ABSTRACT
HRM in Malaysia is strongly influenced by its context of colonialism, ethnic relations and economic development models. Thus, in order to foster a better insight into HRM as practised in Malaysia this chapter begins with a brief geo-political summary of the country, followed by an examination of its economic and social as well as cultural conditions. All of these factors affect HRM style in Malaysia. While much has been written about the politics and economy of the country, less is known about Malaysian-style HRM. Although HRM practices have been well entrenched in the country there is a paucity of research that focuses on a thorough examination of HRM practices in Malaysian firms. The extant literature mainly discusses HRM policies in foreign-owned firms and comparisons of management practices between Malaysian subsidiaries and the parent companies (see Abdullah, 1994; Adnan and Ali, 1990; Raduan, 2002).
