Information, control, and human resource management in multinational firms

Pucik, Vladimir; Katz, Jan Hack

doi:10.1002/hrm.3930250109

Cited by 54 publications

(28 citation statements)

References 10 publications

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“…Control in organisations is generally regarded as a management initiative to regulate and coordinate individual resources to ensure conformity to the expectations of the organisation (Child, 1984;Pucik and Katz, 1986). According to Ferner (2000), managers face a strategic choice when considering control methods due to an accumulation of mechanisms that have evolved over time.…”

Section: Mne Control Mechanismsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Alternative control methods for exploiting subsidiary knowledge within an MNE: quantity versus quality

Larkin

2014

Journal of Knowledge Management

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Alternative control methods for exploiting subsidiary knowledge within an MNE: quantity versus quality Roslyn Larkin Article information:To cite this document: Roslyn Larkin , (2014),"Alternative control methods for exploiting subsidiary knowledge within an MNE: quantity versus qualityIf you would like to write for this, or any other Emerald publication, then please use our Emerald for Authors service information about how to choose which publication to write for and submission guidelines are available for all. Please visit www.emeraldinsight.com/authors for more information. About Emerald www.emeraldinsight.comEmerald is a global publisher linking research and practice to the benefit of society. The company manages a portfolio of more than 290 journals and over 2,350 books and book series volumes, as well as providing an extensive range of online products and additional customer resources and services.Emerald is both COUNTER 4 and TRANSFER compliant. The organization is a partner of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and also works with Portico and the LOCKSS initiative for digital archive preservation.Roslyn Larkin is a Lecturer based at Newcastle Business School, University of Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia. Abstract Purpose -The aim of this paper is to expose the power of informal control mechanisms over explicit knowledge transfer through information communication technology (ICT) systems in subsidiaries of a multinational enterprise (MNE). Design/methodology/approach -The research used a case study approach consistent with the purpose of exploring control/knowledge transfer relationships. Semi-structured interviews were undertaken with managers across 19 sites in an MNE. Analysed data were thematically organised into two case studies for comparison. Findings -The results show that when control is exerted from bottom-up, knowledge transfer barriers are overcome, quality of outcomes is increased and new and incremental knowledge innovation is more likely to become organisational.Practical implications -The findings signal a caution for managers to assess the suitability of control type on knowledge transfer incentives to leverage quality knowledge outcomes. By using informal methods, subsidiary managers' local autonomy and power to resist centralised management objectives was positively moderated. Originality/value -The paper exposes alternative control methods for exploiting subsidiary knowledge within an MNE. The research is unique in that it identifies a superior role for bottom-up social control to elicit explicit knowledge sharing behaviours through ICT where bureaucratic reward-based control had failed.

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Section: Mne Control Mechanismsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Alternative control methods for exploiting subsidiary knowledge within an MNE: quantity versus quality

Larkin

2014

Journal of Knowledge Management

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“…Interunit linkages have been a traditional focal point for the discussion of international human resource management generally and performance measurement and management more specifically (Pucik & Katz, 1986). The focus of these discussions has typically been around the themes of control and variety!…”

Section: Business Unit Coordination and Controlmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…in particular, how to facilitate variety and how to control and coordinate that variety (Doz & Prahalad, 1986;Bartlett & Ghoshal, 1987). Discussions have focused on: (a) factors impacting MNC employee performance (particularly expatriate managerial performance), (b) constraints on unit-level appraisal in MNCs (Pucik & Katz, 1986), and (c) criteria used for measuring, appraising, and managing performance of employees. Basically these topics have been addressed within the context of MNCs exporting people to distant and different locations and/or exporting the entire HR function itself and specific practices such as performance appraisal en muse to other parts of the world (Fisher, 1989).…”

Section: Business Unit Coordination and Controlmentioning

confidence: 99%

Strategic performance measurement and management in multinational corporations

Schüler

Fulkerson

Dowling

1991

Human Resource Management

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For multinational firms, operating as global businesses with global workforces, the challenge of managing diverse operations in diverse environments has never been greater. The need to maintain appropriate consistency and coordinate vastly separated operations presents unique challenges. These simultaneous loose–tight requirements of managing business operations significantly increase the difficulty level. In the area of international human resource management it means the identification and development of strategic international human resource actions that will provide a global consistency of purpose. Strategic international human resource management takes on particular importance in the areas of performance measurement and management in multinational corporations (MNCs). This article focuses around the three components of strategic international human resource management: interunit linkages, internal operations, and competitive requirements. Previous literature is reviewed within this framework, and the work of Pepsi‐Cola International is used as an example of how MNCs manage some performance measurement and management issues.

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“…(Mervosh & McClenehan, 1997: 69) Once entrenched in international business orientation, many organizations developed a multi-foci perspective leading to a multinational orientation (e.g., involved in overseas businesses across multiple nations) (Pucik and Katz, 1986;Doz & Prahalad, 1987). By sending the wrong kind of individual you can damage your relationships with a host country, you can lose business opportunities, and you damage the career path for individuals who probably should not have been sent overseas.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%