A comparative study of HR practices in Britain and India

TLDR

This paper reviews key developments in human resource management and argues for more cross‑national HRM research. The study aims to compare a broad range of HRM policies and practices between India and Britain. Researchers surveyed matched firms in six manufacturing industries, controlling for organization size, product, sector, personnel participation, and examined how contingent factors such as age, life‑cycle stage, unions, and HR strategies shape HRM practices. The surveys revealed significant differences between India and Britain in recruitment, compensation, training and development, and employee communication practices.

Abstract

This paper traces the major developments in the field of human resource management briefly and then highlights the need for more cross-national HRM studies. The results from two parallel surveys of matched Indian and British organizations are presented. The main aim of the surveys was to examine a wide range of HRM policies and practices in a cross-national comparative context. The surveys were run in six industries in the manufacturing sector. The study controlled for a number of variables such as size of the organization, product, industry sector and personnel participation. Influence of a number of contingent variables (such as age, size, nature and life-cycle stage of the organization, presence of unions and human resource strategies) on HRM policies and practices is analysed. The study finds significant differences in recruitment, compensation, training and development and employee communication practices between India and Britain.