This thesis aims to understand the influence of various institutional elements on the transfer of multinational corporations' human resource policies and practices to their international subsidiaries. Drawing upon comparative i.nstitutionalist theory, the thesis considers the host- and home-country national business systems at the macro level as the most significant impact factors on the formation and transfer ofthese policies. The thesis also aims to test the applicability of the national business systems approach in a distinctive 'hybrid transitional' business system, which is argued to be different from various typologies developed in the literature. To test 'dominance' effects, multinationals originating from one of the most powerful systems, the US, are studied. To investigate the influences ,I of other significant institutional elements at the industry and organisational levels on the substantive human resource management issues, a four-level analytical framework is developed.' At the empirical level, the thesis carries out qualitative case studies ofAmerican multinationals in the distinctive business environment ofTurkey mainly by using interviews. The cases are chosen according to theoretical sampling, and companies that exhibit features hypothesised to be important variables - sector, size, age, ownership structure, and unionisation - are investigated. Overall, the thesis argues that, firstly, the distinctiveness of 'hybrid transitional' business systems result from two elements. On the one hand such systems are characterised by a combination ofthe various institutional elements ofthe theoretical typologies, hence 'hybrid'. On the other hand, they are open to direct and significant influences of globalisation for institutional change from both internal and external organisations through 'trickle-down' and 'trickle-up' trajectories, thus 'transitional'. Such openness results not only from a permissive legal environment but also from the willingness of significant internal actors for change. Secondly, such 'hybrid transitional' business systems present both challenges and opportunities for the transfer of human resource policies and practices for multinationals. In the case ofTurkey, challenges stem mostly from labour market conditions, in terms of availability of skills and qualifications. The permissiveness and pro-business nature of the Turkish legal framework, and the weakness and cooperativeness of labour unions make it easier to transfer home-country policies. Large Turkish holding companies, although strong partners in international joint ventures, do not present major challenges. Local actors, including owners and professional managers of large Turkish companies with a positive attitude towards particularly American policies and practices, mean strong 'pull' effects are observed, in addition to 'push' effects of transnational and international institutions internally and externally.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:486406 |
| Date | January 2008 |
| Creators | Sayim, Kadire Zeynep |
| Publisher | De Montfort University |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Source | http://hdl.handle.net/2086/4104 |
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