7 HRM in Europe
Christine Communal and Chris Brewster1 Introduction 167
2 Distinguishing features of Europe 168
3 The American model of HRM and a European challenge 172
4 Differences within Europe 179
5 Concluding thoughts 188
6 Discussion questions 188
7 Further reading 189
References 189
Notes 193
1 INTRODUCTION
Looking at a map of the world, Europe appears rather small. Yet the richness of
its national and regional traditions, the variety of its topography, climate, people,
architecture, cuisine, languages, as well as the distinguishing features of its
national states, with their diverse institutions, laws and underpinning philoso-
phies, make it a unique place. Nowhere else in the world have so many distinct
and well-established cultures existed so closely together over such a long period
of time. For centuries, these differences and other vested interests made Europe
the scene of countless conflicts and wars, pitting one nation against the other.
Yet over past decades, a quiet revolution has been happening: the rise –
from within – of a European identity, overcoming with great success traditional