Reframing HRM for a multipolar world: insights from the Asia-Pacific region

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this anthology is to critically evaluate the role of human resource management in International Business within an increasingly multipolar, digitally disrupted and institutionally diverse global environment. By bringing together leading scholars, the collection aims to integrate macro–meso–micro perspectives, challenge the universalism of Western-derived frameworks and foreground the distinct institutional, cultural and socio-political contexts of the Asia Pacific region. The anthology seeks to expand the boundaries of International HRM scholarship by examining emerging forms of global mobility, technological change, structural inequalities and new conceptions of decent work, ultimately charting a forward-looking research agenda for global people management. Design/methodology/approach This is a curated article, bringing together 10 invited essays from leading scholars in International HRM. Each contribution provides a critical, theory-driven analysis of contemporary people management challenges shaped by geopolitical shifts, institutional diversity, technological disruption and evolving global mobility. Collectively, the essays integrate macro-, meso- and micro-level perspectives and draw on multidisciplinary literature spanning HRM, international business, psychology, sociology and political economy. Through comparative regional insights, particularly from the Asia–Pacific context, the anthology synthesizes emerging themes, interrogates the limits of existing frameworks and advances a coherent, future-oriented research agenda for global HRM scholarship. Findings Existing HRM and IB frameworks struggle to account for the realities of a multipolar, institutionally diverse and technologically transformed global environment. Here, the authors highlight the limits of universalistic theories and emphasize the need for contextualized, multi-level approaches that integrate geopolitical dynamics, institutional variation and individual experiences. The essays show that global talent flows are increasingly diverse; AI and digitalization are reshaping work and HR systems; local norms significantly influence adjustment and inclusion; and structural inequalities persist across mobility pathways. Collectively, the essays identify shared imperatives for ethical, inclusive and future-ready HRM systems. Research limitations/implications This anthology is conceptual and integrative and the insights generated are based on existing literature, author expertise and illustrative cases. The findings highlight emerging themes but do not test propositions or evaluate causal mechanisms. The focus on Asia–Pacific perspectives is intentional but also suggests a need for broader comparative research across regions. The insights collectively call for future empirical work that operationalizes multilevel frameworks, examines diverse mobility trajectories and investigates AI-enabled work, structural inequalities and institutional variations. These limitations point to significant opportunities for advancing theory and generating evidence-based guidance for global HRM practice. Practical implications The anthology highlights the need for context-sensitive HRM systems that adapt global policies to local institutional, cultural and regulatory conditions. In this respect, firms should broaden talent strategies to include diverse mobility groups, such as refugees, returnees and elite migrants and investments in cultural intelligence, ethical AI governance and skills for digital collaboration. The anthology also calls for strengthening worker voice, enhancing decent work across supply chains and embedding inclusive DEI practices tailored to Asia–Pacific contexts to improve legitimacy and resilience. Collectively, these insights help MNEs design people systems that are globally coherent yet locally responsive and sustainable. Social implications Global people management practices shape broader societal outcomes, particularly in regions characterized by institutional diversity and social inequality. By addressing the experiences of refugees, migrant workers, returnees, elite migrants, gig workers and marginalized groups, the essays illuminate how HRM policies can either reinforce or reduce structural inequities across borders. Insights on decent work, worker voice and responsible AI underscore the social consequences of fragmented labour markets and digitalization. Collectively, the anthology emphasizes that inclusive, context-sensitive and ethically grounded HRM practices contribute not only to organizational performance but also to social cohesion, mobility pathways and sustainable development in the Asia–Pacific. Originality/value This anthology presents a novel, integrative reframing of International HRM by bringing together diverse theoretical perspectives, underexplored populations and emerging global challenges within a single, Asia centred volume. It advances the field by challenging Western universalism, foregrounding multipolarity and integrating geopolitical, institutional, technological and socio-cultural dimensions that are rarely examined together. By including topics such as refugee talent, elite migrant stratification, cultural tightness-looseness, AI-enabled HRM and multi-stakeholder governance, it expands the boundaries of HRM and IB scholarship. The resulting conceptualization offers scholars and practitioners a richer, more context-sensitive and future-oriented understanding of global people management.