Human resource management in Asian subsidiaries: comparison of French and Japanese MNCs

European and Japanese multinational corporations (MNCs) have expanded their activities in Asia, usually through massive mobilization of various human resources from head offices, whether expatriated or on short-term assignments, and a reliance on diverse categories of local employees. Because expatriation is costly, difficult and often limited in its results, MNCs have developed localization strategies for management positions to support their regional development. This contribution addresses such a scenario by comparing Japanese and French MNCs in eight Asian countries, based on 53 interviews across subsidiaries of 17 MNCs. We find that Japanese MNCs have not localized management positions as much as French MNCs, but they have grown more willing to do so. To compensate for the lack of local capabilities without sending more expatriates, both French and Japanese MNCs frequently send experts on short-term assignments. Finally, though human resource practices vary widely across countries, even for a given MNC, some harmonizing principles have been introduced to regional HRM strategies recently.     

Management,Theology and Moral Points of View: Towards an Alternative to the Conventional Materialist‐Individualist Ideal‐Type of Management*

abstract Weber's (1958 ) argument suggests that there are four ideal‐types of management, and that conventional management is underpinned by a moral‐point‐of‐view associated with a secularized Protestant Ethic, which can be characterized by its relatively high emphasis on materialism (e.g. productivity, efficiency and profitability) and individualism (e.g. competitiveness). Weber calls on management scholars and practitioners to become aware of their own moral‐points‐of‐view, and to develop management theory and practice that de‐emphasizes materialism and individualism. Our paper responds to this challenge, as we draw from an Anabaptist‐Mennonite moral‐point‐of‐view to develop a radical ideal‐type of management that is characterized by its emphasis on servant leadership, stakeholding, job crafting and sustaincentrism. Implications for management theory and practice are discussed.     

From R&D to Productivity Growth: Do the Institutional Settings and the Source of Funds of R&D Matter?

This paper presents estimates of the long-term impact of various sources of knowledge (R&D performed by the business sector, the public sector and foreign firms) on multifactor productivity growth of 16 countries from 1980 to 1998. The main results show that the three sources of knowledge are significant determinants of long-term productivity growth. Further evidence suggests that several factors determine the extent to which each source of knowledge contributes to productivity growth. These factors are the absorptive capability, the origin of funding, the socioeconomic objectives of government support, and the type of public institutions that perform R&D.     

The Impact of Collaborative Agreement on Firms' Performances: The Case of the IT Industry in the 1990s

In the information technology (IT) industry, which confronted a major transition phase during the 1990s, partnerships became a strategic component of the new 'divided technical leadership' that emerged from the industry's vertical disintegration. This paper attempts to evaluate the impact of 1676 partnerships on the financial performance (revenue and profit) of 14 large firms and 725 of their partners. On average, there is a positive impact of collaborative agreements on large incumbents and their partners' financial performance. These results vary according to the type, form and content of the agreement and according to the partner's field of activity. Incumbents get the most benefit from broad informal alliances while smaller and more hierarchical forms of partnerships (consortia, joint-ventures) do profit to their partners. For large incumbents, partnerships are more effective with partners from the services industry than with partners from the IT industry.     

Global Restructuring and Liberalization: Côte d ’Ivoire and the End of the International Cocoa Market?

The restructuring of the world cocoa market has concluded with the liberalization of the sector in the world's leading producing country, Côte d'Ivoire, clearing the way for domination by an oligopoly of global companies. This paper describes how Côte d'Ivoire's share of world production created an illusion but not the reality of market power. In the 1990s, in the wake of failed attempts to influence the world market, the Ivorian cocoa sector experienced a series of upheavals that were both pivotal to broader changes in the global market and a refiection of them. The converging strategies of new Ivorianfirms and of the major global grinding companies resulted in increased vertical integration in Côte d'Ivoire, exemplified in the development of 'origin grinding '. Later, financial difficulties encountered by Ivorian firms led to global companies taking control. Amongst the results of these changes are a decline in the role of traders, a redefinition of the relationship between grinders and chocolate manufacturers, and a standardization of cocoa quality around an average 'bulk' level. This signals the end of 'the producing countries' and of the global market.     

Per un pugno di dollari: a first look at the price elasticity of patents

This paper analyses the role of patent-filing fees requestedby the member states of the European Patent Convention (EPC).We provide first empirical evidence showing that the fee elasticityof the demand for priority applications is negative and significant.Given the strong variation in absolute fees and in fees percapita across countries, this result indicates a suboptimaltreatment of inventors across European countries and suggeststhat fees should be considered as an integral part of an intellectualproperty policy, especially in the current context of worryingbacklogs. In addition, we show that the transfer rate of domesticpriority filings to the European Patent Office (EPO) increaseswith the duration of membership to the EPO and the GDP per capitaof a country, suggesting that member states experience a learningcurve within the EPC. The high heterogeneity in the transferrates casts some doubts on the practice that consists in relyingon filings at the EPO or at the United States Patent and TrademarkOffice to assess the innovative performance of countries.     

The effects of human resources management practices on the organizational performances of Canadian financial co-operatives

Reading through academic literature with a critical eye shows that the relation between human resources management (HRM) and the performance of the firm is a relatively unknown phenomenon. This relation is sometimes described as a "black box". Far from claiming to have closed the debate, this article sets forth an original approach that represents an undisputable input which allows a better understanding of this phenomenon.
Even if there are many theories that try to explain this relation, only the universalistic approach of human resources will be of interest. While using both a qualitative and a quantitative approach, our research shows that some HRM practices do seem to give a competitive advantage to Canadian financial co-operative enterprises.     

Family Farming,Farm Labour and Rural Employment. Who Works Where? An International Comparison

Family farming provides employment but we are not seeing a trend toward more paid agricultural workers. However, family farming appears to be the best way of maintaining a dynamic rural milieu and helping to establish the preconditions for the development of rural employment. In addition, a family farming structure creates a demand for off-farm (rural) employment for family members who want to use their time more profitably. Traditionally, rural communities were built around farming. Today, farming families depend upon employment in rural communities. The changing interdependent relationship may provide a new creative synergy.