The future of human resource management in Asia in a world of change

Human resource management (HRM) is shaped not only by an organization’s strategic intent but also by the institutional and cultural environments in which the firm is situated (Batt & Banerjee, 2012; Jackson & Schuler, 1995; Kim & Wright, 2011). Therefore, the HRM of Asian companies cannot be fully understood without properly contextualizing it into Asia-specific institutional and cultural arrangements. Every chapter in this Handbook provides current knowledge about how these Asia-specific environments have shaped different aspects of HRM and industrial relations (IR) in the region. In this conclusion chapter, we present an integrated summary of major insights presented in this Handbook. We also survey emerging challenges and opportunities for companies in Asia. We then propose several directions for managers and researchers interested in HRM in Asia. We wish to note at the outset that some overgeneralization is inevitable given the many different countries, large population, and institutional, economic, and socio-cultural diversity in Asia.