Comparative Perspectives on Human Resource Management in the Era of Telework: Legal, Cultural, and Strategic Challenges in Hungary, the Netherlands, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.64229/qtbz8g53Keywords:
Telework, Human Resource Management, Comparative Labour Law, Digital EconomyAbstract
The rapid normalisation of telework has fundamentally transformed traditional Human Resource Management (HRM) paradigms, shifting it from a circumstantial practice to a structural mode of employment across industries. This paper explores how HRM adapts within the evolving telework environment by examining its intersection with legal regulation, organisational policy, and cultural governance. Using a comparative doctrinal approach, the study investigates four distinct jurisdictions-Hungary, the Netherlands, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE)-which embody contrasting labour governance systems and socio-economic contexts. The analysis reveals that while EU member states such as Hungary and the Netherlands benefit from institutionalised labour standards and worker representation, Gulf nations like Qatar and the UAE adopt state-driven, top-down models with limited union participation. These structural divergences influence HRM strategies related to performance monitoring, employee well-being, data protection, and labour flexibility. The findings highlight the pressing need for a harmonised global framework to regulate telework and balance innovation with worker protection. The study contributes to academic discourse by situating HRM as a mediating actor between legal compliance and strategic adaptability in the digital economy.
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