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Introduction

Culture refers to the quantity in a person or organization revealed from interests of Excellency, manners as well letters. Newman et al., (1996) and Hampden-Turner (2004) noted that cultures influences the approaches upon managing people. Therefore, cultural differences imply the divergence in management practises. Culture seems to bind the hiring and treatment of employees in an organization. However the organizations rules, regulations that are paramount for effective management make it extremely difficult. Interests of culture in human resource management practices have provided justification to attempts of finding solution to the certain difficulties. Laurent et al., (1986) pointed that merely all management practices in HRM look outwardly to be most estimable to cultural differences which implies to their design and appropriateness. Culture is the basis of human resource management because it allows the employees of the organization make things happen and prosper, as well as allowing the productive aspect of the organization to thrive. According to Sparrow et al., (1997) national culture influences human resource management by defining in what it makes an effective manager prior to structure and strategic dynamics of the organization. However, the same cultural human resource management practices may not outsource similar results in different contexts; this essay aims at evaluating the influence of culture in human resource practices for an effective management.

Impact of culture on recruitment and selection of human resource practice 

In an organizational structure the application of cultural differences have lead to diverse HR practices. This has lead to communication barrier, confusion and conflicts within the organization. Recruitment of workers is depended upon which the cultural practises one is an imitator because each company or country has different recruitment policies. In recruiting and selection of employees cultural contexts impacts HR practices if the following ways; Ethnocentrism: refers to stance whereby an individual accords his/her culture with superiority than others thereby diminishing them. According to Hofstede, (1980) this practise consist of the patterns of thinking, feeling and reacting that is acquitted and transmitted mainly in symbols. These feelings and practises leads to distinctive achievement of human groups that are coined from selected ideas or values. Therefore, when an organization enlarges its business activities they tend to stick to their mother country policies and practices. The pursuit of foreign policies and practises leads to a negative feeling to the employees due to such cultural attitude. Negative attitude from cultural diminish to the employees provokes them not to be productive because the find them narrow and self-centred. Therefore, by strictly following the culture of the mother country this approach leads to poor local responsiveness to the host country. The selection process differs from one country to another. Countries like Asia opts to extensive selection procedures unlike US that follows brief selection mode. According to psychologist screening process that is followed by sessions is necessary in making one aware of the distinct cultures, work and lifestyle in other countries. Employees are faced with difficulty in adapting to language, dressing code, food habits and foreign lifestyle at large. This hinders their creativity that they have in their own cultural setting. When selecting employees, an organization to endeavour to select the ones with technical skills, stress management skills and are not bound to their own cultures. For management of HR practices the company should choose candidates who can work overseas and cope with different cultures. Polycentrism factor: when a company opens up its business activity in a country that as more than one cultures in one setting, the parent company should appoint manager from that subsidiary foreign country/cultural setting. The manager will have a better understanding about the employee’s lifestyle, culture and behaviours. Ondrack, (1985) noted that it will be challenging for management to follow polycentric because the foreign law could prove to be a major barrier for a company to operate in its market. Therefore, the management should comply with the foreign laws and be responsive to the needs and culture of that country. If an organization builds their HR practices by incorporating the local culture of the foreign country, the polycentric approach becomes successful. This approach results to great level of local responsiveness. Understanding of the cultural setting of the employees implies successful management strategies and selection practice that in turn leads to prosperity if the organization. Geocentric influence: according to Mahmood, (2010); Treven (2001) this approaches was recognized by Elinder through pointing it as standardization of different marketing practices that unveil the concept of uniqueness of products, distribution and promotional strategies’. In this approach the HR strategies follows standardization concept. This concept allows any person to apply for a specified position in an organization worldwide; this allows the MNCs to choose the best employees regardless of nationality. Hill et al., (2007) noted that this approach helps the organization to be more locally responsive helping in reduction of cultural short-sightedness through the adoption of the best HR practices. Also employees can understand different cultures as they are transferred globally as a result of interaction and bonding.

Impact of culture on HR planning According to Bratton & Gold, (2000) in an organization human resources are the most valuable and unique assets of the organization. Therefore, the organization is made up of people and function by means of the people. Gentleman et al., (1998) noted that in an organization HR planning allows the management to unite and direct the organizational activities and personnel in an effective way. Human resource planning concerns itself with employees’ management in an organization in achieving its objectives. Culture is directly prepositional to HR planning. Bratton et al., (2001) pointed that culture moulds individual’s personality, which directly influences HR planning. This sub ending offers an insight of how culture impacts HR planning leading to different results in different cultures. Power distance

According to Hofstede, (2001) power distance refers to the degree of agreement between people in which power should be shared equally in the society. He noted that power distance range implies to how much a country less powerful people accept and respect the unequal distribution of power. Jing (2010) pointed out that some cultures presents the power distance obviously while other preset it inconspicuously. Pellegrini and Scandura, (2006) point that. a culture with higher power distance perceives inequality as normal and natural. However, a culture with lower power distance people perceives that their voice in decision making should be heard. Power distance has an important impact in management styles and practises as noted by Emmerik et al., (2008).

Taleghani, (2010) pointed out that power distance plays a key role in employees’ willingness to supervisory acceptance and direction, as well as their emphasis in gaining support from the management. The higher the power distance the more the people will accept guidance from the management making them to be more enthusiastic to work. Hofstede, (2010) the lower the power distance the lower the lower the wages difference between the employees in an organization. Cultural contingencies Human resource planning involves the process of determining the positions in an organization that need to be filled and the process of filling them. Human resource planning requires the organization to use cultural data in career planning of who need to occupy the set position. Career planning flows employees attributes and developed plans accordingly like training. HRP and career planning are not based in a systematic or rational way other than cultural contexts. Herriot et al., (1997) viewed that India and Eastern Europe organizations employ more employees over is needed as way of curbing poverty and unemployment. A case study in North America shows that strategic human resource planning is directed towards enrolment of the best, qualified and right number of employees. It is also justified that the planning duration in HR is depended to cultural setting since it varies cross-culturally. According to Hall, (1995); Hope et al., (2001); Trompernaars, (1993) points out that culture bears perception in planning therefore planning is established in the cross-cultural management. Recruitment and selection main purposes that are dependent to planning vary across the culture. In human resource planning activity culture provides the following baseline from an organization; power distance, collectivism, diffuseness, uncertainty avoidance among other cultural dimensions. Cultural determination and power distance have a great implication to human resource planning. In a culture that is future oriented or has a lower power distance there is a long lasting systematic and rational approach to human resource and career planning. Unlike in past or present cultures or higher powered distance cultures career and human resource planning are handled with flexibility. Therefore, human resource planning is more examinable in low distanced cultures compared to high distance cultures. In conclusion from the above sentiments it can be justified that culture has different implications to human resource. The cultural approach to which an organization employs will lead to different results as opposed to other organization.

References

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