In the last decade, the increasing globalisation, workforce complexity, and business digitalisation poses unprecedent challenges for Human Resources Management (HRM). On the other side, the spread of digital technologies has facilitated the collection, storage, and analysis of employees’ data, providing HR departments with information to better understand their personnel. In this “new world”, organisations are progressively leveraging HR Analytics (HRA) practices to support HRM, replacing traditional intuition-based procedures with evidence-based decisional processes. Nowadays, HRA is considered a business top-priority and a “game changer” for HR departments, and the actual market value for HRA solutions (i.e. $1.81) is expected to triple by 2030 (i.e. $4.78). Managerial interest and adoption, however, do not go hand in hand. Most firms are indeed struggling in developing and systematically implementing HRA initiatives, revealing a “capability gap” between current and required analytics capabilities. In a similar way, academic interest has dramatically increased over the last 10 years, when researchers published the 98% of the total studies on HRA. Recently, scholars defined HRA as an organisational capability that depends on multiple organisational dimensions, levels, and microfoundations (i.e. individuals, processes, and organisational structures). In this regard, prior research argued that the successful development of HRA depends on the effective integration of different organisational resources, dimensions, and stakeholders. Furthermore, academics explained that organisational capabilities reside in different microfoundational pillars located at different levels, emphasising the importance to analyse both macro-, micro-, and individual-level variables in order to understand how capabilities emerge and develop over time. Despite the interest, empirical and longitudinal research on the development of HRA capabilities is still rare. First, scholars have to define which organisational dimensions should be integrated and reconfigured for HRA development. Second, scientific research did not further investigate the micro level dynamics underlying HRA emergence and development. Finally, current research provided limited contributions on how employees may perceive and react to HRA processes, leaving a relevant gap for future research. In light of these premises, this research aims at providing managerial and theoretical contributions on the development of HRA capability and the role of its microfoundations. The dissertation has been designed as a collection of four papers: a literature review and three empirical studies based on both qualitative and quantitative methods. The first research (Paper 1) maps the extant knowledge on HRA, defining its research boundaries, state-of-the-art, and relevant research gaps. The empirical part of this dissertation, then, have been articulated in three main levels of analysis (i.e. macro-, micro-, and individual-level) and three respective articles (Paper 2, Paper 3, Paper 4), deepening HRA development at different microfoundational levels. The empirical research has been conducted through an industrial collaborative research involving the company fundings this doctoral program (i.e. Costa Crociere), a Joint Research Platform (JRP), and different organisations interested in HRA. The first paper (Paper 1) proposes a scoping review based on topic modelling technique that goes beyond traditional search strategies, identifying and organising the existing contributions on HRA. The findings provide researchers with a map to navigate the HRA field, supporting them in the generation of more interdisciplinary and impactful research. The second study (Paper 2) provides a HRA Maturity Model (HRAMM) that operationalise HRA capability through four areas (i.e. Technological, Organisational, Functional, Diffusion), multiple constituting dimensions, and four maturity levels (i.e. Initial, Limited, Systematic, Strategic). Furthermore, this study provides an interdependency matrix that investigate the interdependencies among HRA multiple dimensions, emphasising the importance of defining balanced and harmonious development path. The third research (Paper 3) focuses on the emergence and development of HRA capability over time through a single longitudinal case study, deepening the micro-level dynamics underlying its evolution. Findings show that HRA development goes through six main phases (i.e. Informal development; Persuasion; Legitimisation; Formal development; Integration; Maturity), each characterised by different microfoundational actions and interactions. Additionally, the research identifies and discusses the fundamental factors for each phase and the critical variables for the transition from individual- to organisational-level capabilities. The results provide further empirical evidence on how HRA capabilities are created and developed over time. The last research (Paper 4) further delves into the microfoundations of HRA capabilities by investigating employees’ cognitive-emotional processes towards data collection initiatives. The study, based on a cross-sectional study, demonstrates that employees attribute both benevolent and malevolent managerial motives to data collection processes implemented to develop HRA practices, depending on the presence of information sharing practices and their personal beliefs of legitimacy. Individual perceived legitimacy and attributions, in turn, determine employees’ fear of being datafied and reduced to a number. Combining these contributions, this research provides an initial description of HRA emergence and development through its multiple dimensions, levels, and underlying microfoundations. This dissertation could be an interesting starting point for further discussion on HRA capabilities but is far from being exhaustive and complete. Thus, research limitations and directions for future research are discussed.
Negli ultimi dieci anni, la crescente globalizzazione, la complessità della forza lavoro e la digitalizzazione aziendale hanno posto sfide senza precedenti alla gestione delle risorse umane. D'altra parte, la diffusione delle tecnologie digitali ha facilitato la raccolta, conservazione e analisi dei dati dei dipendenti, fornendo ai dipartimenti HR informazioni per comprendere meglio il personale. In questo "nuovo mondo", le organizzazioni stanno progressivamente sfruttando le pratiche di HR Analytics (HRA) per sostenere la gestione delle persone e del talento, sostituendo i procedimenti tradizionali basati sull'intuizione con processi decisionali basati su evidenze scientifiche. Oggi, l'HRA è considerato una priorità aziendale e un "game changer" per i dipartimenti HR, e il valore di mercato effettivo delle soluzioni HRA (i.e. $1.81) è previsto triplicare entro il 2030 (i.e. $4.78). Tuttavia, l'interesse e l'adozione manageriale non vanno di pari passo. La maggior parte delle aziende fatica infatti nello sviluppare e implementare sistematicamente iniziative di HRA, rivelando un “capability gap" tra le attuali competenze analitiche e quelle richieste. In modo simile, l'interesse accademico è drasticamente aumentato negli ultimi 10 anni, con i ricercatori hanno pubblicato il 98% degli studi totali sull'HRA. Recentemente, gli studiosi hanno definito l'HRA come una “organisational capability” che dipende da molteplici dimensioni organizzative, livelli e microfondazioni (i.e. individui, processi e strutture organizzative). A tal proposito, la ricerca precedente ha sostenuto che lo sviluppo di successo dell'HRA dipende dall'integrazione efficace di diversi fattori organizzativi, dimensioni, e stakeholder. Inoltre, gli accademici hanno spiegato che le capacità organizzative risiedono in diverse pilastri microfondazionali situati a livelli diversi, sottolineando l'importanza di analizzare variabili a livello macro, micro ed individuale per comprendere come le capacità emergono e si sviluppano nel tempo. Nonostante l'interesse, la ricerca empirica e longitudinale sullo sviluppo delle “HRA capabilities” è ancora limitata. In primo luogo, gli studiosi devono definire quali dimensioni organizzative integrare e riconfigurare per lo sviluppo dell'HRA. In secondo luogo, la ricerca scientifica non ha indagato ulteriormente le micro-dinamiche alla base dell'emergenza e dello sviluppo dell'HRA. Infine, la ricerca attuale ha fornito contributi limitati su come i dipendenti possano percepire e reagire ai processi HRA, lasciando uno spazio rilevante per la ricerca futura. Alla luce di queste premesse, questa tesi mira a fornire contributi manageriali e teorici sullo sviluppo della “HRA capabilities” e il ruolo delle sue microfondazioni. La tesi è stata progettata come una raccolta di quattro articoli: una revisione della letteratura e tre studi empirici basati su metodi qualitativi e quantitativi. Il primo studio (Paper 1) mappa la conoscenza esistente sull'HRA, definendo i suoi confini di ricerca, lo stato dell'arte e le lacune di ricerca rilevanti. La sezione empirica di questa tesi è stata poi articolata in tre principali livelli di analisi (i.e. macro, micro e individuale) e tre rispettivi articoli (Paper 2, Paper 3, Paper 4), approfondendo lo sviluppo dell'HRA a diversi livelli microfondazionali. La ricerca empirica è stata condotta attraverso una ricerca collaborativa industriale che coinvolge l'azienda che finanzia questo programma di dottorato (i.e. Costa Crociere), un Joint Research Platform (JRP) e diverse organizzazioni interessate all'HRA. Il primo articolo (Paper 1) propone una revisione della letteratura basata sulla tecnica di topic modelling che vada oltre le tradizionali strategie di ricerca, identificando e organizzando i contributi esistenti sull'HRA. I risultati forniscono ai ricercatori una mappa per navigare il campo di ricerca dell’HRA, supportandoli nella generazione di ricerche più interdisciplinari e d'impatto. Il secondo studio (Paper 2) fornisce un HRA Maturity Model (HRAMM) che operazionalizza le “HRA capabilities” attraverso quattro aree (i.e. Tecnologica, Organizzativa, Funzionale, Diffusione), molteplici dimensioni costituenti e quattro livelli di maturità (i.e. Iniziale, Limitato, Sistematico, Strategico). Inoltre, questo studio fornisce una matrice di interdipendenza che indaga le interdipendenze tra le molteplici dimensioni HRA, sottolineando l'importanza di definire un percorso di sviluppo bilanciato e armonioso. Il terzo studio (Paper 3) si concentra sulla nascita e lo sviluppo delle “HRA capabilities” nel tempo attraverso uno single longitudinal case study, approfondendo le micro-dinamiche alla base della sua evoluzione. I risultati mostrano che lo sviluppo dell’HRA passa attraverso sei fasi principali (i.e. Sviluppo informale; Persuasione; Legittimazione; Sviluppo formale; Integrazione; Maturità), ciascuna caratterizzata da diverse azioni e interazioni microfondazionali. Inoltre, la ricerca identifica e discute i fattori fondamentali per ciascuna fase e le variabili critiche per la transizione dalle capacità a livello individuale a quelle organizzative. I risultati forniscono ulteriori prove empiriche su come le “HRA capabilities” vengono create e sviluppate nel tempo. L'ultimo studio (Paper 4) approfondisce ulteriormente le microfondazioni delle “HRA capabilities” indagando i processi cognitivo-emotivi dei dipendenti verso le iniziative di raccolta dati. Lo studio, basato su un cross-sectional study, dimostra che le persone attribuiscono motivazioni manageriali sia benevole che malevole ai processi di raccolta dati implementati per sviluppare pratiche di HRA, a seconda della presenza di pratiche di condivisione delle informazioni (i.e. Information Sharing Practices) e delle loro convinzioni personali di legittimità (i.e. Perceived Legitimacy). La legittimità percepita e le attribuzioni individuali, a loro volta, determinano la paura degli impiegati di essere trasformati in dati e ridotti a un numero. Unendo questi contributi, questa tesi fornisce una descrizione iniziale dell'emergere e dello sviluppo dell'HRA attraverso le sue molteplici dimensioni, livelli e microfondazioni. Questa ricerca potrebbe essere un punto di partenza interessante per ulteriori discussioni sulle capacità HRA, ma è lontana dall'essere esaustiva e completa. Pertanto, vengono discusse le limitazioni della ricerca e le direzioni per la ricerca futura.
Human resources analytics as an organisational capability to nurture : a microfoundational perspective
RIGAMONTI, ELIA
2023/2024
Abstract
In the last decade, the increasing globalisation, workforce complexity, and business digitalisation poses unprecedent challenges for Human Resources Management (HRM). On the other side, the spread of digital technologies has facilitated the collection, storage, and analysis of employees’ data, providing HR departments with information to better understand their personnel. In this “new world”, organisations are progressively leveraging HR Analytics (HRA) practices to support HRM, replacing traditional intuition-based procedures with evidence-based decisional processes. Nowadays, HRA is considered a business top-priority and a “game changer” for HR departments, and the actual market value for HRA solutions (i.e. $1.81) is expected to triple by 2030 (i.e. $4.78). Managerial interest and adoption, however, do not go hand in hand. Most firms are indeed struggling in developing and systematically implementing HRA initiatives, revealing a “capability gap” between current and required analytics capabilities. In a similar way, academic interest has dramatically increased over the last 10 years, when researchers published the 98% of the total studies on HRA. Recently, scholars defined HRA as an organisational capability that depends on multiple organisational dimensions, levels, and microfoundations (i.e. individuals, processes, and organisational structures). In this regard, prior research argued that the successful development of HRA depends on the effective integration of different organisational resources, dimensions, and stakeholders. Furthermore, academics explained that organisational capabilities reside in different microfoundational pillars located at different levels, emphasising the importance to analyse both macro-, micro-, and individual-level variables in order to understand how capabilities emerge and develop over time. Despite the interest, empirical and longitudinal research on the development of HRA capabilities is still rare. First, scholars have to define which organisational dimensions should be integrated and reconfigured for HRA development. Second, scientific research did not further investigate the micro level dynamics underlying HRA emergence and development. Finally, current research provided limited contributions on how employees may perceive and react to HRA processes, leaving a relevant gap for future research. In light of these premises, this research aims at providing managerial and theoretical contributions on the development of HRA capability and the role of its microfoundations. The dissertation has been designed as a collection of four papers: a literature review and three empirical studies based on both qualitative and quantitative methods. The first research (Paper 1) maps the extant knowledge on HRA, defining its research boundaries, state-of-the-art, and relevant research gaps. The empirical part of this dissertation, then, have been articulated in three main levels of analysis (i.e. macro-, micro-, and individual-level) and three respective articles (Paper 2, Paper 3, Paper 4), deepening HRA development at different microfoundational levels. The empirical research has been conducted through an industrial collaborative research involving the company fundings this doctoral program (i.e. Costa Crociere), a Joint Research Platform (JRP), and different organisations interested in HRA. The first paper (Paper 1) proposes a scoping review based on topic modelling technique that goes beyond traditional search strategies, identifying and organising the existing contributions on HRA. The findings provide researchers with a map to navigate the HRA field, supporting them in the generation of more interdisciplinary and impactful research. The second study (Paper 2) provides a HRA Maturity Model (HRAMM) that operationalise HRA capability through four areas (i.e. Technological, Organisational, Functional, Diffusion), multiple constituting dimensions, and four maturity levels (i.e. Initial, Limited, Systematic, Strategic). Furthermore, this study provides an interdependency matrix that investigate the interdependencies among HRA multiple dimensions, emphasising the importance of defining balanced and harmonious development path. The third research (Paper 3) focuses on the emergence and development of HRA capability over time through a single longitudinal case study, deepening the micro-level dynamics underlying its evolution. Findings show that HRA development goes through six main phases (i.e. Informal development; Persuasion; Legitimisation; Formal development; Integration; Maturity), each characterised by different microfoundational actions and interactions. Additionally, the research identifies and discusses the fundamental factors for each phase and the critical variables for the transition from individual- to organisational-level capabilities. The results provide further empirical evidence on how HRA capabilities are created and developed over time. The last research (Paper 4) further delves into the microfoundations of HRA capabilities by investigating employees’ cognitive-emotional processes towards data collection initiatives. The study, based on a cross-sectional study, demonstrates that employees attribute both benevolent and malevolent managerial motives to data collection processes implemented to develop HRA practices, depending on the presence of information sharing practices and their personal beliefs of legitimacy. Individual perceived legitimacy and attributions, in turn, determine employees’ fear of being datafied and reduced to a number. Combining these contributions, this research provides an initial description of HRA emergence and development through its multiple dimensions, levels, and underlying microfoundations. This dissertation could be an interesting starting point for further discussion on HRA capabilities but is far from being exhaustive and complete. Thus, research limitations and directions for future research are discussed.| File | Dimensione | Formato | |
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Descrizione: Doctoral Thesis
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https://hdl.handle.net/10589/217476