Abstract
This article explores the phenomenon of transcending the cultural border of the multinational cooperation in the industry of talent management. It does so by revisiting the longstanding contribution of Perlmutter’s EPRG model of the four ways the HQ of a multinational should manage its workforce in the country of the subsidiary as the basis of exploration. The focus of study is the influence of philosophy, as influenced by national heritage, which has been under-researched within the context of multinational firms. Specifically, an international talent management firm – GlobalHR (a pseudonym) – headquartered in the US that is having to withdraw its employees from China is used to explore how Confucianism, Taoism and Legalism are relevant within the decision-making process. First-hand interviews were conducted with a cross-section of 28 members of staff at the Chinese subsidiary, where decision-making is undertaken. Rich insights on how philosophy apply to the working context are sought and form the novel empirical contributions. The research conceptually argues that a strong influence of local philosophical dominance through the ‘localised empowerment approach’ adopted, which grants higher autonomy while preserving HQ brand, is the outcome of compromising between management constraints and values.