IHRM practices in multinational corporations: Developing an IHRM integrative framework

The focus of this dissertation is on the International Human Resource Management (IHRM) policies and practices of multinational companies (MNCs). Within the context of the suggested IHRM integrative framework, an attempt was made to explain the variance in IHRM practices used by MNCs by a number of exogenous and company-specific variables, original as well as those discussed in the literature. Because of the broad issue-oriented nature of this dissertation, the research falls within a number of academic domains, such as economics, sociology, anthropology, psychology, and political science. I attempt to draw upon a variety of theoretical viewpoints to support my propositions. Statistical analysis of two data sets (a primary data set that allows examination of the IHRM practices used by large U.S. law firms, and a secondary ISSP data set that helps explain cross-cultural variance in individual work values by a number of country-level variables) was performed. Chapter 1 provides an overview of the dissertation. In Chapter 2 I look at certain factors influencing IHRM practices (in particular, staffing) in the MNCs. Based on the sample of 202 international offices of 69 of the largest U.S. law firms, I show that the variance in the choice of the firm's approach to international staffing is explained by the firm's history and orientation. In Chapter 3 I look at the effects that cross-cultural and cross-occupational differences have on the work values of employees. In Chapter 4 the focus is on the individual work-related outcomes of having values deviant from one's cultural norms. A number of practical implications of the findings for the IHRM of MNCs are presented. In Chapter 5 I discuss some of the implications of my dissertation and highlight the directions for future research within the integrated framework of IHRM.