Globalization demands that more employees become comfortable working outside their home country borders. Western Women Working in Japan is a research-based description of the work and living situations facing foreign professional women who work in Japan. The book draws upon detailed survey data and in-depth interviews, as well as the experiences of the authors, who have lived or worked in Japan during the last 20 years. It examines how foreign women can succeed in Japanese and foreign firms operating in Japan by describing what helps these Western women adjust to Japan and work with Japanese bosses, subordinates, and clients. These women face some different problems than men, yet are armed with special advantages.

Drawing upon past research and exploring in new directions, the authors examine the connection between women's job success and the quality of their work relationships with the Japanese, their autonomy, Japanese linguistic ability, and age. Their working relationships are also compared to male expatriates and to the women's previous jobs. The interviews provide new insights into the sexual bias and harassment they encountered and how they dealt with these issues. The book includes valuable recommendations in the areas of selection, training, support, and repatriation for both the organizations that employ foreign women in their Japanese operations and for the women themselves.

I would like to thank my family for assisting me during the time of writing this book. Especially my twin brother, Chavous Hatchell for helping me remember certain events. Thank you to my husband and children who were willing to share me while I worked long hours into the night; thank you for your patience and endurance. I wrote this book as a testimony to help other individuals. We all have struggles, and think our families could have been better, or done better. We thought we should have had more, looking through the eyes of a child. If I had truly understood how rich we really were, this would have helped me see things differently We were, and still are a loving family; we were all together as one family, there were no separations. My mother and father kept us together. We were, "Rich not poor." Usually if you have both parents in the home with no separations of children and parents, you are truly blessed. When I was a little girl, I thought I was poor. Nearly all the children in my neighborhood felt the same way. We labeled ourselves that way because of what we could see, and for what we thought we did not have; but little did we know how "Rich" we really were. Now come along with me into this book and read the written words...................... MLT