In what ways has comparative research improved our knowledge of the Essay

In what ways has comparative research improved our knowledge of the strengths and limitations of established national patterns of employment relations and HRM - Essay Example In the context of globalization, lean management provides the paradigm with which human resource management can be understood as â€Å"the acknowledgement, development and systematic use of the skills and knowledge of employees.† (Ramirez et al 2007, p 496) Thereby, recognizing the integral and necessary role of employees in the survival of the organization in the global economy, global market. Being such, there is a continuous demand to undertake studies that will address questions pertinent to human resource management and employee relations as it is an accepted truism in human resource practices â€Å"that high performance work systems, the focus is on more than simply information sharing; they also involve the decentralization of decisions and work enrichment, that is providing employees with opportunities for involvement in decision-making and innovation.† (Wood & de Menezes 2008, p 639) In this regard, this paper intends to focus on the question in what way has comparative research improved our knowledge of the strengths and limitations of established national patterns of employee relations and human resource management? The author will primarily draw his claims from UK HRM and employee relations framework. In the end, it is the hope of the author that this paper may provide a clearer perspective on the important role that comparative research plays in the understanding of employee relations and human resource management.