeline in order to develop leadership?
• What are unique to Asian women in leadership compared with western women in leadership?
• What should be future research topics on women in leadership?

Sub Unit

• Leadership Development

Chair

• Yonjoo Cho, Indiana University

Commentator

• Sang-Hee Lee, University of California, Riverside

Individual Presentations

• Women in Leadership in Indonesia - Corina D. Riantoputra, Universitas Indonesia

• Women in Leadership in Japan - Yoshie Tomozumi Nakamura, Columbia University

• Women in Leadership in South Korea - Jiwon Park, Penn State