Human resource management transfer challenges within multinational firms

Although a number of studies have recognized the relationship between Human Resource Management (HRM) policies and organisational performance, the mechanisms through which HRM policies lead to organisational performance remain still unexplored. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the pathways leading from HRM policies to organisational performance by using structural equation modelling. Specifically, this analytical tool has been used to test a research framework that is constituted by a set of causal relationships between organisational and other contingencies, business strategies, HRM policies, HRM outcomes, and organisational performance. Employing data from organisations operating in the Greek manufacturing sector, results indicate that the impact of HRM policies on organisational performance is mediated through the HRM outputs of skills, attitudes and behaviour, and moderated by business strategies, organisational context and other contingencies. Thus, the paper not only supports that HRM policies have a positive impact on organisational performance but also explains the mechanisms through which HRM policies improve organisational performance.

Organizational behavior scholars have long recognized the importance of a variety of emotion-related phenomena in everyday work life. Indeed, after three decades, the span of research on emotions in the workplace encompasses a wide variety of affective variables such as emotional climate, emotional labor, emotion regulation, positive and negative affect, empathy, and more recently, specific emotions. Emotions operate in complex ways across multiple levels of analysis (i.e., within-person, between-person, interpersonal, group, and organizational) to exert influence on work behavior and outcomes, but their linkages to human resource management (HRM) policies and practices have not always been explicit or well understood. This chapter offers a review and integration of the bourgeoning research on discrete positive and negative emotions, offering insights about why these emotions are relevant to HRM policies and practices. We review some of the dominant theories that have emerged out of functionalist perspectives on emotions, connecting these to a strategic HRM framework. We then define and describe four discrete positive and negative emotions (fear, pride, guilt, and interest) highlighting how they relate to five HRM practices: (1) selection, (2) training/learning, (3) performance management, (4) incentives/rewards, and (5) employee voice. Following this, we discuss the emotion perception and regulation implications of these and other discrete emotions for leaders and HRM managers. We conclude with some challenges associated with understanding discrete emotions in organizations as well as some opportunities and future directions for improving our appreciation and understanding of the role of discrete emotional experiences in HRM.

<i>Managing Human Resources in China: The View from Inside Multinationals</i>, by Yu Zheng. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2013. xx+287 pp. US$110.00 (cloth), US$49.99 (paper), US$36.00 (eBook).

This paper documents how PRC-based Japanese affiliates can align their human resource management (HRM) policies and practices with their business strategies based on in-depth interview surveys of the five leading Japanese manufacturers in China. In particular, using a multiple-informant research design to interview both top and human resource managers in each site, the study has attempted to clarify the strategic fit between the business strategies pursued and HRM practices adopted in China. Our interviews with top management for each affiliate revealed three types of business strategies that the PRC-based affiliates adopt to gain competitiveness in the Chinese market. Separate interviews with HR managers further clarified that affiliates' HRM efforts are aligned with the strategy each affiliate is pursuing. The findings are used to suggest several hypothesized relationships between the particular strategies pursued and the HRM practices adopted in China. Furthermore, this study has provided some important insights as to how the choice of affiliate-level business strategies in China affects the ‘hybridization’ processes of the HRM policies and practices used in the cross-national business environment.

Afirm's corporate culture and human resource management (HRM) policies have an important impact upon the success of that organization's supply chain management strategy. A model that examines the relationship between organizational culture, HRM policies, and the firm's transaction/relationship orientation toward its employees and the impact of these factors on its choice of supply chain partners is presented. The paper then discusses four different HRM/logistics strategies a firm can implement and examines the degree of cultural fit that is likely to develop in each of these four strategies. Finally, managers are provided with a list of questions that allow an assessment of the fit between the firm's human resource and logistics management strategies.

Using empirical data from interviews among leading hotels in Slovakia, this paper sets out to explore recent developments in human resource management (HRM) policies and practices and labour relations in an emerging Central European economy. The main areas explored are the HRM function, employee resourcing, employee development, employee relations and emerging HRM issues. The paper establishes that there has been a move away from the traditional rigid socialist type of personnel management, but it has not been fully replaced by HRM practices. The emergent 'model' is a hybrid of the traditional Western personnel management and basic HRM activities, alongside which some legacies of the socialist personnel function still exist.

PurposeThe purpose of this research is to empirically examine the extent to which the Japanese‐style human resource management (HRM) model is being transferred to subsidiaries, given the contextual characteristics of the Malaysian environment.Design/methodology/approachThe transferability of Japanese‐style HRM is examined through an analysis of the policies and practices of 69 Japanese subsidiaries and focuses on the following specific areas of HRM: employment policies and practices, remuneration systems and career development policies and practices; and management strategies and workplace industrial relations practices.FindingsOverall, the findings suggest that the key elements associated with the Japanese‐style HRM as described in most of the literature are either present to a very limited degree or completely absent. It seems clear that the transfer of the distinctive Japanese‐style HRM, and especially the “four pillars” is not a priority of management. To a certain extent, most companies seem uncomfortable with the characteristics of the local labor. However, the HRM policies and practices in the companies surveyed are not simply the result of the limitation of the local environment and resources; rather they are “opportunist” management strategies which, by taking account of these contextual limits, seek to control the subsidiaries' operations.Originality/valueBy confirming many of the findings of research on the HRM policies and practices of Japanese subsidiaries, especially in other developing countries and, to a certain extent, some developed countries, this study demonstrated that while “technical” elements (the hardware) of the Japanese model are readily being transferred, most of the HRM elements (the software) are adapted in significant, and not always subtle ways. Thus, the issue of the transfer of Japanese‐style HRM abroad in general and in Malaysia particularly is not so much a question of whether the Japanese want to transfer their distinctive policies and practices as of whether they need, or indeed are able, to do so. The findings of this study also demonstrate that what most Japanese subsidiaries achieve is a system of labor control – this is the essential purpose of the HRM practices under considerations: to make the production methods work and enable the company to make and sustain profit – and indeed what the Japanese have achieved and secured in Malaysia is a highly effective system of control (given local conditions).

Purpose This study aims to conduct a comparative analysis of human resource management (HRM) practices between domestic and multinational enterprises within India, a large emerging economy. It also highlights the distinct institutional arrangements that potentially influence the employment practices of these organizations. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected from a diverse sample of domestic and multinational enterprises in India. The study utilized multivariate analysis to examine HRM practices, focusing on training and development, incentives and rewards and retention practices. Findings Contrary to initial expectations, the results indicate that DEs place significantly more emphasis on HRM practices than MNEs. This finding suggests that organizational scale and global presence do not consistently translate into a greater emphasis on critical HRM parameters. Instead, DEs leverage their local market knowledge and understanding of cultural and institutional nuances to prioritize effective HRM strategies. Research limitations/implications The study did not categorize the nationality of MNEs, which could reveal how different cultural contexts impact HRM practices. It is possible that MNEs headquartered in distinct cultural contexts may exhibit varying behaviors compared to enterprises based in different cultural environments. Additionally, while our findings reveal that domestic enterprises prioritize certain HRM practices over multinational firms, the question remains whether this emphasis translates into favorable organizational performance outcomes. Practical implications Both multinational and domestic enterprises should tailor their HRM practices to align with local dynamics and institutional arrangements. DEs can use their emphasis on HRM practices as a competitive advantage in attracting and retaining local talent, while MNEs should enhance cross-cultural competence to better integrate within different national contexts. Originality/value This study introduces a critical rethinking of HRM practices by illustrating the unique ways DEs and MNEs navigate institutional complexities within India. Unlike traditional assumptions that emphasize the superiority of MNE practices, this research uncovers how DEs strategically leverage local institutional knowledge to outperform MNEs in HRM dimensions. By embedding these findings within institutional theory, this study extends the theoretical discourse on organizational adaptability in emerging markets and provides actionable insights for aligning HRM strategies with local institutional contexts, fostering a comprehensive understanding of HRM dynamics across diverse economies.

This chapter reviews major changes in the Human Resource Management (HRM) practices in China and then examines key legislative, social, cultural and business factors influencing HRM policies and practices, such as recruitment, training, performance management and reward. It contemplates key challenges facing HRM in China, notably the issues of motivation-performance-reward; skill shortage and its associated problems of recruitment, retention and training. The chapter finally explores the implications of all of these for the HRM function in the near future. State intervention in shaping HRM policies and practices is universal to all countries, although the level and forms of intervention may differ across states and over time. Despite growing evidence of the adoption of more strategic HRM practices, the role of the Human Resource (HR) function in China remains far from being strategic and effective. The role of the HR function/department in the firm has a strong bearing on how strategic the firm views HRM as part of its strategic management.

The effective implementation of international strategies (ISs) is dependent on the mobilization and management of human resources (HR) across borders. It is widely recognized that the multinational enterprise (MNE) serves as an important organizational context to explore how the design and diffusion of human resource management (HRM) policies and practices contribute to the effective development of international business (IB) strategy. Yet, to date, we know very little about how the HR function helps or hinders the implementation of an MNE’s international strategies. This chapter specifically discusses the challenges associated with MNEs managing their increasingly diverse workforces. This, we propose, will change the manner in which we think about the relationship between the HR role and the implementation of MNE strategies.

Due to the demographic change in age, societies, firms, and individuals struggle with the need to postpone retirement while keeping up motivation, performance, and health throughout employees’ working life. Organizations, and specifically the Human Resource Management (HRM) practices they design and implement, take a central role in this process. Being influenced by macro-level trends such as new legislation, organizational HRM practices affect outcomes such as productivity and employability both at the firm and individual level of analysis. This editorial introduces the Special Issue on “Age-related Human Resource Management Policies and Practices” by conducting an interdisciplinary literature review. We offer an organizing framework that spans the macro-, meso-, and individual level and discusses major antecedents, boundary conditions, and outcomes of age-related HRM practices. Further, we propose a typology of HRM practices and discuss the role of individual HRM dimensions versus bundles of HRM practices in dealing with an aging and more age-diverse workforce. Building on these considerations, we introduce the eight articles included in this special issue. Finally, taking stock of our review and the new studies presented here, we deduct some recommendations for future research in the field of age-related HRM.

Orientation: Despite the growing feminisation of the global labour market, discrimination against women in the workplace remains entrenched. Such discrimination of women is largely attributed to human resources management (HRM) policies and management practices which are inherently masculine, designed by men for men.Research purpose: The aim of this study was to explore the influence of human resources management practices on the organisational commitment among female professionals in Zimbabwe.Motivation for the study: Notwithstanding the growing scholarly interest in the factors which can help retain women in the workplaces, there remains a paucity of studies from developing countries on how HRM practices influence female professionals’ organisational commitment in the workplace. Dearth in empirical literature is pronounced in Africa, particularly in a society such as Zimbabwe punctuated by patriarchy and an economy that has been depressed for over two decades.Research design, approach and method: The study adopted a quantitative research approach and employed a cross-sectional survey of 210 female professionals employed in the private and public sectors in Zimbabwe. Structural equation modelling was employed for data analysis using AMOS 25.0.Main findings: The results of the study revealed positive and significant relationships between women-friendly HR management practices and organisational commitment of female employees.Practical/managerial implications: Premised on these findings, the study recommended that it is imperative for HR management to implement non-discriminatory rewards systems, increase family-friendly policies, prioritise continuous training and charter clear progressive career development programs for the female employees.Contribution/value-add: This study provides managers with a better perspective of the predictors of organisational commitment among female professionals in an African context.

An integrative framework for understanding cross-national human resource management practices

The world is changing. Among these changes, we can find the new term “Industry 4.0” (i4.0) that is applied to a group of rapid transformations in design, production, operation, logistics, and service, producing very significant impacts on all dimensions of the company. At this level while many predict a sharp job loss, the vast majority of industrial companies assume that although different the work will remain significant in the new era of industrial production. In this context of profound change, many seek to provide insight into the future of the industry by identifying its impacts on the market, work, and organization, which naturally have strong impacts on human resource management policies and practices. Thus, this chapter aims to develop a literature review on the theme “Human Resources Management in Industry 4.0”. In other words, it starts by framing i4.0, addressing the concept, technologies, and inherent principles. Then, we look to signal the main expected impacts of i4.0 on the market and industry, work and organization, as well as highlight some recent studies and research on human resource policies and practices for i4.0, focusing on i4.0 training and identifying the skills of workers that are most required for i4.0. Finally, we conclude by giving indications about the timeliness and relevance of further research.

This paper specifically aims to conduct a comprehensive and in-depth analysis of human resource management (HRM) practices in Canada and Japan, with a view to exploring the extent to which culture, social values, history and societal context influence HRM policies and implementation in both countries. This study has used method with a descriptive-qualitative approach was strictly applied to collect empirical data from various relevant secondary references. The data collected covered key aspects of HRM, such as recruitment, selection, training, compensation, Occupational Health and Safety (OHS), and termination of employment. Data analysis was conducted comparatively, focusing on identifying differences, similarities, and common patterns of HRM practices. The results show that HRM in Canada is significantly influenced by social aspirations for inclusiveness, diversity, and equal opportunity, which are reflected in its multidimensional and accommodating employee recruitment, selection, and training systems. On the other hand, HRM in Japan is deeply rooted in a culture of collectivism, group harmony, and organizational loyalty, which is reflected in training programs, compensation schemes, and layoff policies that emphasize collaboration and the sustainability of long-term employment relationships. A deep understanding of the influence of cultural and historical context on the formation of a country's HRM system. This understanding becomes the basis for the development of HRM models and policies that are adaptive and resilient in the face of globalization dynamics, applicable to the context of societies with similar characteristics in other countries.