MEXICO MAQUILADORA INDUSTRY - WHERE STRATEGIC HUMAN-RESOURCE MANAGEMENT MAKES A DIFFERENCE

Mexico's maquiladora option continues to attract attention as an ''offshore'' manufacturing site, with some experts suggesting that the San Diego/Tijuana region will replace Hong Kong/Canton as the preferred offshore location after 1997. On the one hand, maquilas (as they are often called) offer impressive benefits: one of the lowest wage-rates in the world, favorable investment and customs regulations, proximity to U.S. markets, and the like. On the other hand, the industry raises unique challenges in the area of human resource management. These include dealing with young ''green hand'' workers, often from the interior; cultural biases regarding the role of men and women in assembly operations; and high turnover, the result of employees' struggle with ''family issues.'' Basing their conclusions on new, on-site research in the industry, the authors present a detailed analysis of these distinctive ''people problems.'' Strategic human resource management, say the authors, can confront and overcome these challenges. And the first step is to learn from those maquilas that have used strategic approaches to lower turnover and boost productivity.