Network building HR practices under different capitalisms

Marra, M. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5764-1202, Brewster, C. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5314-1518, Brookes, M. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1971-6442 and Wood, G. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9709-1823 (2026) Network building HR practices under different capitalisms. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 36 (21). pp. 3884-3914. ISSN 1466-4399 doi: 10.1080/09585192.2025.2610744

Abstract/Summary

There has been growing interest in the role of interpersonal ties within and between organizations. This paper explores why firms adopt formal, organization-led practices that have built into them the promotion of ties between employees. The latter would include organizationally promoted networking (OPN), teamworking, mentoring, and development centres; we assess how their usage varies across different varieties of capitalism. We situate our study at the intersection of HRM and comparative institutional analysis, arguing that national institutional frameworks influence whether and how firms deploy internal mechanisms to foster employee development through relationship building. Using data from over 4,800 organizations across 27 countries, we find that HR practices that deepen ties between employees are more prevalent in coordinated market economies (CMEs) than in liberal market economies (LMEs), and least common in peripheral economies (MMEs and EMEs). These findings contribute to the literature by highlighting how institutional contexts shape firm-level networking building practices, accordingly extending both the varieties of capitalism and international HRM literatures.