Malleability in Spain: The Influence of US Human Resource Development Models

This chapter describes the evolution of HR practices in Spain, particularly the strategic management of HR. Prompted by recent political, economic, and social change, we have seen considerable and growing interest in a more holistic and systematic view of developing individuals and their organizations. In this chapter, note that we refer to HR or HRM, which are terms used in the Spanish business community. However, our focus is on the developmental side of the HR function. Key to understanding Spain’s recent transformation is the cultural malleability of its business system (Dickman, 1999; Ferner et al, 2001; Muller-Camen et al., 2001; Quintanilla, 1998). The concept of malleability is synonymous with the notion of flexibility; that is, Spanish managers are very open to new and sophisticated “best practices” from afar.