One of the more challenging aspects of global HR is that systems do not change behaviour on their own.
In one of the case studies from Global Lessons, a Japanese company in China set out to redesign its compensation system so that rewards would better reflect performance rather than simply increasing with position and tenure.
The technical design was not the biggest challenge.
The greatest resistance came from those whose interests were closely tied to the existing approach.
This case highlights an important lesson for leaders. HR transformation is not only about designing better policies. It also requires understanding the incentives, concerns and perspectives of the people who will be affected by the change.
That is why successful change depends as much on stakeholder management as it does on HR design.
For more practical examples from global HR, you can find Global Lessons: A Page from Modern Japanese Human Resources Management here: