CONTEXT-BOUND CONFIGURATIONS OF CORPORATE HR FUNCTIONS IN MULTINATIONAL CORPORATIONS AROUND THE GLOBE
Elaine Farndale, Dr., Tilburg University, The Netherlands
Jaap Paauwe, Professor, Tilburg University, The Netherlands

Abstract
To date, considerable attention has been paid to how multinational corporations (MNCs) deal with the simultaneous pressures of globalization and localization when it comes to human resource management (HRM), however, the role of the HR function in this process has received less focus. Here we consider the new HR roles being identified in MNCs, focusing on how issues of standardization/customization, coordination, and shared learning shape the HR function. The study identifies configurations of the HR function based on corporate internationalization strategies and interdependencies. Corporate HR roles are explored empirically by focusing on how HRM practices come about and are coordinated. The study is based on 248 interviews with senior (HR) managers of sixteen MNCs based in nineteen countries. The findings go beyond extant universal typologies, developing a contextually-based framework outlining the main configurations of corporate HR departments, including methods of practice design and differing levels of headquarters/subsidiary involvement.
Keywords: HR roles, multinational corporations, context