First of all, the study is aimed at individual career plans being affected by various factors. Among which, we would like to research the relations and interactions between environment factors, such as organization conditions, and individual career development. Owing to keen market competition, a large number of businesses have to dispatch some employees abroad to achieve global stronghold strategy and economic arrangement. Also in Taiwan within ten years, there are more and more business employees being sent to Mainland China on a mission. They are in the main charge of operating the overseas subsidiary; therefore, they need to get used to the local customs and lifestyle as soon as possible. In the meantime, the support of the organization plays quite an important role. According to employee relations, organization and individual factors combining different cultural backgrounds, cross-cultural adaptation and self-anticipation, we design a questionnaire classified by ages and positions and even exercise actual case studies to come to the conclusion of the study. We find that the more the employees recognize their company¡¦s development and arrangement, the more successful and smoother interaction between them and their organization would exist. As well, the high-level employees could better realize what parts they must play and do their utmost to accomplish any challenge even though they might be not well-prepared in advance. To sum up, those international staff not only take such opportunity as a kind of ability training and international outlook extension, but also believe that the favorable conditions offered by the parent company will greatly lower their insecurity on the career development and promote the positive employee relations.

No

In the current era of knowledge economy, the core of the competitions between corporations has evolved from production to management, and now focuses on the acquirement of adequate human resources and the amelioration of innovation. To corporations, the most vital task is often not how to obtain capable human resources, but rather how to ensure the existing ones continuously contribute to the progression of the firm. This involves the internal culture of the firm and its organizational layout; moreover, the most direct effect comes from the ¡§push-and-pull¡¨ interaction between the employer and employee, which is the fundamental quality of employee relations. This research first intends to explore and clarify the meaning of employee relation through a comprehensive study of the aggregated works on related applications of labor relations by previous scholars, including labor union, collective bargaining, negotiation, and labor involvement and participation. Bearing the attributes of high-tech industries in mind, the actual practice of employee relations can then be categorized under six major groups through an understanding of renowned models on labor relations: direct financial rewards and benefits, indirect financial rewards and benefits, non-financial rewards and benefits, employee participation and involvment, organizational communication and management on labor relations. Based on these six categories, an analysis of the actual practice on employee relations leads to the following conclusions: A.Direct financial rewards and benefits In respect to the base-salary system, position-oriented system is more widely adopted than the ability-oriented and the seniority-oriented ones. The ability-oriented system, though, imposes the maximal impacts on employee relations. In respect to the motivation system, the year-end profit-sharing system is the most common one, and it is also considered to be having the best effect on stimulating employee relations. In most firms, the department of human resources is the key unit in charge of the motivation system. B.Indirect financial rewards and benefits Regarding economical benefits, most companies follow the traditional model and engage in pension plan, the subsidy for marriage and funeral. Injury compensation is often acclaimed to be the most essential program in enhancing employee relations. These programs are often done through the Human Resource Department and the Employee Welfare Committee. Regarding benefits on leisure activities, the most common activity is domestic and international travel coordinated through the Employee Welfare Committee. Regarding facility benefits, high percentages of firms have contracts with stores or other corporations for discounts and pre-arranged special rates. However, labor co-ops are preferred as the facility that improves employee relations the most. In general, facility benefits are coordinated through the General Administrative Department, the Human Resource Department and the Employee Welfare Committee. Regarding services benefits, most firms respect foremost the smoothness of complain and appeal channel of lower-ranked employees, and they also achieve improvements on employee relation through family goodwill policy. Most of the services benefits are managed by the department of human resources. C.Non-financial rewards and benefits In respective to non-financial compensations, the leadership style of the high-tech industry often focus on the involvement and participation from the employees, and this is often done through inquiry and commentary. Regarding the working environment, the business sectors widely adopt regulation and policy on assessment, opportunities and fairness for advancement. Flexible working hours have also been known to have positive effect on employee relations. Benefits in this category are usually overseen by the Human Resource Department. D.Employee participation and involvement Most corporations implement labor participations through employee suggestion program, which also improves employee relations the most. Regarding the rights of employee participation, the participation level on financial management is the lowest, but the participation level on company¡¦s policy, marketing, production and human resource management are normal. E.Organizational communication Regarding organizational communication, parallel communication is more efficient based on survey results. The efficiency of downward communication and upward communication is normal. Besides, bulletin board, telephone, interview, meeting, and e-mail are commonly adopted, especially the last three improves employee relations most. F.Management in labor relations Regarding management on labor relations, there were only few unions in hi-tech companies. Conciliation is most widely adopted on labor dispute. Collective bargaining and collective agreement improves employee relations greatly. Since most companies do not organize unions, conciliation is more preferred, compared with arbitration and lawsuit.

No description available.

No / This article investigates the relative importance and variability of the country-of-origin effect in employee relations approaches of US subsidiaries within the context of diversity of employee relations patterns in home- and host-country business systems and the influence of important industry forces. It is based on a representative survey of US subsidiaries and indigenous firms in the UK. The cross-sectional comparison with indigenous UK firms confirmed a distinct US country-of-origin imprint in employee relations patterns in US subsidiaries. However, the magnitude of such an effect cautions against assumptions of popular stereotypes and reflects, inter alia, the diversity of employee relations approaches among US parent companies as well as developments in the UK industrial relations landscape over the last decades. The intra-US analysis revealed the importance of both the level and type of industry internationalisation in shaping the strength and nature of the country-of-origin influence. On the basis of the findings, the article highlights lessons to be learned for the study of cross-border policy-transfer issues in MNCs.

No / In light of current changes in the German industrial relations¿ landscape and the wider and deeper integration of German multinationals into the world economy, this study investigates the relative importance of the country-of-origin effect in employee relations of German affiliates in an Anglo-American setting. The paper addresses important issues that relate to the wider international business domain. The comparative analysis to US affiliates in the UK and British owned firms points to a distinctively German flavored hybrid approach that integrates the best practice elements of the US model with the collective orientation of the German model. This bears a resemblance to an emerging trend in the parent companies¿ home locations. The intra-German analysis revealed that affiliates of multinationals that face pressures for international integration are at the forefront of this development. The findings suggest that this might provide a suitable model of international operation for multinationals from strongly institutionalized countries.

No / Das hoch regulierte deutsche Arbeitsbeziehungsmodell steht immer wieder in der Kritik. Gelegentlich wird es als Grund für die Abwanderung deutscher Unternehmen ins weniger regulierte, mitbestimmungsfreie Ausland genannt, gelegentlich als mitverantwortlich für die angeblich geringen ausländischen Direktinvestitionen in Deutschland oder eine Unterbewertung deutscher Aktiengesellschaften angesehen ¿ das deutsche Modell sei eben international nicht anschlussfähig. Der Beitrag untersucht deutsche und amerikanische Tochterunternehmen in Gro¿britannien, weil einerseits das permissive Umfeld im Vereinten Königreich alle denkbaren Arbeitsbeziehungsstrukturen ¿ kollektive, direkte, Mischformen oder reines Managementprärogativ ¿ zulässt, andererseits mit den US-Tochtergesellschaften das internationale Benchmark-Modell Multinationaler Unternehmen als Vergleichsgruppe dient. Es wird danach gefragt, ob sich spezifische Arbeitsbeziehungsmodelle finden lassen und ob diese signifikante Einflüsse auf die betriebliche Performanz haben. / Hans Blocker Foundation

No / Das deutsche Modell der Beziehungen zwischen Arbeitgebern und Arbeitnehmern innerhalb eines Unternehmens ¿ vor allem die betriebliche Mitbestimmung ¿ stand lange Zeit in der Kritik, während das anglo-amerikanische Modell als überlegen angesehen wurde. Welches Arbeitsbeziehungsmodell wählen deutsche und amerikanische Unternehmen in einem in Hinblick auf die Ausgestaltung der Arbeitsbeziehungen freizügigen Umfeld, wie es in Großbritannien herrscht? Wie wirkt sich die Wahl des Modells auf Arbeitsproduktivität und Profi tabilität der Tochterunternehmen aus? / Hans Bockler Fondation

No

No / This article focuses on the workforce characteristics of the German and UK operations of McDonald’s Corporation. The UK workforce is characterised by predominantly young workers with very limited work experience, the German workforce is much older and mostly foreign workers. The analysis suggests that despite these differences and differences in labour market regulation, there is a key similarity between the workforces. The corporation is able to draw on similarly “weak” and marginalised segments of the labour market and these segments are likely to be particularly acquiescent to managerial prerogative. National institutional arrangements can still constrain the employment relations policies of multinational enterprises (MNEs). However, this analysis supports the notion that there is a growing diversity within national systems increasingly explained by MNE policies and practices. This does not necessarily mean that national systems are becoming redundant, but that there is a dynamic relationship between such systems and the needs of MNEs. / This paper was awarded the Literati Prize.