Juxtaposition of Organizational Competitive Factors and Performance Evaluation in Conjunction with Their Implications for HRM in MNCs: Part One, Contextual Review and Comparison of Central European and Polish Findings

Objective – The main goal of the paper is to determine whether there are any identifiable patterns of HRM perceptions and practices when the factors recognized as the companies’ competitive advantages and results of their performance outcomes are juxtaposed in conjunction with their implications for HRM.

Methodology – The research was conducted in five Central European (CE) countries. The data collected from this region is used to assess the comparative context (descriptive statistics) for more detail correlational analyses conducted on the data coming exclusively from local subsidiaries of multinational corporations (MNCs) operating in Poland. This Polish data analysis is presented in a second article published in this volume.

Findings - The average values of performance evaluations gain slightly better scores in Poland than in CE. The HQ of MNCs exert less influence on HRM practices at the local level in Poland than an average of the overall CE region.

Value added – The research has theoretical significance because its results provide new evidence about the specificity of HRM in local subsidiaries of MNCs operating in the CE region. Furthermore, it identifies some patterns of HRM perceptions and practices at the local level of MNCs both in CE and Poland, and especially when the factors recognized as competitive advantages of local subsidiaries. The results of performance evaluations of these subsidiaries are juxtaposed in conjunction with their implications for HRM. All this makes a real and specific contribution to knowledge about strategic international HRM in MNCs.