Staffing Policies and Strategic Control in British Multinationals

While the effective management of human resources is increasingly being recognized as a major determinant of success or failure in international business (Tung, 1984), in practice many organizations are still coming to terms with the human resources issues associated with international operations (Dowling, 1986). In the international arena, the quality of management seems to be even more critical than in domestic operations (Tung, 1984, p. 129). This is primarily because the nature of international business operations involves the complexities of operating in different countries and employing different national categories of workers (Morgan, 1986, p. 44). Yet, while it is recognized that HRM problems become more complex in the international arena, there is evidence to suggest that many companies underestimate the complexities involved in international operations. The field of international human resource management, however, is only slowly developing as a field of academic study and has been described by one authority as being in the infancy stage (Laurent, 1986, p. 91). Moreover, there is relatively little empirical research that documents the international HRM strategies and practices of international firms particularly firms that have their headquarters outside North America.