International HRM & Staffing Policies

(Research programme 1992-current)

My first research work was in the area of comparative industrial relations and international HRM. Early publications in this area grew from literature research and were mainly textbook chapters and study guides. My edited research based textbook on IHRM (1995) sold nearly 10,000 copies. Although this book was marketed as a textbook, it has received wide recognition among researchers in the field; it has drawn more than 50 citations in journals listed in the Social Science Citation Index. A new edition of this book was published in November 2003. Unlike many other textbooks, all 23 contributors are experts and active researchers in their topic area. In addition, the book is truly international in that the contributors come from more than 10 different countries. It has sold more than 4,000 copies in its first two years. Sage publications have already requested me to start working on a 3rd edition, to be published in 2008 or 2009.

One aspect of my PhD work (see HQ-Subsidiary Relationships in MNCs) focused on international transfer of personnel as a control mechanism in MNCs. This work and associated research into staffing policies using secondary data resulted in a large stream of conference and journal publications. My work was the first to confirm empirically that expatriates play a major role in controlling subsidiaries, both through direct supervision and, more subtly, through socialisation and the creation of informal communication networks. It also was the first to provide detailed information about staffing policies in a large sample of MNCs. Up till then academics had mostly relied on one much smaller scale study conducted in the 1970s. My work on the myth of high expatriate failure rates has generated considerable interest and the related 2002 article on academic referencing is now included in many PhD courses. A final article in this series suggest to abandon the concept of expatriate failure altogether.

Recently, I have shifted my attention to the role that expatriates play in knowledge transfer within MNCs. In this area, the work with a research student, Barry Hocking, has resulted in several conference papers and two articles. We show that learning by expatriates is an underestimated strategic assignment outcome and that varying combinations of global and local knowledge access and communication are crucial in achieving the MNC's goals of global efficiency, national responsiveness and worldwide learning. Another student, Sebastian Reiche, has been working with me looking at the role of social capital in knowledge sharing through expatriate assignments. A revised version of his conceptual model has been presented at high-level conferences and is currently under revision at Journal of International Business Studies, whereas an empirical paper is in preparation for The Academy of Management Journal. Work in this area combines both the individual and company level of analysis, which is highly needed, but so far quite unusual in this field.

Related publications

Related online papers - Full list of publications

(Excludes working papers; * indicates a refereed journal article or research-based book chapter.)

  1. * Reiche B.S.; Kraimer, M.L.; Harzing, A.W.K. (review) Inpatriates as conduits of knowledge flows: The roles of social capital, intellectual capital, and career opportunities, under review.
  2. * Reiche B.S.; Harzing, A.W.K.; Kraimer, M.L. (forth) The Role of International Assignees' Social Capital in Creating Inter-Unit Intellectual Capital: A Cross-Level Model, accepted for Journal of International Business Studies.
  3. * Reiche B.S.; Kraimer, M.L.; Harzing, A.W.K.  (2008) Inpatriates as agents of cross-unit knowledge flows in multinational corporations, invited contribution for Sparrow, P.R. (ed.) Handbook of International HR Research: Integrating People, Process and Context.  Oxford: Blackwell.
  4. Reiche B.S.; Kraimer, M. L.; Harzing, A.W.K. (2008) A Social Capital Perspective of Knowledge Sharing and Career Outcomes of International Assignees, Best paper proceedings of the 67th Academy of Management Annual Meeting, August 8-13, 2008 - Anaheim, California.
  5. * Hocking, J.B.; Brown, M.; Harzing, A.W.K. (2007) Global and Local Strategic Contexts: The Spatial Dimension of Expatriate Knowledge Transfer, Applications and Learning within a Transnational Organization, Human Resource Management, vol. 36, no. 4, pp. 513-533.
  6. Reiche, B.S.; Harzing, A.W.K. (2006) Inpatriates as Conduits of Knowledge Flows: The Roles of Social Capital, Intellectual Capital, and Career Opportunities, paper presented at the 66th Annual meeting of the Academy of Management, Atlanta, August 11-16.
  7. Reiche B.S.; Harzing, A.W.K. (2005) Managing turnover of local staff at multinational companies: The role of intenational staffing, conference proceedings of the ANZIBA annual meeting, November 10-11, Melbourne, Australia.
  8. Reiche B.S.; Harzing, A.W.K. (2005) The Role of Inpatriate Assignments in Multinational Corporations: An Exploratory Case Study, paper presented at the 65th Annual meeting of the Academy of Management, Honolulu, August 5-10.
  9. Reiche B.S.; Harzing, A.W.K. (2005) Knowledge Flows in Multinational Corporations: The Role of Inpatriate Assignees' Social Capital, paper presented at the 65th Annual meeting of the Academy of Management, Honolulu, August 5-10.
  10. Reiche B.S.; Harzing, A.W.K. (2005) The Role of Inpatriate Assignments in Multinational Corporations: An Exploratory Case Study, conference proceedings of the 8th conference on International Human Resource Management, June 14-16, 2003, Cairns, Australia.
  11. * Harzing, A.W.K. (2004) Ideal Jobs and International Student Mobility in the Enlarged European Union, European Management Journal, December, vol. 22, no. 6, pp. 693-703.
  12. * Christensen, C.; Harzing, A.W.K. (2004) Expatriate failure: Time to abandon the concept?, Career Development International, vol. 9, no. 7, pp. 616-626.
  13. Harzing, A.W.K.; Mockaitis, A. (2004) Working in the enlarged European Union: Ideal jobs and international mobility among university students in sixteen European countries, conference proceedings of the 30th EIBA conference, December 5-8, 2004, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
  14. Hocking, J.B.; Brown, M.; Harzing, A.W.K. (2004) Tacitness and Time: Contributors to the Strategic Outcomes of Transnational Knowledge Transfer, paper presented at the 64th Annual meeting of the Academy of Management, New Orleans, August 6-11.
  15. * Hocking, J.B.; Brown, M.; Harzing, A.W.K. (2004) The Strategic Purposes and Path-Dependent outcomes of expatriate assignments: A knowledge transfer perspective International Journal of HRM, vol. 15, no. 3, pp. 565-586.
  16. * Harzing, A.W.K. (2004) Internationalization and the international division of labour, in: Harzing, A.W.K.; Van Ruysseveldt, J. (eds.), International Human Resource Management, 2nd edition, London: Sage Publications
  17. * Harzing, A.W.K. (2004) Strategy and structure of multinational firms, ibid.
  18. * Harzing, A.W.K. (2004) Composing an international staff, ibid.
  19. * Harzing, A.W.K.; Van Ruysseveldt, J. (eds.) (2004) International Human Resource Management, 2nd edition. London: Sage Publications.
  20. Hocking, J.B.; Brown, M.; Harzing, A.W.K. (2003) The Strategic Outcomes of Expatriate Assignments: Are They Deliberate or Emergent?, paper presented at the 7th Conference on International Human Resource Management, June 4-6, 2003, Limerick, Ireland.
  21. * Harzing, A.W.K. (2002) Are our referencing errors undermining our scholarship and credibility? The case of expatriate failure rates, Journal of Organizational Behavior, vol. 23, February, pp. 127-148.
  22. Harzing, A.W.K. (2002) Why Expatriates? Organisational Functions of International Transfers: Patterns and Conclusions for Expatriate Management, Expatriator: The Expatriation Management Bulletin, Issue 3, Summer.
  23. * Harzing, A.W.K. (2001) Of bears, bumble-bees and spiders: The role of expatriates in controlling foreign subsidiaries, Journal of World Business, vol. 36, no. 4, pp. 366-379.
  24. * Harzing, A.W.K. (2001) An analysis of the functions of international transfer of managers in MNCs, Employee Relations, vol 23, no. 6, pp. 581-598.
  25. * Harzing, A.W.K. (2001) Who's in charge: an empirical study of executive staffing practices in foreign subsidiaries, Human Resource Management, Summer 2001, pp. 139-158.
  26. Harzing, A.W.K (2001) Why Do We Send Them Out? An Analysis of the Functions of International Transfers, paper presented at the 61st Annual meeting of the Academy of Management, Washington, 3-8 August.
  27. * Harzing, A.W.K. (2000) De rol van expatriates bij het beheersen van buitenlandse dochterondernemingen, Bedrijfskunde, vol. 72, no. 1, pp. 93-102.
  28. * Harzing, A.W.K (1999) MNC Staffing policies for the CEO-position in foreign subsidiaries. The results of an innovative research method, Brewster, C.; Harris, H. (eds.) International HRM: Contemporary Issues in Europe, Routledge, pp. 67-88.
  29. Harzing, A.W.K. (1999) Who's in charge: An empirical study of executive staffing practices in foreign subsidiaries, paper presented at 25th EIBA conference, Manchester, 12-14 December.
  30. * Harzing, A.W.K (1997) Research Note: About the paucity of empirical research in IHRM: A test of Downes framework of staffing foreign subsidiaries, Journal of International Management, Vol. 3, no. 2, pp. 153-167.
  31. Harzing, A.W.K. (1997) Uitzenden of lokaal werven. Een systematische analyse van het bemensingsbeleid voor buitenlandse dochterondernemingen, HRM in de Praktijk, May 1997.
  32. Harzing, A.W.K. (1996) Expatriate management, Focused company report doctoral research project, University of Limburg: Maastricht.
  33. Harzing, A.W.K.; Van Ruysseveldt, J. (1996) Beleid en verhoudingen, Personeelbeleid, Februari, pp. 43-47
  34. Harzing, A.W.K.; Van Ruysseveldt, J. (1996) Uitzending vereist management, Personeelbeleid, Januari, pp. 43-47
  35. * Borg, M.; Harzing, A.W.K. (1996) Karrierepfade und Effektivität internationaler Führungskräfte - Profile und Erfolgspotentiale, in: Macharzina, K.; Wolf, J. (Hrsg.), Handbuch Internationales Führungskräfte-Management, Stuttgart: RAABE Verlag, pp. 267-278.
  36. * Harzing, A.W.K. (1995) The persistent myth of high expatriate failure rates, International Journal of Human Resource Management, vol. 6, May, pp. 457-475.
  37. * Harzing, A.W.K.; Van Ruysseveldt, J. (eds.) (1995) International Human Resource Management, London: Sage Publications
  38. * Harzing, A.W.K. (1995) Internationalization and the international division of labour, in: Harzing, A.W.K.; Van Ruysseveldt, J. (eds.), International Human Resource Management, London: Sage Publications, pp. 1-24.
  39. * Harzing, A.W.K. (1995) Strategic planning in multinational firms, in: Harzing, A.W.K.; Van Ruysseveldt, J. (eds.), International Human Resource Management, London: Sage Publications, pp. 25-50.
  40. * Borg, M.; Harzing, A.W.K. (1995) International Staffing, in: Harzing, A.W.K.; Van Ruysseveldt, J. (eds.), International Human Resource Management, London: Sage Publications, pp. 179-204.
  41. Harzing, A.W.K. (1995) MNC staffing policies, in search of explanations for variety, paper presented at the 21th annual meeting of the European International Business Academy, Urbino, December.
  42. Harzing, A.W.K.; Van Ruysseveldt, J. (1995) Cultuur en personeelsbeleid, Personeelbeleid, December, pp. 49-52.
  43. Harzing, A.W.K.; Van Ruysseveldt, J. (1995) Personeelsbeleid bij multinationals, Personeelbeleid, November, pp. 67-69.
  44. Harzing, A.W.K.; Van Ruysseveldt, J. (1995) Medezeggenschap en collectieve onderhandelingen in internationaal perspectief: verscheidenheid vs. convergentie, In- door- en uitstroom van personeel, October, pp. 45-52.
  45. Harzing, A.W.K. (1994) Organizational bumble-bees: international transfers as a control mechanism in multinational companies, paper presented at the doctoral tutorial of the 20th annual meeting of the European International Business Association, Warsaw, 11-14 December.
  46. Harzing, A.W.K.; Van Ruysseveldt, J. (1994) Study Guide for the course: International Human Resource Management, Heerlen: Open Universiteit, 160 pages.
  47. Harzing, A.W.K. (1994) Internationaal Personeelsmanagement, Methoden, Technieken & Analyses voor Personeelsmanagement, Nr. 32, July.
  48. Harzing, A.W.K. (1992) Nabeschouwing en recente ontwikkelingen m.b.t. Arbeidsverhoudingen en de Europese Gemeenschap, in: Arbeidsverhoudingen in Europa (Industrial Relations in Europe), Heerlen: Open Universiteit, pp. 347-353.
  49. Van Ruysseveldt, J.; Harzing, A.W.K. (1992) Arbeidsverhoudingen in vergelijkend perspectief: theorie en methode 2, in: Arbeidsverhoudingen in Europa, Heerlen: Open Universiteit, pp. 189-211.
  50. Van Ruysseveldt, J.; Harzing, A.W.K. (1992) Nederlandse en Belgische arbeidsverhoudingen in vergelijkend perspectief, in: Arbeidsverhoudingen in Europa, Heerlen: Open Universiteit, pp. 13-40.
  51. Harzing, A.W.K.; Van Ruysseveldt, J. (1992) Study Guide for the course: Arbeidsverhoudingen in Europa, Heerlen: Open Universiteit, 70 pages.
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