International Human Resource Management Research: An Introduction to the Field

Abstract

The field of 'international human resource management' (IHRM) research has grown extensively over the last few decades. Since André Laurent in 1986 described the field as being in the infancy stage of development (Laurent, 1986), we have witnessed a rapid transformation of the field of IHRM research. The establishment in 1991 of the International Journal of Human Resource Management, that mostly publishes articles within IHRM, was an important milestone. For the first time there was a 'home journal' for scholars pursuing IHRM research. At the same time, a significant number of IHRM articles were published in prestigious management journals like Academy of Management Journal, Administrative Science Quarterly and Organization Science. The number of conferences and workshops dedicated to IHRM research has also increased. By the time this book is in print, the Eighth Conference on International Human Resource Management will have been held. While growing in size, the field has also expanded in scope. It has shifted from an early focus on the topic areas of top management attitudes and staffing decisions in multinational corporations (MNCs) (Edström & Galbraith, 1977; Perlmutter, 1969) and expatriate adjustment and performance (Torbiörn, 1982; Tung, 1981) to a field characterized by a high degree of diversity, cross-fertilization of ideas from different disciplines, and ambiguous delineations of what is included in the field and what is not. In this Handbook we define the field of IHRM broadly to cover all issues related to the management of people in an international context. Hence our definition of IHRM covers a wide range of human resource issues facing MNCs in different parts of their organizations. Additionally we include comparative analyses of HRM in different countries. Development of the field of IHRM research Although the coining and spreading of the term 'international human resource management' took place only in the late 1980s and early 1990s, the history of what we view as IHRM research arguably covers a time span of some 30 years. Much of the early work focused on staffing decisions in

Predictors of turnover intentions in learning‐driven and demand‐driven international assignments: The role of repatriation concerns, satisfaction with company support, and perceived career advancement opportunities

“…The literature proposes various taxonomies of international assignments (see Björkman & Stahl, 2006;Caligiuri & Colakoglu, 2008;Evans et al, 2002;Harzing, 2004). Edström and Galbraith (1977), in their classic article on international assignment objectives, identifi ed three principal motives for the global transfer of managers: (1) to fi ll positions that cannot be staffed locally because of a lack of technical or managerial skills, (2) to support organizational development, which refers to the coordination and control of international operations through socialization and informal networks, and (3) to support management development by enabling highpotential individuals to acquire international experience.…”

International human resource management in the 21st century: emerging themes and contemporary debates

“…Indeed, in a recent review of the field, Lazarova (2006: 43) optimistically argues: ‘As an area of research, IHRM is vibrant and diverse and has grown even more so in the past decade’. In a similar vein, Björkman and Stahl (2006) note that not only has the degree of research in the field increased, but so too has the scope of the studies undertaken (see also Schuler and Tarique, 2007). In this special issue, we hope to contribute to the vibrancy and diversity of the field.…”

“…Schuler et al. , 2002; Scullion, 2004; Björkman and Stahl, 2006; Lazarova, 2006 for a discussion in this regard), we instead focus on the future prospects for IHRM. We also introduce the five articles in this special issue, each of which is written by leading figures in the field and each considering a key contemporary IHRM debate.…”

IHRM in developing countries: does the functionalist vs. critical debate make sense South of the Equator?

“…Within such a young stream of research, a large number of studies on IHRM have been conducted, mainly in the last two decades, and mostly on themes such as the dual logic of IHRM, global staffing, expatriation, leadership and diversity (Bjorkman & Stahl, 2006). Recent IHRM studies (e.g., Albuquerque & Muritiba, 2009;Irigaray & Saraiva, 2009;Tanure, Barcellos, & Fleury, 2009) from Latin American countries have shown the potential for growth for this field in the sub-continent.…”

“…Lastly, in the sixth section, we close with final considerations. Bjorkman and Stahl (2006) point out the difficulty of establishing the parameters of what has been called the young field of International Human Resource Management (IHRM). Today, many topics are being included within this field of study.…”