Title: The influence of human resource management identity on strategic intent in the multinational enterprise

Authors: Margaret Takeda, Marilyn M. Helms

Addresses: College of Business Administration, Management Department #6156, The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, 615 McCallie Avenue, Chattanooga, Tennessee 37403–2598, USA. ' Business Administration Division, Dalton State College, 650 College Drive, Dalton, GA 30720, USA

Abstract: This study examines a sample of over 700 American and Japanese human resource directors were surveyed to test the relationship between Human Resource Management Identity (Takeda, 2005) and strategic intent to transfer corporate HR practices from the parent company to the overseas subsidiary, adapt to local HR practices in the overseas subsidiary or create a hybrid set of HR policies reflecting parent and local HR traditions. The findings indicate consideration should be given to determinants of human resource strategic intent beyond environmental or competitive strategy. The results suggest support for an alternative view – the individual decision maker|s national identity and the resulting individual conceptualisation of group membership influences which rules and policies are believed to be applicable to various groups. In the typology, |strategic intent| represents a fundamental decision to transfer practices to |out-group| or overseas subsidiary personnel. This alternative view explores alternative determinants of human resource strategic intent.

Keywords: human resources management; HRM; human resource identity; strategic intent; global organisations; decision making; Japan; parent company; subsidiaries; multinational corporations; MNCs; USA; United States.

DOI: 10.1504/IJHRDM.2007.012860

International Journal of Human Resources Development and Management, 2007 Vol.7 No.2, pp.139 - 160

Published online: 19 Mar 2007 *

Full-text access for editors Full-text access for subscribers Purchase this article Comment on this article