Education and human resources management in high‐tech organisations in China

Abstract

PurposeAt present, in the increasingly global markets, one of the main challenges to international business is how to effectively manage human resources across cultural boundaries. In particular, high‐tech MNCs demand a specific pool of talented individuals with specific technical expertise and personal skills to be adapted to operate in an international arena. That is especially true in the case of China, which has attracted a significant variety of foreign investments from diverse countries and whose people management policies and managerial staff technical and personal skills are reported in some cases to be at a primary stage. The purpose of this paper is to explore the educational context development in China and its related influence on the recruitment and selection process in Western high‐tech MNCs in the People's Republic of China (PRC).Design/methodology/approachThis is a research paper based on multiple case studies and direct face‐to‐face interviews.FindingsChina needs highly trained and highly educated individuals who can work in a dynamic domestic and global marketplace. Under the centrally planned system, the curricula in different universities are not associated to diversification in response to China changing economic needs and scenario. In most of the Chinese universities, many of the disciplines are very narrowly defined because these institutions are responsible for the job assignment of graduates. Despite the unprecedented growth of Chinese higher education thanks to the recent government reforms, the educational system in China still needs to be further restructured in its curricula to provide a sufficient number of qualified managers but however it will take time.Originality/valueNowadays, China needs highly trained and highly educated talents who can work in a domestic highly globalised marketplace. The underlying study will provide insight into those education related factors and their impact on the labour market in China with a specific focus on the search for appropriate technomanagement talents. The paper also provides insights into those educational factors, which produce satisfactory and less‐satisfactory results in recruitment of local talents in foreign technology companies. It also suggests the need for further research in the talent management area and education in PRC in relation to the current lack of data. Recommendations for the possible integration of appropriate educational projects aiming at developing highly talented individuals into those foreign corporations are provided.