Perceived organizational support and expatriate performance: understanding a mediated model

What are the mechanisms by which multinational corporations (MNCs) can facilitate the effective performance of their expatriate staff in foreign countries? There is a substantial literature on expatriation, yet few studies have addressed how perceived organizational support (POS) may impact upon expatriates' work adjustment and affective commitment, and then on their job performance. We use data on 118 expatriates working at the German subsidiaries of Japanese MNCs, and demonstrate that career POS has a direct positive influence on work adjustment and affective commitment. Our results indicate that work adjustment fully mediated the relationship between career POS and task performance. We further discovered that both work adjustment and affective commitment play a pivotal role in mediating the impact of career POS on contextual performance. We discuss the practical implications of these findings and provide suggestions for future research.     

Able,willing, and knowing: the effects of HR practices on commitment and effort in 26 European countries

This study extends previous studies of human resource (HR) practices by examining how organizational commitment and work effort are related to the use of HR practices enhancing discretion and skills based on international comparative survey data from 26 European countries. By analyzing individual level data instead of the organizational level data that are examined in prior studies, this article allows investigating whether and how employee perceptions of HR practices are related to their attitudes and behavior. The multilevel analyses largely support the hypotheses that both the intensity and the consistency of these HR practices contribute to organizational commitment and work effort since they enhance the ability of employees and their willingness to cooperate and inform them about the expectations of the organization.     

Managing the duality of IHRM: unravelling the strategy and perceptions of key actors in South Korean MNCs

This research aims to extend our understanding of the duality between global integration and local responsiveness in multinational corporations (MNCs) by exploring the perceptions of corporate HR actors regarding the intra-organisational factors that alter the balance between these pressures. It examines the perceptions and actions of key actors in the context of two Korean MNCs. The study shows the importance attributed to a range of socio-procedural factors by corporate actors and which, therefore, inform the practical management of the dual forces, notably: HR expertise, social ties, trustworthy relationships and co-involvement in decision processes.     

The effects of cultural orientations on preferred compensation policies

This study aims at examining the relationship between cultural orientations and preferences for compensation policies. The study involves two concepts: culture and compensation. In the first part of this article, these concepts are framed; and in the second part, after direct measurement of both cultural traits and compensation preferences, their relationships are tested and discussed. Our findings suggest that while culture represents an important factor in human resource management, its effects on compensation preferences should be viewed as partial and moderate. Further analysis reveals that the effects of culture on preferred compensations may vary from one orientation to another. While some cultural orientations are more likely to affect pay policies, others seem to be of lesser importance. Similarly, it is found that compensation policies are not affected equally by cultural orientations. By analyzing the extent and direction of cultural effects, the study provides some insights into designing compensation policies and points out the managerial implications.     

Employee commitment in MNCs: Impacts of organizational culture,HRM and top management orientations

This article tests a model of organizational commitment in multinational corporations (MNCs). According to the model, organizational culture and human resource management (HRM) affect employee commitment directly as well as indirectly through top management team orientations. Szpecifically, we examined the effect of top management team global orientation and geocentric orientation, which are seen as contributing uniquely to employee commitment in MNCs. The model was tested on a sample of 1664 core employees working in 39 affiliates of 10 MNCs. We found strong overall support for the model. In particular, organizational culture characterized by high adaptability and a HRM system characterized by high performance work practices were found to have a significant and direct effect on employee commitment. In addition, we found that the effect of these traditional elements of the human organization is partially mediated through top management orientations, specific to international firms. The validity and generalizability of these results are reinforced by the control of a set of demographic variables as well as nationality of parent company.     

Career capital during international work experiences: contrasting self-initiated expatriate experiences and assigned expatriation

This article explores the career capital of expatriates, differentiating between self-initiated expatriates (SEs) and company assigned expatriates (AEs). Previous research has considered issues such as individual background variables, employer and task variables, motives, compensation, and repatriation. The present study adds new perspectives related to the development of career capital. The article uses a survey of more than 200 Finnish expatriates to explore these concepts in relation to international work experiences; finding considerable similarities and some differences in the development of career capital of those sent on an expatriate assignment by an organization, and those having a self-initiated expatriate experience.     

Risk management by SPV partners in toll road public private partnerships

ABSTRACT

Research on risk management in Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) has largely overlooked that the Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) is made up of several project partners with different interests and objectives to manage risk. This paper makes an important contribution to this literature as it articulates SPV partners’ perceptions of how they manage risk in toll road PPPs. Our case studies show that the different skillsets of both the international and domestic partners with their sub-contractors provide opportunities for mitigating and managing risk but also pose potential problems in terms of measuring and obtaining value for money for taxpayers.     

基于SWOT分析的娄底市国际物流园发展战略研究

物流园区的发展规划是高效物流体系的重要体现,文中运用SWOT分析方法对娄底市湘中国际物流园发展进行分析,构建娄底市湘中国际物流园发展SWOT矩阵,研究娄底市湘中国际物流园发展战略。     

国际贸易视角下生物入侵及其防范问题研究——以松材线虫为例

随着中国对外开放的逐步深化,对外贸易持续增长的同时,也会带来一些负面的影响,其中就包括生物入侵问题。以松材线虫为例,它给生态环境造成严重破坏并造成了巨大的经济损失,文中从国际贸易视角下分析松材线虫入侵及其防范问题。     

国际货运代理选择的模糊多属性决策折中比值法

经济全球化的趋势和我国对外贸易的发展,使国际货运代理越来越重要,选择合适的国际货运代理对企业从事国际贸易至关重要。文中将国际货运代理选择问题归结为一类典型的模糊多属性决策问题,进而提出相应的模糊多属性决策折中比值求解方法,既权衡了最优方案与正、负理想解之间的距离,又利用折中系数反映决策者的主观态度,使决策更具柔性,更贴近实际。文中还对一个具体国际货运代理选择问题进行了计算与分析研究。