Literature on strategic human resource management points out the importance of aligning human resource management (HRM) with corporate-level business strategies. The purposes of this paper are two holds: One is to examine a strategic HRM proposition that having employees committed to a corporate mission would reap better results. Another is to report major characteristics of HRM a subsidiary of Japanese multinational corporation puts into practice.
The primary data were collected at an electric/electronics firm that is located in North America. The following characterizes the HRM of this firm, some of which share similarities with preceding studies of auto manufacturing industry: Careful screening of applicants; team-working in which team members help each other; cooperative employer-employees relationships on the basis of small group activities; workers' participation in job-related subjects; introductory orientations to management trainees with the view to advance their corporate-wide viewpoint; education and training of managers under a global scheme to enhance their commitment to the corporate mission.
The Multiple Classification Analysis of the questionnaire survey shows the following: The plant managers most strongly identify themselves with the firm. There is no statistically significant difference in identification with and commitment to the corporate mission between the local office workers and the Japanese expatriates. There is no significant difference in terms of decision-making procedures, either. The plant managers contribute to foster the horizontal coordination in the firm.
The authors conclude, on the basis of the interviews with the key persons at the company, that the strategic HRM appeared to contribute to secure good performance on the part of local employees.
