Headquarters-Subsidiary Tensions at DHL Worldwide Express

This book is based on a real life case that is set in Dhaka, Bangladesh in the year 2001. DHL Bangladesh, a subsidiary of DHL Worldwide Express, was a fast growing company whose HumanResources department had felt the need to have a specialized Human Resources Information System(HRIS). The decision maker is a young Human Resources Executive who was initially looking at local vendors to provide the required software solution. However the Regional HQ had asked DHL Bangladesh to consider adopting an HRIS that DHL Pakistan had developed. The Regional HQ in the DHL hierarchy had great deal of influence on local subsidiaries, and even its 'suggestions' were rarely ignored. There were a number of important problems that had to be resolved with Pakistan HRIS before it could be used in DHL Bangladesh, but it had the backing of Regional Headquarters. The conflict between the Regional HQ and the local subsidiary is highlighted through this case. Whatever the decision, there will be lasting consequences at both the local and regional levels, and there is no way that such a decision will satisfy all the different stakeholders involved.