HR structure and HR knowledge transfer between subsidiaries in China

Purpose – This paper attempts to examine the issue concerning human resource (HR) structures and the transfer of HR knowledge to discover whether and how HR structure facilitates the transfer of HR knowledge between subsidiaries of an MNC in China. Design/methodology/approach – The investigation, being of an exploratory nature, follows the tradition of a grounded approach. The paper is based on an empirical study of 22 individual HR professionals from 21 Chinese subsidiaries of MNCs. Data were collected through semi‐structured interviews conducted between January and April 2004 and a grounded analysis was carried out with the assistance of Nvivo software. Findings – The forms of HR structures, especially China centre‐led HR structures, have created an opportunity for developing HR learning networks for sharing HR knowledge amongst sister‐subsidiaries and between the subsidiary and the China centre. These forms of HR structure have also provided an essential foundation for wide collaboration between subsidiaries, and further for creating a knowledge‐sharing culture to facilitate HR knowledge transfer. Research limitations/implications – The findings on HR structure and the transfer of HR knowledge have implications for understanding the organisational structure and inter‐subsidiary knowledge transfer. Originality/value – There is little previous research on HR structure, the transfer of HR knowledge in China, and the link between them. This paper addresses this gap and seeks to contribute to the literature.