Jane Maley

International human resource management structures and their effect on the Australian subsidiary

This paper examines some aspects of the working experiences of the managing directors of Australian subsidiaries of European, UK and US multinational corporations in a sector of the healthcare industry. The study compares and contrasts the work experiences of two groups of subsidiary managers. One group reports into the multinational’s parent headquarters, while the other group reports into an Asia Pacific regional office. Evidence emerged from the study of a significant difference in the work experiences of the two groups of managers and suggests that a regional structure may not always be the optimal structure for the subsidiary. Key impediments to a successful regional structure seem to be attitudinal, because of cultural and language differences. This finding is in conflict with mainstream international human resource management research that maintains that a regional structure offers efficiency and contributes positively to globalisation through the process of value creation and enhancement. The paper goes on to address the need to provide an effective mechanism for improving the work experience and, in particular, the communication between inpatriate managers and their supervisors.

The influence of various human resource management strategies on the performance management of subsidiary managers

Purpose – This study aims to examine the impact of various human resource management strategies on the performance management of the managers of international subsidiaries, who have been termed inpatriate managers.Design/methodology/approach – A qualitative methodology was used to explore the influence of various strategies on the inpatriate managers performance management, in a sector of the Australian healthcare industry.Findings – Evidence emerged from the study that the type of human resource strategy used by a multinational corporation may have a significant impact on the purpose and acceptability of the entire performance management process.Research limitations/implications – This study is not without limitations. The sample size is not large enough for generalizations and the research was restricted to the healthcare industry in Australia.Practical implications – A constructive six‐step solution is provided, for improving the international performance management process.Originality/value – The fin...

The influence of global uncertainty on the cross-border performance appraisal: A real options approach

Purpose – The aim of this paper is to examine the practice of performance management in a cross-border context in times of global uncertainty. Design/methodology/approach – This is a conceptual paper. Findings – The findings expose global uncertainty to be wielding a significant influence on performance management. Practical implications – A practical framework is developed using real options theory. This approach offers suggestions for multinational corporations to increase the effectiveness of their performance management while at the same time focusing on profit-maximisation. Originality/value – This paper enhances international management research by recognizing that real options theory can effectively be applied to improve the effectiveness of performance management in global uncertainty.

Hybrid purposes of performance appraisal in a crisis

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine one aspect of the implementation of the performance appraisal with a focus on its operation in an economic downturn and particularly a global economic crisis. Design/methodology/approach – It identifies the stated purposes of the performance appraisal in multinational corporations (MNCs) and explores the unstated purposes of the performance appraisal, which emerge during performance evaluation and feedback stages. The paper then investigates the different expectations employees and managers have of the performance appraisal and finally examines the changes to these expectations in an economic downturn. Findings – The principal conclusion that can be drawn from this analysis is that there is a weakness in the design and substance of the performance appraisal research. The international appraisal is not exclusively conditioned by culture but also by the numerous contextual-organizational, institutional and economic factors found in the typical MNC. Practical...

Engaging in duty of care: towards a terrorism preparedness plan

Abstract A minor digression, if you will: it has been over 30 years since I (referring to lead author) first wrote on the topic of terrorism and its potential impact on conducting business in a global context. The most vivid memory I have relative to that initial foray into this new topic was making a presentation at the annual summer American Marketing Association (AMA) conference in Chicago. I got halfway through the paper and I started to hear jeering noises emanating from the audience. As I remember (it is not a pleasant memory), the audience thought that I had lost my mind and that the reviewers of the paper allowed this rubbish into the AMA meeting (the implication was that they must have been drinking at the time). This is a true account of the presentation and when I left the session, I would be dishonest if I didn’t tell you that I had made a terrible error and there would be significant ramifications to my young academic career. Yet, no country is untouched by global terrorism today, and the ramifications for global organizations are escalating year by year.

Outsourcing Maintenance in Complex Process Industries: Managing Firm Capabilities in Lock-In Effect

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to analyze the rationale for choice of suppliers and the influence these decisions have on the firm’s capabilities.Design/methodology/approach– The authors examine the choice of in-house operations vs buying maintenance in the Swedish mining industry through a qualitative case study approach.Findings– The findings reveal a strong tendency to outsource maintenance.Research limitations/implications– This in turn has a strong influence on the firm’s capabilities and long-term competitive advantage and sustainability.Practical implications– Based on the empirical findings, the authors comment on the strength and weaknesses of the different outsourcing and attempt to find practical solutions that assist the firm in creating competitive advantage.Originality/value– The unique contribution of this study is that it extends prior firm capabilities studies by investigating the impact of capability loss specifically in complex, intricate maintenance processes in a dynamic industry.

Ten years of conflict management research 2007-2017

Purpose - The purpose of this study is to map the intellectual structure of conflict management studies by investigating the key themes, concepts and their relationships for the period 2007– 2017. The study updates the previous decade (1997-2006) investigation by Ma et al. (2008) to reflect the increased publication efforts in the field. Design/methodology/approach - Bibliometric analysis was used to trace the development path of the extant literature. The study included: activity indicators, such as distribution of articles and most-cited journals; relationship indicators, such as co-author analysis and keyword analysis, and the mapping of the theoretical foundations. Findings - The analysis identified five key themes that help to track the direction of conflict management research: negotiation, mediation, trust, conflict management styles, and performance. Originality/value - These themes show a wider diversification of topics in the field than in the past, corroborating previous results about the reputation and maturity of conflict management as an independent scientific field of research. This study will help scholars to improve their understanding of the evolution of conflict management studies and the direction that conflict management research is taking identifying available avenues for future research.

People management and innovation in emerging market multinationals: a competency-based framework

Purpose – As the internationalization process dictates the existence of cross-country networks it is essential to explore avenues that allow emerging market multinationals (EMNCs) to share and receive knowledge that can benefit them locally and globally. The purpose of this paper is to explore this conundrum by addressing the significance of creating a global mindset in individuals and across the multinational corporation. In the paper the authors articulate the mechanisms that influence global managers’ abilities to engage effectively with other global managers across borders. Design/methodology/approach – This is a conceptual and theoretical piece. Findings – The authors argued that global managers engage in reciprocal learning processes to obtain new, innovative knowledge about other countries’ environments and business practices. The authors furthermore suggest that the effectiveness of new knowledge creation is dependent upon the appropriate input, throughput, and output competencies of those involve...