Lourdes Susaeta

The Diffusion of Employment Practices in Multinationals: `Americanness' within US MNCs in Spain?

Drawing on several theoretical perspectives, including institutionalism and strategic choice, this article examines the impact of home and host country national business systems on the diffusion of human resource management practices by American multinational corporations to their subsidiaries in Spain. Our evidence suggests that the tight control that American multinational corporations usually exert over their subsidiaries has recently increased. In most of the case studies, successful implementation of corporate human resource policies has mainly been achieved due to the degree of malleability and openness that characterized the Spanish business system. However, increased control also reflects the legitimacy given to managerial human resource practices originating in the USA and the willingness of host country managers to implement corporate policy. To this extent, it can be argued that subsidiary management plays a critical role in the configuration and implementation of human resource management and industrial relations policies and practices in multinational corporations.

CONTROL OVER EMPLOYMENT PRACTICE IN MULTINATIONALS: SUBSIDIARY FUNCTIONS, CORPORATE STRUCTURES, AND NATIONAL SYSTEMS

The authors use comparable data on employment practices in multinationals located in four countries—Canada, Ireland, Spain, and the United Kingdom—to examine the question, How can we explain variation among national subsidiaries of MNCs in the extent and form of control on employment matters? In accounting for variation in both output and social control, the authors explore three potential influences: the functions of the national subsidiaries within the wider companies; the role of host country constraints; and the structures of the multinational, including the HR function. They examine the effect of each set of factors in the presence of the others, something that previous research has been unable to do, and show that each is a significant influence. Their study breaks new ground by investigating the functions of subsidiaries and the link with control.

Advancing understanding on industrial relations in multinational companies: Key research challenges and the INTREPID contribution

This paper has three principal aims. It firstly provides some theoretical background on the key current research issues and challenges in regard to industrial relations in multinational companies. It then presents a concise review of scholarship to date on industrial relations in multinational companies using INTREPID (Investigation of Transnationals’ Employment Practices: an International Database) data. Finally, the paper identifies some of the main industrial relations issues that remain to be addressed, in effect charting a form of research agenda for future work using the INTREPID data, with particular focus on the potential contribution from ‘late joiners’ to the INTREPID project.

The human resources management contribution to social responsibility and environmental sustainability: explorations from Ibero-America

Abstract In this paper we aim to advance the discussion on HRM’s quest to create value around social responsibility and environmental sustainability. We explore the perceptions reported by Human Resource managers in three Ibero-American countries (Spain, the Dominican Republic and Costa Rica). We focus on the hospitality sector, one of particular relevancy for these countries and with significant sustainability challenges. Relying on in-depth interviews in twenty-eight organizations and a mixed-methods approach, we examine HR managers’ underlying notions around social and environmental issues, stakeholder collaboration, HRM practices, roles and internal organization. Analysis of the interviews suggests varying views on those dimensions, as well as identifies Active and Advanced firms, the latter showing more commitment to sustainability (as part of the organizational culture), usage of HRM practices and engagement with multiple stakeholders. From this empirical exploration and relying on current sustainability developments, we contribute to the literature by outlining an externally-oriented model (centred on corporate priorities, communities’ flourishing and ecosystems’ resilience) aiming to advance HRM’s engagement with sustainability-driven agendas.

A Comparative Analysis of Youth Labor Market Exclusion

This paper tries to answer the question of whether one of the causes of youth unemployment might be the existence of a positive discrimination in favor of adults. This discrimnation might be resulting from the existence of a legislative framework referring to anti age discrimination and which might be a manifestation of adultism in itself.

Malleability in Spain: The Influence of US Human Resource Development Models

This chapter describes the evolution of HR practices in Spain, particularly the strategic management of HR. Prompted by recent political, economic, and social change, we have seen considerable and growing interest in a more holistic and systematic view of developing individuals and their organizations. In this chapter, note that we refer to HR or HRM, which are terms used in the Spanish business community. However, our focus is on the developmental side of the HR function. Key to understanding Spain’s recent transformation is the cultural malleability of its business system (Dickman, 1999; Ferner et al, 2001; Muller-Camen et al., 2001; Quintanilla, 1998). The concept of malleability is synonymous with the notion of flexibility; that is, Spanish managers are very open to new and sophisticated “best practices” from afar.