International Human Resource Management Research Articles

The hidden layers of resistance to dominant HRM transfer: Evidence from Japanese management practice adoption in Indonesia

While resistance to human resource management (HRM) practice transfers from multinationals has been widely researched in economically advanced countries, emerging economies are generally assumed to be institutionally more welcoming. This article contributes to debates on international HRM diffusion both by highlighting hitherto neglected arenas of host-country resistance and identifying the multiple levels at which this plays out. Specifically, this article examines the transfer of Japanese multinational corporations’ HRM practices into Indonesia. The study reveals that alongside apparently consensual micro-level ( organization) relations between home- and host-country management, important political power games are occurring at the meso-level ( subnational). These games involve competing notions of ‘best practice’ with host-country actors more powerful than deterministic models of diffusion would predict. The study shows how local actors seek to defend elements of the established Indonesian business system, while Japanese actors bypass host-country regulations by mobilizing corporate business associations. The findings extend current understanding of cross-border management practice transfer, highlighting contestation and negotiation at the meso-level.

Fostering assigned expatriates’ innovativeness via culturally intelligent supervisors: a resource gain perspective

Assigned expatriates play a role in the innovations of multinational companies (MNCs). Yet, we still know little about how MNCs can help their expatriates towards being more innovative. In this study, we draw on conservation of resources theory to propose that perceived host country national (HCN) supervisor cultural intelligence (CQ), as a contextual resource, positively influences expatriates’ innovativeness via two personal resource pathways. Specifically, we suggest that expatriates’ work engagement and subsidiary socialization, as corresponding personal energy and personal knowledge pathways, positively mediate between perceived HCN supervisor CQ and expatriate innovativeness. We further hypothesize that expatriate cultural metacognition, as a key resource, helps expatriates utilize contextual resources more effectively to generate personal resources to innovate, and thus, it positively moderates the two mediation pathways. We use time-lagged data collected from assigned expatriates to test our hypotheses. We discuss our theoretical and practical contributions to the international human resource management literature.

Unlocking the value of artificial intelligence in human resource management through AI capability framework

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is increasingly adopted within Human Resource management (HRM) due to its potential to create value for consumers, employees, and organisations. However, recent studies have found that organisations are yet to experience the anticipated benefits from AI adoption, despite investing time, effort, and resources. The existing studies in HRM have examined the applications of AI, anticipated benefits, and its impact on human workforce and organisations. The aim of this paper is to systematically review the multi-disciplinary literature stemming from International Business, Information Management, Operations Management, General Management and HRM to provide a comprehensive and objective understanding of the organisational resources required to develop AI capability in HRM. Our findings show that organisations need to look beyond technical resources, and put their emphasis on developing non-technical ones such as human skills and competencies, leadership, team co-ordination, organisational culture and innovation mindset, governance strategy, and AI-employee integration strategies, to benefit from AI adoption. Based on these findings, we contribute five research propositions to advance AI scholarship in HRM. Theoretically, we identify the organisational resources necessary to achieve business benefits by proposing the AI capability framework, integrating resource-based view and knowledge-based view theories. From a practitioner’s standpoint, our framework offers a systematic way for the managers to objectively self-assess organisational readiness and develop strategies to adopt and implement AI-enabled practices and processes in HRM.

Artificial intelligence – challenges and opportunities for international HRM: a review and research agenda

Artificial intelligence (AI) and other AI-based applications are being integrated into firms’ human resource management (HRM) approaches for managing people in domestic and international organisations. The last decade has seen a growth in AI-based applications proliferating the HRM function, triggering an exciting new stream of research on topics such as the social presence of AI and robotics, effects of AI adoption on individual and business level outcomes, and evaluating AI-enabled HRM practices. Adopting these technologies has resulted in how work is organised in local and international firms, noting opportunities for employees and firms’ resource utilisation, decision-making, and problem-solving. However, despite a growing interest in scholarship, research on AI-based technologies for HRM is limited and fragmented. Further research is needed that analyses the role of AI-assisted applications in HRM functions and human-AI interactions in large multinational enterprises diffusing such innovations. In response to these combined issues—the fragmented nature of research and limited extant literature, we present a systematic review on the theme of this special issue and offer a nuanced understating of what is known, yet to be known, and future research directions to frame a future research agenda for international HRM. We develop a conceptual framework that integrates research on AI applications in HRM and offers a cohesive base for future research endeavours. We also develop a set of testable propositions that serve as directions for future research.

Local worker perspectives from Nicaraguan surf tourism: revisiting career anchors in non-standard work contexts

PurposeThis qualitative study explores, through the lens of Schein's (1978) career anchor theory, the internal career perceptions (self-perceived values, challenges and capabilities) of local surf workers in the highly internationalized sector of surf tourism in Nicaragua.Design/methodology/approachSemi-structured interviews were carried out with 22 local surf tourism workers. Participant experiences were analyzed using thematic analysis to distinguish their career anchor orientations.FindingsThe results indicate the sustained value and instrumentality of Schein's original career anchor theory, specifically in terms of the interconnectedness of dominant and supporting anchors and the relevance of anchor groupings for workers in non-standard working environments. The anchors of lifestyle, entrepreneurial creativity, and security and stability were closely interrelated and complementary, as participants from this context were ultimately striving for security and stability.Research limitations/implicationsFuture research should consider more explicitly the role of the socio-political, environmental or economic context in shaping the internal career self-concepts and experiences of workers.Practical implicationsThis study sheds light on the internal career drivers — the unique dilemmas, challenges, passions and motives — of local workers in a resource-constrained environment. Managers, business owners and other economic actors stand to gain important insights into the realities of workers they employ, but do not intimately understand. Such insights could be generalizable to a variety of work settings in which there are high material, social or cultural constraints.Social implicationsNon-standard work contexts and local worker voices are both thematically underrepresented in the careers scholarship. Research on these topics can contribute to broader discussions of sustainability, sustainable development goals and decolonial perspectives in social science scholarship. Bringing local workers from the Global South into view means turning scholarly attention towards less-visible “others” working alongside those having received the lion's share of academic discussion, i.e. expatriate workers on a global assignment or self-initiated expatriates, most often from the Global North.Originality/valueThis is one of the first studies to explore the career anchors of local workers in the Global South in a non-standard, non-bureaucratic vocational setting. The study sheds light on local workers' career decisions, an often-neglected perspective within international human resource management.

Human Resource Management and Diversity Management. Some Emerging Evidence about the Effects on Organizational Performance

Abstract The study aims to analyse the role assumed by diversity in organization and its dynamics consequences for the Human Resource Management. In this regard, a focus on gender diversity and is effect on organizational performance is empirically investigated. The literature on International Human Resource Management has constantly dealt with, both from a theoretical and managerial perspectives, the opportunities for enterprises to gain from the emergent diversity in organization, improving their performance. Based on a sample of 636 Italian firms over the period 2010–2020, the findings show that gender diversity – as critical element of the diversity management – significantly influences the firm performance measured by firm innovation. JEL classification numbers: O30, O32. Keywords: Human Resource Management, Diversity management, Gender diversity, Firm performance, Italy.

What makes organization-assigned expatriates perform in the host country? A moderated mediation analysis in the India-China context

While drawing from the convergence/divergence debate in international human resource management, this study applies goal-setting theory (GST) to investigate how does organizationally assigned expatriates' level of psychological empowerment is influenced by the organizational culture in an international assignment to impact their job performance. Further, it also explores the moderating role of host country language ability in this connection. Consistent with GST, the results indicated a positive and partial mediating role of psychological empowerment in the relationship between organizational culture and job performance. Further, the findings suggested for the moderating advantage of expatriate’s host country language ability in enhancing their job performance. The implication and contribution of the study has been discussed in the context of international human resource management (IHRM) and international management (IM).

The Application of Strategic HRM Models to the Case of Vantage Fintech Ltd, New Zealand to Improve Retention of Highly Skilled Employees

Human Resource Management (HRM) is said to be a distinct methodology of managing employees wherein the main objective is to achieve and sustain advantage over the competition through strategic use of skilled and committed employees through well planned techniques of organizational culture, vision and mission (Storey, 1995). Strategic Human Resource Management (SHRM) is the formulation and implementation of a Hunan Resource (HR) plan incorporating HR strategies and practices that can give competitive advantage and at the same time is aligned with the corporate strategies of organizations (Kaufman, 2001). According to Wright and McMahan (1992), SHRM involves an organized pattern of deploying human resources and HR activities to reach organizational goals. It has been pointed out that some areas need to be explored further in this field including promoting employee involvement, highlighting diversity, and international HRM (Wright, 1998). The theories of SHRM are vital for successful deployment of HR policies as they form the foundation of an organizations strategies and core objectives. Through a thorough understanding of these theories the managers can seek to administer required procedures for the employees. This paper explored several HRM models that can be aligned to the strategic goals of a semi fictious company called as Vantage Fintech Ltd. The company is a leading bitcoin trading platform in New Zealand and was developed by ex-bankers with backgrounds in computer science, financial engineering, and traditional finance. Having such highly skilled workforce creates challenges for HR as employees are increasingly likely to abandon their employment in favor of other prospects, making it even more challenging for HR to keep the talent pipeline full. The aim of this research is to examine different theories of Strategic HRM like Vroom’s Expectancy model, Guest model, Fombrun model (Michigan Model), Harvard model, and Warwick model to provide wholistic practices whic

International human resource management in multinational companies: Global norm making within strategic action fields

AbstractThe formation of global norms that affect work is a crucial element to how multinational companies (MNCs) achieve a degree of HR integration internationally. We establish a ‘strategic action fields’ framework to guide research into global norm‐making in MNCs in general and for analysing the work of those that we term ‘globalising actors’—those who are active in globalising a firm's management of its human resources—in particular. We position our framework with relation to existing research in international human resource management, and show how the field can benefit from achieving an approach to global norm‐making that is contextualised, personalised and contested.

ГЛОБАЛИЗАЦИЯ КАК ФАКТОР ВЛИЯНИЯ НА УПРАВЛЕНИЕ ЧЕЛОВЕЧЕСКИМИ РЕСУРСАМИ В СОВРЕМЕННОЙ ОРГАНИЗАЦИИ

. This article analyzes the issues related to the consideration of globalization as a factor influencing human resource management in a modern organization. Realizing this goal, the authors rely on the sociocultural approach applied in management to human resource management (HRM), which is based on the recognition of the importance of the human factor in the management of a global organization. The category of “organizational culture” is considered, data are presented that testify in favor of the advantages and disadvantages in the field of international HRM, the key components of HRM in the organizations of the global level are outlined.

Concept Paper on The Efficacies and Twist of Human Resource Management future with the New Era of Coronavirus Pandemic (Covid-19) for Organisational and Institutional Action

The essence of this paper is eminent to advance the study of Human Resource Management (HRM) in the profound new directions that has been introduced due to the covid-19 pandemic. This particular review elaborates on the following such as: Challenges Caused by Covid-19 to HRM Principles and Practice, HRM Outlook within Continents in this Coronavirus Pandemic, How Information Technology can still grow HRM in new Practices, The Case of HRM Practice in Developing World with Covid-19, How Both National and International HRM Practice is portrayed with Covid-19, Moving Forward with HRM Practice and Covid-19, and Organisational and Institutional Challenges and Demands in HRM Policies and Law. The general conclusion with this new Human Resource Management is associated with massive application of technology that Human Resource Management practices in various organisational operations and ways of doing things in the traditional HRM way has changed. Many of the roles are been performed remotely using internet and relevant HRM laws, applications and policies to deliver in managing work and the people. This is eminent for HRM practitioners and professionals to further educate and train themselves in this covid-19 era to avert themselves with the new principles instituted by organisations and governments in the area of HRM of activities and people. In this review the HRM is been twisted and thereby its efficacies are challenged which is why this new study is important to the practitioners and professionals to adapt and/or adopt.

International and comparative human resource management: an Asia‐Pacific perspective

In this paper, we review articles in the research field of international and comparative human resource management (HRM), published in Asia Pacific Journal of Human Resources since the journal’s inception in the 1960s. Our review is based on 155 articles, including 43 conceptual, opinion, editorial, and review articles, and 112 empirical studies, and examines the trends over decades by examining four major areas: 1) characteristics of the articles; 2) research topics within the international and comparative HRM; 3) theoretical frameworks; 4) country contexts; and 5) methodologies. While there have been many valuable contributions, new challenges have emerged. Based on our analysis, we provide suggestions for future research on international and comparative HRM. We call for scholars to draw attention to context and to theoretical and methodological innovation, in order to develop research with high impact and practical relevance.

The value of mixed methods work-family research for human resource management: a review and agenda

Managing the work-family interface is increasingly strategic for international human resource management (HRM) in attracting and retaining a diverse workforce. Yet despite growing methodological sophistication in the field work-family research still lacks a truly global approach, one that considers alternative work and family conceptualisations, particularly those from the so-called Global South. This article addresses these shortcomings by proposing mixed methods research (MMR), rather than a single method (quantitative or quantitative only), to offer a dual analytical lens which can deepen and broaden our understanding of work-family issues in and across diverse and multinational contexts. We critically review the methodological features of 40 work-family studies that used MMR, revealing the need for stronger integration. Then, through a thematic analysis of the reviewed articles, we highlight three distinct ways in which MMR adds value to the field: grounding empirical work and theorising within context, improving appropriateness of measurement instruments, and enhancing validity of inferences for relevant HRM practices. We conclude with an agenda for future mixed methods work-family research and present implications for human resource managers and work-family scholars in an increasingly competitive and changing international employment milieu. Supplemental data for this article is available online at https://doi.org/10.1080/09585192.2021.1964092 .

Local Worker Perspectives from Nicaraguan Surf Tourism: Revisiting Career Anchors

This qualitative study explores the internal careers of local workers in the highly internationalized sector of surf tourism using career anchor theory. The results of the study indicate the sustained value and instrumentality of Schein’s original career anchor theory. Specifically, the results suggest that the most common career anchors for our sample of local workers were lifestyle, security and stability, and entrepreneurial creativity. These findings provide valuable insights on the career anchors of workers in non-bureaucratic vocational settings and shed light on local workers’ career decisions, an often-neglected perspective within international human resource management.

Global mobility of people: Challenges and opportunities for international business

Despite the backlash over the last decade, the last 70 years have demonstrated a megatrend with a systematic rise in the cross-border mobility and migration of skilled and unskilled workers, both through the use of expatriation by multinational enterprises (MNEs), as well as through migration. The global mobility of people is fundamental to a variety of theoretical IB issues and particularly for the MNE’s ability to efficiently organize human capital across its internal network conferring competitive advantage. Lately, the COVID pandemic not only reduced both the frequency and extent of global mobility, but fundamentally questioned its need. In this panel we consider the influence of the global mobility of people on the spread, activities and performance of the MNE. The panelists will explore and debate this influence from different disciplinary areas (general IB theory, global innovation, knowledge-based view, international human resource management, international and cross-cultural management) and different levels of analysis (micro, meso and macro). Further the panelists will examine how MNEs and other international organizations could retain the benefits of global mobility, either through its continued practice or by developing alternatives to address emerging restrictions in order to maintain advantage in the face of rising global competition.

Global Migration: Implications for International Business Scholarship

Migration is increasingly viewed as a high-priority policy issue among politicians, intergovernmental organizations, NGOs and civil society throughout the world. Its implications for the private sector, for economic prosperity and for the cross-border activities of firms are undeniable and will remain a top priority for the foreseeable future. Yet despite its relevance to International Business (IB), migration has been subject to only limited discussion in the mainstream IB literature. In this contribution, we examine key aspects of migration germane to IB. In particular, we suggest that recent migratory shifts are transforming important elements of the context within which multinational enterprises (MNEs) operate with significant implications for the international human resource management practices of MNEs, for the way cross-border activities of firms are managed, and for the manner in which international strategies are formulated and implemented. We offer a research agenda to motivate IB scholars to study global migration in more depth and reevaluate the generalizability of aspects of their theories in light of developments in global migration.

International human resource management: Emerging trends and challenges

International human resource management: Emerging trends and challenges

The effects of cultural intelligence and Vietnamese proficiency on expatriate adjustment in Vietnam

The expatriate adjustment has been receiving more and more academic attention due to its increasing importance in globalization. There are many antecedents and outcomes of cross-cultural adjustment of expatriates. This research explores the relationships among Vietnamese proficiency, four dimensions of cultural intelligence, and expatriate adjustment. The study was conducted with data from 379 expatriates living/lived in Vietnam. The results reveal that Vietnamese proficiency and metacognitive cultural intelligence affect general adjustment indirectly through work and interaction adjustment. Meanwhile, cognitive cultural intelligence only a general adjustment but not the other two facets. The researcher also gives practical implications for corporations, international human resource management practitioners, and individual expatriates.

Лидерството в контекста на международното управление на човешките ресурси

The nature and practical dimensions of leadership in the context of international human resource management are clarified. The emphasis is placed on basic leadership theories, leadership styles and the role of the global leader as a prerequisite for success in international business. The main leadership style of management as a manifestation of the cultural factor in the USA, Mexico, Brazil, Sweden, Germany, Japan, South Korea and South Africa is considered. The practical dimensions of leadership are illustrated through a comparative analysis between the international car companies „Toyota“ and „Audi“. The essence and importance of successful leadership in non-governmental organizations as a factor for their survival is specified.

One way or another? An international comparison of expatriate performance management in multinational companies

AbstractDue to the high costs and strategic importance of expatriate assignments, expatriate performance management (EPM) plays an increasingly important role for multinational enterprises (MNEs). However, research on EPM is still in its infancy. Drawing from the convergence/divergence debate in international human resource management, this study investigates and compares EPM strategies and practices across MNEs from three different country clusters to better understand whether EPM practices tend to converge, diverge, or crossverge (i.e., show aspects of both). Results from surveying 132 Anglo‐Saxon, Germanic, and Japanese MNEs reveal prominent differences (divergence) at the EPM strategic level such that Japanese MNEs tend to pursue more ethnocentric staffing strategies and design EPM systems specifically tailored to expatriates. On the practice level, we found both commonalities and differences between Japanese and Anglo‐Saxon and Germanic MNEs, pointing toward crossvergence. Theoretical and practical implications of our results are discussed.