Purpose -The purpose of this paper is to examine how female expatriates face gender stereotyping and discrimination in their home and host countries and how they reconcile their conflicts between home and work. Design/methodology/approach -Qualitative data were collected via interviews with 21 female expatriates in Western multinational corporations with offices in Taiwan. Findings -Although gender stereotyping and discrimination are not significant phenomena in home companies, this result needs to be cautiously interpreted because the informants do not have complete information, and faultily presume that overseas assignments are under the protection of anti-discrimination laws. In the host countries, we found that gender stereotyping and discrimination might be intra-ethnic rather than nonexistent. Moreover, a woman's life course influences her efforts to build overseas careers, and expatriate women who are married and raising children have to utilize various other kinds of social support in order to balance family and job responsibilities.Research limitations/implications -Since, this research is conducted in the Taiwan offices of the multinational corporations, it could not directly examine the overseas posting policies and procedures of home companies and thus is limited in its explanation of this perspective. Owing to the small number of cases in this research, the further research on ethnic differences in sex discrimination among female expatriates is needed. Practical implications -This research could serve as a useful source for women interested in pursuing international careers and for companies and governments seeking to help such women. Originality/value -By thoroughly re-examining the previous research and bringing new perspectives to the future study of female expatriates, this research comes to some un-conventional findings.

"This research studies international migration of company transferees. The main purposes are to address how their individual characteristics have influences on their overseas assignment and what kinds of migration patterns are created by the multinational business enterprises. U.S. firms in Taiwan are the primary study focus. By using both quantitative and qualitative data, the results show that although an overseas appointment is mainly based on individual competence, nationality, ethnicity and gender also play crucial roles. And multinationals are important channels for sustainable, return and circular migration."

"This research studies international migration of company transferees. The main purposes are to address how their individual characteristics have influences on their overseas assignment and what kinds of migration patterns are created by the multinational business enterprises. U.S. firms in Taiwan are the primary study focus. By using both quantitative and qualitative data, the results show that although an overseas appointment is mainly based on individual competence, nationality, ethnicity and gender also play crucial roles. And multinationals are important channels for sustainable, return and circular migration."

The author argues that cultural capital is an important but neglected aspect of developing cross-border careers, and that it is especially important when social capital is lacking. Most of the supporting information was gathered during in-depth interviews with 40 western professional migrants (36 currently and four previously employed by Taiwanese firms), supplemented by data from interviews with 29 Taiwanese human resource and corporate managers. The data indicate that after using their home cultural capital to find jobs with Taiwanese firms doing business with western companies, the interviewees acquired local cultural and social capital that allowed them to pursue six cross-border career options. Moving to Taiwan is representative of the migration phenomenon from more-to lessdeveloped countries during a period of rapidly expanding economies or economic downturns. The migrants interviewed generally had limited organizational experience (affecting home-country opportunities) and a strong desire for international knowledge and adventure.

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