Human Resource Management in Russian Companies: International Comparison

Abstract

Most foreign publications, where various national models for human resource management are being constructed and analyzed, rely on one empirical base – the results of the comparative international study by CRANET (Cranfield Network on Comparative Human Resource Management). By 2006 this study has already included 7916 companies from 32 countries – 26 from Europe and 8 others including USA. This article discusses the first results of similar study in Russia. In analyzing the data we have paid special attention to such aspects as the role of human resource management in formal and informal system of strategic firm management; the distribution of responsibility over different aspects of human resource management between specialized HR divisions and line management; the flexibility of employment system; the level of formalization in assessment of personnel performance. As far as the involvement of HR managers in the process of the strategy forming is concerned there reproduced a system which is very similar to that of the German (Central-European) model. This model features a rather modest role of HR managers in the firm’s hierarchy and their significant distance from taking core decisions for the company. To be eligible for participating in strategic discussions HR managers in Russia have to rely on their formal status of higher executive positions in the firm’s management system. As for the implementation of strategies the situation in Russia is very similar to that of the poorest Slavic countries in Eastern Europe (Bulgaria and, particularly, Slovakia) and not very different from that of countries from Northern Africa and Asia, where a determinant role of line managers in selection, assessment and reward setting of employees is observed. This overlaps with the extremely low formalization of the assessment system itself and the higher flexibility of working time and contract relations. The results from the study make the authors suggest that Russian enterprises will easily adapt to the crisis situation by cutting wages and exacerbating the employment conditions provided by contracts. Keywords: human resource management, business strategies, Russian management model, employment models