Ethnocentric Hrm Policies in the Asia Pacific Region: An Explanation of Host Country Resistance**

Zusammenfassung

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This paper considers the impact of ethnocentric policies, using as an example diversity policies, created by Multinational Companies (MNCs), Non Government Organisations (NGOs) and international agencies then imposed on a host country and its population. Examples of practices in the Asian Pacific region illustrate how the experience of colonialisation, war and migration have major impact on perceptions of the Host Country governments and nationals The paper discusses possible reasons for Host Country Nationals (HCNs) to resist foreign, apparently, ethnocentric policies. The resistance is often based on the experience of being colonised or the fragile social cohesiveness by the host nations. The motives of the MNC are often perceived to be to weaken the host nation and its organisations so as to be able to dominate the local economy as part of globalisation, taking little, if any, account of local needs and sensitivities. The imposition of ethnocentric policies shows that the parent organisations are not MULTInational but SINGLEnational Companies.

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Auszug

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Ethnocentric Hrm Policies in the Asia Pacific Region: An Explanation of Host Country Resistance**

Introduction

Some readers, particularly in the West but not in the Asia Pacific region, will think the authors take a provocative and shallow stance on the issue of ethnocentric policies but they have access to information and beliefs of people in the Asia Pacific region which is not available to academic researchers visiting or sending questionnaires. Both authors have built up trust which enables access to highly sensitive and often controversial information (Lee 1993). One of the authors is a Japanese female lawyer and the other a Western male who has lived and worked in Asia for almost 30 years. Both authors are used to working as trusted 'outsiders' with different organisations and with a wide variety of people. The many years of interacting with people in Asia have given insights to what might be subjective and random information but this very subjectiveness and randomness is often at the heart of people's belief systems. The information presented in the paper would not be given in answers to questionnaires or in a face to face interview with outsiders even a respected academic. The information has been given by a number of HCNs at times when they wished the authors to understand why, apparently sensible and beneficial, policies of foreigners and foreign owned organisations are rejected.

Where once MNCs sent their own people to foreign places (Perlmutter/Heenan 1974) now they send their own policies even where these policies are inappropriate within the host country. This paper takes the example of diversity policies and programmes to demonstrate that the ethnocentricity of MNCs and organisations which claim to be global continues a mindset based on domination reminiscent of the colonial powers. The domination is economic rather than political and military but ethnocentric policies are still seen by the host countries and their nationals (HCNs) as attempts to destroy their national cohesiveness and cultural values. It does not matter if these MNCs (for the purpose of this paper we will use the term MNCs to include international organisations engaged in commercial and non-governmental activities) are well intentioned, those in the host nations often assume that the intentions, or the results, are to create harm. The paper concentrates on the views of non-western recipients of ethnocentric policies but even in a wholly western context policies dev...

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