跨国人力资源管理文献综述

1、精选优质文档-倾情为你奉上精选优质文档-倾情为你奉上专心-专注-专业专心-专注-专业精选优质文档-倾情为你奉上专心-专注-专业Literature Review of International Human Resource ManagementSubject: Transnational ManagementClass: 093Student Number: Chinese Name: Hou YunanEnglish Name: HelenThe Essay to: Maggie XieTotal Words: 1485Date: May 23, 2012IntroductionPucik

2、 et al. (1993) have indicated that MNCs human resource management (HRM) plays crucial role in acquiring and enhancing organizational competences for the firm. Prior studies have also confirmed the important role of MNCs HRM in enhancing organizational performance (Lee and van Witteloostuijn, 1998; B

3、rown, 1999; Grossman, 2000; LeBlanc et al., 2000; Dzinkowski, 2000). Existing studies, however, have not paid sufficient attention to how HRM may offer specific advantages to compete in the international arena (Lee and van Witteloostuijn, 1998; Brown, 1999; Grossman, 2000; LeBlanc et al., 2000; Dzin

4、kowski, 2000). As such, a first aim of the study is to investigate the influence of human capital management on a firms global competiveness, and to focus on identifying critical HRM practices that contributes to a firms success in the global market. For the above purpose, we further introduce the c

5、onstruct of international human capital management (IHCM). IHCM has been referred to as HR practices that facilitate the development and exploitation of a firms international human capital, the human capital that enables a firm to compete in the global markets. To this end, we intend to identify the

6、 key components of IHCM that contribute to a firms global competiveness.International Human Resource ManagementMultinational corporations (MNCs) are of particular importance to international comparative management research (Fenton-OCreevy and Gooderham, 2003) because of their increasingly important

7、role in the global economy (Porter, 1986; Prahalad and Doz, 1987; Rosenzweig and Singh, 1991). The effectiveness of human resource management (HRM) has been seen as the key to the success of MNCs in the 21st century (Bartlett and Ghoshal, 1994, 1995; Pucik, 1992). The ability to effectively transfer

8、 HRM practices which have been proven efficient at parent companies to MNCs overseas subsidiaries is a key characteristic of the successful MNC (Nohria and Ghoshal, 1997) and “a matter of considerable practical importance for managers in MNCs” (Fenton-OCreevy and Gooderham, 2003, p. 2). This transfe

9、rability can also form a kind of special competitive capability for an MNC that may be difficult for competitors to imitate (Flood et al., 2003).Human capital is essential for the execution of flexible strategies in global market. It consists of collective knowledge, skills, abilities, expertise, ex

10、periences, competency, or capability of employees within a firm that are valuable and unique, and should be kept out of reach of other companies. As significant growth has been experienced in developing economies, a challenge for multinational companies (MNCs) is how to effectively manage and enable

11、 human capital to compete successfully in the global market. International human capital management and global competiveness.From the perspective of resource-based theory, firms with higher levels of human capital tend to be more efficient in utilizing the knowledge they acquire and sustainably comp

12、ete in the international arena (Schuler and Rogovsky, 1998). Superior human capital serves as an enduring resource associated with better firm performance (Grossman, 2000; Carpenter et al., 2001; Bontis and Fitz-Enz, 2002; Fulmer et al., 2003). A study on US MNCs has demonstrated that CEOs with inte

13、rnational assignment experience are critical human capital for MNCs; such human capital creates value for the firms when it is bundled with other organizational resources and capabilities. Accordingly, IHCM practices might contribute to a firms global competiveness by enhancing a firms human capital

14、. Fulmer et al. (2003), for instance, have suggested that companies that emphasize positive employee relations related to human capital management tend to enjoy not only more positive workforce attitudes, but also better performance than their counterparts in the broad market. Literature has also re

15、vealed that human capital enhances a firms global initiatives in various ways (Madsen et al., 2003). In the MNC setting, a parent company often decentralize responsibilities to local business units for stimulating subsidiaries initiatives, while trying to maintain normative integration by centralizi

16、ng the frameworks and processes guiding local selection and development. It is IHCM that holds common value, clear standards and process to be embraced by employees. Not only does IHCM enable a company to unify geographically and culturally diverse employees and guide their daily decision making, it

17、 also inspires higher level of creativity, leading to more breakthrough innovations (Kanter, 2008). Thus, global initiatives provide a common language on a baseline platform for talent development, for multinational organizations to steer talent selection, performance management, development, and ad

18、vancement decisions across the matrix of operations (Briscoe and Hall, 1999). Hence, global initiatives can be used as a mechanism for a firm to manage its international human capital based on its strategic goal. The above discussion leads to the following hypothesis:IHCM is positively associated wi

19、th a firms global competiveness.In the literature, it is generally agreed that entrepreneurial leadership of TMTs represents an important resource for a firm to achieve global initiatives (Birkinshaw, 1997; Hitt et al., 1998; Bartlett et al., 2003; Banutu-Gomez and Banutu-Gomez, 2007). For instance,

20、 to achieve global learning, TMTs of MNCs need to possess broad knowledge about different competitors, industries and societies, and process a perspective that can identify opportunities and risks across national boundaries, as well as skills to coordinate and integrate activities to capture potenti

21、al benefits (Bartlett and Ghoshal, 2000). Wu et al. (2002) find that TMTs with aggressive characters and internal operational capability tend to achieve a higher extent of organizational learning. Moreover, to develop global marketing, TMTs need to possess the ability to capture the various economy

22、of scale and economy of scope available as well as capitalize on the potential competitive advantages inherent in its worldwide market position (Bartlett and Ghoshal, 2000; Banutu-Gomez and Banutu-Gomez, 2007). Furthermore, TMTs direct employees efforts toward accomplishing the firms strategic goals

23、 (Rastogi, 2003). Ling and Jaw (2006) also confirmed that human capital such as TMTs competency has a positive influence on a firms global initiatives. While scant literature has been found exploring the mediating role of IHCM between entrepreneurial leadership of TMT sand global competiveness, some

24、 have confirmed the importance of TMTs entrepreneurial leadership in contributing to a firms global competiveness and suggested that entrepreneurial leadership of TMTs might act as a regulator within the IHCM (Ling and Jaw, 2006). For instance, employees tend to be more creative when their leaders v

25、alues and the companys culture emphasize innovation on a global basis (Kanter, 2008). Meanwhile, Ling and Jaw (2006) have confirmed that TMTs determine the acquisition, development, and deployment of knowledge, skills, and abilities (the input) and convert these human resources (the process) into de

26、sirable learning behaviors and the delivery of more value-added products or services to customers (the output) (Zahra et al., 2006). At the same time, it is likely that the positive impact of TMTs entrepreneurial leadership on global competiveness could be the results of IHCM. The reason is because

27、that entrepreneurial leadership of TMTs helps create an environment that enables the organization to learn, to innovate, and ultimately to win and sustain a competitive edge in the global market. Hence, TMTs entrepreneurial leadership is critical to enhance a firms effectiveness in IHCM and facilita

28、te its global competiveness (Banutu-Gomez and Banutu-Gomez, 2007; Ling and Jaw, 2006). As such, IHCM may play a mediating role between TMTs entrepreneurial leadership and a firms global competiveness. In line with the above, we propose the following hypotheses:Entrepreneurial leadership of TMTs is p

29、ositively associated with a firms lobal competiveness.Entrepreneurial leadership of TMTs is positively associated with a firms lobal competiveness through the mediating effect of IHCM.ConclusionSpecifically, the result showed that IHCM has demonstrated its significant role in the pursuit of MNCs glo

30、bal competiveness for the organizations studied. IHCM not only contributes to a firms global innovation, but also enhances its global marketing and global learning. Furthermore, the results suggested that normative integration has positive impact on a firms global innovation. Moreover, global leader

31、ship development has positive influences on a firms global competiveness in the forms of human capital return, global innovation, global learning, and global marketing. As a result, IHCM not only contributes to a firms global innovation, but also enhances its global marketing and global learning. Ou

32、r results are consistent with previous studies in that MNCs HRM plays a crucial role in acquiring and enhancing organizational global competence for the firm (Pucik et al., 1993; Makadok and Walker, 2000; Minbaeva et al., 2003). Finally, the results confirm our expectation that entrepreneurial leade

33、rship of TMTs is positively associated with a firms global competiveness through the mediating effect of IHCM. The results indicate that TMTs entrepreneurial leadership not only directly enhances a firms global competiveness, but also indirectly strengthens it through the mediating effect of IHCM. E

34、ntrepreneurial leaders are better at taking advantage of global opportunities and managing human capital for contributing to the firms overall goals in the global context. To the same degree, when the four types of IHCM practices, global selection, human capital investment, global leadership develop

35、ment, and normative integration, are integrated and implemented together, international human capital then plays a mediating role in linking TMT entrepreneurial leadership to the development of global competiveness.Reference ListsBartlett, C. and Ghoshal, S. (1994), “Changing the role of top managem

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