Professional Documents
Culture Documents
TERM PAPER
Introduction
Why should we reconsider the international element to the role of HR professionals when
so much current research has reaffirmed that HRM is constructed within strong national
boundaries? The role of international HR professionals is coming to the fore as firms continue to
globalize at a pace. Information and communication technologies are transforming
organizational structures and business processes, breaking down organizational and geographic
boundaries. Businesses, whether large or small, are finding competition increasing at rapid rates
as more and more competitors enter traditional markets through the use of technology that were
once the preserve of national companies/enterprises. Businesses have realized that without
attention to foreign markets and competitors their prosperity and very survival may be at stake.
As we look to the near future, the advent of the Internet and e-commerce is further
increasing the international flow of goods and services and therefore the pace at which
internationalization will impact on the HR role is likely to accelerate. Expansion of the Web is
now beginning to affect organizational structures, business processes and global trade patterns.
Some believe that the impact of e-commerce in the twenty-first century will be as significant as
the introduction of mass production methods in the twentieth century. Certainly, it is already
opening up new opportunities for the delivery of international HR services (Sparrow, 2001,
Harris et al., 2003).
Body of Report
Insight
The analysis of the current strategies being used to cope with these challenges leads us
towards two key conclusions about the role of the HR function in international organizations:
● The added value of the HR function in an international organization lies in its ability to
manage the delicate balance between overall coordinated systems and sensitivity to local needs,
including cultural differences, in a way that aligns with both business needs and senior
management philosophy.
● There is a distinction between international HRM and global HRM. Traditionally, international
HRM has been about managing an international workforce – the expatriates, frequent
commuters, cross-cultural team members and specialists involved international knowledge
transfer. Global HRM is not simply about covering these staff around the world. It concerns
managing international HRM activities through the application of global rule-sets.
Reference:
http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.462.2060&rep=rep1&type=pdf