Ceremonial Adoption versus Internalisation: Unpacking the Translation of Global Reward Systems in Uganda

This study investigates the extent to which global reward frameworks issued by multinational headquarters are substantively internalised or merely ceremonially adopted within Unilever Uganda. The objectives were to examine the extent of internalisation versus ceremonial adoption, identify specific skills and technological constraints that hinder implementation, and evaluate the consequences of ceremonial adoption for organisational learning and employee performance. Anchored in Institutional Theory and Translation Theory, the study employed a qualitative exploratory case study design. Data were collected through in-depth interviews with 20 HR managers, IT specialists, and line managers, as well as documentary analysis. Findings reveal a pervasive pattern of ceremonial adoption, where sophisticated global systems exist on paper but are replaced by informal, paper-based routines in practice due to severe skills gaps and infrastructural deficits. The study concludes that without targeted local capability development, global reward policies remain decoupled from local reality, actively eroding organisational trust. It recommends that multinational headquarters transition from policy transfer to localised capacity building and hybrid system design to ensure genuine internalisation.