Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: http://hdl.handle.net/1959.13/932645
- Title
- Human resource management and knowledge transfer in Australian subsidiaries of MNE's operating in the international hospitality industry
- Author/Creator
-
Larkin, Roslyn
- Institution
- University of Newcastle. Faculty of Business & Law, Newcastle Business School
- Description
- Research Doctorate - Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
- Description
- The objective of this thesis was to examine the influences of Human Resource Management (HRM) practices on knowledge transfer between Australian subsidiaries of an International hotel chain. Generally, the research enabled understanding of the organisations commitment to knowledge transfer within and between its subsidiaries, the organisations use of knowledge transfer mechanisms including Information Technology Communication systems and socially constructed mechanisms, and the effects of HRM practices on each within the context of the organisations strategic and operating environments. The research used Gupta and Govindarajan’s (2000) knowledge transfer dimensions to establish a framework for analysis thereby incorporating both motivational and ability aspects of knowledge transfer behaviours. The research used a qualitative, single complex case study approach which was chosen due to its ability to capture both human and situational influences impacting on the social phenomena. This approach was called for by commentators, for example Litteljohn (1997) in order to capture the complexity of the increasing internationalisation and geocentric nature of the hotel sector. Refer to Appendix 1 for the ‘mix’ of research constructs investigated in this study. Data collection involved interviews with 32 respondents from 3 primary groups. These were regional or executive management, site or hotel general managers and site, regional or state regional HR staff and managers. Primarily, the findings demonstrated that a number of HR practices clearly influenced knowledge transfer across the organisations subsidiaries. Further, most practices were identified as influential to knowledge transfer across a number of dimensions. In many cases however, the key factor separating the influences was the actual transfer mechanism, that is, either Information Technology Communications or social systems. In all cases, the usefulness of the HR practice was either further facilitated or moderated by the organisations contextual factors and decision making processes, many of which were as a result of the decentralised HR system. Aside from the findings that were established through the application of the framework, this study offers additional insight across a number of areas as a xiii consequence of the research. These findings included the need to consider the effect of HR practices on knowledge transfer as an interrelated system of practices, the potential negative effects of the organisations competitive or market strategy on knowledge transfer outcomes, and the requirement for purposeful integration of both knowledge transfer mechanisms when seeking to understand organisational knowledge transfers.
- Relation
- University of Newcastle Research Higher Degree Thesis
- Date
- 2012
- Keyword(s)
-
HRM;
knowledge transfer;
hospitality
- Resource Type
- thesis
- Rights
- Copyright 2012 Roslyn Larkin
- Identifier
- http://hdl.handle.net/1959.13/932645
- Language
- eng
-
-
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