Toward an Integrative Model of Strategic International Human Resource Management
O Academy of Management Review
1996, Vol. 21, No, 4, 959-385.
TOWARD AN INTEGRATIVE MODEL OF STRATEGIC INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
SULLY TAYLOR Portland State University SCHON BEECHLER Columbia University NANCY NAPIER Boise State University
This article builds on previous work in intemational human resource management by drawing on concepts from the resource-based view of the firm and resource dependence to develop a theoretical model of the determinants of strategic intemational human resource management (SIHRM) systems in multinational corporations. The article then offers propositions concerning the relationships between a number of key determinants and the multinational corp>oration 's overall SIHRM approach, the design of a particular affiliate 's HRM system, and the HRM system for critical groups of employees within the affiliate.
As multinational corporations (MNCs) and their overseas affiliates have become increasingly important players in the global economy, interest in and research of the strategies and management practices of these firms have also grown (e.g., Hamel & Prahalad, 1985; Ohmae, 1990; Porter. 1986; Prahalad & Doz. 1987; Rosenzweig & Singh. 1991). Although researchers have explored numerous issues internal and external to the MNC, there is a growing consensus that a key differentiator between the corporate winners and losers in the 21st century will be the effectiveness of the human organization (Bartlett & Ghoshal, 1994, 1995; Pfeffer, 1994; Pucik, 1992; Tichy, Brimm. Charan, & Takeuchi, 1992; Ulrich & Lake, 1990). In an effort to effectively leverage human resources to implement the intended strategies of organizations, researchers and practitioners alike have begun to explore the theoretical and empirical linkages between human resource management (HRM) and strategy both in the domestic (e.g., Butler, Ferris, & Napier, 1991; Fombrun, Tichy, & Devanna, 1984; Lengnick-Hall & Lengnick-Hall, 1988; Schuler & Jackson, 1987;
1996, Vol. 21, No, 4, 959-385.
TOWARD AN INTEGRATIVE MODEL OF STRATEGIC INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
SULLY TAYLOR Portland State University SCHON BEECHLER Columbia University NANCY NAPIER Boise State University
This article builds on previous work in intemational human resource management by drawing on concepts from the resource-based view of the firm and resource dependence to develop a theoretical model of the determinants of strategic intemational human resource management (SIHRM) systems in multinational corporations. The article then offers propositions concerning the relationships between a number of key determinants and the multinational corp>oration 's overall SIHRM approach, the design of a particular affiliate 's HRM system, and the HRM system for critical groups of employees within the affiliate.
As multinational corporations (MNCs) and their overseas affiliates have become increasingly important players in the global economy, interest in and research of the strategies and management practices of these firms have also grown (e.g., Hamel & Prahalad, 1985; Ohmae, 1990; Porter. 1986; Prahalad & Doz. 1987; Rosenzweig & Singh. 1991). Although researchers have explored numerous issues internal and external to the MNC, there is a growing consensus that a key differentiator between the corporate winners and losers in the 21st century will be the effectiveness of the human organization (Bartlett & Ghoshal, 1994, 1995; Pfeffer, 1994; Pucik, 1992; Tichy, Brimm. Charan, & Takeuchi, 1992; Ulrich & Lake, 1990). In an effort to effectively leverage human resources to implement the intended strategies of organizations, researchers and practitioners alike have begun to explore the theoretical and empirical linkages between human resource management (HRM) and strategy both in the domestic (e.g., Butler, Ferris, & Napier, 1991; Fombrun, Tichy, & Devanna, 1984; Lengnick-Hall & Lengnick-Hall, 1988; Schuler & Jackson, 1987;