Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
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TY - JOUR
T1 - Becoming an international man
T2 - top manager masculinities in the making of a multinational corporation
AU - Tienari, Janne
AU - Vaara, Eero
AU - Meriläinen, Susan
PY - 2010/1
Y1 - 2010/1
N2 - Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to address gender and management in contemporary globalization by focusing on the ways in which male top managers in a multinational corporation (MNC) construct their identities in interviews with researchers. Design/methodology/approach – Qualitative analysis based on interviews with virtually all top managers in the Nordic financial services company Nordea (53 men and two women). Findings – It is found that becoming international induces a particular masculine identity for the top managers. In becoming international, however, their national identification persists. The unstability of the MNC as a political constellation leaves room for questioning the transnational identity offered. Originality/value – This paper's findings suggest that in the global world of business, national identity can also be interpreted as something positive and productive, contrary to how it has been previously treated in feminist and men's studies literature.
AB - Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to address gender and management in contemporary globalization by focusing on the ways in which male top managers in a multinational corporation (MNC) construct their identities in interviews with researchers. Design/methodology/approach – Qualitative analysis based on interviews with virtually all top managers in the Nordic financial services company Nordea (53 men and two women). Findings – It is found that becoming international induces a particular masculine identity for the top managers. In becoming international, however, their national identification persists. The unstability of the MNC as a political constellation leaves room for questioning the transnational identity offered. Originality/value – This paper's findings suggest that in the global world of business, national identity can also be interpreted as something positive and productive, contrary to how it has been previously treated in feminist and men's studies literature.
KW - Globalization
KW - Men
KW - Multinational companies
KW - Senior management
KW - Work identity
U2 - 10.1108/02610151011019200
DO - 10.1108/02610151011019200
M3 - Journal article
VL - 29
SP - 38
EP - 52
JO - Equal Opportunities International
JF - Equal Opportunities International
SN - 0261-0159
IS - 1
ER -