Managing Human Resources, Eight Edition

Developing HRM Policies in a Global Context

Firms operating in multiple countries need to worry not just about meeting the special needs of expatriate employees but also about the design and implementation of HRM programs in diverse cross-cultural settings. One company that is widely viewed as exceptional in its achievement of a unified global HRM program—even with two-thirds of its employees working overseas—is Coca-Cola.

In many countries reliance on U.S., or Western, managerial practices is likely to clash with deeply ingrained norms and values.96 For instance, the open-door style of management, which works well in a culture that readily accepts questioning of authority, will probably not work in countries—such as China—where such behavior ...