Employee Relations: An International Journal

Mary Keating; Karen Thompson

2004 Employee Relations: An International Journal

doi: 10.1108/01425450410562191

International human resource management (IHRM) research is becoming an increasingly important topic in light of the relentless pace of globalisation. Three strands of research contribute to our understanding of IHRM, the most dominant being research on human resource management in multinational companies. This paper categorises the literature in the field, highlighting disciplinary introspection within and between each strand. Argues that, by neglecting to embrace the contributions of research from cross‐cultural management and comparative human resource management, the field lacks the necessary conceptual and methodological tools to advance. Concludes by suggesting areas where collaboration and cross‐fertilisation between disciplines can occur before embarking on the integrative process of theory building.

Allen D. Engle Sr; Mark E. Mendenhall

2004 Employee Relations: An International Journal

doi: 10.1108/01425450410562209

This paper delineates the current “disconnect” between traditional models of executive compensation and Bartlett and Ghoshal's model of a transnational strategy, and proposes a new model of global compensation based on the three managerial roles (operational entrepreneur, managerial developer and top level leader) outlined by Bartlett and Ghoshal in their model. The proposed model focuses on pay emphases in the areas of experiences (inputs), activities (processes) and rewards (outputs) in a global context, and the three global integrative pay configurations derived from the model are presented and discussed. The paper concludes with the presentation of three caveats related to further developments in the area of global pay and firm control.

Irene Hau‐siu Chow

2004 Employee Relations: An International Journal

doi: 10.1108/01425450410562218

The present study utilizes institutional theory as a framework to analyze human resource (HR) practices in the People's Republic of China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong. It looks at the influence that environmental factors such as social and political systems, legislation, the power of labor unions and trade associations have on the adoption of HR practices. The salient institutional characteristics of the three Chinese societies are described, and then the influence of unions and labor legislation at the firm level are highlighted. In addition, the HR function and current human resource management (HRM) practices are explored using four distinct dimensions of HRM practices (i.e. staffing, training, performance evaluation, and compensation) among the three Chinese societies. The configurations of HR systems are quite different across the three Chinese societies. This paper attempts to explain the similarities and differences in HRM practices from the perspective of institutional theory. Practical implications and future research directions are provided.

Paul Iles; Anita Ramgutty‐Wong; Maurice Yolles

2004 Employee Relations: An International Journal

doi: 10.1108/01425450410562227

Most discussions of knowledge, knowledge management and knowledge transfer, especially of human resource management (HRM) knowledge and its transfer, have failed to consider them in a cross‐cultural context. After a discussion of this issue, the paper analyses the migration or transfer of what is often claimed to be best practice in HRM from Western countries to developing, culturally different countries. It does this with specific reference to the case of HRM in Mauritius, especially in the Mauritian Civil Service, and uses this case not only to identify some of the limits to cross‐cultural knowledge management, but also to develop a more appropriate model of “knowledge migration” of HRM knowledge across cultures based on viable systems theory, including a future research agenda.

Dana B. Minbaeva; Snejina Michailova

2004 Employee Relations: An International Journal

doi: 10.1108/01425450410562236

Research on multinational corporation (MNC) knowledge transfer has argued continuously for the behavior of knowledge senders to be a determinant of knowledge transfer. Although the importance of disseminative capacity regarding knowledge transfer has been illustrated in numerous conceptual studies, substantial empirical support is largely absent. Based on previous studies, re‐operationalizes disseminative capacity as being dependent upon the ability and the willingness of organizational actors to transfer knowledge where and when it is needed in the organization. Using the context of expatriation, suggests that MNCs may apply different mechanisms depending on whether they want to develop expatriates' ability or willingness to transfer knowledge. Suggests that MNCs may enhance expatriates' willingness to transfer knowledge through the employment of long‐term expatriate assignments, whereas expatriates' ability to transfer knowledge may be increased through their involvement in temporary assignments such as short‐term assignments, frequent flyer arrangements, and international commuting. Tests the hypotheses empirically based on data from 92 subsidiaries of Danish MNCs located in 11 countries.