'Soft' human resource management in small international joint ventures: Cases from the Danish-Vietnamese context

This paper examines the value creation aspects of HRM in international joint ventures of a relatively small size and their implications for strategic management. We assume that HRM in this context is rather a process than a function, and a ‘soft’ – humanistic rather than a ‘hard’, instrumentalist managerial approach. Using cases from a modest sample of Danish – Vietnamese joint ventures, we propose that HRM is significantly associated with creating a healthy and adaptive environment for mutual learning and socializing as well as a flexible empowerment mechanism in the condition of a certain extent of joint venture autonomy. A conceptual framework developed from these empirical insights invites further generalizing efforts, and more importantly, contributes to a dynamic understanding of HRM in small IJVs.