ABSTRACT

Expatriate gender diversity is beneficial to business, yet women’s participation in organizationally-assigned expatriation remains stubbornly below that of men’s. The contribution that international assignment reward policy and practice can make to the gendered nature of expatriation is considered here, specifically taking into consideration their effects on women’s decisions to accept expatriation via a range of assignment lengths and patterns. Set within the theoretical frames of equity and compensating differentials (equalizing differences), the main reward policy items that women regard as critical preconditions to assignment acceptance are highlighted and recommendations for practice presented. Reward policy applicable to long-term assignments, short-term and graduate trainee positions, rotational assignments and extended transfers are examined, with a focus on the oil and gas sector.