When in China … The HRM practices of Chinese and foreign-owned enterprises during a global crisis

Abstract

Human resource management practices change rapidly in China, at the initiative of both multinational corporations and local enterprises. Yet multinational corporations have greater experience transferring their practices across various cultural and institutional contexts. Thus, despite some differences, local environment considerations and mimetic mechanisms lead to the convergence of practices between multinational corporations and local enterprises. The ongoing global crisis context also affects both types of firms similarly, though its effects do not reach the same level of influence as the enforcement of a new labour law, which began in January 2008.

Keywords:

• China
• human resource management
• labour law
• local adaptation
• multinational corporations
• ongoing global crisis
• transfer of practices