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Building on our earlier model of the links between HR strategy, e-HR goals, architectures, and outcomes, we illustrate the relationship between some of these elements with data from three global organizations. In doing so, we aim to help academics and practitioners understand this increasingly important area of HR theory and practice.

Three decades of academic and professional discourse on HR technologies (HRTs) have produced continued disagreement over construct definitions and research streams that are highly fragmented. These realities suggest that greater consistency in meanings is sorely needed if we are to integrate and upgrade knowledge in this area. This chapter draws on the findings of a systematic research review to properly define the content domains of human resource information systems (HRIS), virtual human resources (virtual HR), electronic human resource management (e-HRM), and business-to-employee (B2E) systems. An integrative synthesis was performed on 242 system-level writings that appeared in the literature from 1983 to 2017. The weight of the evidence strongly supports treating HRIS, virtual HR, e-HRM, and B2E systems as independent, complimentary constructs. While the first three comprise a firm’s HRT system, the fourth construct is more appropriately positioned in the business-collaborative system. The sample was further evaluated with an analytic framework to detect patterns of practice in research designs. This revealed that much more attention has been focused on system actions and outcomes than on attitudes and system characteristics. Different units of analysis were well represented aside from trans-organizational studies. Finally, a case is made for better contextualizing HRT research by recognizing differences in assimilation stage, functional penetration, and collective proficiency. These factors are rarely mentioned, let alone studied, raising additional concerns about measurement error. Detailed suggestions are offered on ways to incorporate them. Together, these materials should promote more sophisticated and generalizable assessments of technology, improving our ability to understand its impacts.

Absorptive capacity (for e-HR adoption): The potential of the HR function to seek out and assimilate knowledge about e-HR technologies and incorporate this into their vision of a changed HR function (Reddington, Martin, and Bondarouk).

E-HRM supposes to develop intranet tools in order to share HR information. The measure of the efficacy of this investment is quite difficult because this tool is used in various ways. The aim of this chapter is to identify and explain the diversity of those uses. The review of literature on this topic shows that the structurational perspective of technology developed by Orlikowski (2000) is considered as the most valuable conceptual framework to analyze them. We were asked by the HR management of a major aeronautical and space company called Aero to study the use of an HR intranet by middle management, one of the most important HR clients to satisfy. Using the conceptual framework of Orlikowski and from 53 interviews, we identified three different kinds of uses of this intranet — “reluctant use,” “utilitarian use,” and “innovative use.” Secondly, we linked them with specific interpretative schemes, norms, and facilities. In our discussion, we suggest to develop the concept of local universes to gather all dimensions that explain the diversity of use.

There is currently a proliferation of digital analytics and machine/artificial intelligence productivity tools for creating and sustaining competitive advantage through strategic flexibility. Transformational e-HRM enables organizations to achieve and sustain competitive advantage through exploitation of these new productivity tools and approaches. However, it has been observed that many organizations have not been able to realize this. Using findings from an empirical exploration of e-HRM’s contribution to sustaining business performance, derived through an interpretative phenomenological analysis of a single case study, we propose in this chapter that for organizations to leverage the productivity gains of implementing Transformational e-HRM, HR and frontline managers require access to readily available artificial intelligence productivity tools. For e-HRM to contribute to sustaining business performance, we add to strategic flexibility theory that this can be realized by using e-HRM to enable strategic flexibility and adaptive capability. As we propose that it will be about organizations using the strategic capability derived by using Transformational e-HRM to create flexible and adaptive organizations. Its implications for practice are stated.

There has been much research and many follow-up recommendations on how to introduce a new electronic human resource management (e-HRM) system to employees in order to avoid or minimize troubles during its implementation. However, implementation projects are known to be time consuming, indirect, and sometimes impulsive developments, leading to a mismatch between the initial ideas behind information technologies and the use in practice, the employees' perceptions and their experience. Paraphrasing Block, I put forward the following question: If I define successful e-HRM as one that is developed on-time and within budget, is reliable and easily maintained, and meets the specified requirements of HR professionals, line managers, and employees — how many organizations would acknowledge having successful e-HRM? (Block, R. (1983). The politics of project. New York: Yourdon Press). This chapter explores lessons from information technology (IT) studies that e-HRM researchers can learn and apply to better understand complex e-HRM implementation projects.

This chapter aims at setting an agenda for HRIS research from an integrative perspective. This perspective assumes that organization and information systems cannot be separated. By first elaborating on this integrated perspective in terms of a web of causes and consequences of the implementation of IT in organizations, a list of new organizational phenomena is presented. Subsequently, research on HRISs to date is summarized, resulting in the observation that HRIS research needs to be broadened and deepened. In the third section we combine the list of emerging phenomena with how HRISs are being implemented and used in mainly large global companies. We raise a number of critical questions for HRIS research per each emerging phenomena and suggest a number of appropriate research topics.

The field of e-HRM and human resource information systems (HRISs) has developed very rapidly in recent years. More than two decades have passed since the publication of DeSanctis's (1986) seminal work on HRISs, and the topic continues to command the attention of scholars and practitioners around the world. If anything, interest in this topic has been increasing, as evidenced by citation counts, international academic workshops dedicated to this topic, and a number of special issues of international journals. In line with this trend, and responding to a perceived need to advance our understanding and theoretical grounds in this field, this volume forms a timely contribution.

The purpose of this study is to explore the use of shared services by end-users and why this may conflict with the use as intended by the shared service center (SSC) management.

By applying structuration theory, this empirical study draws on qualitative data obtained from semi-structured interviews with managers and end-users of an SSC. This SSC is part of a Dutch subsidiary of a multinational corporation that produces professional electronics for the defense and security market.

We find two main types of shared services usage by end-users which were not intended by the SSC management: avoidance and window-dressing. These forms of unintended usage were the result of contradictions in social structures related to the centralization and decentralization models as appropriated by end-users and management.

Our findings show that the benefits of shared services depends on how well contradictions in managers’ and end-users’ interpretive schemes, resources, and norms associated with centralization and decentralization models are resolved.

A popular argument in existing studies is that the benefit of shared services follows from the design of the SSC’s organizational structure. These studies overlook the fact that shared services are not always used as their designers intended and, therefore, that success depends on how the SSC’s organizational structure is appropriated by end-users. As such, the originality of this study is our focus on the way shared services are used by their end-users in order to explain why SSCs succeed or fail in reaping their promised benefits.

Need of the Study: Digitalisation, machine learning, and artificial intelligence (AI) is changing at a swift pace, significantly uplifting the role of information technology. The present human resource (HR) aspect transpires AI-based resolution, are gradually more effective with HR process, time-consumption and a complex tasks surrounded by the HRM functionalities.

Purpose: This study attempts to investigate the adoption and diffusion of human resource management (HRM) with the phenomenon of AI-based applications. Hence, this study has emphasised the predictors of AI adoption like competitive pressure, performance expectancy, top management support, strategic partner, employee champion, etc. Moreover, how the AI predictors are connected with HR practices. The research sample focused on 207 HR managers and senior managers from various industries.

Methodology: This study is based on a quantitative research technique encompassing mean, standard deviation, exploratory factor analysis (EFA), Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA), Average Variance Extracted (AVE), and Dependent Variable (DV).

Findings: The study’s empirical findings show that higher performance expectations and higher management support are both major predictors of AI adoption. In contrast, competitive pressure did not show a significant relationship with such an intention, and the ‘employee champion’ role has a negative impact on AI adoption.

Implications: AI diffusion and implementation show a significant research gap. In previous studies, adoption in HRM was overlooked. The study’s results provide a comprehensive picture of the situation. The framework and a major contribution to the study of the phenomenon in relation to its possible role in AI’s effectiveness and quality in HRM. The research inspires a debate among service providers, policy-makers, and stakeholders, and builds an efficient workplace.