�All referencing MUST be in Harvard Style only
�In approximately 830 words, analyse how an organisation with a presence in more than one country
can balance the need for uniformity and consistency in its HR policies and practices with the ability to
adapt to local needs.
�What forces within an organisation drive for uniformity? What forces within or outside of an organisation
necessitate differentiation and adaptability?
�Which HR policies are likely to be similar across different countries or regions, and which are likely to
be different?
�Which HR policies might require uniformity, and which can be more easily adapted, or made flexible?
�What examples from your own organisation or another would demonstrate either the HR policy
challenges in global organisations or HR solutions to these challenges?
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Introduction
Several organizations are inhibited by challenges in the management of their human
resources across a diverse geographical location as their business functions internationalize their
operations. The establishment of a global HR policy that balances the need for conformity and
consistency remains essential, an aspect that can be achieved when organizations ensure that
there is a balance between the global integration strategies and the local responsiveness. This
therefore requires the HR management to understand the government’s legislations and
constraints including the local cultures and norms of a region in order to develop effective HR
strategies.
Balancing the Need for Uniformity and Consistency in HR Policies
The development of HR policies that is uniform and consistent in adapting to the local
needs, an organizations HR managers need to synchronize different elements such as culture,
distance, language and time zones, an aspect that enables an organization to achieve its goals in
terms of cost, quality, and delivery (Ramamurti, & Singh, 2011, pp. 275). This therefore requires
that an organizations workforce is acquired, deployed and retained in different locations, an
aspect that may include a process that deploys the workers to new locations with the aim of
enhancing their ability to be mobile in various regions.
On the other hand, there is a need to recruit, select and develop employees from a relative
global talent pool, an aspect that is known as global talent management, an aspect that would
enable an organization to achieve a level of consistency (Ramamurti, & Singh, 2011, pp. 276).
Lastly, there it is essential for HR policies to inclusively involve ethical standards from different
regions when exploring integral issues of international hr policy development.
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Forces within an Organization that Drive for Uniformity
It is significant to detail that the coordination mechanisms that are diffused in
management practices in driving the aspect of uniformity are subjected to internal forces
(Richards 2011, pp. 230). The internal forces that drive uniformity include the delegation of
authority and decision-making process, organizational culture, leadership, and the strategic
frameworks for an organization, an aspect that results from the variables in cultural, political and
economic differences in different locations.
On the other hand, the factors that necessitate adaptability and differentiation within an
organization includes its challenges in facing the emerging economies, an aspect that is
considered as a double hurdle of liability of a country and foreignness that result from the
perception of a poor global image within an organizations home country.
HR Policies that are Similar and those that are Different
It is essential to consider that it has been established that a selection and recruitment
process, performance management, and career management approaches entail HR policies that
are similar across several organizational functions, an aspect that enables these organizations to
be flexible in accommodating HR practices, trends and laws (Pudelko, & Harzing, 2013, pp.
540). On the other hand, the manner in which organizations manage talents or the issues
identified including the entities brand value are considered as different across several
organizations.
HR Policies that Require Uniformity and Adaptability
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The adoption of performance metrics and performance management systems details an
adaptive approach within an organization aimed at managing subsidiaries within a developed
market (Pudelko, & Harzing, 2013, pp. 542). In consideration of the pressures that organizations
face in achieving their performance targets, in order to reach a higher performance level, a
uniform approach that ensures the employee’s work furthers and supports the goals of an
organization, the inclusion of a performance metrics and performance management approach
remains essential.
Within an organizational level, the inclusion of a key performance indicator is considered
as a quantifiable metric that details the manner in which organizations achieve their goals and
objectives uniformly. For instance, if an organizations vision inclusively focuses on approaches
aimed at providing superior customer services, a key performance indicator targets the
organizations customers support requests that are unsatisfactory (Harzing, & Sorge, 2013,
pp.187). This therefore ensures that the organization is in a position to monitor and measure how
well it is meeting its long-term goals through the provision of quality services to the customers.
HR Policy Challenges and Solutions in Global Organizations
One of the challenges that global organizations encounter relates to how they are in a
position to balance their capacity for local adaptation and global integration. The national origin
of a global organization is considered as an influence in establishing a balance. In view of the
borderless world, international and cultural determinants within a country in which a firm is
located are considered as salient determinants that establish the context of an organization (Thite
& Dasgupta, 2011, pp.240). This therefore requires MNS’s to ensure effective approaches are
employed in the management of foreign subsidiaries since the primary influence for these
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organizations remains in their efforts to have some level of control over these subsidiaries that
arise in a countries origin.
In as much as organizations are internationalized, their control approaches and
organizational coordination within the international level lies in their understanding of the
different features within a country of origin. This therefore requires MNC’s to manage the
dynamic growth potentials within a market with the aim of establishing their growth
opportunities through the inclusion of low cost resources in their process of production (Awasthi,
Chow, & Wu, 2013, pp. 295). MNC’s from different emerging economies are therefore required
to coordinate and control different mechanisms in order to handle some of the challenges they
face in liability of country of origin and liability of foreignness.
Conclusion
As a result of the increasing trend on globalization on trade, there are several differences
that result in the manner in which different organizations conduct their business functions in
different countries specifically in relation to the management of human resources. This therefore
requires organizations to be vast with several approaches and strategies aimed at addressing
these functions.
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References List
Awasthi, V. N., Chow, C. W., & Wu, A. (2013). Cross-Cultural Differences in the Behavioural
Consequences of Imposing Performance Evaluation and Reward Systems: An
Experimental Investigation. The International Journal of Accounting. 36: 291-309.
Harzing, A.-W., & Sorge, A. 2013. “The relative impact of country of origin and universal
contingencies in internationalization strategies and corporate control in multinational
enterprises”: Worldwide and European perspectives. Organization Studies. 24(2): 187.
Pudelko, M., & Harzing, A. 2013. “Country-of-origin, localization, or dominance effect? An
empirical investigation of HRM practices in foreign subsidiaries”. Human Resource
Management. 46(4): 535-559.
Ramamurti, R., & Singh, J. V. 2011. ‘Indian multinationals: Generic internationalization
strategies In R. Ramamurti & J. V. Singhs (Eds.)’, Emerging multinationals from
emerging markets: Cambridge University Press.
Richards, M. 2011. “U.S. Multinational staffing practices and implications for subsidiary
performance in the UK and Thailand”. Thunderbird International Business Review.
43(2): 225-238.
Thite, M., & Dasgupta, B. 2011. “Indian multinationals overseas: Tracking their global footprints
In P. Budhwar & V. Varmas (Eds.), Doing Business in India (pp.250-265). Abingdon,
OX: Routledge.
