Explaining variation in reverse diffusion of HR practices: Evidence from the German and British subsidiaries of American multinationals

This paper examines the phenomenon of ‘reverse diffusion’ of HR practices in multinational companies, defined as the diffusion of practices from the foreign operations of MNCs to the home country. Drawing on research incorporating fieldwork in the British and German subsidiaries of US-based multinationals, we identify sources of variation in the incidence of reverse diffusion both between firms and between subsidiaries of the same firm.