Age negotiation at the Asian corporate subsidiary: challenges of managerial ‘youth’ in Thai-based subsidiaries of Western multinationals

Abstract

This study explores how individuals construed as ‘young’ for their managerial positions seek to mitigate their youth in order to gain and maintain legitimacy in an Asian socio-cultural context which (traditionally) privileges age seniority. Drawing on the narratives of local and expatriate managers at the Thai-based subsidiaries of Western multinational companies, we show how individuals experience ‘youth discrimination’ seeking to negotiate their age using alternative identity attributes with differing stakeholder groups. Findings expand our understanding of how and why attitudes towards managers viewed as ‘young’ affect perceptions of role legitimacy and performance. Implications for corporate HRM – specifically managerial selection – in Asia, as well as notions of discrimination ‘intersectionality’ are then progressed.

Keywords:

• Age
• age seniority culture
• managerial selection
• corporate subsidiary
• intersectionality
• Thailand