Does exist a way to Manage HR in Portugal? An Analysis from German Multinationals HRM Practices.

Abstract

Multinationals have operating problems due to the multiple contexts in which they operate. One of the greatest challenges for these organizations is the management of the cultural diversity of their human resources, in the sense of creating a collective of work capable of meeting the goals of the new economy. In Portugal, of the most represented countries at the level of their multinationals, Germany is the one that has a more antagonistic culture when compared with Portuguese culture, not preventing a multiplicity of successful cases. This paper firstly aims to characterize the HRM practices used in the Portuguese subsidiaries of the German multinationals and to see if there is a pattern in these same practices, trying to find out the "how" German companies manage with productivity the Portuguese human capital. The results dictated the existence of a pattern used in practices and a clear focus on human resources, identified by a clear approach to HRM soft model, without neglecting the importance of achieving the goals, improving empowerment, knowledge, skills and motivation.