The Relationship between Industrialization Strategy and National Ir/Hr Policies in Asia: Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines, and India

Abstract

The case studies of Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines, and India presented in this paper support the author's contention that a country's industrialization strategy for economic development profoundly influences its industrial relations (IR) and human resource (HR) policy goals. For example, he finds an association between an import substitution strategy and national IR/HR policy goals of pluralism and stability, and between an export-oriented strategy and an IR/HR policy goal of cost containment. These four countries diverged, however, in the specific institutions and arrangements they adopted to meet national IR policy goals, both because of different political choices made by the dominant actors (in these cases, the state) and because of different industrial relations histories.

JEL Classification: N35, O53, O15