Management Configurations in an Internationalized Brazilian Organization: Human Resources Management, Market and Labor Relations Dynamics

Abstract

The article analyzes the different configurations of management in a family-owned and recently internationalized firm and observes how the organization understands human resources management (HRM), market dynamics and labor relations in different contexts. This qualitative research consists of a case study based on a field survey and in-depth interviews with human resources managers in a large Brazilian family-owned organization operating in South America. The findings point out differences in management in the firm’s manufacturing plants depending on the country and similarities of the HRM practices within the same country. It was possible to observe a transitioning form of HRM toward the strategic level in the case of Brazil. However, this form of HRM is subsidiary to the traditional notion of HRM in other Latin American countries. Also, the firm monitors the labor market, and the labor relations it establishes are adapted according to the country. The study contributes theoretically by discussing management configurations for HRM, market and labor relations under a transnational approach, and the methodology allows comparative research. Finally, the research offers an empirical contribution by illustrating the management dynamics of a family-owned and recently internationalized firm in different regions of South America.