Work-life interface: experiences of Indian IT women repatriates

Abstract

The growth of India’s Information Technology (IT) sector has enabled highly-skilled, aspirational Indian women to enter this demanding sector and undertake projects at international client sites. Despite increased numbers of women from emerging economies undertaking international assignments, few studies have focused on Indian women. The current qualitative interview study of 23 Indian IT women repatriates who completed medium to long-term international assignments, explores how societal expectations of them as Indian women impacted their work-life interface (WLI), their motivation to undertake previous international assignments, and their willingness to accept future assignments. Interestingly, while most enjoyed improved work-life balance at client sites, they were unwilling to undertake future long-term assignments due to socially-constructed, gendered expectations of them which affected their choices about expatriation. Nevertheless, many reported they were motivated to undertake short to medium-term international assignments as a way of gaining some independence from gender inequalities and cultural demands. Implications for International Human Resource Management (IHRM) and WLI theory are discussed.