Published Paper Details:

Abstract Multinational companies (MNCs), at the forefront of globalization, have grown to almost 150,000 worldwide employing 120 million people (UNCTAD 2012). Although the recent worldwide financial crisis slowed the pace of growth, it is unlikely to stall the process, facilitated by the developments in information, communication and transportation technologies (Stanton et al 2013). Convergence theorists suggest that the logic of technology and markets are superseding varying national cultures towards universally applicable 'best practice' managerial techniques, for example, the implementation of a range of specific employment practices identified with so-called High-Performance Work Systems. Divergence thesis argues that management systems will continue to reflect the 'footprint' of their national institutional environment. McGraw and Harley (Hayden 2013) concluded that in Australia 'there is a pronounced divergence in the HR practices of overseas workplaces when compared with locals.' We need therefore to look at what is happening in India in recent years in industrial relations practices in MNCs and try to fit these into a pattern.