The Influence of Cultural Contexts on International HRM Practices

This essay delves into the complexities of international human resource management (IHRM), emphasizing how cultural contexts significantly impact HR practices and employee outcomes. It examines various aspects such as career management, training and development, and performance appraisal, highlighting the challenges faced by HR managers in dealing with employees from diverse cultural backgrounds. The essay references Hofstede’s cultural dimensions model and discusses the importance of communication and cultural sensitivity in creating effective HR strategies. It also addresses conflicting viewpoints among scholars regarding the extent to which cultural factors influence performance appraisals and career progression. Ultimately, the essay concludes that cultural dimensions play a crucial role in the successful implementation of HR practices, and organizations must adopt strategies that accommodate diverse cultural perspectives to foster effective communication and employee engagement. Desklib offers a range of resources, including similar essays and solved assignments, to aid students in their studies.

Running head: INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
International Human Resource Management
Name of the Student
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Topic: HR practices may not produce the same results in different cultural contexts
As defined by Kooij et al. (2013), human resource practice is the strategic activities that
enables that human resource personnel in developing their leadership plan. Employee skill
development plan is also considered under HR practice. The success of a business organization is
highly dependent on the performance level of every individual employee associated within the
business organization. Based on the performance level of every individual employee the business
organizations tend to earn sufficient revenue. As per the human resource practices employees are
needed to be motivated towards performing well. It is undeniable that a particular business
organization is constituted with the employees of different cultural backgrounds and attitudes.
While managing the performance or career level of an individual employee the organizational
human resource management team has to face innumerable barriers in communicating with the
employees of different geographical boundaries or cultural attitudes. While making a career
progression plan both the organizational managers as well as executives have to face difficulties.
As per the opinion of Pichler (2012), Career management is the continuous planning of
activities that engages one towards better fulfillment of job satisfaction, growth as well as
financial stability. While appointing within a business organization the business managers intend
to develop various career management and career progression plan for rending a financial
stability within the organization. At the same time, it is also undeniable that career management
plan makes an individual professional more confident towards the business services.
As per the point of view of Alfes et al. (2013) career management plan varies from one
culture to another. Employees belonging to other cultural backgrounds have to face innumerable
barriers in communicating with the human resource managers at the workplace. They have to

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face psychological hindrances as well while interacting with HR professionals regarding their
career management plan. In this kind of situation those kinds of employees having an issue with
cultural and religious backgrounds have to face difficulties for being the active part of career
management plan. Peretz and Fried (2012) opined that in order to develop the career progression
plan human resource managers have to provide an effective training and development session for
enhancing the skills and competency level of the employees. In this kind of situation, people
belonging to other cultural backgrounds and attitudes have to face innumerable difficulties for
being the part of this training and development session. Those employees have to face challenges
in interacting with the professional trainers due to the lack of language flexibility. Automatically,
those employees having different cultural backgrounds get deprived of receiving an effective
training session.
Tang and Tang (2012) has however, differed the point of view of previous research
scholar fervently. As per the opinion of this particular eminent scholar every business
organization aims to provide an effective training on communication skill to those employees
who are having lack of language flexibility. In this kind of situation, people belonging to
different cultural backgrounds and attitudes get the opportunity to develop their communication
skill first. As per human resource management practice career management plan is one of the
most integral parts of motivating employees towards performing well. In this kind of situation,
employees having different geographical and cultural backgrounds do not have to face barriers in
attending the career progression session. Ceylan (2013) opined that they can gain the flexibility
of interacting with the trainers after developing their communication skill. However, this
particular study after developing the career management plan has evaluated that business
organizations should recruit employees belonging to from different cultural backgrounds. After

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appointing the employees human resource managers can provide an effective training session for
developing the communication skill of an individual. Whenever the employees would have to
join within the training and development session for the purpose of career management plan this
particular employee would not have to face difficulties in interacting with the trainers.
As emphasized by Marescaux, De Winne and Sels (2012) a career management plan is
constituted with five major steps including building relationship with the organizational
professionals, career development conversation with the human resource managers, career
development plan, setting a new goal and receiving an effective training session for career
development. It has been observed that employees belonging to other cultural backgrounds failed
to make an effective interaction with the organizational manager due to linguistic barrier.
Consequently, the human resource managers fail to identify the flaws of those employees that
need to be developed with the help of effective training and developed session. However, after
evaluating the opinion of different scholars it can be evaluated that the result of HR practices
differ as per the cultural as well as psychological backgrounds of the employees.
As per the opinion of Jiang, Wang and Zhao (2012), performance appraisal provides the
basis of selecting, promoting and evaluating the performance level of an employee in order to
increase the salary status along with the promotion of career. Before giving the promotion of an
individual the human resource managers tend to make an effective appraisal planning in order to
review the performance level of an individual. Before getting appraised every individual
employee has to make an interpersonal communication with the human resource manager. This
specific study has provided an in-depth overview on how HR managers have to face challenges
in dealing with the employees of different cultural attitudes at the workplace. Juhdi, Pa'wan &
Hansaram (2013) stated that employees who are from different geographical boundaries have to

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face linguistic barriers in interacting with the human resource managers. At the time of
performance appraisal process those employees fail to express their thoughts and ideas with the
HR managers due to communication gap. Automatically, HR managers intend to show their
negative approach towards giving them a good feedback on appraisal. Consequently, the people
belonging to different cultural attitudes get fewer opportunities in promoting their career from
one level to another. Daley (2012) has strongly differed the point of view of previous research
scholar. As per the opinion of this specific individual performance appraisal system is not
dependent on the culture and religious attitude of an individual. Performance appraisal is judged
as per the performance level of the employees throughout the year. This specific research scholar
has stated that employees’ performance level is judged as per the competency level of an
individual. Jiang et al. (2012) stated that human resource managers of an organization are
flexible enough in recruiting an individual employee as per the skill and level of competency. If
any employee faces linguistic or psychological barriers while providing services human resource
managers can provide an effective training and development session for developing the
communication skill. Automatically, the entire process of performance appraisal procedure
would be effective for both the employees as well as the human resource managers.
Hofstede’s cultural dimension model policy power distance ensures that employees
having strength and power inside the organization get more priority than the employee of low
power. Power of an individual is primarily is judged as per the cultural dimension as well as
seniority level. Gupta and Kumar (2012) stated that senior employees who are having a good
rapport with the human resource managers are saving a positive impact on the overall
performance appraisal procedure. On the other hand, people who do not have to face any kind of
linguistic barrier with the organizational managers can have a possibility of getting good

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appraisal process. Therefore, it is clear and evident that way of interaction matter immensely in
getting a good appraisal from the human resource managers. Daley (2012) has strictly differed
this specific conception. As per the point of view of this specific scholar power distance can
never be one of the most effective components of performance appraisal process. As per the
opinion of this specific scholar, large number of organizations is there where junior employees
have received a good appraisal than the senior one. On the other hand, people who are having
different cultural backgrounds and attitudes have also got a good appraisal due to their excellent
performance progress throughout the years. Therefore, cultural barrier, communication barrier
can never be the most significant components for getting a good appraisal for the employees.
After evaluating the point of view of some of the most eminent scholars it can be
concluded that cultural dimension has major impact in implementing human resource
management practices properly. Numerous eminent scholars have stated that HR practices may
produce different results in different cultural contexts. Due to the communication barrier those
employees are not flexible enough in sharing their views or difficulties facing wt the workplace.
Ceylan (2013) opined that consequently human resource managers cannot communicate with
those individuals properly. In this kind of situation, the business organization should implement
some of the major strategies and policies based on which people belonging to different
geographical markets get the scope of expressing their point of view to human resource
managers. As a result, the HR managers would be effective in implementing organizational
practices.

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Reference List:
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Daley, D. M. (2012). Strategic human resources management. Public Personnel Management,
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Gupta, V., & Kumar, S. (2012). Impact of performance appraisal justice on employee
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Jiang, J., Wang, S., & Zhao, S. (2012). Does HRM facilitate employee creativity and
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