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Human Resource Management in Multinational Enterprises: Evidence From a Late Industrializing Economy

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Abstract

This paper examines the extent to which human resource management (HRM) practices in multinational enterprises (MNEs) from a small, late developing and highly globalized economy resemble their counterparts from larger, early industrializing countries. The paper draws on data from a large-scale representative survey of 260 MNEs in Ireland. The results demonstrate that there are significant differences between the HRM practices deployed in Irish-owned MNEs and that of their US counterparts but considerable similarity with UK firms. A key conclusion is that arguments in the literature regarding MNEs moving towards the adoption of global best practices, equating to the pursuance of an American model of HRM, were not obvious. The study found considerable variation from ‘US practices’ amongst indigenous Irish MNEs.

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Notes

  1. IDA Ireland is the agency charged with attracting foreign investment in Ireland.

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Acknowledgments

The authors wish to acknowledge the financial support received from the Labour Relations Commission, the Irish Research Council for the Humanities and Social Sciences and the European Commission’s Marie Curie International Research Staff Exchange Scheme (FP7 IRSES-GA-2008-230854 INTREPID). The authors wish to thank the three anonymous referees for their constructive feedback and also Tina Morganella for her assistance with proof-reading.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Queen’s University Belfast, Management School, Belfast, UK

    Anthony McDonnell

  2. University of Limerick, Kemmy Business School, Limerick, Ireland

    Jonathan Lavelle & Patrick Gunnigle

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  1. Anthony McDonnell
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Correspondence to Anthony McDonnell.

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McDonnell, A., Lavelle, J. & Gunnigle, P. Human Resource Management in Multinational Enterprises: Evidence From a Late Industrializing Economy. Manag Int Rev 54, 361–380 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11575-014-0202-y

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