International Human Resource Management

In their book entitled: “Converging Divergences: Worldwide Changes in Employment
Systems”, Katz and Darbishire(2000) concluded that while the variation in employment
patterns is increasing within countries, evidence suggests that there is much
commonality across countries in the nature of that variation and also similarity in the
processes through which variation is appearing
With reference to the theories you’ve learned in the International Human Resource
Management module(e.g. Varieties of Capitalism, National business system theory).
critically evaluate the impact of national institutions(e.g. Educational system, labour
regulations) on human resource management practices  in different countries.

Recommended Structure:
1. Introduction: briefly introduce plan of the essay i.e. how the essay is going
to address the question.
2. Main body of the essay: Role of national institutions on the HRM practices
in different countries
N.B. You’ll need to make a good application of the institutional theories into
the specific context and make sure your analysis in the essay includes
HRM practices in at least two (or more) countries, instead of one country
alone.
3. Discussion of contribution and recommendations
You could illustrate some business implications and recommendations
based on the argument made in the essay on how HRM operates in terms
of different institutions, especially in the context of MNCs that operate in
more than one country.
4. Conclusion
Final concludes your essay with the main summary and possibly some
limitations.
1 This is not instruction to your assignment plan. For details of your assignment plan to be
submitted by 3pm 20th March Tuesday, you can access the relevant information in your
module handbook.
2
Recommended Readings:
You will find some of the sources below on the Blackboard reading list. Others
can be found on the library system.
Brewster, C. (2007) ‘Comparative HRM: British Views and Perspectives’, Special issue
on Globalizing HRM, International Journal of Human Resource Management, 18(5):
769-787.
Paauwe, J. and Boselie, P. (2003) ‘Challenging ‘Strategic HRM’ and the Relevance of the
Institutional Setting’, Human Resource Management Journal, 13(3): 56-70.

Hall, Peter A., and Rosemary C. R. Taylor. 1996. “Political Science and the Three New
Institutionalisms. Political Studies 44 (5):936-957.

Hall, P. and Soskice, D. 2001 ‘An Introduction to Varieties of Capitalism’ in Hall, P. and
Soskice, D. Varieties of Capitalism: The Institutional Foundations of Comparative
Advantage, Oxford: OUP, pp. 1-70.