Aziende italiane in Cina: il problema delle risorse umane

In recent decades China has proved to be the main destination for the internationalization of Italian business, both MNCs and SMEs. Among developing countries certainly, the People's Republic of China excelled for its resilience during the 2008 international crisis, gaining place as the world's second largest economy after the U.S. Nonetheless, despite the numerous opportunities that China offers to the entrepreneurs who decide to do business in China, many are the challenges that companies have to face. The reduction of geographical distances due to globalization has led to a flow of capital, resources and, above all, people. This gave rise to the cohabitation of different cultures which can be problematic on an interpersonal level, especially in a work situation. The modern business environment brings new challenges and human resource management therefor, represents one of the crucial facets; a knock-on effect being the mismanagement of human resources could badly affect Italian company operations within Chinese territory. This contribution's aim is to investigate firstly: the challenges concerning human resource management that foreign companies face when doing business within China, and secondly: the solutions adopted to solve these problems throughout the literature and relevant scholarly studies. The literature, using a theoretical approach, identified many HRM challenges and also the many resolutions used by foreign enterprises to correct HRM issues. After separating and analysing the generic theoretical frame, the main purpose of this study is to verify if the theories that have emerged are to be found in the real-world activities of Italian businesses. It is enhanced on an empirical basis through face-to-face interviews; the goal is to further understand and to what extent HRM issues can act as a deterrent for Italian enterprises when doing business within Chinese territory.