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Globalisation and IHRM: Partners in comparative perspective?
Article in Journal of European Industrial Training · December 2003
DOI: 10.1108/03090590310506478
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1 author:
Stephen J. Perkins
London Metropolitan University
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, Globalisation and IHRM: partners in comparative
perspective?
Stephen J. Perkins
Department of Management and Professional Development, London Metropolitan
University (North Campus), London, UK
Keywords (Brewster et al., 2002, p. 7)? Thus
Comparative tests, Employment, Introduction: attributing meaning contextualised, how should Keep's (1992)
Globalization, Governance, to ``global'' development contention be (re)appraised that implicit in
Human resource management
The eponymous topic of ``globalisation'' may an HRM worth the name is a managerial
Abstract be interrogated from several angles: its predisposition to regard ``human capital''
Heuristically oriented, for implicit grounding in unitarist and development (a.k.a. training) as a strategic
pedagogic purposes, globalisation
neoliberal ideology; its status in relation to activity?
and international personnel
management and development socially embedded institutions; and its Comparative analysis facilitates attempts
trajectories are examined from a assumed universalism and ``run away'' ``to distinguish the essential from the
comparative perspective. The power (Giddens, 1999; Rowley, 2000). As the accidental, the simple from the complex, the
paper concludes that a normative same may be argued in relation to the HRM
operational definition of the
primary from the derived'' (Thomas and
paradigm, there is merit in exploring Znaniecki, 1974, p. 17, cited by Guth and
human resource management
(HRM) paradigm may be partnered emerging parallel trends in both areas. Can Schrecker, 2002, p. 292). Comparative
with attempts to diffuse a HRM internationally be perceived as variation in the ways academic
neo-liberal inspired corporate globalisation's junior partner? Human
governance regime
commentators approach the concept of
resource management as an international ``globalisation'', and the consequences for
internationally. However, caution
is expressed against uncritical discipline (IHRM) is an emerging area of people management and development, may
determinism. There is evidence academic study, development of which is profitably be evaluated heuristically.
from emergent studies that presently deficient in integrating theory and
institutional factors offer scope for
Tensions in management practices that vary
practice (Cheng and Cooper, 2003). Every
diverse interpretations of between countries and companies, and
organisation is faced with the problem of
international HRM (IHRM) globalisation as a process ``held to make
experimentation observable utilising, and hence managing in some way
practices more homogeneous'' (BeÂret et al.,
across different jurisdictions. human resources, from which it may be
Throughout, the paper enquires as
2003), may be similarly examined. A heuristic
inferred that ``[h]uman resource
to the empirical research evaluation may be defined as a method for
management (HRM) is universal'' (Brewster,
questions interrogation of this surfacing problems of concept utility as part
material give rise to, with 2001, p. 255). Adopting a comparative
of an iterative design process (Nielsen, 1994)
implications for those associated perspective, do ``globalising'' tendencies
with international training and imply a business organisation trajectory in ± in this case, design of a platform on which
development. the direction of a convergence of practice possible associations between economic
around a specific ideology or paradigm globalisation and normative HRM may be
informing HRM, therefore? Alternatively, in surfaced. Alternative perspectives are
spite of a universalising ideology, or presented below to compare and contrast the
``rhetorics'', of HRM (Legge, 1995), is the ways in which scholars are interpreting
presence of contextually embedded globalisation and its consequences for
tendencies (Cheng and Cooper, 2003; Schuler investment in human capital, theoretically
et al., 2002) likely to sustain a local character and in practice. This discussion is followed
in IHRM practice, even where the by outlining a stylised means of evaluating
organisational thrust is towards a common the trajectory of globalisation, corporate
set of corporate governance norms? In governance and concomitant employment
synthesis, do ``effective global HR strategies'' policies. The paper contributes to scoping the
ultimately depend on ``the ability to judge the empirical research agenda emerging from
extent to which an organisation should such considerations, giving rise to
Journal of European Industrial implement similar practices across the world implications for those involved in
Training or adapt them to suit local conditions'' trans-national training and development.
27/9 [2003] 461-472
# MCB UP Limited The Emerald Research Register for this journal is available at The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available at
[ISSN 0309-0590]
[DOI 10.1108/03090590310506478] http://www.emeraldinsight.com/researchregister http://www.emeraldinsight.com/0309-0590.htm
[ 461 ]
Globalisation and IHRM: Partners in comparative perspective?
Article in Journal of European Industrial Training · December 2003
DOI: 10.1108/03090590310506478
CITATIONS READS
4 2,655
1 author:
Stephen J. Perkins
London Metropolitan University
39 PUBLICATIONS 414 CITATIONS
SEE PROFILE
Some of the authors of this publication are also working on these related projects:
Non Executive Director perceptions on their executive pay governance role View project
Developments in international HRM View project
All content following this page was uploaded by Stephen J. Perkins on 14 February 2016.
The user has requested enhancement of the downloaded file.
, Globalisation and IHRM: partners in comparative
perspective?
Stephen J. Perkins
Department of Management and Professional Development, London Metropolitan
University (North Campus), London, UK
Keywords (Brewster et al., 2002, p. 7)? Thus
Comparative tests, Employment, Introduction: attributing meaning contextualised, how should Keep's (1992)
Globalization, Governance, to ``global'' development contention be (re)appraised that implicit in
Human resource management
The eponymous topic of ``globalisation'' may an HRM worth the name is a managerial
Abstract be interrogated from several angles: its predisposition to regard ``human capital''
Heuristically oriented, for implicit grounding in unitarist and development (a.k.a. training) as a strategic
pedagogic purposes, globalisation
neoliberal ideology; its status in relation to activity?
and international personnel
management and development socially embedded institutions; and its Comparative analysis facilitates attempts
trajectories are examined from a assumed universalism and ``run away'' ``to distinguish the essential from the
comparative perspective. The power (Giddens, 1999; Rowley, 2000). As the accidental, the simple from the complex, the
paper concludes that a normative same may be argued in relation to the HRM
operational definition of the
primary from the derived'' (Thomas and
paradigm, there is merit in exploring Znaniecki, 1974, p. 17, cited by Guth and
human resource management
(HRM) paradigm may be partnered emerging parallel trends in both areas. Can Schrecker, 2002, p. 292). Comparative
with attempts to diffuse a HRM internationally be perceived as variation in the ways academic
neo-liberal inspired corporate globalisation's junior partner? Human
governance regime
commentators approach the concept of
resource management as an international ``globalisation'', and the consequences for
internationally. However, caution
is expressed against uncritical discipline (IHRM) is an emerging area of people management and development, may
determinism. There is evidence academic study, development of which is profitably be evaluated heuristically.
from emergent studies that presently deficient in integrating theory and
institutional factors offer scope for
Tensions in management practices that vary
practice (Cheng and Cooper, 2003). Every
diverse interpretations of between countries and companies, and
organisation is faced with the problem of
international HRM (IHRM) globalisation as a process ``held to make
experimentation observable utilising, and hence managing in some way
practices more homogeneous'' (BeÂret et al.,
across different jurisdictions. human resources, from which it may be
Throughout, the paper enquires as
2003), may be similarly examined. A heuristic
inferred that ``[h]uman resource
to the empirical research evaluation may be defined as a method for
management (HRM) is universal'' (Brewster,
questions interrogation of this surfacing problems of concept utility as part
material give rise to, with 2001, p. 255). Adopting a comparative
of an iterative design process (Nielsen, 1994)
implications for those associated perspective, do ``globalising'' tendencies
with international training and imply a business organisation trajectory in ± in this case, design of a platform on which
development. the direction of a convergence of practice possible associations between economic
around a specific ideology or paradigm globalisation and normative HRM may be
informing HRM, therefore? Alternatively, in surfaced. Alternative perspectives are
spite of a universalising ideology, or presented below to compare and contrast the
``rhetorics'', of HRM (Legge, 1995), is the ways in which scholars are interpreting
presence of contextually embedded globalisation and its consequences for
tendencies (Cheng and Cooper, 2003; Schuler investment in human capital, theoretically
et al., 2002) likely to sustain a local character and in practice. This discussion is followed
in IHRM practice, even where the by outlining a stylised means of evaluating
organisational thrust is towards a common the trajectory of globalisation, corporate
set of corporate governance norms? In governance and concomitant employment
synthesis, do ``effective global HR strategies'' policies. The paper contributes to scoping the
ultimately depend on ``the ability to judge the empirical research agenda emerging from
extent to which an organisation should such considerations, giving rise to
Journal of European Industrial implement similar practices across the world implications for those involved in
Training or adapt them to suit local conditions'' trans-national training and development.
27/9 [2003] 461-472
# MCB UP Limited The Emerald Research Register for this journal is available at The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available at
[ISSN 0309-0590]
[DOI 10.1108/03090590310506478] http://www.emeraldinsight.com/researchregister http://www.emeraldinsight.com/0309-0590.htm
[ 461 ]
