Comparative international human resource management: Future research directions

• Three topics in comparative IHRM are discussed: talent management, international mobility, and diversity.
• Sociocultural and institutional factors are critical determinants of IHRM practices
• Research published in languages other than English helps in understanding IHRM
• What we have in IHRM are most probably cases of partial convergence
• The contextual factors leading to convergence/divergence need further investigation

There are numerous under-researched topics that fall under the umbrella of comparative international human resource management (IHRM) theory and practice. We address three in particular: talent management (TM), international mobility, and diversity. The degree of convergence of HR practices with Western-style so-called “best practices” is a topic of much dispute. We argue that sociocultural and institutional factors are critical determinants of HR practices, and we underscore the importance of the sociocultural context in IHRM. The reality unfolding is that of multiple factors, not exclusive to international best practices, playing a role in the development of HR practices in various international contexts.