This study examined the influence of political forces and imitation processes
on HR practices in local and foreign firms in Singapore and Hong Kong. Hong
Kong has long practised a policy of positive non-interventionism while Sin
gapore's government has taken a far more interventionist role not only on
broad issues of economic policy but on HRM activities as well. Singapore's
government has focused heavily on productivity improvement, including the
development of incentive pay systems and more effective performance
appraisal systems. Singapore firms use more extensive personnel selection pro
cedures and more sophisticated methods of assessing employee performance
and determining wage rates. On the other hand, the Hong Kong government
has centred its policies around training and development activities. Higher
levels of in-house training and formal orientation programs were found in
Hong Kong firms. That HR practices seem to reflect the different government
approaches is particularly so for locally owned firms.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Balkin, D.B. (1988) Compensation strategies for firms in emerging and rapidly growing industries. Human Resource Planning, 11: 207-13.
2.
Cohen, Y. & Pfeffer, J. (1986) Organizational hiring standards. Administrative Sciences Quarterly, 31: 1-24.
3.
Dicle, U., Dicle, I.A. & Alie, R.E. (1988) Human resource management practices in Japanese organizations in the United States. Public Personnel Management , 17: 331-9.
4.
DiMaggio, P.J. & Powell, W.W. (1983) The iron cage revisited: Institutional isomorphism and collective rationality in organizational fields. American Sociological Review, 48: 147-60.
5.
Dimick, D.F. & Murray, V.V. (1978) Correlates of substantive policy decisions in organizations: The case of human resource management. Academy of Management Journal, 21: 611-23.
6.
Edwards, R. (1979) Contested terrain: The transformation of the workplace in the twentieth century. London: Heineman.
7.
Fisher, C.D. & Shaw, J.B. (1987) Determinants of personnel practices. Report prepared for the Office of Naval Research, Contract No. N00014-85-K-0289, TR-ONR-12, May.
8.
Fisher, C.D. & Shaw, J.B. (1992) Establishment level correlates of human resource practices. Asia-Pacific Journal of Human Resources, 30(4): 30-46.
9.
Hicks, G.L. & Redding, S.G. (1983a) The story of the East Asian 'economic miracle': Part One—Economic theory be damned! Euro-Asian Business Review, 2(3): 24-32.
10.
Hicks, G.L. & Redding, S.G. (1983b) The story of the East Asian 'economic miracle': Part Two—The culture connection. Euro-Asian Business Review, 2 (4): 18-22.
11.
Hofstede, G. (1984) Culture's consequences: International differences in work-related values. Beverly Hills, CA.: SAGE Publications.
12.
Hofstede, G. & Bond, M.H. (1988) The Confucian connection: From cultural roots to economic growth. Organization Dynamics, 16(4): 4-21.
13.
Hwang, J.J.M. & Shaw, J.B. (1992) Business strategy and human resource management in Korea. Unpublished manuscript.
14.
Hwang, K.K. (1985) Face and favour: The Chinese power game. American Journal of Sociology, 92: 944-74.
15.
Ishida, H. (1986) Transferability of Japanese human resource management abroad. Human Resource Management, 25: 103-20.
16.
Kirkbride, P.S. & Tang, S.F.Y. (1989a) Personnel management in Hong Kong. Asia Pacific Human Resource Management, 27(2): 43-57.
17.
Kirkbride, P.S. & Tang, S.F.Y. (1989b) The present state of personnel management in Hong Kong. Hong Kong: Vocational Training Council, Government Printer.
18.
Kirkbride, P.S. & Tang, S.F.Y. (1990) Training in Hong Kong: The missing link in industrial development. In J.B. Shaw, J.E. Beck, G.R. Ferris, & K.M. Rowland (eds), Research in personnel and human resource management, Supplement 2 (pp. 293-312). Greenwich, Conn.: JAI Press.
19.
Kirkbride, P.S. & Tang, S.F.Y. (1992) Management development in the Nanyang Chinese societies of South East Asia. Journal of Management Development, 11: 51-63.
20.
Kirkbride, P.S. & Tang S.F.Y. (1994) From Kyoto to Kowloon: Cultural barriers to the transference of quality circles from Japan to Hong Kong. Asia Pacific journad ofHuman Resources, 32(2): 100-11.
21.
Laurent, A. (1986) The cross-cultural puzzle of human resource management . Human Resource Management, 25: 91-102.
22.
Ow, C.H. (1986) The role of government in economic development: The Singapore experience. In C.Y. Lim & P.J. Lloyd (eds), Singapore: Resources & growth (pp. 221-49). Oxford : Oxford University Press.
23.
Pucik, V. (1984) White collar human resource management practices in Japanese manufacturing firms. Human Resource Management , 23: 257-86.
24.
Redding, S.G. (1986) Developing managers without 'management development': The overseas Chinese solution. Management Education and Development , 17: 271-81.
25.
Schuler, R. & Jackson, S. (1987) Linking competitive strategies with human resource management practices. Academy of Management Executive, 1(3): 207-19.
26.
Scurfield, R.G. (1985) An evaluation of Hong Kong government's policy of positive non-intervention in the economic sphere. In S.J. Park (ed.), East Asia: International review of economic, political and social development, volume 3 (pp. 136-52). Frankfurt: Campus Verlag.
27.
Shaw, J.B., Fisher, C.D., & Chew, I. (1987) A survey of personnel practices in Singapore. Singapore: SingaporeInstitute of Personnel Management.
28.
Shaw, J.B., Kirkbride, P.S., Tang, S.F.Y., & Fisher, C.D. (1993) Organisational and environmental factors related to HRM practices in Hong Kong: A cross-cultural expanded replication. International Journal of Human Resource Management, 4(4): 785-815.
29.
Steers, R.M., Shin, Y.K., & Ungson, G.R. (1989) The Cbaebol: Korea's new industrial might. New York: Harper & Row, Ballinger Division.
30.
Tolbert, P.S. & Zucker, L.G. (1983) Institutional sources of change in the formal structure of organizations: The diffusion of civil service reform. Administrative Sciences Quarterly, 28: 22-39.
31.
Wilkinson, B. & Leggett, C.,. (1985) Human and industrial relations in Singapore: The management of compliance. Euro-Asia Business Review, 4(3): 9-15.
32.
Zucker, L.G. (1987) Institutional theories of organization. Annual Review of Sociology, 13: 443-64.
