Book excerpt: Against the backdrop of ancient cultures, a communist legacy and eventual institutional atrophy, many of the societies of Central and Eastern Europe have pursued aggressive development trajectories since the early 1990s. This part of Europe is now characterized by a rising economic heterogeneity and a rapidly changing socio-cultural context, underscored by waves of restructuring, privatization, increasing foreign direct investment and an emerging individualism. While there has been a growing interest in the transition economies in the past number of years, the contemporary nature of human resource management in these societies is not well-documented. This long-awaited text seeks to chart the contemporary landscape of HRM in this region. In doing this, it describes key aspects of the transition process as experienced in each of the economies under consideration, as well as describing key legislative and labour market developments and reforms. Finally, it discusses key trends in HRM policy and practice.