IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/pal/abaman/v15y2016i2d10.1057_abm.2016.6.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Human resource management practices at foreign-affiliated companies in least-developed regions: US and Japanese Companies in Nepal

Author

Listed:
  • Mohan Pyari Maharjan

    (Graduate School of Economics, Osaka University)

  • Tomoki Sekiguchi

    (Graduate School of Economics, Osaka University)

Abstract

On the basis of 16 qualitative case studies of the US-affiliated, Japanese-affiliated and local Nepali companies, we investigate how the context of Nepal as a least-developed country influences the way MNC affiliates implement human resource (HR) practices. Our findings indicate that institutional distance can promote, rather than impede, the transfer of HR practices, as long as the practices are able to address local needs. The findings also suggest that the nature and needs of the local labor market are stronger predictors of the transfer of HR practices than those factors identified in extant international human resource management frameworks, such as institutional and cultural distance.

Suggested Citation

  • Mohan Pyari Maharjan & Tomoki Sekiguchi, 2016. "Human resource management practices at foreign-affiliated companies in least-developed regions: US and Japanese Companies in Nepal," Asian Business & Management, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 15(2), pages 137-164, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:pal:abaman:v:15:y:2016:i:2:d:10.1057_abm.2016.6
    DOI: 10.1057/abm.2016.6
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1057/abm.2016.6
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1057/abm.2016.6?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Khare, Shagun. & Slany, Anja., 2011. "The dynamics of employment, the labour market and the economy in Nepal," ILO Working Papers 994621433402676, International Labour Organization.
    2. Harzing, Anne-Wil, 2001. "Of bears, bumble-bees, and spiders: the role of expatriates in controlling foreign subsidiaries," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 36(4), pages 366-379, January.
    3. Ouchi, William, 1981. "Theory Z: How American business can meet the Japanese challenge," Business Horizons, Elsevier, vol. 24(6), pages 82-83.
    4. Yves Doz & C K Prahalad, 1984. "Patterns of Strategic Control Within Multinational Corporations," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 15(2), pages 55-72, June.
    5. Alvaro Cuervo-Cazurra & Mehmet Genc, 2008. "Transforming disadvantages into advantages: developing-country MNEs in the least developed countries," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 39(6), pages 957-979, September.
    6. Chris Smith & Peter Meiksins, 1995. "System, Society and Dominance Effects in Cross-National Organisational Analysis," Work, Employment & Society, British Sociological Association, vol. 9(2), pages 241-267, June.
    7. Ikujiro Nonaka, 1994. "A Dynamic Theory of Organizational Knowledge Creation," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 5(1), pages 14-37, February.
    8. Tomoki Sekiguchi, 2006. "How organizations promote person-environment fit: using the case of japanese firms to illustrate institutional and cultural influences," Asia Pacific Journal of Management, Springer, vol. 23(1), pages 47-69, March.
    9. Phillip M Rosenzweig & Nitin Nohria, 1994. "Influences on Human Resource Management Practices in Multinational Corporations," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 25(2), pages 229-251, June.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Mohan Pyari Maharjan & Tomoki Sekiguchi, 2015. "Shaping Japanese Management Abroad: How and Why Japanese Companies are Embedded with Particular Practices in India," Discussion Papers in Economics and Business 15-02, Osaka University, Graduate School of Economics.
    2. Hisako Matsuo, 2012. "Transfer of Japanese Human Resource Management to US Subsidiaries: Resource Dependence Theory and Institutionalism," International Journal of Business and Social Research, LAR Center Press, vol. 2(6), pages 34-46, November.
    3. Amal. M. Jawad, 2020. "Knowledge Transfer Across Types of Assignments: Case study of an International Oil Company," International Journal of Human Resource Studies, Macrothink Institute, vol. 10(4), pages 7292-7292, December.
    4. Klaus E. Meyer & Chengguang Li & Andreas P. J. Schotter, 0. "Managing the MNE subsidiary: Advancing a multi-level and dynamic research agenda," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 0, pages 1-39.
    5. Florence Duvivier & Carine Peeters, 2011. "The use of expatriates in the offshoring of services - Framework and research propositions," Working Papers CEB 11-059, ULB -- Universite Libre de Bruxelles.
    6. Rickley, Marketa & Karim, Samina, 2018. "Managing institutional distance: Examining how firm-specific advantages impact foreign subsidiary CEO staffing," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 53(5), pages 740-751.
    7. Zhong, Weiguo & Peng, Jisheng & Liu, Chunlin, 2013. "Internationalization performance of Chinese multinational companies in the developed markets," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 66(12), pages 2479-2484.
    8. Maria Adenfelt & Katarina Lagerström, 2008. "The development and sharing of knowledge by Centres of Excellence and transnational teams: A conceptual framework," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 48(3), pages 319-338, May.
    9. Jonas Puck & Markus K. Hödl & Igor Filatotchev & Hans-Georg Wolff & Benjamin Bader, 2016. "Ownership mode, cultural distance, and the extent of parent firms’ strategic control over subsidiaries in the PRC," Asia Pacific Journal of Management, Springer, vol. 33(4), pages 1075-1105, December.
    10. Tony Edwards & Rocío Sánchez-Mangas & Patrice Jalette & Jonathan Lavelle & Dana Minbaeva, 2016. "Global standardization or national differentiation of HRM practices in multinational companies? A comparison of multinationals in five countries," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 47(8), pages 997-1021, October.
    11. Fee, Anthony & Gray, Sidney J., 2013. "Transformational learning experiences of international development volunteers in the Asia-Pacific: The case of a multinational NGO," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 48(2), pages 196-208.
    12. Collings, David G., 2014. "Integrating global mobility and global talent management: Exploring the challenges and strategic opportunities," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 49(2), pages 253-261.
    13. Tony Edwards & Olga Tregaskis & David Collings & Patrice Jalette & Lourdes Susaeta, 2013. "Control over Employment Practice in Multinationals: Subsidiary Functions, Corporate Structures, and National Systems," ILR Review, Cornell University, ILR School, vol. 66(3), pages 670-695, May.
    14. Petrou, Andreas P., 2015. "Arbitrariness of corruption and foreign affiliate performance: A resource dependence perspective," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 50(4), pages 826-837.
    15. Jesper Edman, 2016. "Reconciling the advantages and liabilities of foreignness: Towards an identity-based framework," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 47(6), pages 674-694, August.
    16. Ahlvik, Catarina & Smale, Adam & Sumelius, Jennie, 2016. "Aligning corporate transfer intentions and subsidiary HRM practice implementation in multinational corporations," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 51(3), pages 343-355.
    17. Xing, Yijun & Liu, Yipeng & Tarba, Shlomo Yedidia & Cooper, Cary L., 2016. "Intercultural influences on managing African employees of Chinese firms in Africa: Chinese managers’ HRM practices," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 25(1), pages 28-41.
    18. Stephanie Lu Wang, 2023. "Digital technology-enabled governance for sustainability in global value chains: a framework and future research agenda," Economia e Politica Industriale: Journal of Industrial and Business Economics, Springer;Associazione Amici di Economia e Politica Industriale, vol. 50(1), pages 175-192, March.
    19. Duvivier, Florence & Peeters, Carine & Harzing, Anne-Wil, 2019. "Not all international assignments are created equal: HQ-subsidiary knowledge transfer patterns across types of assignments and types of knowledge," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 54(3), pages 181-190.
    20. Cerar, Jelena & Dimitrova, Mihaela & Nell, Phillip C., 2022. "Fostering operational management “Best Practices” in subsidiary plants in the Western Balkans: The role of MNC home-country environment and resource allocation," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 28(2).

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:pal:abaman:v:15:y:2016:i:2:d:10.1057_abm.2016.6. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.palgrave.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.