Strategic human resource management research in the Japanese context: Unique opportunities for theory advancement

Since the emergence of strategic human resource management (SHRM) research decades ago, a large amount of theoretical and empirical work has been conducted. While the majority of SHRM studies have been conducted in the Western, especially the U.S., context, a growing number of studies are being done in the non- Western context, such as Asian countries. In this paper, we discuss how SHRM research in the Japanese context could contribute to the SHRM literature by taking advantage of its unique cultural and institutional settings and the embedded nature of Japanese HRM practices. We argue that doing SHRM research in the Japanese context has a potential advantage in elaborating current theories and introducing new perspectives, which has many implications for managing people not only in Japan but also in other parts of the world. Methodological issues for future research are also discussed.