The Evolving nature of HRM values in China

The opening of China to Western businesses and influences has given rise to the important question of whether the development of HRM in contemporary China will converge with the development of Western HRM or will it reflect distinctive cultural and institutional influences. This question has theoretical implications for debates on convergence/divergence within International Human Resource Management, as well as practical implications for the effectiveness of HR practices used by foreign firms in China. An important step in determining the extent of assimilation is to understand the history of HRM in China and its subsequent implications for values associated with people management. Insights into these values can provide a reference point for comparison with the people management approaches associated with continued exposure to Western HRM. To this end, this paper presents an overview of the evolving nature of HRM in China focusing on understanding the underlying values associated with HRM. A framework to categorise HRM values is presented and used to characterise and compare Chinese HRM values within traditional China, the early period of the Communist era, and in more recent times.