Alignment of strategy and human resource management practices in international R&D

It is noted that firms are establishing growing numbers of R&D operations in foreign nations. The author examines some of the strategic reasons for this trend and analyzes the coupling of R&D strategy and human resources management policies in the international context. Attention is focused on organic R&D sites rather than corporate acquisitions or joint ventures. Cases of US firms initiating R&D in Japan and Japanese firms operating R&D facilities in the US provide an important insight given the distinctly different human resources policies and traditional nature of research and technology development in the two countries. Two case studies are selected to highlight different strategic evolution processes