Lost in Translation? Diversity, Equality and Inclusion Practice Transfer at the UK Subsidiary of a Large Us Technology Firm

Abstract

Existing literature in International Business (IB) and International Human Resources management (IHRM) emphasizes the local nature of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) practices, yet a ‘country-of-origin’ or ‘dominance’ effect is also acknowledged in shaping DEI practices in subsidiaries. We still know little as to how DEI practices are transferred into national subsidiaries as well as potential intra-organizational dynamics in this process. Through a case study of a large US technology multinational enterprise (MNE), we analyze the intricate nature of DEI practice transfer into its UK subsidiary, shaped by national and cross-national influences, organizational and sub-organizational factors. We explore how DEI policies are enacted and developed across two distinct settings within the UK subsidiary (warehouses and corporate offices), which allows us to unpack intra-organizational dynamics inside national subsidiaries. Our study reveals the complex interaction of central/local dynamics shaping DEI practices in the UK subsidiary, but also the heterogenous nature of practice implementation within the subsidiary, pointing to a ‘social class’ effect in the process of transferring DEI practices.

Keywords: DEI, MNE, Subsidiary, Practice Transfer, Social Class