PLAN

International Human Resource

Management
 IHRM & Culture

 Fine tuning the HRM practices to meet

international needs
 Process of acquiring, allocation and effective
use of human resources in international
business

 Own unique set of deep-based values and

beliefs
 The way the people in that country think
and behave
 How that society functions in general
 Uncertaint
Power
y
Distance
Avoidance
Hofstede Model

Individualism Masculine
vs. vs. feminine
Collectivism values
Power
Distance
 Country Index Score HR Practices
Japan 54  Hierarchically structured organizations Slow decision Making Process
Moderate  Less opportunity to express opinions
Power Distance  Emphasis is on seniority
 Workers take responsibility and then accept blame

Turkey 66  Inequality in the decision-making process

High Power  Large power distance between superiors and subordinates,
Distance  Autocratic leadership style is increasingly relativized
 With respect to internal work culture, managers held favorable assumptions and
beliefs regarding employee malleability, responsibility seeking and participation
 High job enrichment and empowering supervision, but low on performance-
reward contingency.

Serbia 86  recruitment criteria, such as ascribed status, education and socio-political

High Power connections
Distance  The promotion criteria : seniority, good interpersonal relationships primarily with
superiors, in-group favoritism, loyalty, and commitment to the organization.
 Low job specification
 Power is centralized

Arab Countries 80  Power in organizations is centralized and rarely delegated

High Power  Use of nepotism in recruitment and compensation
Distance  Management hold all the authority, expect full compliance from employees, and
do not tolerate dissent
 Employees do not question or challenge their managers and do not take initiative
but rather wait for directions from their managers
 Emphasis is on status, position, and seniority rather than performance
Uncertainty
Avoidance
Country Index Score HR Practices
Japan 92  Lifetime Employment
Highly Avoid  Managers considers risks with HR Policies very carefully
Uncertain Situations  Everything is formal and documented
 Employees are strictly advised to follow rules which cover everything
from job responsibilities to what to wear
 Traditional Rituals are performed

Turkey 85  Short term organizational plans

Highly Avoid  Change in processes are not made unless it is absolutely necessary
Uncertain Situations  Excessive reliance on written rules and policies of HR
 Managers pursue systematic, internal and long-term orientations in
personnel development
 Individual performance-based pay

Serbia 92  In Serbian organizations internal recruitment is more desirable than

Highly Avoid external recruitment, with the exception of junior managers
Uncertain Situations  If senior managers are recruited externally, Serbian organizations are
likely to use the services of consultants in order to reduce the risks
related to external candidates.

Arab Countries 80  Low level of tolerance for uncertainty

Highly Avoid  New projects will be carefully analyzed to assure that whatever risk
Uncertain Situations they represent is thoroughly understood
 Strong implementation of existing HR rules
 Low acceptance for change
 Lower tolerance for innovative ideas regarding recruitment,
compensation
 Justified authority obedience
Individualism
vs. Collectivism
Country Index Score HR Practices
Japan 46  Teamwork: multi-skill work teams, team appraisal and reward
Collectivism  Everyone in the company should collectively agree on the objectives and
decisions of the company
 Participation by coworkers in after-hours gatherings to foster harmony and
cooperation

Turkey 37  Employees are expected to behave in a manner set for them, which basically
Collectivism does not tolerate differences
 Emphasis on group work, group reward
 Employees are pushed to work more as a group and learn to share
achievements as a group.
 Employees are obliged to submit to the group’s goals and demands despite
any potential inconvenience to themselves, thus placing their individual
interests and desires in a secondary position.

Serbia 25  When recruiting job candidates, Serbian organizations are likely to stress job
Collectivism opportunities such as working as a part of team, forming relationships with
others (e.g. co-workers, supervisors), advancement, status attainment and
job security more than individual competitive achievement.
 The selection criteria in Serbian organizations are likely to includes the
following: personality traits such as cooperativeness and fit of the recruit
with the rest of the company

Arab Countries 38  Ideas are expected to adhere to the group values and norms
Collectivism  More weight on maintaining social relationships than on efficiency or
procedures, and to use these relationships to accomplish organizational
tasks
 Loyalty is more to their managers than to the organizational goals.*
Masculine vs.
feminine values
Country Index Score HR Practices

Japan 95  Lack of gender equality

Masculine  Hard and long working hours
 Sacrifice present for future achievement
 Severe competition between organizations is used to motivate employees

Turkey 45  Hire individuals who have positive relationships with others

Feminine  Focus on employees greater extent quality of life, relationships, caring for
the weak, and modesty .

Serbia 43  The focus is on “working in order to live”

Feminine  Managers strive for consensus
 Solidarity and quality in their working lives is valued
 Considering personality traits as a crucial quality of an employee

Arab Countries 52  Achievements, awards and recognitions are the main motivating factors
Masculine of behavior
 Willingness to work had and sacrifice quality in order to gain success
 Gender inequality is evident