跨国人力资源管理文献综述

Literature Review of International Human Resource ManagementSubject: Transnational ManagementClass: 093Student Number: 296602205Chinese Name: Hou YunanEnglish Name: HelenThe Essay to: Maggie XieTotal W ords: 1485Date: May 23, 2012●IntroductionPucik et al. (1993) have indicated that MNC’s 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 MNC’s HRM in enhancing organizational performance (Lee and van Witteloostuijn, 1998; Brown, 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; Dzinkowski, 2000). As such, a first aim of the study is to investigate the influence of human capital management on a firm’s global competiveness, and to focus on identifying critical HRM practices that contributes to a firm’s success in the global market. For the above purpose, we further introduce the construct of international human capital management (IHCM). IHCM has been referred to as HR practices that facilitate the development and exploitation of a firm’s international human capital, the human capital that enables a firm to compete in the global markets. To this end, we intend to identify the key components of IHCM that contribute to a firm’s global co mpetiveness.●International Human Resource ManagementMultinational corporations (MNCs) are of particular importance to international comparative management research (Fenton-O’Creevy and Gooderham, 2003) because of their increasingly important 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 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 fo r managers in MNCs” (Fenton-O’Creevy and Gooderham, 2003, p. 2). This transferability can also form a kind of special competitive capability for an MNC that may be difficultfor 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, experiences, 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 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 compete 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 international 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 firm’s global co mpetiveness by enhancing a firm’s human capital. 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 revealed that human capital enhances a firm’s global initiatives in various ways (Madsen et al., 2003). In the MNC setting, a parent company often decentralize respons ibilities to local business units for stimulating subsidiaries’ initiatives, while trying to maintain normative integration by centralizing 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 also inspires higher level ofcreativity, 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 advancement 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 with a firm’s 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, 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 potential 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 of scale and economy of scope available as well as capitalize on the potential competitive advantages inhere nt in its worldwide market position (Bartlett and Ghoshal, 2000; Banutu-Gomez andBanutu-Gomez, 2007). Furthermore, TMTs direct employees’ efforts toward accomplishing the firm’s strategic goals (Rastogi, 2003). Ling and Jaw (2006) also confirmed that huma n capital such as TMTs’ competency has a positive influence on a firm’s global initiatives. While scant literature has been found exploring the mediating role of IHCM between entrepreneurial leadership of TMT sand global competiveness, some have confirmed the importance of TMTs’ entrepreneurial leadership in contributing to a firm’s 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’values and the company’s 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 desirable 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 TMT’s entrepreneurial leadership on global competiveness could be the results of IHCM. The reason is because 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 firm’s effectiveness in IHCM and facilitate its global competiveness (Banutu-Gomez and Banutu-Gomez, 2007; Ling and Jaw, 2006). As such, IHCM may play a mediating role between TMT’s entrepreneurial leadership and a firm’s global competiveness. In line with the above, we propose the following hypotheses:Entrepreneurial leadership of TMTs is positively associated with a firm’s lobal competiveness.Entrepreneurial leadership of TMTs is positively associated with a firm’s lobal competiveness through the mediating effect of IHCM.ConclusionSpecifically, the result showed that IHCM has demonstrated its significant role in the pursuit of M NC’s global competiveness for the organizations studied. IHCM not only contributes to a firm’s global innovation, but also enhances its global marketing and global learning. Furthermore, the results suggested that normative integration has positive impact on a firm’s global innovation. Moreover, global leadership development has positive influences on a firm’s global competiveness in the forms of human capital return, global innovation, global learning, and global marketing. As a result, IHCM not only contr ibutes to a firm’s global innovation, but also enhances its global marketing and global learning. Our results are consistent with previous studiesin that MNC’s 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 leadership of TMTs is positively associated with a firm’s global competiveness through the mediating effect of IHCM. The results indicate that TMTs’ entrepreneurial leadership not only directly enhances a firm’s global competiveness, but also indirectly strengthens it through the mediating effect of IHCM. Entrepreneurial leaders are better at taking advantage of global opportunities and managing human capital for contributing to the firm’s overall goals in the global context. 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