Using Grounded Theory to investigate employee perspectives on work-life balance in an MNE subsidiary

It is widely argued that organisational work-life policies do not exist in a vacuum, but need to be adapted to different cultural, political, economic, and social conditions. Multinational enterprises (MNEs) face the unique organisational challenge of defining a global work-life strategy that establishes shared principles and guidelines and also allows for local initiatives and differences. This paper presents the research design of a study investigating the work-life balance experiences of Australian employees in two MNE subsidiaries with contrasting country-of-origin cultures. The paper outlines how ‘classic’ (Glaserian) grounded theory can be used to contribute an employee perspective to the international HRM and work-life discourse.