The international business traveller: a neglected but strategic human resource

As organizations increasingly fulfill their customer needs by getting their work done globally, there is a pressing need for the scientific community to further advance knowledge on global work, especially in terms of how to better conceptualize and integrate it. A particular opportunity for such development involves the cross-fertilization between the international business (IB) and human resource management (HRM) literatures, which serve as the focal domains to study global work phenomena but have treated global work largely as separate research streams. We therefore edited a special issue to contribute to a more integrative understanding of various aspects of global work across both domains. In this opening article, we review existing research on global work in the multinational enterprise from both IB and HRM perspectives. Subsequently, we present a shared conceptualization of global work that helps integrate theoretical and empirical research in both fields. We then introduce the articles in this special issue, before developing an integrative agenda for future research on global work.

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The Oxford Handbook of International Business

10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199234257.001.0001 ◽

2009 ◽

Cited By ~ 39

Keyword(s):

South America ◽

Human Resource ◽

International Business ◽

Multinational Enterprises ◽

Relevant Literature ◽

Multinational Enterprise ◽

Transitional Economies ◽

Business Strategies ◽

The Political ◽

Business Systems

The Oxford Handbook of International Business contain articles by distinguished scholars in the field of international business. The authors are all authorities on their chosen topics and have been active as leaders in the Academy of International Business. Their articles survey and synthesize relevant literature of recent years. The book is split into five major sections, providing comprehensive coverage of the following areas: the history and theory of the multinational enterprise; the political and policy environment of international business; strategies of multinational enterprises; the financial areas of the multinational enterprise (marketing, finance and accounting, Human Resource Management [HRM], and innovation); and business systems in Asia, South America, and the transitional economies.

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A Critical Review of Domestic Researches on International Human Resource Management - Focused on Articles Published in 「International Business Review」 During 1997-2012 -

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS REVIEW ◽

10.21739/ibr.2014.03.18.1.145 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 18 (1) ◽

pp. 145

Author(s):

Kyoung Kim

Keyword(s):

Resource Management ◽

Human Resource Management ◽

Human Resource ◽

International Business ◽

Critical Review ◽

International Human Resource Management ◽

International Human

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The Place of International Human Resource Management in International Business

Management International Review ◽

10.1007/s11575-014-0226-3 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 55 (3) ◽

pp. 303-322 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Denice Welch ◽

Ingmar Björkman

Keyword(s):

Resource Management ◽

Human Resource Management ◽

Human Resource ◽

International Business ◽

International Human Resource Management ◽

International Human

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Understanding the decision to offshore human resource activities: a coevolutionary perspective

International Journal of Physical Distribution & Logistics Management ◽

10.1108/ijpdlm-09-2015-0224 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 47 (2/3) ◽

pp. 175-197 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Carmen Paz-Aparicio ◽

Joan E. Ricart ◽

Jaime Bonache

Keyword(s):

Human Resource ◽

International Business ◽

Business Strategy ◽

Service Providers ◽

Research Network ◽

Content Type ◽

Constant Change ◽

Scant Attention ◽

Dynamic Perspective ◽

Hr Function

Purpose Offshoring has been studied widely in the literature on strategic management and international business. However, apart from its consideration as an administrative activity, scant attention has been paid to the offshoring of the human resource (HR) function. Research in this regard has instead focussed on outsourcing (Reichel and Lazarova, 2013). The purpose of this paper is to achieve a better understanding of companies’ decisions to offshore HR activities. It adapts the outsourcing model of Baron and Kreps (1999) by including the HR offshoring phenomenon and a dynamic perspective. Design/methodology/approach While the analysis is mostly conceptual, the authors ground the author’s arguments in offshoring data from the Offshoring Research Network, to explore whether the drivers for offshoring HR differ from the drivers for offshoring other administrative activities. The idiosyncrasy of the HR function is supported by the authors’ exploratory analysis and also by the descriptive case of a multinational and its experience with offshoring. Findings A coevolutionary model is proposed for understanding the behaviour of companies offshoring their HR activities. This study contends that companies should address their decision to offshore HR activities from a dynamic perspective, being aware of three processes that are in constant change: the evolution of the HR function, the evolution of service providers, and the evolution of offshoring decisions. Originality/value This study seeks to make a threefold contribution to the international business, strategy, and HR management disciplines.

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Toward epistemological identification of the four major mindscapes

Review of International Business and Strategy ◽

10.1108/ribs-02-2021-0031 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽

Author(s):

Kamal Fatehi ◽

Gita Taasoobshirazi ◽

Jose Sanchez-Gutierrez

Keyword(s):

Human Resource Management ◽

Cultural Differences ◽

Human Resource ◽

International Business ◽

Design Methodology ◽

Japanese American ◽

Specific Situation ◽

Content Type ◽

Cultural Heterogeneity ◽

Geometric Patterns

Purpose Japanese American philosopher Magoroh Maruyama (1969) proposed the Mindscape theory, a macro model of cultural differences identification. The theory suggests inter-and intra-cultural heterogeneity and four major Mindscapes of H, I, S and G. He and his colleagues designed 64 graphic geometric patterns based on redundant and non-redundant complexity to recognize the Mindscapes in cultures. However, there is no method of identifying each Mindscape individually/separately. In other words, specificity is missing in this theory. Without such identification, the applicability of the Mindscape theory in international business is limited. This study aims to provide the needed specificity. Design/methodology/approach The present study applies Harvey’s (1966) four epistemological systems to identify each of the four Mindscapes. According to Maruyama and Harvey, three of Harvey’s four systems are identical to the three Mindscapes of H, I and G. If the authors can match the three Mindscapes with the three Harvey’s systems, what remains the authors assume to be the fourth Mindscape. Findings The current study determined various graphic and geometric patterns associated with each of the four Mindscapes. In doing so, the study expanded the applicability of the theory in international business. Research limitations/implications Harvey (1966) administered nine psychological tests (instruments) to many subjects over nearly two decades to determine the four systems. Using nine major instruments is very challenging, demanding and time-consuming. For ease of application and saving time, the authors used one of these instruments as an example. Ideally, the authors should use all. Originality/value Mindscape theory suggests that each of the four salient Mindscapes is more relevant to a specific situation, such as human resource management, motivation, leadership, conflict resolution and others. By identifying each Mindscape, this study expands the use of Mindscape theory.

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Forging a comparative institutional advantage in Argentina: Implications for theory and praxis

Human Relations ◽

10.1177/0018726710396244 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 64 (4) ◽

pp. 553-572 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Daniel Friel

Keyword(s):

Latin America ◽

Emerging Markets ◽

Human Resource ◽

International Business ◽

Institutional Context ◽

Varieties Of Capitalism ◽

Future Research ◽

Industrial District ◽

High Quality ◽

Large Company

This article argues that the incorporation of a revised version of the varieties of capitalism approach into international business literature and institution-based theory in strategy would enable scholars and practitioners to improve their understanding of how individual institutions and combinations thereof provide a basis for developing human resource practices suited to emerging markets. It elaborates on the varieties of capitalism approach by coining the term recessive institution to describe how firms draw on latent institutions to pursue policies not in accord with the dominant institutional context in which they operate. This article draws on the varieties of capitalism approach for Latin America to demonstrate how an industrial district and a large company in Argentina formed a comparative institutional advantage for producing mid-range, high quality products by using recessive institutions. It concludes by highlighting this article’s implications for human resource scholars and executives while also suggesting avenues for future research.

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