Advancement to the Executive Level: Gender and Firm Ownership as Boundary Conditions in Japan

In the study on which this seminar is based, Professor Yamao examines how leadership confidence, gender, and organizational context shape the career advancement of managers in Japanese firms. While confidence drives the proactive behaviors necessary for promotion, Japanese female managers face unique sociocultural barriers—often hesitating to translate their motivation into action due to traditional role expectations.

The survey findings highlight that a firm’s ownership structure significantly dictates this dynamic. Foreign institutional ownership tends to create more meritocratic environments that diminish gender-based constraints, whereas family ownership often reinforces traditional norms that hinder female progress.

Register for the seminar here.
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About the speaker

Dr. Sachiko Yamao is a professor in International Management at Keio Business School, Keio University in Japan. Her previous professional experience includes a tenured position at the Faculty of Business and Economics at the University of Melbourne, Australia. During her career, Professor Yamao has held visiting positions in countries such as Brazil, Finland, Slovenia, and the UK.

Professor Yamao holds a PhD in Management from Monash University, Australia, and a master’s degree in International Business and Management from Manchester School of Management (now called Alliance Manchester Business School, The University of Manchester). Her research focuses on managing global workforce in multinational enterprises, with a focus on managing headquarters-subsidiary relations. Some of her research interests are employment practices of foreign subsidiaries, management of subsidiary employees and international assignees as well as the use of English as common language within multinationals from non-Anglophone countries.