International Human Resource Management in South Korean Multinational Enterprises

In this book, Korean multinational enterprises management strategies in China are analyzed. China is re centering Asia around its newfound economic might, even as neighboring countries such as Japan and Korea will remain more economically developed for generations to come. How do Asian companies adapt to the Chinese market? In this fascinating study, Haiying Kang and Jie Shen investigate how Korean enterprises have adapted human resources practices to the evolving corporate climate in China. Unorthodox blends of culture, legal expectations, and more make the market a truly interesting one to explore HRM practices on the margins. Compelling for academics in HRM but also related social sciences, HR practitioners, and corporate leaders alike, this book is a timely look at new Asian corporate cultures.

“Haiying Kang and Jie Shen have provided a detailed analysis of the human resource management practices of South Korean multinational enterprises in China. In doing so the book provides a wealth of material about how South Korean firms recruit, train, develop, appraise and reward employees in international operations, and how these practices affect host-country nationals’ attitudes and behaviour toward Korean expatriates. I would highly recommend this book to students, researchers and managers interested, not only in Korean multinational enterprises, but in the wider field of international human resource management.” (Professor John Benson, Head, School of Business, Monash University Malaysia)

“This book will be a significant contribution to our understanding of Korean multinational enterprise influence and performance in the field of human resource management in the Chinese economicenvironment. This thoughtful and insightful analysis of international human resource management (IHRM) policies and practices of MNEs in China, based on a thorough schedule of in-depth interviews with both host country and expatriate managers, in addition to a wide-ranging employee survey, provides a deep reservoir of very practical ground-breaking IHRM data. Without doubt, this book will serve as a comprehensive guide on a wide range of HR practices not only for HR professionals, but also local line managers and expatriates.” (Aidan Kelly, Professor, Shenzhen Audencia Business School, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China)

“This is a valuable book focusing on non-Western MNEs operating in another non–Western economy. This is unusual as much of the international HRM literature focuses on Western MNEs transferring their employment practices to developing and transitional economies. Instead, by examining the practices of South Korean companies operating in China, the complexity of the layers and textures of history, culture and institutions are exposed. Moreover, Kang and Shen focus on high commitment HRM practices, socially responsible HRM and employees and give this book a depth and richness that exposes the dynamic nature of HRM of Asian MNEs.” (Professor Pauline Stanton, School of Management, RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia)

Dr Haiying Kang is a lecturer at RMIT University, Australia holding a PhD in Human Resource Management from the University of South Australia. Her research interest is international human resource management.

 Dr Jie Shen is a professor of HRM in Shenzhen International Business School, Shenzhen University. He received PhD degree at Brunel University. His research interests are HRM, IHRM, and organizational behaviour.