FACULDADE DE ECONOMIA
UNIVERSIDADE NOVA DE LISBOA
Global Human Resource Management
2nd Half of 1st Semester
Academic Year 2010/2011
Instructor: Rita Campos e Cunha
Short Biography: Associate Professor at FE-UNL, she has a “Licenciatura” in Psicology (ISPA, Lisbon),
MA in Human Resource Management (New York University), PhD in Management (University of
Manchester Institute of Science and Technology - UMIST) and Agregação in Human Resource
Management from Universidade Nova de Lisboa. She is the author of several papers in academic
international journals: Thunderbird International Business Review, International Journal of Human
Resource Management, International Business Review, International Studies of Management and
Organization, Management Research, Journal of Applied Management Studies, Journal of Managerial
Psychology and Stress Medicine, as well as books and chapters in national (D. Quixote, Ministério das
Finanças, CIDEC) and international books (Blackwell, Paul Chapman Publishing, Walter de Gruyter). She
is Editor of Management Research, the journal of the Iberoamerican Academy of management and a
member of the Editorial Boards of Cross Cultural Management, Comportamento Organizacional e Gestão,
Portuguese Journal of Management Studies and Tékhne, Polytechnical Studies Review. She has been
Director of the MBA of NOVA and participated in several consulting projects, mainly in HRM and change
management. She is Vice President of the Iberoamerican Academy of Management and Academic
Director of the CEMS MIM programme and the MSc. in Management.
Contacts:
rcunha@fe.unl.pt
Office hours: Wednesdays, 2-3pm (other times can be arranged by email)
COURSE AIMS
This course is an elective that follows the HRM course.
The purpose of this course is to analyze the role of HRM in global firms and to recognize the critical HR
issues underlying the cultural and economic challenges faced by managers in MNEs, in a borderless
world. It focuses on the need to create appropriate ways to manage human resources, across countries
and regions, such as managing talent and developing global leaders, practices that fit corporate strategies.
In a very interactive and participative format, the course will have discussions, readings, essays and,
hopefully, experiential learning in an internationally diverse environment.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
On completion of this course a student should be able to:
A. Knowledge and Understanding:



Understand the purpose and scope of Human Resource Management in a global context and
its importance for MNE
Understand the challenges faced by expatriate managers in the motivation of their teams
Evaluate the fit between organizational strategy and human resource practices in an
international context
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Subject-Specific Skills:


Specific techniques for global human resource management
Cross-cultural Interpersonal relations
C. General Skills:


Communication (written, verbal and graphical)
Team work

Analytical skills
TEACHING AND LEARNING METHODS
A variety of teaching and learning methods will be used in this course: lectures and case study
discussions, as well as presentations on group work.
ASSESSMENT
Group report on 1 case study (5 pages max.)
Individual report (2 pages max)
Group term paper (12 pages max)
Individual Exam
20%
20%
30%
30%
Grading scale in this course is 0-20.
Case study reports:
Each group must do 1 case study report for evaluation, from the list of 3 case studies that will
be discussed in class, marked in bold. The groups will be randomly attributed their case study
for evaluation. A report of 5 pages (max) is expected.
For the other two case studies, groups must only present an executive summary of main issues
(around 2 pages) and be prepared to discuss it in class.
Individual report:
Students will receive three topics by email. You need to choose one and write an individual
report to be sent by email. Topics will be assigned on a Friday, to be delivered the following
Sunday.This report is up to 2 pages long (max) and should reflect not only your knowledge on
the theme but also your individual opinion.
Group term paper:
 First, the group must select a company. You may either choose an SME or a big and global
one. Whatever you choose, it must be multinational or, at least, internationalizing.
 Describe the company (4/5 pages) focusing on the HR issues the company faces in the global
context, or, if you don’t have access to the real ones, find out about HR best practices of a
company in this industry.
 Select one new country for this company to enter, preferably one covered by Hofstede’s study.
 Consider the best option to international expansion for that company: IJV, M&A or new
subsidiary and describe the IHRM challenges for the chosen option on internationalization.
Reference should be made to national culture issues and other contextual factors that will affect
your decision.
 On the whole, your report should be about 10 pages long, 12 pages being maximum
length.
You may use several distinct information sources, from books and papers to websites. Make a
reference to those sources, in your report. Paper to be delivered and presented on the last
day of class.
Individual exam:
Exam will be based on a case study that will be given to you one week before the exam.
Passing in this course requires a minimum grade of 10 in the final exam.
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COURSE CONTENT
TOPICS
Sessions
1
Bibliography
 Introduction to the course and to the assignments;
Introduction to GHRM.
(D,F&E) 1, 2
(J,T&B) ; (M&DS)
 Global leadership and team development.
 National cultures. Convergence vs. Divergence in IHRM.
 Discussion of a case study (this case study will be given
in class).
2
 Alliances, Cross-border Mergers and Acquisitions
(D,F&E) 3, 4, 5
 Role of HRM in MNC strategy.
(R,W&H) ; (F,S&S)
 Discussion of case study (for evaluation)
 Global Staffing: HR Planning, Recruitment and Selection
3
4
5
6
 Discussion of case study (for evaluation)
(D,F&E) 6, 11
 Performance Management. Global workforce training
and development.
(NA) ; (O,M&R)
 Discussion of case study (for evaluation)
(D,F&E) 8
 Managing international assignments. Re-entry and
career issues.
(B&G) ; (JO)
 Discussion of individual report
(D,F&E) 7
 International compensation.
(NK)
 Presentation of group term papers.
(G,D&T)
 Course wrap-up.
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BIBLIOGRAPHY
(D,F&E) Dowling, P.; Festing, M. & Engle, A. (2008) “International Human Resource
Management, Managing People in a Multinational Context”, fifth edition, Thomson
Learning, London, UK.
(J,T&B) Javidan, Teagarden & Bowen (2010) “Making it overseas”, Harvard Business
Review, April, 109-13.
(M&DS) Maznevski & DiStefano (2000) “Global Leaders are team players: Developing global
leaders through membership on global teams”, Human Resource Management, 39
(2&3): 195-208.
(G,D&T) Von Glinow, MA, Drost, E. &B Teagarden, M (2002) “Converging on IHRM best
practices: Lessons learned from a globally distributed consortium on theory and
practice”, Human Resource Management, Vol.41(1): 123-40.
(F,S&S) Farndale, Scullion & Sparrow (2010) “The role of the corporate HR function in
global talent management”, Journal of World Business, 45: 162-168.
(R,W&H) Ryan, AM, Wiechmann, D & Hemingway, M. (2003) “Designing and Implementing
Global Staffing Systems: Part II-Best Practices”, Human Resource Management,
Vol. 42(1): 85-94.
(NA)
Adler, Nancy (1987) “Pacific Basin Managers: A Gaijin, not a woman”, Human
Resource Management, 26(2): 169-91.
(O,M&R)Oddou, Mendenhall & Ritchie (2000) “Leveraging Travel as a tool for global
Leadership Development”, Human Resource Management, 39(2&3):159-72.
(B&G) Black, JS & Gregersen, HB (1999) “The right way to manage expats”, Harvard
Business Review, March-April
(JO) Osland, J. (2000) “The journey inward: expatriate hero tales and paradoxes”, Human
Resource Management, Vol.39 (2&3): 227-38
(NK) Krupp, N. (2002) “Global Compensation Planning – Establishing and maintaining a
competitive edge in the international marketplace”, Compensation and Benefits
Management, Spring: 54-56.
RESOURCES
Lecture slides and case studies will be provided.
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