Globalisation and HR practices in Africa: when culture refuses to make way for so-called universalistic perspectives
by Dieu Hack-Polay; John Opute; Mahfuzur Rahman
International Journal of Business and Globalisation (IJBG), Vol. 32, No. 1, 2022

Abstract: The paper examines how factors embedded in the cultural and institutional framework in Sub-Saharan African organisations interact with global perspectives and resist changes in human resource management (HRM) processes. It examines the tensions between indigenous and historical factors, and external sources, in African HRM. The research surveyed 100 African HRM professionals from major institutional actors in Nigeria. The research found that, despite globalisation, African HRM practices remain largely culture-bound. Many aspects of Sub-Saharan African cultures pervade organisational processes, e.g., collectivism and paternalism, and 'refuse' to make way for change. However, some temerarious cultural aspects - often described as counter-productive - could be utilised for community and employee engagement. The paper makes a significant contribution to the scarce African HRM literature. It demonstrates that HRM policies have specific cultural orientations and reflect the societal predispositions of the region; this exemplifies how cultural paradigms, political spheres and organisational life are intertwined in African.

Online publication date: Thu, 01-Dec-2022

The full text of this article is only available to individual subscribers or to users at subscribing institutions.

 
Existing subscribers:
Go to Inderscience Online Journals to access the Full Text of this article.

Pay per view:
If you are not a subscriber and you just want to read the full contents of this article, buy online access here.

Complimentary Subscribers, Editors or Members of the Editorial Board of the International Journal of Business and Globalisation (IJBG):
Login with your Inderscience username and password:

Username:        Password:          Forgotten your password?

Want to subscribe?
A subscription gives you complete access to all articles in the current issue, as well as to all articles in the previous three years (where applicable). See our Orders page to subscribe.

If you still need assistance, please email subs@inderscience.com