Research

Research areas

The Chair's research scope includes studying the context of globalization and business internationalization and their implications for human resource management in businesses, as well as the diversity management requirements to achieve the necessary levels of innovation and productivity in the current competitive environment.

To this end, the Chair carries out research projects and organizes forums, seminars, and meetings with businesses and other institutions, based on two major areas of study: Internationalization and Human Capital and Diversity Management in Businesses.

1. Internationalization and Human Capital

This includes analyzing the context of globalization of current markets and its implications for business's internationalization strategies, the impacts of the different internationalization models on geographic mobility and the management of human capital, and the needs of professionals who pursue their careers in international settings.

1.1. Business internationalization

The current context and future trends of market globalization, business internationalization, and off-shoring of business activities.
Effects on competitiveness, geographic mobility, and professional development.
Internationalization models. Implications for organizational design, business structure, and international HR management policies in businesses. Sectoral differences and best practice.

1.2. Geographical mobility of human resources

Implications of geographical mobility on HR management (expatriation and repatriation policies, compensation models, motivation, flight of talent, etc.). Potential sectoral, geographic, gender, and cultural differences.
Factors which influence propensity to and acceptance of geographical mobility by country, sector, level of responsibility, type of post, gender, etc. Moderating factors (tax issues, level of prosperity of the destination city, educational infrastructure, distance in time, guarantees on return, etc.).
Social impacts of international geographic mobility (family, education, housing, social integration, cultural environment, etc.). International geographic differences.
Identifying and analyzing instances of success and best practices. Differences depending on level of international development (internal growth, alliances, mergers and acquisitions).
Treatment of geographical mobility in Spanish labor law and European Union regulations.

1.3. Professional development

Training and preparation needs for competing in international settings.
Influence of school and university education and training. Differences depending on career, prior international experience, regions, sectors, etc.
Designing knowledge transfer and professional development models for people affected by geographical mobility.
Implications for Corporate Culture, Corporate Governance, Corporate Social Responsibility.

2. Managing diversity in the company

The phenomena of globalization and business internationalization have highlighted the need to develop diversity management policies in businesses in a proactive manner in order to minimize conflicts and maximize benefits in terms of creativity and innovation.

In the Chair, diversity management is seen as the integration of diverse people within the business with the objective of maximizing their efficacy and efficiency at work, while understanding and respecting differences.

Broadening the concept of diversity management in business: integrating professionals from different regions and cultures, with different training and experience, different ages, different stages in the family-life cycle, different lifestyles, etc.
Implications for human capital management in business: communication and management models, defining professional careers, principles, values, conciliation policies, etc.
Diversity management strategies which minimize conflict and promote innovation and performance in work. Identifying best practices.
Identifying needs and developing tools for managing diversity in the company.

Research Projects

Dra. Marta Muñiz Ferrer

Doctorate in Economics from Comillas Pontifical University. She pursued her professional business career in strategic consulting, corporate finance, and corporate development. Since 2002 she has collaborated as a lecturer in business strategy in the Faculty of Business Administration (ICADE), which she joined as Director of the Chair in Business Internationalization, Diversity and Professional Development in 2010, where she has carried out research in business internationalization, international human capital management, and diversity management in the business. At present, she delivers the courses on Strategic Management and Business Policy, Management and Enterprise Creation.

Research Topics: Diversity management in businesses; internationalization and human capital; international human resources mobility; global mindset (global leadership); international human resource management; conciliation.
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Dr. Jesús Labrador

Doctorate in Psychology from Comillas Pontifical University. He has been pursuing his career as a clinical and teaching psychologist and researcher since 1990. In 1994 he started to collaborate with the University Institute of Studies on Migration of Comillas University at the same time as pursuing his teaching work in the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences. Between 2004 and 2009 he was president of the Sectoral Psychology Group of the International Federation of Catholic Universities. At present he is a lecturer on the Psychology course of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences and Director of the University Master's in Human Resources.

Research Topics: Social identity. Intergroup conflict. Diversity in organizations
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Dra. Ana Matorras

Dr. Ana Matorras Díaz-Caneja studied at Comillas Pontifical University in Madrid, obtaining a degree in Law in 1992 and a PhD in Law in 1998. Since 1992 she has worked exclusively on carrying out teaching and research tasks, in the field of labor and social security law. She currently delivers the Individual Labor Relations Law module on the Bachelor's Degree in Law program. She also collaborates in the Research Master's Program in Legal Science. She has participated in various postgraduate programs. Since joining the University in 1992 her research has primarily focused on remuneration law.

Research Topics: business remuneration policies (interdisciplinary legal analysis), legal labor problems relating to expatriation and senior executives
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Dra. Amaia Arizkuren Eleta

Doctor Amaia Arizkuren is a full-time lecturer at the University of Deusto and specializes in the field of human resource management, both from a teaching and a research viewpoint. She has published numerous articles in academic journals, both in Spain and internationally. Doctor Arizkuren has also taken part in the most important research conferences on topics relating to HR management.

For many years she has been a lecturer in human resource management at the University of Deusto, and has delivered classes on the subject on different bachelor's and postgraduate courses (Master's and PhD) in the Faculty of Economics and Business Administration (DBS) and in that university's School of Tourism. Doctor Arizkuren has also contributed as a guest lecturer on topics relating to international human resource management in various foreign universities (Milwaukee -USA-, Clermont Ferrand -France-, Turin -Italy-, Satakunta -Finland-, Montpellier -France-), and has also frequently been invited to speak at numerous national and international forums on areas specifically related to international HR management.

Research Topics: international human resource management, from various viewpoints: selecting expatriates, international training, remuneration in globalized companies and repatriation management primarily.
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Doctoral Student Gabriela Hernández Lechuga

Gabriela Hernández Lechuga studied at the University of the Americas-Puebla in Mexico, obtaining her Licentiate Degree in International Relations in 2006 with an "Honorable Mention" and a Master in Business Administration (MBA) from Comillas Pontifical University, Madrid, in 2008. She is currently working on her doctorate in Economics and Business at Comillas Pontifical University.

Research Topics: Business internationalization and retaining talent in emerging markets
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Doctoral Student Naiara Arnaez Ortega

Licentiate degree in Business Management and Administration with MBA studies, both from the Faculty of Business Studies of Mondragón University. She is currently working on her doctoral dissertation, relating to the line of research into Internationalization of the MIK Research Center at Mondragón University. Her recent work has focused on this field and on the fields of corporate social responsibility and personnel management. She has carried out a number of basic and applied research projects on these subjects as well as preparing publications and papers. She also teaches in the field of management strategy and models in the Faculty of Business Studies at Mondragón University.

Research Topics: international human resource management, focused primarily on managing repatriation.
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