Consider the following quote:
3000 words
‘Post-Cold War globalisation is driven by free-market capitalism and the questionable idea that the more a country opens up its markets to free trade, the healthier its economy will become... The result of the globalisation of markets is that goods, services, and ideas from all over the world are making their way into other cultures’ (Ferraro and Briody, 2017, pp.2−3).
Now, with specific regards to national employment and HR (Human Resources) systems, critically compare and contrast arguments in favour of and against the notion that patterns of HRM (Human Resources Management) are likely to converge as multinational corporations extend their influence and globalisation reduces the difference between nation states.
The word limit is 3,000 words (not including appendices).
Assignment details and instructions
You are expected to critically analyse, by providing evidence and examples, the extent to which HR patterns around the world are becoming more similar or whether specific HR patterns will be associated with specific countries because of the idiosyncratic historical, societal, economic and political context of the country. Keep in mind that this is a debate and the answer is not black or white.
You need to examine evidence from a variety of studies that point to either divergence or convergence and critically assess what these studies are actually implying (i.e. the level and type of convergence). You should also discuss and analyse the forces that could possibly push for convergence, as well as the factors that can prevent it from taking place and support the path-dependency view.
Moreover, you should also demonstrate an understanding of the role multinational corporations play in this process, as well as of the ethical considerations embedded in this debate. Use of specific examples, of either host countries or multinational corporations, will strengthen your arguments and help you provide a more in-depth analysis.
Attached – please refer to the Sessions 1,2,3,4,5,6 for a brief about International Human Resource Management. Session 3 is crucial as it covers Convergence and divergence, types on convergence, offers evidence in favour and why.
References:
- Transferring HR Practices Within Multinational Corporations, Human Resource Management Journal pp.320−335.
- Comparative HRM: European views and perspectives, International Journal of Human Resource Management, 18 (5) pp.769−987.
- The Global Human Resource Management Casebook (2nd edition) Routledge: London.
- Multinationals, Labour Management and the Process of Reverse Diffusion: A case study, International Journal of Human Resource Management, 9 (4), pp.696–709.
- Edwards, T. and Kuruvilla, S. (2005) International HRM: National business systems, organizational politics and the international division of labour in MNCs, International Journal of Human Resource Management, 16 (1), pp.1−21.
- Evans, P., Pucik, V. and Bjorkman, I. (2011) The Global Challenge: International human resource management, McGraw-Hill: New York.
- Fenton-O’Creevy, M., Gooderham, P. & Nordhaug, O. (2008) Human Resource Management in U.S. Subsidiaries in Europe and Australia: Centralization or autonomy?, Journal of International Business Studies, 39, pp.151−166.
- Ferner, A. and Quintanilla, J. (1998) Multinationals, National Business Systems and HRM: The enduring influence of national identity or a process of ‘Anglo-Saxonization’, International Journal of Human Resource Management, 9 (4), pp.710−731.
- Ferraro, G.P. and Briody, E.K. (2017) The Cultural Dimension of Global Business (8th edition), Routledge: London.
- Harzing, A-W. and Pinnington, A. (editors) (2014) International Human Resource Management (4th edition), Sage Publications: London.
- Kostova, T. and Roth, K. (2002) Adoption of an Organizational Practice by Subsidiaries of Multinational Corporations: Institutional and relational effects, Academy of Management Journal, 45 (1), pp.215–233.
- Mohan, A. (2006) ‘Variation of Practices Across Multiple Levels Within Transnational Corporations`, in Global, National and Local Practices in Multinational Companies, Geppert, M. and Mayer, M. (editors), Palgrave Macmillan: London, pp.105−145.
- Poutsma, E., Ligthart, E.M. and Veersma, U. (2006) The Diffusion of Calculative and Collaborative HRM Practices in European Firms, Industrial Relations, 45 (4), pp.513–546.
- Sparrow, P. and Hiltrop, J-M. (1997) Redefining the Field of European Human Resource Management: A battle between national mindsets and forces of business transition, Human Resource Management, 36 (2), pp.201−220.
- Tayeb, M. (1998) Transfer of HRM Practices Across Cultures: An American company in Scotland, International Journal of Human Resource Management, 9 (2), pp.332−358.
- Vo, A. and Stanton, P. (2012) The Transfer of HRM Policies and Practices to a Transitional Business System: The case of performance management practices in the US and Japanese MNEs operating in Vietnam, International Journal of Human Resource Management, 22 (17), pp.3513–3527.
