Title: Globalisation and HR practices in Africa: when culture refuses to make way for so-called universalistic perspectives

Authors: Dieu Hack-Polay; John Opute; Mahfuzur Rahman

Addresses: Lincoln International Business School, University of Lincoln, Brayford Pool, Lincoln LN6 7TS, UK ' Department of Management, London South Bank University, 103 Borough Road, London SE1 0AA, UK ' Lincoln International Business School, University of Lincoln, Brayford Pool, Lincoln LN6 7TS, UK

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.

Keywords: culture; normative social influence; HR practices; globalisation; Sub-Saharan Africa; universalistic perspectives.

DOI: 10.1504/IJBG.2022.127366

International Journal of Business and Globalisation, 2022 Vol.32 No.1, pp.64 - 77

Received: 10 Dec 2019
Accepted: 10 Dec 2019
Published online: 01 Dec 2022 *

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