Strategic Human Resource Management
Int. J. of Human Resource Management 16:1 January 2005 22– 45
Strategic global human resource management research in the twenty-first century: an endorsement of the mixed-method research methodology
Timothy Kiessling and Michael Harvey
Abstract Global competition is rapidly becoming the norm in which nearly all business organizations must compete in one fashion or another. The complexity and value of strategic global human resource management (SGHRM) will continue to compound in significance as globalization becomes the predominate form of business. Both practitioners and researchers maintain the grapple with understanding the global phenomena and the resulting impact on the entire human resource management system.
Previously, researchers’ maintained research programmes utilizing Western-style theories and methods, which were predominantly quantitative, to explore phenomena that may now be inappropriate. These methods and theories frequently do not capture the ‘fabric’ of global phenomena that include complex interactions of culture, institutions, societal norms and government regulations, among a few concerns.
The mixed methods approach is proposed to add the ‘fabric’ required, illustrating the depth and flexibility needed to explore the SGHRM issues. Mixed methods are a combination of qualitative and quantitative approaches that maintain methodological rigour as well as measures for reliability and validity. This paper explores the current methods, the reasons for their lack of success in portraying the depth of the phenomena and why the mixed methods approach appears to be a superior method for research for the SGHRM field.
Keywords Strategic global human resource management; globalization; mix-method research; global research issues.
Cross-cultural research can be tenure threatening choice.
(Steers et al., 1992)
Cross-cultural research is not for the faint hearted.
(Teagarden et al., 1995: 1261)
Introduction
Both human resource
Strategic global human resource management research in the twenty-first century: an endorsement of the mixed-method research methodology
Timothy Kiessling and Michael Harvey
Abstract Global competition is rapidly becoming the norm in which nearly all business organizations must compete in one fashion or another. The complexity and value of strategic global human resource management (SGHRM) will continue to compound in significance as globalization becomes the predominate form of business. Both practitioners and researchers maintain the grapple with understanding the global phenomena and the resulting impact on the entire human resource management system.
Previously, researchers’ maintained research programmes utilizing Western-style theories and methods, which were predominantly quantitative, to explore phenomena that may now be inappropriate. These methods and theories frequently do not capture the ‘fabric’ of global phenomena that include complex interactions of culture, institutions, societal norms and government regulations, among a few concerns.
The mixed methods approach is proposed to add the ‘fabric’ required, illustrating the depth and flexibility needed to explore the SGHRM issues. Mixed methods are a combination of qualitative and quantitative approaches that maintain methodological rigour as well as measures for reliability and validity. This paper explores the current methods, the reasons for their lack of success in portraying the depth of the phenomena and why the mixed methods approach appears to be a superior method for research for the SGHRM field.
Keywords Strategic global human resource management; globalization; mix-method research; global research issues.
Cross-cultural research can be tenure threatening choice.
(Steers et al., 1992)
Cross-cultural research is not for the faint hearted.
(Teagarden et al., 1995: 1261)
Introduction
Both human resource
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