Entering the international market: opportunities and choices in human resource practices

There is now a wealth of literature on the topic of international human resource management (IHRM). However, much of this literature has been devoted to the study of the large multinational which employs thousands of employees and operates at a transnational level. In addition, much of the space given to the analysis of IHRM practices has concentrated on the management of expatriates. Yet, most organisations are now faced with the prospect of becoming international companies if they are to survive in an increasingly global economy. The majority of these companies will be of small or medium size and relatively little is know of how they manage human resource issues in an international context. This article draws on research conducted in Ireland which examined the human resource practices of indigenous firms which have internationalised their operations. The article first of all considers the models presented in the IHRM literature as mechanisms for understanding the ways in which companies internationalise and the impact on their HR practices, before describing the findings from research in 11 Irish organisations