THE INTERACTION OF HOME AND HOST COUNTRY EFFECTS IN A LOW POWER HOST ENVIRONMENT: THE CASE OF INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS AND HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT IN US AND JAPANESE MULTINATIONAL SUBSIDIARIES IN VIETNAM

This thesis aims to examine the interaction between ‘country-of-origin’ and ‘country-of-operation’ effects in determining industrial relations (IR) and human resources management (HRM) policies and practices in multinationals (MNCs) in the context of globalisation. More specifically, it addresses the relation between transfer ofmanagement practices and institutional differences operating in the context of national dominance/ weakness. The research takes into account two main theoretical streams, which are globalisation and comparative institutionalist theory, to discover how national features influence the MNCs’ IR/HRM policies and practices in the overall context ofthe growing ‘worldwide international economic system’. It looks at the cases of American and Japanese multinationals operating in Vietnam, focusing on two industries: the automobile industry and the fast moving consumer goods industry. Detailed case studies are carried out as the main part of the empirical work of this research. This thesis proposes the concept of ‘low power host country’ and discusses the nature of IR/HRM transfer in a low power host country context. It argues that developing and transitional economies pose little formal mechanism of constraints but facilitate the penetration of novel forms of economic organisation. However, a ‘low power’ host environment also suggests a complex situation for MNC operations and requires from them a very high level of flexibility when implementing transferred managerial practices. The thesis confirms that IR/HRM configurations at the subsidiaries are the result of interaction amongst forces at macro level (the national business system), meso level (the industry), micro level (the firms) and IR/HRM specific issue level. Finally, the thesis urges for an integration of the notion of institutional dynamics into the current ‘static’ institutionalism. This thesis aims to contribute to the globalisation debate and clarify the importance of nation/ state in such a process. It also modifies the picture at the ‘receiving’ end of the transfer process happening in less developed countries, which are located in weak and disadvantageous positions in the world economy and the globalisation processes.

Name dc:type.qualificationname

PhD

Level dc:type.qualificationlevel

Doctoral

Grantor dc:publisher.institution

De Montfort University

Year dc:date.issued

2004

Author dc:creator

• VO, NGOC THI CAM

Licence

• https://dora.dmu.ac.uk/bitstreams/3711cbbf-a5bc-4355-ac7b-7343c757877a/download