Asian women report the lack of key professional relationships as a major barrier to their career advancement. In addition, some cultural values reported by Asian women, learned in or reinforced by families, are at odds with successfully navigating American corporate culture. Other findings include:
- Many Asian women reported feeling overlooked by diversity programs and policies, perhaps due to perceptions in the corporate world that Asians do not require specific diversity efforts. While many Asian women strive to maintain the importance of their cultural backgrounds, others try to fit in with the majority group and do not consider themselves in need of diversity efforts.
- Asian women in the study who are “more acculturated” (born in the United States or immigrated as a child and do not speak second language at home), are more satisfied and feel more successful in their careers, and are more satisfied with their pay.
- Asian women who are “less acculturated” (immigrated to the United States as teens or adults and do not speak English at home) are less likely to feel it is appropriate to challenge the way things are done in their workplaces, and are less likely to report that diversity efforts have created a supportive climate.
Sponsor: McDonald’s Corporation