Institutional theory and the cross-national transfer of employment policy: The case of 'workforce diversity' in US multinationals

Date
2005-05-01
Authors
Ferner, A. M.
Almond, Phil
Colling, T.
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
ISSN
1478-6990
Volume Title
Publisher
Peer reviewed
Abstract
This paper uses a comparative institutionalist approach combined with a power/interests perspective to examine the processes whereby diversity policy is ‘internationalized’ by US multinational companies. It argues that the process of policy transfer to UK subsidiaries is complicated by incomplete and contested ‘institutionalization’ of diversity within the US itself, and by differing conceptions of diversity between the US and the UK. The ability of actors within the UK subsidiaries to mobilize and deploy specific power resources allows them to resist the full implementation of corporate diversity policy, leading to a range of compromise accommodations. It is argued that the findings have more general implications for analyzing the transfer of HR practices between national business systems.
Description
Ferner lead author. This output was selected as one of the 12 ‘Papers of Excellence’ shortlisted for the Academy of Management’s inaugural 2007 IHRM Scholarly Research Award.
“The full text file attached is a post-peer-review, pre-copyedit version of an article published in Journal of International Business Studies. The definitive publisher-authenticated version: Ferner, A.M., Almond, P. and Colling, T. (2005) Institutional theory and the cross-national transfer of employment policy: The case of 'workforce diversity' in US multinationals. Journal of International Business Studies, 36 (3), pp. 304-321. is available online at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1057/palgrave.jibs.8400134 ”
Keywords
RAE 2008, UoA 36 Business and Management Studies, US multinationals, international HRM, employee diversity, policy transfer, institutionalism
Citation
Ferner, A.M., Almond, P. and Colling, T. (2005) Institutional theory and the cross-national transfer of employment policy: The case of 'workforce diversity' in US multinationals. Journal of International Business Studies, 36 (3), pp. 304-321.
Research Institute