Difference between Domestic and International HRM Practices: A Case Study of Unilever

The report discusses the differences between domestic and international HRM practices and their impact on Unilever's business performance. It analyzes the factors that underpin these differences and the importance of HR practices to Unilever's business strategy. The report also includes a reflective essay on career development needs and opportunities. Course code, course name, and college/university are not mentioned.

Project

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION ..........................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................3
TASK ..............................................................................................................................................3
Factors which underpin the Difference between Domestic and international HRM practices.. .3
TASK 2: Individual report...............................................................................................................4
Importance of HR practices to the business strategy for Unilever .............................................4
CONCLUSION ...............................................................................................................................9
REFERNCES:................................................................................................................................10
Books and Journals:..................................................................................................................10

INTRODUCTION
The report aims to identify concept of HRM practices at both local and international level.
many organisation fails to manage their workplace at international level. There are several
differences between working domestically and internationally that impacts on the business
performance. This report is going to analyse the factors which underpin some relevant
differences in HR practices to manage workforce at global level. The discussion will be in
context of Unilever. It is a multinational company which was established in 1929 in London,
England (Vrontis, and et.al 2021). The company has expertise in selling all kinds of consumer
goods like soaps, food supplements, beauty and personal care products. The report is going to
discuss why the company fails to manage workforce in international market. So that, there will
be analysation for the importance of HR practices in order to et success in business strategy. At
last, there will be a reflective essay that will demonstrate career development needs and
opportunities by reflecting personal experience.
MAIN BODY
TASK 1

Factors which underpin the Difference between Domestic and international HRM practices.
This impact on their language, working aspects and government regulations. When staff
gets hired for domestic workplace, it eliminates complex situation and get easily adjust into the
workplace (Azizi, and et.al 2021). Domestic HRM includes all the practices like planning,

recruiting, selecting and hiring from the home country. Whereas, international HRM includes all
these practices within both domestic and international countries. There are various differences in
terms of managing employees for both domestic and international level. These are described
below:
More and varied HR activities: In international market context, the HR activities goes
varied as compared to domestic market. In the international market, the employees require more
training to get cope up into new market. Whereas, in Domestic market, the employees will not
require much trainings and strategies to cope in the home country. This difference is need to be
analysed by the Unilever while choosing employees for international country.
Need for broader perspective: In order to hire and manage workplace into international
country, the mangers need to think beyond from basic. As at domestic level, managers need not
to look at the laws and policies much often for giving compensations and pays. But by hiring
employees at international level in Unilever, the managers need to look for the international
compensation packages and analyse their cost of living also a minimum wage pays. In addition
to this, they need to be particular about the country laws and politics which might impact on
Unilever's operations.
High emphasis on change in employee mix: In the international market, the focus puts
on changing the nationality of the employees (Chams, and García-Blandón, 2019). The
companies mainly want people from host countries who are easily able to adopt working
environment. In order to maintain a positive image of the company, they placed the employees
into foreign countries through changing their nationality.
TASK 2: Individual report
Importance of HR practices to the business strategy for Unilever
HR practices are the key functions that mangers perform in order to retain, involved and
satisfied employees. Business strategies are very prominent part to achieve the success within the
company. All the strategies like planning the resources, setting companies aims and vision,
strategies for attracting customers and retain employees. All these strategies are important in
terms of HR practices. When managers get to know about the employees capabilities, their well
bing and expectation, they will set strategies for their promotion and career growth. HR has

crucial roles and responsibility in order to guide the leaders about how the strategy helps in
accomplishing goals.
Ensure alignment of organisation mission and vision: The leaders and the managers
focus on the day to day practice of the company. This is because the employees could not get
distract with the core objectives of organisation. Therefore, HR practices are important to set the
strategies and implement it into the overall organisation. These managers of Unilever work upon
the values, behaviour and attitude of the employees (Abdeldayem, and Aldulaimi, 2020). At
international level, the managers could re change the strategies as per the current requirement of
the people. They will mainly focus on the values and vision of organisation in order to maintain
team work and workplace operations. At both local and international level, this HR practices is
important to deal with the market challenges and build values and behaviour of employees
through inspire and motivate them. The mangers of Unilever perform this HR practices as they
have grown their operations at worldwide level. The company is scattered into different location
in which, they believe in maintaining a friendly environment. This would be helpful to keep
them connect with the company motive.
Keep the culture on top: HR practices are important for this factor as well. While
working into company, there are many consequences takes place in which people forget their
culture and company standards (Shafaei, Nejati, and Yusoff, 2020). This impact on the
reputation of firm at both domestic and international level. It is also a part of company's strategy
that set rules, standards and beliefs must be followed by every employee. The managers have
their responsibility to set their aligns which is helpful to support the strategy. The motive of
culture must be kept in such direction that will be beneficial to enable coordination, motivation
and retention of employees. Unilever maintain its culture of products quality and customer
service. They have huge focus on sustainability operation. So that, the employees are require to
follow these standards in order to work according to the mission and vision.
Review and strengthen core processes: The managers makes strategy to look at the
employees performance in order to strengthen the core processes. Therefore, they often review
the internal practices like strategic talent acquisition, team coordination, structures and employee
engagement. Mainly at international level, the companies face hurdles managing all these
performance due to different people background. It takes time for both employees and managers
to know each other. This is important for the managers of Unilever as they are working on large

level. It is shown that reviewing the core processes will help in building more suitable strategies
for international level. Understanding employees needs and motivations taken into consideration
in order to carry out management practices effectively. When employees work at international
level, they require proper trainings, motivation and career progression to give their best efforts.
Keep engage around the strategy and other changes in future: it is also an important
part of the HR practices which is related to the business strategies. The managers make policies,
programmes, training session to engage employees for more challenges and work practices.
Therefore, HR practices are this much beneficial in order to fulfil organisational needs of new
ideas and innovation. Enable their involvement is crucial for the company which will result in
long term success into market (Agarwal, and Lenka, 2018). Mainly MNC companies like
Unilever opt this strategy to keep employees aware about the change in the organisation and bear
challenges. These are in terms of new technology, new trends and uncertainties that may
randomly impact on the companies working. Therefore, in international market concept, keeping
employees around the strategy is necessary to keep them informed about the domestic changes.
The reason behind the success of Unilever is that they have flexibility, transparency and
engagement opportunities for employees. It makes them feel confident and ready to be a part of
decision making.
Re-skill and up-skill: As per this strategy, there is requirement of re-skill the existing
employees. It means, the organisation look for giving effective training on the basis of current
market trends, technology and innovation. The market becomes more in favour of technology,
Artificial intelligence, robotics solution and other. So the HR manager needs to will work on the
strategy regarding promotion and training of employees (Rachid, Mohamed, and Khouaja, 2018).
It is mostly required in international HR practices where managers must concentrate on
employees. At this level, the managers highly look for upskilling the employees in order to bear
with the challenges of international market. In the modern world coma uncertainty may arrive at
any time which increase competition, strategic evaluation and market growth of the business.
Therefore the Unilever maintain this strategy and provide many training program campaigns and
sessions at international level so that those employees will not suffer with low skill development
at workplace.

TASK 3
Reflective Essay
Career development helps the employees or workers to build a sustainable future for
themselves. In this the individual learns various aspects like managing the work and gain
maximum productivity through that work which is important. On the, other hand career growth
focuses the growth of different individuals. What they build for themselves and how they'll able
to achieve their desired goals in future.
Career management is the process of developing desired opportunities for future and implement
different plans and strategies to achieve future objectives (Zacher, and Rudolph, 2022). The
process of doing work effectively helps the individual to maintain a favourable environment in
the workplace. Career management includes certain activities like setting career goals, and find
engaging career development opportunities.
Unilever is a consumer goods company which sells different products in the market. It offers
wide range of products which includes food, ice cream, toothpaste, beauty products, personal
products and many more. Unilever follows certain values integrity, responsibility, pioneering and
respect which allows the company to become best in the market and deliver absolute quality
products to their customers for maximum satisfaction and to generate more revenues for the
company (Masud, and Daud, 2019). Unilever career development plan is divided into few steps.
Unilever only motive is to provide change through their brand. Their brand has the power to
create differences in consumer's life.
The company has a broad idea about their goals and their perspective is far different from
other companies in the market. Their basic amenities like food and beauty products provides an
excellent customer satisfaction (Xiao, and et.al 2020). They had studied the market perfectly
before the launch of products. Right now at this time they are most established brand in the
market. The organisation provides excellent career opportunities to the individuals and the
person acquire right Skill set whenever wishes to join the company. Whenever in future if I got
the job in this company. I would definitely become a part of the organisation because of the their
career growth opportunities. It helps the individual to create a plan in order to grow in the
company. The first and foremost step is to create small goal regularly and after the person find a
flow in that. Then he could stretch himself to become better in the organisation. Due to these
practices the company overall growth is far superior from other companies in the market. The

second step of the organisation is to identify the goals and work according to them. Unilever
achieve their overall goals and objectives with right amount of planning and works towards in
that direction. They formulate different types of strategies like market penetration, identifying
new trends which helps them to regulate and operate the market smoothly (Pham, Tučková, and
Phan, 2019). I find this job very suitable for me because of the companies right planning
strategies which could also help me to emerge and develop different skills.
The organisation set realistic timetables and motivate their employees to work according
to them. Their only motive to gain more productivity from their employees. As an individual I
always find this attractive to work in a structured manner. Right set of practices and working in
timely manner helps me attain more productivity within the organisation (arbu, Logofătu, and
Olari, 2019). Unilever provide a range of opportunities like internship and right apprenticeship
programs which helps the individual to succeed in the upcoming future. Their flagship
development programme help the candidate to gain maximum productivity in the organisation.
There are certain theories which could help the organisation to grow more and become efficient
in the future. The first theory is super development The idea behind this theory is to differentiate
certain age groups. Unilever HR management only recruits right people who are suitable for the
job and divides them according to their experience which is beneficial for the organisation. On,
the other hand there is another theory called bandura's social cognitive it helps the individual to
find different factors which motivates them (Liu, Qingqing, and Liu, 2021). Unilever help the
employees to become self motivated and encourage themselves from different factors which
could help them to gain more productivity and helps the company to generate more revenues in
the market. The company's HR practices and values are superior from other companies on the
market. They recruiters only find positive people who values the company and the job. Their
employees indulge themselves in all activities which help them to grow and understand about
different factors of the market.
In my own experience I worked in Tesco it is retail super market outlet. It was a good
company there are certain strategies which Unilever is performing better. The growth
opportunities of employees is certainly diverse in Unilever the company's training program
which include leadership activities Unilever leadership programme designed for candidates to
become leaders in the market (Farndale, and et.al 2019). They develop all qualities like
coordination, team work abilities, problem solving etc. This company is far different from tesco

in terms of planning and making strategies which could be helpful. They first use segmentation
technique to divide their market which help to reach to newer customers in the industry and due
to this they hold a large market share and giving tough competition to other companies. Tesco
polices were also not better but on the other hand Unilever policies are divided into certain
groups and specified for example like environmental policy, code of business principles etc.
These all policies satisfies the employees and environment. They are doing sustainable practices
to maintain their brand value and position in the market. There are certain other factors for
example like motivating employees which Unilever is doing better (Wood, and et.al 2018). They
tends to get more productivity from their employees by following right procedures and methods
like delegation of authority, division of work. These methods play a remarkable role in terms of
success and growth of the company. Unilever is well established in terms performing the right
activities for their sustainable growth in the market. The company tends to achieve more success
in the upcoming future if they find stability in performing these activities. Therefore, in my own
experience I have realised that career development plays a vital role for individual as well as
company also. It creates many growth opportunities to be self-reliant and confident while
working. These practices will help in motivating employees as it is all about the future with the
company.
CONCLUSION
The report has concluded that, HR practices differs in both local and international level. It
has analysed that the companies needs to look for different HR programmes, life cycle and career
development planning. This will maintain and retain employees for long term. Also, the report
has analysed importance of career development in the chosen organisation. Therefore, it has
shown that the company requires to develop effective training programmes like workshops,
internships and many more. This will be helpful in providing best knowledge to the employees
that will make them capable to be flexible.

REFERNCES:
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