Senior management perception of strategic international human resource management effectiveness. The case of multinational companies performance in China

摘要

The intense competition arising from globalisation requires MNCs to manage their HRsudglobally and strategically to become a source of competitive advantage. Hence, SIHRMudacknowledges the need to balance global integration and local responsiveness, togetherudwith emphasising the importance of seeking strategic fit between HR policies andudbusiness strategy, which in turn leads to superior firm performance. Furthermore, thisuddevelopment also increased awareness and recognition of the role of senior managersudand cultural traditions. Therefore, the primary purpose of this research was to exploreudthe relationship between SIHRM effectiveness and firm performance as perceived byudsenior management coupled with the influence from MNCs' headquarters and Chineseudcultural values. Consequently, the researcher selected a case study approach with audtriangulation data collection method through questionnaires and semi-structuredudinterviews undertaken in four selected subsidiaries of MNCs. The research findingsudstrengthened the theoretical foundations of several HRM models, together withudsupporting Analoui's eight-parameter approach (1999) as a functional, coherent andudinterlinked framework regarding the effectiveness of senior managers. In particular, thisudresearch found that quality enhancement of products and service was the preferred andudadopted key business strategy amongst the studied MNCs. Whilst they are also seekingudto balance globalisation and localisation through reconciling control and adaptationudrather than satisfying one at the expense of the other, such that the trend is for WesternudHR policies to be gradually accepted and internalised by the younger generation of theudChinese managers. Finally, this research made several recommendations to foreignudMNCs operating in China.