Guest editorial Global HRM: aspects of a research agenda Chris Brewster Henley Management College, Henley-on-Thames, UK Vesa Suutari University of Vaasa, Finland Abstract Purpose – This paper introduces this special issue. Design/methodology/approach – The paper examines some of the key themes in global human resource management. Findings – By reviewing, briefly, the existing literature in these areas, the paper outlines a limited but crucial research agenda and sets the papers in this special issue in context. Originality/value – This paper presents some new empirically-based work on human resource development. Keywords Human resource management, Globalization, Careers, Knowledge management, Expatriates Paper type Literature review Introduction According to Black and Ulrich (1999), the role of the human resources (HR) professional in delivering global strategy is to: . raise, define, and clarify the capabilities required to win globally; and . invest, design, and deliver HR-practices that ensure these capabilities. It is also asserted that, given the critical role of a company’s global talent asset base, the role of HR must become more proactive and strategic – HR must become a fully-integrated global business partner (Brake, 1999). A study among HR managers (Roberts et al., 1998) identified three major challenges concerning global human resource management (HRM): getting the right skills to where they are needed easily, spreading up-to-date knowledge and practices throughout the organisation regardless of where they originate, and identifying and developing talent on a global basis. One special issue of a journal cannot attempt to address all the relevant issues involved here – and even less can an introductory article sensibly attempt to do so. What we have tried instead in this special issue is to bring together some of the latest empirically based research in two of the areas identified by Roberts et al.: developing talent and knowledge transfer, focusing on the experience of expatriation[1]. What we will attempt to cover in this introduction are some of the key areas of global HRM linked to these themes and starting from the international strategic HRM perspective on globalisation. The key question here is the extent to which companies aim to integrate their HRM practices across countries in order to support the global strategies. From this strategic background, we move on to discuss the development of global leaders, global career management, and global knowledge management and Global HRM 5 Personnel Review Vol. 34 No. 1, 2005 pp. 5-21 q Emerald Group Publishing Limited 0048-3486 DOI 10.1108/00483480510571851