Strategic international human resource management in MNEs from an emerging market: case evidence from a Chinese multinational construction enterprise

The purpose of this study was to explore the characteristics, drivers, and strategic efficacy of implementing International Human Resource Management Practices (IHRPs) in multinational enterprises (MNEs) from an emerging market, such as China. It positioned this study within a Chinese Multinational Construction Enterprise (CCMNE). It sought to find out how large scale state-owned CCMNEs manage their global workforce in their overseas operations (i.e.subsidiaries and affiliate projects) via dynamic IHRPs. This study analysed the weaknesses and strengths of the current practices in the deployment and implementation of IHRM in CCMNE's overseas operations to ascertain how Chinese multinational enterprises (CMNEs) in the construction industry standardise or adapt IHRPs when operating in host countries, with a particular emphasis on the impact of contextually relevant influential factors from the institutions, industry, and organisation. It also set forth to assess the strategic effectiveness of CCMNE's contemporary IHRM solutions. Chinese MNEs continue their extensive involvement and success in international markets. Recent academic and business interest has initiated the exploration of broader international human resource management (IHRM) issues and practices in Chinese MNEs from a strategic perspective. However, the majority of relevant empirical evidence and established IHRM theoretical models are drawn from Western MNEs, which mostly come from developed economies. As a result, they may be insufficient to explain the characteristics, drivers, and effectiveness of Chinese MNEs' employment practices in an emerging market. The research employed a qualitative approach, concentrating on a case study of a representative large-scale state-owned CCMNE through semi-structured interviews, direct observation, and documentation. The qualitative data were analysed by template analysis, which enables the study's research objectives to be met by focusing on specific themes and iteratively applying and developing theory and collected data. The findings indicate that global standardisation continues to dominate the deployment and implementation of key IHRM practices in the CCMNE, despite the emergence of increasingly localised features. The results also revealed that a number of factors across multiple dimensions shape the contemporary key IHRM practices in the CCMNE to varying degrees, including the key institutional actors of the home/host country, cultural differences, industry characteristics, international strategic goals of business, competitive strategy of the overseas subsidiary, international human resource orientations of top management, and the stages of organisational internationalisation. Additionally, this research provides fresh insights into conceptualising the audit on the strategic effectiveness of IHRM solutions in CMNEs in general and CCMNEs in particular. It further suggests that the delivery of localisation tactics in IHRM might bolster the improvement and internationalisation of CCMNEs in future development.