Examining the dominant models and theories of international staffing policies and practices through the lenses of the African context and Chinese multinational construction enterprises in Africa

International staffing policies and practices of Chinese enterprises
in Africa have given rise to a number of observations, critical
comments, empirical support and rebuttals. One of the areas of
research and critique has been the implications of the staffing
policies and practices for knowledge and skills transfer to their
African hosts. The availability of local skills and talent as
constraints to change employment practices by Chinese
enterprises has also received attention of researchers. We argue
that the dominant international staffing models and theories are
inadequate for a comprehensive understanding and critiquing of
staffing practices of Chinese MNEs in Africa. Therefore, this paper
adopted Zoogah, D. B., Peng, M. W., and Woldu, H. (2015a.
Institutions, Resources, and Organizational Effectiveness in Africa.
Academy of Management Perspectives, 29(1), 7–31) dynamic
African business environment context to interrogate the utility of
the dominant international staffing models and theories in order
to understand and explain Chinese staffing policies and practices
in Africa. The paper also used Chinese Multinational Construction
Enterprises (CCMNEs) as a lens through which to examine the
relevance of the African context. The paper advances a series of
questions to guide future research. We argue that if pursued, the
questions can help further our understanding of why the staffing
policies and practices of multinational companies from emerging
economies in Africa might focus on recruiting PCNs and the
casualization of African workers.