Dowling, P. J., Festing, M., Engle Sr., A. D., International Human Resource Management (6th Edition), Cengage Learning EMEA, 2013

Abstract

Dowling, P. J., Festing, M., Engle Sr., A. D., International Human Resource Management (6th Edition), Cengage Learning EMEA, 2013 1 A Capsule Summary of the Book and Its Review The sixth edition of International Human Resource Management, which marks more than 20 years since its first edition in 1990, is a collaborative work of three senior researchers/professors from Australia, Germany, and the United States, respectively. They bring together unifying, diverse, changing, and complex perspectives about the process of balancing both the integration and differentiation of human resource activities in different countries. Specifically, they clearly demonstrate that among other variables, the "complexity involved in operating in different countries and employing different national categories of employees is a key variable differentiating domestic and international HRM, rather than any major difference between the HR activities performed" (p. 18). Thus, they acknowledge that "a consistent theme throughout this book [is] the way in which IHRM requires a broader perspective of what operating internationally involves, and a clear recognition of the range of issues pertaining to all categories of staff operating in different functional, task, and managerial capacities is essential" (p. 278). 2 Objective and Targeted Audience The objective of the book is "to explore the implications that the process of internationalization has for the activities and policies of HRM. In particular, [the authors] are interested in how HRM is practiced in multinational enterprises (MNEs)" (p. 2). It is accurately stated that the book is "ideal for intermediate and graduate students across all Human Resource Management programs. It can also be used alongside the majority of broad based business modules, including international management" (back cover). 3 Structure and Contents The book, totaling 347 pages, is well structured in ten chapters. It also includes a preface, walk through tour, eight longer cases--which provide a detailed example of real-life Human Resource situations--as well as a glossary, and index. Chapter 1, Introduction, outlines an array of material. First, the scope of the book is discussed. Among the three broad approaches that categorize the field of international HRM--(1) cross-cultural management, (2) comparative industrial relations, and (3) HRM in multinational firms--the author team focuses on the third approach. The chapter provides an overview of the emerging field of international HRM by (a) defining international HRM, (b) articulating the issue of expatriate assignment management, (c) examining differences between domestic and international HRM along with variables that moderate differences between the two, and (d) discussing a model of strategic HRM in multinational enterprises. The overview thoroughly provides groundwork to address the context of culture. Thus, Chapter 2, The Cultural Context of IHRM, examines several ways in which culture may be conceptualized and/or defined. It begins with an introduction to the research surrounding cross-cultural management. Several studies are embedded within this research including: Schein's (2004) concept of culture; Hofestede's (1991, 2008) cross-cultural management study; the GLOBE study (1991); the Trompenaars and Hampden-Turner study (2002); and the cultural dimensions by Hall and Hall (1990). The textbook authors conclude, "that an adequate understanding of the cultural context, as it impacts the behavior of [an] organization's employees, is of decisive importance" (p. 39). Organizational influences upon IHRM activities are also important. Therefore, Chapter 3, The Organizational Context, focuses on an internal perspective of identifying "the HR implications of the various options and responses that international growth places on the firm" (p. 73). Specifically, the authors explore factors that drive both standardization and localization and how to balance both in MNEs; different structural arrangements such as matrix, heterarchy, transnational, and networked structures; control and coordination aspects; and stages of internationalization. …