Multinationals and the process of post-entry HRM reform: evidence from three Jordanian case studies

Abstract

Limited, in-depth, evidence exists as to the dynamics that underlay human resource reform in situations where multinationals acquire undertakings in developing countries on a basis short of full ownership. This article uses three case studies of human resource reform within privatised Jordanian undertakings acquired by French multinationals to shed further light on these dynamics. It concludes that the reforms introduced by the multinationals reflected their more general approaches to post-entry human resource reform, but that the pace and manner of change was influenced by local factors, including the influence that the Jordanian government was able to exert as a result of its continuing role in the ownership and management of the companies.