3 International Human Resource
Management: Recent Developments in
Theory and Empirical Research
Hugh Scullion and Jaap Paauwe1 Introduction 65
2 Strategy and international HRM 67
3 The role of the corporate HR function in the international firm 74
4 Global management development 77
5 Roles and responsibilities of transnational managers 79
6 Conclusion 82
7 Discussion questions 83
8 Further reading 83
References 84
1 INTRODUCTION
Nearly two decades ago, international human resource management (IHRM)
was described as a field in the infancy stage of development (Laurent, 1986).
The majority of research on multinational companies focused on highly visible
activities such as international production and international marketing
(Ondrack, 1985) and IHRM was one of the least studied areas in international
business (Scullion, 1995). Also, the bulk of research in this field had been
conducted by US researchers from an American rather than an international