Abstract
This study develops and tests an institutional explanation of how chief executive officer (CEO) characteristics affect the adoption of Western-style human resource (HR) practices in China's transitional economy. It was predicted that: (1) CEO exposure to HR ideology would positively relate to firm adoption of Western-style HR practices, and (2) CEO embeddedness in the Chinese institutional environment would negatively relate to Western-style HR adoption. Data from 309 foreign-invested enterprises in China supported these predictions. Further analysis also revealed that the pattern of relationships between CEO characteristics and Western-style HR adoption differed with respect to the various functional areas within HR.
Acknowledgments
The data collection for this study was funded by an SHRM Foundation research grant. The authors are grateful for the SHRM Foundation's generous support.