US multinationals and human resource management in Ireland: towards a qualitative research agenda

US-owned multinational corporations (MNCs) are dominant actors in the world economy and are particularly significant in the Irish context. This paper profiles US foreign direct investment (FDI) in Ireland, focusing specifically on human resource management (HRM) and industrial relations (IR) in US- owned subsidiaries. Drawing on an ongoing qualitative study, we identify and explain the main HRM and IR themes pertinent to researching the dynamic between centralised control and subsidiary autonomy in the management of US MNC subsidiaries in Ireland.