Gnaedinger, Dorothee C. (2018) Manageability of workplace pensions : Swedish multinationals in Mexico. PhD thesis, University of Warwick.

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Abstract

A global shift of the responsibility for pension savings has taken place. Governments have largely transferred their responsibility to employers. Separately, multinational companies (MNCs) have implemented global pension policies and practices to reduce costs and risks, transferring the pension responsibility globally to employees. This thesis aims to understand the decision-making process of pension provision within multinational companies, in order to gain some understanding whether the global pension policies and practices impact local pension provision. It analyses how MNCs govern their pension policies and practices globally, transfer them to local entities, and how pensions are managed locally.

Pension literature has extensively looked at the development of pension provision. Much human resource management (HRM) and international human resource management (IHRM) research has been done on the transfer of HRM policies and practices. To address the research problematic, literatures need to be combined. This thesis is the first study that provides a holistic pension and human resource (HR) analysis on the transfer of pension policies and practices within the context of pension privatisation. Conceptual boundaries have been set to provide deeper findings: MNCs, emerging markets and the global financial crisis (GFC). Through the use of a case study analysis, based on interviews and documentary analysis, this thesis provides in-depth insights. It focuses on Swedish MNCs and their Mexican entities. A new theoretical research framework, based on the HR literature and set within the pension context, has been designed.

Two main arguments have been derived. Firstly, the transfer of workplace pension benefits to MNCs’ host countries depends on the underlying HRM model and the forces of influence (i.e. organisational, stakeholder and local). Secondly, workplace pension decisions are mostly taken locally. Key influences include: local business needs, local pension knowledge, and strength of local advocates. These findings imply that MNCs’ global pension policies and practices have some but limited influence on local pension decision-making.

Item Type:	Thesis (PhD)
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > HD Industries. Land use. Labor
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH):	Pensions, Pensions -- Government policy, Old age pensions -- Government policy, Pensions -- Sweden, Pensions -- Mexico, International business enterprises -- Sweden, International business enterprises -- Mexico
Official Date:	January 2018
Dates:	Date Event January 2018 Submitted
Institution:	University of Warwick
Theses Department:	Institute for Employment Research
Thesis Type:	PhD
Publication Status:	Unpublished
Supervisor(s)/Advisor:	Warhurst, Christopher ; Wadensjö, Eskil, 1944-
Format of File:	pdf
Extent:	314 leaves : illustrations, charts
Language:	eng

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