The Research Behind the Recommendations
We don't invent frameworks. We take proven academic models, explain them in plain language, and show you exactly how to apply them to your international hiring decisions.
Dowling's IHRM Staffing Model
Dowling, Festing & Engle — International Human Resource Management, 7th ed.
Three approaches to international staffing — ethnocentric (HQ staff), polycentric (local hires), geocentric (best person regardless of nationality). Predicts cost, control, and cultural friction tradeoffs.
Deciding how to staff international offices. Predicting whether to relocate HQ employees or hire locally.
Meyer's Culture Map
Erin Meyer — The Culture Map, 2014
8 dimensions of cultural difference: Communicating, Evaluating, Persuading, Leading, Deciding, Trusting, Disagreeing, Scheduling. Maps any country across all 8 dimensions.
Predicting cross-cultural friction. Designing onboarding for international hires. Adapting management style by country.
Filsinger's Employment Law Framework
Dennis Filsinger — Employment Law for Business and Human Resources Professionals
Risk classification model for employment relationships. 5 common law tests determine whether a worker is an employee or contractor — and predicts which arrangements will face enforcement.
Assessing contractor misclassification risk. Understanding employment law variation across jurisdictions.
Storey's Strategic HRM
John Storey — Human Resource Management: A Critical Text
Distinguishes 'personnel administration' from 'strategic HRM.' Four quadrants mapping HR function maturity — from reactive admin to proactive strategic partnership.
Assessing whether your HR function is ready for international expansion. Identifying gaps before they become expensive.
Sparkman's Workforce Planning
Larry Sparkman — Strategic Workforce Planning
5-step framework for aligning workforce supply with business demand. Applied internationally: when to hire your 2nd, 5th, and 10th employee in a new country.
Deciding hiring velocity in new markets. Modeling workforce scenarios across multiple countries.
Bassett-Jones's Systems Thinking
Nigel Bassett-Jones — HR and Analytics
HR as an integrated system, not isolated functions. Inputs, processes, outputs, and feedback loops must be designed holistically — especially when expanding across borders.
Evaluating HRIS implementations. Avoiding the 'bolt-on' trap where each country gets a separate disconnected system.
Gesteland's Cross-Cultural Business Behavior
Richard Gesteland — Cross-Cultural Business Behavior, 6th ed.
Deal-focused vs. relationship-focused cultures. Formal vs. informal business behavior. Explains why negotiation styles vary dramatically across regions.
Negotiating employment terms across cultures. Understanding business relationship expectations in target countries.
Holbeche's HR-Business Alignment
Linda Holbeche — Aligning Human Resources and Business Strategy
Model for ensuring HR strategy serves business objectives — not the other way around. Critical when international expansion reshapes business priorities.
Connecting your global HR strategy to business outcomes. Making the case to the C-suite for international HR investment.