International HRM in the context of uncertainty and crisis: a systematic review of literature (2000–2018)

Abstract

This study provides an overview of research on international HRM practices in the context of uncertainty and crisis. With a pool of 72 research articles drawn from 32 journals and published between the years 2000 and 2018, this paper aims to systematically review three distinct research streams within the uncertainty and crisis literature and their effects on international HRM. These three distinct research streams are 1) economic crisis, 2) natural disasters and 3) political uncertainty. In the context of constant economic crisis, we propose further research to explore and integrate high-performance HRM practices and talent management into socially responsible HRM practices. In a natural disaster context, we propose looking into emergency management frameworks within HRM. Finally, in a politically uncertain context, we propose that the development of expatriate assignments and their needs be further investigated. A key contribution of our research is its focus on context and responsiveness in an ever-changing business setting. The importance of boundary conditions and their effect on the implementation of HRM have been overlooked and understudied. A focus on these aspects will provide a nuanced and more realistic understanding of how international HRM unfolds. Relatedly, we consolidate existing research regarding international HRM practices in an uncertainty and crisis context, for our review found it to be scattered and fragmented among disciplines. By doing so, we review existing gaps in the literature and provide a detailed map for future research.

Keywords:

• International Human Resource Management (IHRM)
• systematic review
• economic crisis
• disaster management
• political uncertainty

Notes

1 By systematically reviewing and analysing articles regarding the uncertainties described in these streams, it was found that organizations already deal with many types of crises, but the hardships inflicted by financial and economic crises seem to have the most significant and undesirable consequences on organizations and employees. Due to practical concerns and to ease the process of analysis and target our readership, we intended to develop and demonstrate explicit boundaries between these three streams. The articles on economic and financial aspects of organizations formed the first group of studies under the theme of “economic uncertainty”, while research conducted on HR practices during natural occurrences was categorized as “natural disasters”. Classifying the remaining articles was the most sophisticated and laborious part of our research. Separating published research focused on terrorism, crime, political instability, uncertain environments and expatriates from each other was impracticable. So, it was decided to analyze all these articles from the perspective of political uncertainty and hostile environments.

2 We conducted a thorough literature review of this journal, thanks to the recommendation of anonymous reviewer.