Internationalization of Human Resource Management

Journal of International Management
6 (2000) 239 ± 260

The internationalization of human resource management
Randall S. Schuler*
The Rutgers University, Suite 216, 94 Rockefeller Road, Piscataway, NJ 08854-8054, USA

Abstract
As we enter the new millennium, we are witnessing the rapid appreciation for and development of all aspects of global and international activities and issues associated with and affected by human resource management. In order to understand the internationalization of human resource management, this paper reviews three recently published works by Poole (1999), Schuler and Jackson (1999) and
Storey (2000) to map out past research and emerging areas within this field of study. D 2000 Elsevier
Science Inc. All rights reserved.
Keywords: Internationalization; Human resource management; Global activities

1. Introduction
As we enter the new millennium, more and more companies are recognizing the importance of managing their human resources as effectively as possible. They are also recognizing that doing so, however, cannot be done without recognition and incorporation of the global context. It is virtually impossible to read a business periodical or newspaper anywhere in the world without seeing stories detailing the success of a company due to how effectively it manages its people. As the environment becomes more global, managing people also becomes more challenging, more unpredictable and uncertain and more subject to rapid change and surprise. Thus what we are witnessing within human resource management (HRM) is the rapid appreciation for and development of all aspects of global and international activities and issues associated with and affected by HRM. And because the importance of managing people effectively in the global context is so great, many companies are devoting a great deal more time, attention, skill, and effort into doing it well.
* Internet address: www.rci.rutgers.edu/~schuler/
E-mail address:

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