The Role of the International HR Manager

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The Role of the International HR Manager

For many people international HR management (IHRM) is synonymous with expatriate management. IHRM, however, covers a far broader spectrum than just the management of expatriates. It involves the worldwide management of people. Although International HR (IHR) managers undertake the same activities as their domestically-based colleagues, the scope and complexity of these tasks will depend on the extent of internationalisation of the organisation. In this article, Dr Hilary Harris, Director of the Centre for Research into the Management of Expatriation (CReME), examines the factors influencing the role of the IHR manager and how this affects choices in terms of IHR policy and practice.

Differences between Domestic and International HRM

In any organisation, the primary objective of the HRM function is to ensure that the most effective use is made of its human resources. To achieve this, HR professionals undertake a range of activities around sourcing, development, reward and performance management, HR planning, employee involvement and communications. If the organisation has a strategic HR function, these activities will support and inform organisational strategy. HR professionals are also used extensively in organisational change and development initiatives.

The IHR manager will also be working to the same objectives, however, the scope and complexity of their role is increased as a result of working across borders. A useful model of the nature of international HRM is presented below:

Source: Adapted from P.V. Morgan 1986. International human resource management: Fact or Fiction, Personnel Administrator, vol. 31, no.9, p44.

Figure 1. Model of International H...

... middle of paper ...

...c partner, the IHR manager should equally advise senior management of any mismatch between stated organisation internationalisation goals and actual IHR practice. One major European airline found that although they had a stated business objective of being a global organisation, their actual HR policies and practices were almost completely ethnocentric!

The Centre for Research into the Management of Expatriation (CReME) is a joint collaboration between Cranfield School of Management and Organization Resources Counselors Inc. (ORC). CReME is based at Cranfield University School of Management in Bedfordshire, Telephone 01234 751122

References

Hofstede, G. (1991) Cultures and Organizations: Software of the Mind. McGraw-Hill, Maidenhead, Berks.

Trompenaars, F and Hampden-Turner, C. (1997) Riding the Waves of Culture. Nicholas Brealey Publishing, London.

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