European J. International Management, Vol. 1, No. 3, 2007 239 Copyright © 2007 Inderscience Enterprises Ltd. A European perspective on HRM Chris Brewster University of Reading, P.O. Box 218, Whiteknights, Reading, RG6 6AA, UK E-mail: Chris.Brewster@henleymc.ac.uk Abstract: This paper provides a European perspective on Human Resource Management (HRM). It explores these issues by examining the growing field of comparative HRM; exploring some of the conceptual approaches to the topic and the different explanations for national differences that they espouse; considering some of the issues that make HRM in Europe distinctive; examining the notion of Europe itself and the variations within it; and considering whether the differences within Europe are reducing over time as a result of globalisation. The paper argues that Europe offers a wider ranging and more critical concept of HRM. Keywords: comparative HRM; Europe; paradigms; critical HRM. Reference to this paper should be made as follows: Brewster, C. (2007) ‘A European perspective on HRM’, European J. International Management, Vol. 1, No. 3, pp.239–259. Biographical notes: Chris Brewster is a Professor of International Human Resource Management at Henley Management College in the UK and at the University of Reading, also in the UK. He had substantial practitioner experience before becoming an academic 20 years ago. He has conducted extensive research in the field of international and comparative HRM and published over 20 books and more than 100 papers. In 2002, he was awarded the Georges Petitpas Memorial Award by the practitioner body, the World Federation of Personnel Management Associations, in recognition of his outstanding contribution to international human resource management. 1 Introduction As a concept HRM came to researchers and practitioners in Europe from the USA. Concepts and ideas about HRM have followed the “Gulf Stream … drifting in from the USA and hitting the UK first, then crossing the Benelux countries … and Germany and France and proceeding finally to southern Europe.” (DeFidelto and Slater, 2001; p.281) The hegemony of the USA in terms of research and publications has led to a division of opinion in Europe: do we have to accept the US approach or are we, or should we be, developing a distinctive approach of our own?