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Research trends in human resource management. A text-mining-based literature review

International Journal of Manpower

ISSN : 0143-7720

Article publication date: 26 April 2022

Issue publication date: 14 March 2023

The purpose of the study was to detect trends in human resource management (HRM) research presented in journals during the 2000–2020 timeframe. The research question is: How are the interests of researchers changing in the field of HRM and which topics have gained popularity in recent years?

Design/methodology/approach

The approach adopted in this study was designed to overcome all the limitations specific to the systematic literature reviews and bibliometric studies presented in the Introduction. The full texts of papers were analyzed. The text-mining tools detected first clusters and then trends, moreover, which limited the impact of a researcher's bias. The approach applied is consistent with the general rules of systematic literature reviews.

The article makes a threefold contribution to academic knowledge. First, it uses modern methodology to gather and synthesize HRM research topics. The proposed approach was designed to allow early detection of nascent, non-obvious trends in research, which will help researchers address topics of high value for both theory and practice. Second, the results of our study highlight shifts in focus in HRM over the past 19 years. Third, the article suggests further directions of research.

Research limitations/implications

In this study, the approach designed to overcome the limitations of using systematic literature review was presented. The analysis was done on the basis of the full text of the articles and the categories were discovered directly from the articles rather than predetermined. The study's findings may, however, potentially be limited by the following issues. First, the eligibility criteria included only papers indexed in the Scopus and WoS database and excluded conference proceedings, book chapters, and non-English papers. Second, only full-text articles were included in the study, which could narrow down the research area. As a consequence, important information regarding the research presented in the excluded documents is potentially lost. Third, most of the papers in our database were published in the International Journal of Human Resource Management, and therefore such trends as “challenges for international HRM” can be considered significant (long-lasting). Another – the fourth – limitation of the study is the lack of estimation of the proportion between searches in HRM journals and articles published in other journals. Future research may overcome the above-presented limitations. Although the authors used valuable techniques such as TF-IDF and HDBSCAN, the fifth limitation is that, after trends were discovered, it was necessary to evaluate and interpret them. That could have induced researchers' bias even if – as in this study – researchers from different areas of experience were involved. Finally, this study covers the 2000–2020 timeframe. Since HRM is a rapidly developing field, in a few years from now academics will probably begin to move into exciting new research areas. As a consequence, it might be worthwhile conducting similar analyses to those presented in this study and compare their results.

Originality/value

The present study provides an analysis of HRM journals with the aim of establishing trends in HRM research. It makes contributions to the field by providing a more comprehensive and objective review than analyses resulting from systematic literature reviews. It fills the gap in literature studies on HRM with a novel research approach – a methodology based on full-text mining and a big data toolset. As a consequence, this study can be considered as providing an adequate reflection of all the articles published in journals strictly devoted to HRM issues and which may serve as an important source of reference for both researchers and practitioners. This study can help them identify the core journals focused on HRM research as well as topics which are of particular interest and importance.

• Human resource management
• Text-mining

Piwowar-Sulej, K. , Wawak, S. , Tyrańska, M. , Zakrzewska, M. , Jarosz, S. and Sołtysik, M. (2023), "Research trends in human resource management. A text-mining-based literature review", International Journal of Manpower , Vol. 44 No. 1, pp. 176-196. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJM-03-2021-0183

Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2022, Katarzyna Piwowar-Sulej, Sławomir Wawak, Małgorzata Tyrańska, Małgorzata Zakrzewska, Szymon Jarosz and Mariusz Sołtysik

Published by Emerald Publishing Limited. This article is published under the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) licence. Anyone may reproduce, distribute, translate and create derivative works of this article (for both commercial and non-commercial purposes), subject to full attribution to the original publication and authors. The full terms of this licence may be seen at http://creativecommons.org/licences/by/4.0/legalcode

1. Introduction

The human resource (HR) function has evolved over the years from serving a purely administrative role into one that is more strategic in character. Today it is believed that the mission of human resource management (HRM) is to support the organization in achieving its objectives by developing and implementing HR strategies that are integrated with a company's business strategy, promote staff development, foster a positive employment relationship, promote an ethical approach to people management, and care about the environment (social and natural) ( Ehnert, 2009 ; Braga et al. , 2021 ).

In practice, HRM means providing continuous solutions to a wide array of problems occurring in employee-employer, line worker-manager, and employee-employee relations and also in contacts with, e.g. trade unions. Human behaviors, feelings and attitudes are determined both by the personal characteristics of individuals and by the impact of the environment. The shape of HRM is significantly influenced by such factors as, e.g. the demographic and technological transformations ( Greiling, 2011 ; Silva and Lima, 2018 ), and globalization ( Gerhart and Fang, 2005 ).

HRM has evolved as a professional and academic discipline in parallel with both planned shifts in global considerations and unplanned phenomena such as, e.g. epidemics. For researchers it is crucial to identify, define, explain, and help practitioners understand the key factors which have an impact on HRM. Another of the researchers' roles is to formulate practical guidelines on how to manage people in different circumstances and outline areas of future research. HRM thrives on the contributions made in other fields that it assimilates and applies in practice. It unscrupulously builds on theoretical developments made earlier in related disciplines ( Boxall et al. , 2009 ). Finally, the researcher endeavors to provide an overview, comparisons, analyses and syntheses of previously published findings ( Paul and Criado, 2020 ).

The theme of trends in HRM has been addressed in numerous publications (e.g. Cooper et al. , 2020 ; Madera et al. , 2017 ). Their authors have employed various approaches to identify such phenomena, including systematic literature reviews. Articles offering a traditional overview provide a quantity-oriented (i.e. meta-analytical, systematic) approach together with descriptive or qualitative elements. Jointly, they develop a theoretical background, highlight irregularities in existing findings, integrate the findings of a wide variety of publications and in general provide other researchers with an up-to-date understanding of the discipline, frequently prepared by leading specialists ( Palmatier et al. , 2018 ). In most cases, the documents selected for analysis were based on titles, keywords and abstracts only. Unfortunately, they contain only around 8% of all research findings ( Blake, 2010 ). In order to gain a deeper insight into such a body of knowledge authors have often turned to the by-hand review method (e.g. Cooper et al. , 2020 ).

Conventional systematic by-hand literature reviews are sometimes characterized by errors in article selection, possible simplifications and potentially incomplete and not universal results (subjective, impressionistic descriptions), In response to these shortcomings, in recent years a number of new alternatives have emerged. One new approach that has attracted increasing attention is bibliometric studies. This method applies dedicated IT tools to gauge trends in articles. They examine academic material from both an objective and qualitative perspective for the purposes of identifying, organizing, and analyzing information in a specific research field ( Capobianco-Uriarte et al. , 2019 ). As far as trends in HRM are concerned, Markoulli et al. (2017) presented a summary of previously published traditional and narrative reviews and on its basis created a science map and defined clusters based on keyword co-occurrence analysis and the VOSviewer software tool.

Bibliometric analyses can be treated as a platform for writing an entire article or can be used only as preparation for the groundwork for further in-depth content analysis and qualitative descriptions. In turn, a text mining toolset can help identify research trends and select papers which are in line with a particular trend. Moreover, a full-text analysis of publications using a text mining toolset enables researchers to obtain higher-quality results than when using only keywords, such as in the case of VOSviewer analyses ( Kobayashi et al. , 2018 ). As a consequence we decided that it was worth adopting a methodology based on full-text mining and a big data toolset in order to identify trends in HRM research. We believe that big data and analytics help not only companies function but also researchers in a highly data-driven world ( Kobayashi et al. , 2018 ).

The purpose of the study was to detect trends in HRM research presented in journals during the 2000–2020 timeframe. The following research question was asked: how are the interests of researchers changing in the field of HRM and which topics have gained in popularity in recent years?

The paper is organized as follows. In the second section we describe the HRM research trends identified in previous studies. Here the focus is on the context in which authors were operating when analyzing HRM issues. The third section is devoted to the research method employed for the purpose of this study. Then we present the results and discussion. The article ends with conclusions, including limitations and areas of future research.

The article makes a threefold contribution to academic knowledge. First, it uses modern methodology to gather and synthesize HRM research topics. The proposed approach was designed to allow early detection of nascent, non-obvious trends in research, which will help researchers address topics of high value for both theory and practice. Second, the results of our study highlight shifts in focus in HRM over the past 20 years. Third, the article suggests further directions of research.

2. Trends in the HRM research identified in previous studies

In their search for HRM research trends authors of this study firstly used the Scopus database and a search strategy based on such terms as: trends in human resource management/HRM, trends in research on human resource management/HRM, human resource management/HRM trends, intellectual structure of human resource management/HRM. The searching process covered titles, abstracts and keywords and was limited to articles written in English. The search produced 37 documents. Then the authors also searched for additional articles in Google Scholar.

Most of the articles were devoted to the trends identified in HR practices in companies (e.g. Dubravska and Solankova, 2015 ). One of such trends is HRM digitalization ( Ashbaugh and Miranda, 2002 ). Table 1 presents a list of HRM trends identified in the research (related to academic work) conducted by different authors.

It can be concluded from the above that researchers employed different approaches to defining and identifying these trends. Research trends may be associated with research topics (e.g. Özlen, 2014 ), research methods (e.g. Pietersen, 2018 ) and the general characteristics of the academic domain (e.g. Sanders and De Cieri, 2020 ). Although a number of authors have provided traditional literature reviews of trends in HRM, Chae et al. (2020) , for example, focused only on the local (Korean) research trends and used only keyword analyses. Others focused on a specific sector ( Cooper et al. , 2020 ), industry ( Madera et al. , 2017 ) or region ( Wood and Bischoff, 2020 ). There are also articles that outline the evolution of research in particular journals (e.g. Pietersen, 2018 ). Others address specific problems, such as international HRM (e.g. Sanders and De Cieri, 2020 ) or green HRM ( Yong et al. , 2020 ). The most visible trends identified in previous studies and associated with research topics were strategic HRM, HR performance and employment/industrial relations. The first topic was addressed in eight works while the remaining was the subject of five publications.

3. Material and methods

The approach adopted in this study was designed to overcome all the limitations specific to the systematic literature reviews and bibliometric studies as presented in the Introduction. The full texts of papers were analyzed. The approach applied is consistent with the general rules of systematic literature reviews ( Tranfield et al. , 2003 ) and consists of several steps, which are presented in Figure 1 .

3.1 Selection of journals

Thousands of articles covering HRM can be found on both Scopus and the Web of Science. For the sake of the present analysis, it was necessary to define inclusion criteria in the meta-analysis.

The main topic of the journal was related to HRM,

The journals were indexed in Scopus and WoS,

The journals have a high SNIP index value (the limit value is set at 1 - status for 2020; full values are presented in Table 2 ),

Full versions of the article were available,

The articles were published in the years 2000–2020.

A total of 8 journals met the above criteria ( Table 2 ). The full texts of the papers were downloaded from academic databases. No duplicates were found. Only research papers were included, while editorials, calls for papers, errata and book reviews were excluded.

All the metadata were removed from the papers. The titles and abstracts often contain catchwords designed to increase readership. As a consequence, only the texts of papers minus their titles, keywords, abstracts and references were analyzed in this study. Additional bibliographic information that could be useful in the analytical process was downloaded from the Crossref database. Each paper was converted into a text file and then into a bag-of-words model for the needs of automatic analysis using computer algorithms. The algorithms were created using Python libraries, such as grobid, nltk, scikit-learn, hdbscan, and scipy ( Pedregosa et al. , 2011 ).

3.2 Search for the most important terms

w i j – result for term i in document j ,

t f i j – number of occurrences of i in j ,

d f i – number of documents containing i ,

N – number of documents in the corpus (set of documents).

The TF-IDF method is not a mathematical model. It requires extensive computation, cannot be used to discover synonyms and ignores multiple meanings of words ( Zhang et al. , 2011 ). However, in the case of research papers, these problems have a minimal impact due to the more precise language used by researchers.

3.3 Identification of thematic groups (clusters)

The TF-IDF model presents each paper as a multidimensional vector. The number of dimensions is equal to the number of keywords used in the analysis. In the next step, all the vectors were compared to each other, which led to the discovery of clusters.

As mentioned in section 3.2 , the TF-IDF model does not analyse synonyms and ignores multiple meanings of words and phrases. In scholarly texts, it is rarely a problem. Even in HRM, where the number of synonyms can be perceived as higher than in other areas of management, the impact on the results should be negligible.

There are two main approaches to clustering: partitioning and hierarchical clustering. The former can be applied when all the corpus elements must be included in one of the groups. This induces data noise, as not even similar elements have to be included. The latter allows some elements to remain outside the clusters. The clusters become much more homogenous. This constitutes a better approach when it comes to identifying trends. Multiple hierarchical clustering methods are available, e.g. meanshift, DBSCAN, Optics and HDBSCAN (Hierarchical Density-Based Spatial Clustering of Applications with Noise) ( McInnes et al. , 2017 ). HDBSCAN is characterized by the least number of limitations. It takes each paper (vector) and checks at what distance it can find similar publications. Then it compares the results, and the densest areas are detected as clusters. Unlike some other methods, the clusters lack permanent density or a fixed number of elements. The only parameter that the researcher needs to establish is the minimum cluster size. The best value can be determined through a series of experiments.

In the present study, the authors carried out a set of experiments using different minimum cluster sizes. The highest value detected was 20. Lower values lead to a much higher number of clusters. Moreover, general phrases not directly related to HRM played a significant role in the discovery of these clusters. With the minimum cluster size set to values greater than 20, the number of clusters was significantly lower. That led to general results based on the most popular phrases only.

The entire sample was divided into groups of papers published in 5-year overlapping periods starting with 2000–2004 and ending with 2016–2020. Each paper was assigned to all the groups into which it fitted. Cluster analysis was performed for every group separately, and the results were used to identify trends.

Cluster analysis was performed on each group separately, and the results were used to discover trends. Approximately 30 clusters on average were identified for each five-year period. However, for a trend to be identified at least two similar clusters had to be discovered in successive periods Therefore, many unrelated clusters were excluded by the algorithm. Such behaviour is expected, as it removes noise from data. Usually, only one-third of clusters meet the conditions to form trends.

The number of papers published in each year is presented in Figure 2 . A slight decrease in the number of articles can be observed compared to 2018–19, which may have been a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.

3.4 Identification of trends

Long-lasting trends that existed and evolved during the studied period,

Declining trends which came to an end during the studied period,

Emerging trends which began during the studied period,

Ephemeris trends that began and ended during the studied period.

3.5 Interpretation of trends

The results delivered by the algorithm must be checked through further studies. The algorithm can detect mergers or splits in trends. We decided, however, that the final decision should be left to researchers. At this stage, trends should also be named, interpreted and described. The interpretation phase should help highlight changes within trends and try to predict their future evolution.

4. Results and discussion

The analyses, performed by researchers using automatic algorithms and further verification, led to the discovery of 42 trends presented in Table 3 . These trends are ordered according to the year of their first occurrence and their duration. It is worth emphasizing that the year in which a trend was observed does not indicate that the idea behind it emerged at the same time. Rather, it shows when a subject began to increase in popularity among researchers. Furthermore, the number of identified trends is much higher than the results from previous studies presented in Section 2.1 Table 4 .

The use of tracking revealed the evolution of clusters, and made it possible to identify trends. The analysis led to the discovery of the types of trends presented in Section 3.4. Of the 42 trends, 4 were long-lasting, 5 declining, 17 emerging and 16 ephemeris in character. One possible fact to note is that “strategic HRM”, which was a prevailing trend in previous studies, is not directly presented in the results obtained using text-mining analyses. However, it is included in the “architecture and changing role of HRM” trend.

At this point it is worth emphasizing that sociologists of science have examined the principles governing the selection of topics analysed by researchers, and noticed that it may result from a trade-off between conservative production and risky innovation ( Bourdieu, 1975 ). The main problem when choosing research topics is deciding whether to continue topics fixed in the literature or take the risk of exploring new, hitherto unknown themes. Trend a analysis offers an indirect solution based on strategic ambidexterity. This is not only because it allows us to observe disappearing themes that continue to be exploited, but also to identify those topics, in which there is a growing interest (exploration).

Long-lasting trends are not homogenous and change over time. The evolution of trends can be tracked using keywords of considerable importance in subsequent years. The importance of keywords was evaluated using the TF-IDF algorithm and averaged for each cluster. The TF-IDF formula was presented in the Methodology section. It should be noted that the TF-IDF score has to be calculated for each phrase in each paper. In this study, over 150,000 phrases were identified in over 6 thousand papers. That resulted in a significant number of calculations made by the algorithm, which cannot be presented in the paper. A comparison of cluster keywords reveals new topics within trends. The evolution of trends may lead to the disappearance of earlier topics or to their parallel development. Declining and ephemeris trends are associated with issues that are of less interest to researchers, have been resolved or were eclipsed by changes in a researcher's approach to the object of their study. The disappearance of certain trends is a normal phenomenon in science. Such a disappearance can be predicted to a certain degree when the average number of papers decreases.

Since we identified many trends, only a few examples will be described below. One example of a long-lasting trend is “Diversity Management”, which covered the entire 2000–2020 timeframe. The articles that discussed this trend focused on effective diversity management, its impact on organizational performance (e.g. Choi et al. , 2017 ), team performance ( Roberge and van Dick, 2010 ), knowledge sharing ( Shen et al. , 2014 ), innovation ( Peretz et al. , 2015 ), and the various factors which impact upon its effectiveness. Some papers discussed only one form of diversity in the workplace, e.g. age diversity ( Li et al. , 2011 ), gender diversity (e.g. Gould et al. , 2018 ) or ethnic diversity (e.g. Singh, 2007 ).

One sub-trend that can be observed within the above-discussed trend is age management', which falls within the 2005–2018 time range. The papers assigned to this sub-trend focus on HR practices towards older employees (e.g. Kooij et al. , 2014 ).

One example of a declining trend is “new and traditional career models”. This trend, which was observed in the years 2000–2019, highlights the fact that the weakening of organizational boundaries has increased career freedom and independence from previously constraining factors. The papers which examined this issue provide conceptual knowledge of different career dimensions. For example, a shift has taken place from objective to subjective careers. Individuals have to make sense of their careers, because they can no longer depend on their employers ( Walton and Mallon, 2004 ). Individual cultural, social and economic capital builds a field of opportunities for pursuing a career ( Iellatchitch et al. , 2003 ). Simultaneously, two major kinds of boundaries to the “boundaryless career” have been identified: the competence-based boundary (industry boundary) and the relation-based boundary (social capital boundary) ( Baghdadli et al. , 2003 ).

In the last two decades, increasing environmental awareness has pushed researchers towards addressing the issue of HRM as a strategic tool for making companies sustainability-driven organizations (e.g. Podgorodnichenko et al. , 2020 ). One of the emerging trends identified in our study is “Green and sustainable HRM”. This trend focuses on the environmental responsibility of companies (e.g. DuBois and Dubois, 2012 ) or/and achieving simultaneously social and economic goals (if the triple bottom line concept is discussed) (e.g. Ren and Jackson, 2020 ). The results, in the form of behavioral changes, have also been examined (e.g. Dumont et al. , 2017 ) and the contribution of HRM to company sustainability has been discussed in the context of different countries (e.g. Alcaraz et al. , 2019 ).

Finally, one example of an ephemeris trend is “HR certification”. The discussion on this trend was initiated by Lengnick-Hall and Aguinis (2012) . They applied a multi-level theory-based approach to investigating HR certification. They tried to assess the value of HR certification for individual HR specialists, their organizations as well as for the HR profession as a whole. The main topic addressed in later articles devoted to this trend was the value of HR certification (e.g. Aguinis and Lengnick-Hall, 2012 ). The value of HR certification has been linked with shareholder value ( Paxton, 2012 ). The link between organizational values and HR certification is another issue that has been addressed. Organizational values are treated as a key antecedent to the use and pursuit of HR certification ( Garza and Morgeson, 2012 ).

Table 3 presents only those periods during which specific trends were active, but provides no information on their dynamics. This can be observed by looking at the average number of papers per year (ANPY) in consecutive periods. Table 4 presents all the trends active during the last year of the study. They were divided into three groups according to whether the ANPY was decreasing, increasing or stable in recent years. To depict the relative strength of these trends, table shows the average number of papers published in the final 5-year period.

It can be concluded that trends with an increasing dynamic coincide with the trends defined in the literature. For example, “flexible employment from the perspective of HRM” corresponds with “employment relations” distinguished by Markoulli et al. (2017) and “the HRM process, the changing nature of HRM, and precarious employment relations” in the typology developed by Cooper et al. (2020) . “Diversity Management” is related to “organizational culture” ( Özlen, 2014 ). “Employee participation” may be associated with “employment relations” ( Cooke et al. , 2019 ) and “organizational commitment” ( García-Lillo et al. , 2017 ). The latter occurs both in the presented typology and in previous ones. “leader–member exchange” should be included in “behavioral issues” ( Özlen, 2014 ). Finally, a trend characterized by an increasing dynamic is “green and sustainable HRM”. Green HRM was an independent subject of analysis in a study by Yong et al. (2020) .

5. Conclusions

5.1 contributions and implications.

The present study provides an analysis of HRM journals with the aim of identifying trends in HRM research. It makes contributions to the field by providing a more comprehensive and objective review than analyses resulting from conventional systematic literature reviews as well as by identifying 42 different trends. It fills an existing gap in literature studies on HRM with a novel research approach – a methodology based on full-text mining and a big data toolset. As a consequence, this study can be considered as providing an adequate reflection of all the articles published in journals strictly devoted to HRM issues and which may serve as an important source of reference for both researchers and practitioners. It can also help them identify the core journals focused on HRM research as well as those topics which are of particular interest and importance.

As the study covers a period of over 20 years it should come as no surprise that some trends emerged and declined over this time. However, our study creates an opportunity for reviving research topics which combine old trends with new ones, and at the same time take into account the interdisciplinary nature of HRM as a field of research. Some researchers have observed that success can often be achieved by adopting a tool from another research area or through a new way of analyzing old problems that brings new insights and solutions ( Adali et al. , 2018 ).

Finally, we observed the emergence of a number of trends during the studied period that are still active. In particular, green and sustainable HRM is not only an emerging trend but also developing rapidly. It is worth mentioning here that while many articles have focused on green HRM issues, they have not been published in journals that specialize in HRM but in journals devoted to environmental issues. One possible future challenge for researchers may be to estimate the proportions between HRM articles published in HRM journals and those featured in other journals.

Practitioners interested in the evolution of the field can find in this paper areas of HRM that require improving in their own businesses or which can be treated as a platform for introducing innovations in HRM (emerging trends). The information contained in this paper can also be utilized as a source for evaluating the performance of sub-fields in a HRM research domain and for adjusting research policies with regard to funding allocations and comparing research input and output ( Gu, 2004 ). The editors of journals may take into account the results presented in this paper when making decisions regarding the direction, scope, and themes of their journals.

5.2 Limitations

In this study, the approach designed to overcome the limitations of using systematic literature review was presented. The analysis was done on the basis of the full text of the articles and the categories were discovered directly from the articles rather than predetermined. The study's findings may, however, potentially be limited by the following issues.

First, our eligibility criteria included only papers indexed in the Scopus and WoS database and excluded conference proceedings, book chapters, and non-English papers. Second, only full-text articles were included in the study, which could narrow down the research area. As a consequence, important information regarding the research presented in the excluded documents is potentially lost. Third, most of the papers in our database were published in the International Journal of Human Resource Management, and therefore such trends as “challenges for international HRM” can be considered significant (long-lasting). Another – the fourth – limitation of the study is the lack of estimation of the proportion between searches in HRM journals and articles published in other journals. Future research may overcome the above-presented limitations. Although we used valuable techniques such as TF-IDF and HDBSCAN, the fifth limitation is that, after trends were discovered, it was necessary to evaluate and interpret them. That could have induced researchers' bias even if – as in this study – researchers from different areas of experience were involved. Finally, this study covers the 2000–2020 timeframe. Since HRM is a rapidly developing field, in a few years from now academics will probably begin to move into exciting new research areas. As a consequence, it might be worthwhile conducting similar analyses to those presented in this study and compare their results.

Workflow of the methodology used in this study

Number of papers in the years 2000–2020

Trends in HRM research identified in previous studies

HRM-related journals included in this study

Trends in HRM research in the years 2000–2020

Activity of long-lasting and emerging trends in recent years

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Artificial intelligence in human resource development: An umbrella review protocol

Roles Conceptualization, Data curation, Methodology, Project administration, Supervision, Validation, Writing – original draft, Writing – review & editing

* E-mail: [email protected]

Affiliation Human Resource Development, The University of Texas at Tyler, Tyler, Texas, United States of America

Roles Conceptualization, Data curation, Methodology, Software, Supervision, Validation, Writing – review & editing

Roles Conceptualization, Data curation, Validation, Writing – review & editing

• Sangok Yoo, 
• Kim Nimon, 
• Sanket Ramchandra Patole

• Published: September 9, 2024
• https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0310125
• Peer Review
• Reader Comments

The recent surge in artificial intelligence (AI) has significantly transformed work dynamics, particularly in human resource development (HRD) and related domains. Scholars, recognizing the significant potential of AI in HRD functions and processes, have contributed to the growing body of literature reviews on AI in HRD and related domains. Despite the valuable insights provided by these individual reviews, the challenge of collectively interpreting them within the HRD domain remains unresolved. This protocol outlines the methodology for an umbrella review aiming to systematically synthesize existing reviews on AI in HRD. The review seeks to address key research questions regarding AI’s contributions to HRD functions and processes, as well as the opportunities and threats associated with its implementation by employing a technology-aided systematic approach. The coding framework will be used to synthesize the contents of the selected systematic reviews such as their search strategies, data synthesis approaches, and HRD-related findings. The results of this umbrella review are expected to provide insights for HRD scholars and practitioners, promoting continuous improvement in AI-driven HRD initiatives. This protocol is preregistered on the Open Science Framework ( https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/Z8NM6 ) on May 27, 2024.

Citation: Yoo S, Nimon K, Patole SR (2024) Artificial intelligence in human resource development: An umbrella review protocol. PLoS ONE 19(9): e0310125. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0310125

Editor: Juan Correa, Critical Centrality Institute, MEXICO

Received: February 8, 2024; Accepted: August 23, 2024; Published: September 9, 2024

Copyright: © 2024 Yoo et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License , which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

Data Availability: All supplementary files are available in an open-access repository: https://osf.io/af6d7/ .

Funding: The author(s) received no specific funding for this work.

Competing interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Introduction

Artificial intelligence (AI) refers to the ability of machines to perform near or human-like functions, such as learning, interaction, and problem-solving, encompassing the culmination of computers, computer-related technologies, machines, and information communication technology innovations and developments, giving computers the ability to perform [ 1 , 2 ]. The AI market is anticipated to reach a $407 billion by 2027, indicating substantial growth from its estimated revenue of $86.9 billion in 2022. This surge is projected to make a 21% net contribution to the United States GDP by 2030, highlighting the profound impact of AI on economic growth [ 3 ]. Reasonably, a considerable 64% of businesses believe artificial intelligence will enhance their overall productivity [ 3 ]. Furthermore, according to an annual McKinsey Global Survey conducted in mid-April 2023, generative AI (Gen AI) has captured significant attention across the business landscape. Individuals from various regions, industries, and seniority levels are incorporating Gen AI into their professional and personal activities in their workplaces [ 4 ].

The recent proliferation of AI has dramatically changed the way we work [ 2 , 5 ]. In the field of human resource development (HRD) and related areas, the integration of AI presents opportunities to optimize talent acquisition, streamline learning and development initiatives, and enhance the strategic values of HRD in the workplace [ 5 , 6 ]. The far-reaching impact of AI underscores the need for a nuanced understanding of its role in HRD functions.

In academia, a burgeoning interest in AI in the workplace is evident through the growing body of research, leading to a surge of literature reviews focused on AI in HRD and related areas (e.g., [ 2 , 5 , 7 ]). For example, [ 5 ] conducted a critical review of the literature on AI and its impact on workplace outcomes, specifically within HR functions. [ 6 ] delved into the literature on AI applications, with a particular emphasis on the learning and development function. Despite the valuable contributions of these endeavors, the question of how these individual reviews can be collectively interpreted within the field of HRD remains unanswered.

To attain a comprehensive understanding of the rapidly expanding knowledge base, there is a need to systematically synthesize existing reviews on AI in HRD and related areas. An umbrella review, representing the highest level of evidence, offers a comprehensive overview of existing systematic reviews in a specific field. It enables scholars to compare the findings of systematic reviews relevant to a specific review question [ 8 , 9 ].

Hence, the proposed review outlined in this protocol aims to unveil patterns, trends, and gaps in the current understanding of AI in HRD literature. Additionally, we expect that this umbrella review will provide HRD scholars and practitioners with insights into the evolving concepts and practices associated with AI in HRD, thereby promoting continuous improvement in AI-driven HRD initiatives. The key research questions to be addressed in our umbrella review are:

• RQ1 : How does AI contribute to HRD functions and processes ?
• RQ2 : What are the opportunities and threats of implementing AI in HRD ?

In pursuit of the objective, this protocol proposes a technology-aided umbrella review process to synthesize systematic literature reviews on AI in the field of HRD and related areas. This systematic approach is designed to alleviate subjectivity in the review process, including the selection of search terms, thereby enhancing the rigor and objectivity of this umbrella review.

Materials and methods

Design and setting of the study.

This technology-aided umbrella review protocol adheres to the guidelines of PRISMA-P (Preferred reporting items for systematic review and meta-analysis protocols), serving as a guide for planning and documenting review methods [ 10 , 11 ]. The completed PRISMA-P checklist to confirm essential and minimum components of a systematic review is available in the S1 File . To achieve a comprehensive understanding of AI implementation in HRD, this protocol is designed to systematically incorporate existing systematic literature reviews on AI in HRD and related areas, mitigating subjective decision-making during review conduct [ 10 ]. This protocol is pre-registered on the Open Science Framework (OSF): https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/Z8NM6 . In the main research using this protocol, we plan to incorporate guidelines from the updated PRISMA 2020 statement to ensure comprehensive reporting of our umbrella review [ 12 ].

Database and data management

A structured search will be conducted in the Scopus and Web of Science databases, selected for their relevance to the field of study and comprehensive coverage. The review process, encompassing screening, will be coordinated utilizing Rayyan to ensure a systematic and efficient workflow [ 13 ].

Search strategy

Keywords to create a comprehensive search string that will be used to search systematic reviews for this umbrella review were collected. Table 1 describes the final search sub-strings of each component. AI-, HRD-, and SLR-related strings include search terms combined using the Boolean operator OR. In the final search string, the Boolean operator AND will be used to combine the three sub-strings. As our umbrella review aims to synthesize existing systematic literature reviews, the SLR-related string includes one search term that narrows the scope of our project. The specific search term identification strategy and term matching details are illustrated in the supplementary files ( S2 and S3 Files).

• PPT PowerPoint slide
• PNG larger image
• TIFF original image

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0310125.t001

Screening process

We will employ a two-stage screening strategy. First, the relevance of each article will be evaluated based on its title and abstract. Articles that meet the exclusion criteria will be excluded. The second stage will evaluate the relevance of articles based on full texts using the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The screening process will be coordinated using Rayyan.

Eligibility criteria

To uphold consistency and reproducibility in the screening process among coders, the inclusion and exclusion criteria are established. First, eligible studies are systemic literature reviews specifically focused on AI in the field of HRD and related areas. This inclusion criterion aims to contribute to the synthesis of high-quality evidence and insights derived from rigorous research methodologies. The initial search will be confined to peer-reviewed journal articles and conference proceedings written in English and published from 1995 onwards, aligning with the search practices in previous literature reviews on AI (e.g., [ 5 – 7 ]).

Regarding the exclusion criteria, first, studies that do not explicitly explore AI-related technology will be excluded, ensuring a targeted exploration of the subject matter. Second, studies unrelated to a workplace setting will be excluded, as this umbrella review is specifically tailored to the application of AI in the workplace. Third, non-systemic literature reviews, which lack a structured and systematic approach, will also be excluded to maintain the methodological rigor of the review. Fourth, as this umbrella review specifically targets systemic literature reviews, studies employing meta-analysis as the primary research methodology will not be considered for inclusion. Finally, as explained in the inclusion criteria, book chapters and non-referred articles will be excluded to maintain the scholarly standard and reliability of the information under consideration.

Data extraction

We will use Rayyan to extract data. Extraction fields will be set up with the relevant information from the studies, and Rayyan’s tagging and coding features will be used to categorize and organize the extracted data. Disagreements will be discussed and resolved using Rayyan’s conflict resolution feature. The extraction fields for recording the finally selected systematic review studies will include:

• Full study citation
• The number of citations
• Title, abstract, and keywords
• Publication outlet (e.g., journal) and year
• Database, journal types, research context, scope
• Search terms and string(s)
• Scope of AI-related technologies (e.g., AI, machine learning, large language model)
• Scope of HRD-related functions (e.g., training & development, organizational development)
• Analysis approaches (e.g., bibliometrics, contents analysis, topic modeling, clustering)
• HRD-related areas in which AI applies to
• The benefits and possibility of AI adoption in HRD functions
• The enablers and obstacles of AI adoption in HRD functions
• Contributing factors to the effectiveness of AI-based HRD practices
• Other key contents/findings of the study (e.g., Future research directions)

Data synthesis

Thematic coding will be a crucial part of this umbrella review, focusing on discerning patterns in the implementation of AI within HRD. By employing an HRD framework, the goal of the thematic coding is to systematically categorize and analyze relevant literature to identify recurrent themes and trends in AI adoption across various HRD contexts. Furthermore, thematic coding facilitates the identification of key opportunities and challenges associated with AI implementation in HRD. The synthesis can highlight common issues faced by organizations integrating AI into HRD practices and, conversely, showcase successful strategies and innovative approaches. Ultimately, the thematic coding approach provides a comprehensive understanding of the current state of AI in HRD and sets the stage for suggesting future research directions and practical recommendations to enhance AI-driven HRD initiatives.

In addition to thematic coding, the data synthesis plan incorporates descriptive statistics. Descriptive statistics involves quantifying the occurrence of specific themes or concepts related to AI implementation in HRD across the selected systematic literature reviews. Specifically, frequency analysis helps to identify the prevalence of certain trends, challenges, or opportunities and visualization techniques can be employed to present these findings in a clear and accessible manner. R will be utilized for statistical analysis and visualization. We plan to use the base package [ 14 ] for statistical analysis and ggplot2 [ 15 ] for visualization.

Conclusions

This protocol will guide an umbrella review process to synthesize existing systematic reviews on AI in HRD. This umbrella review aims to explore the intersection of AI and HRD using existing reviews in the field of HRD and related areas. The anticipated outcomes of this umbrella review are intended to unveil patterns, opportunities, and threats of AI implementation in HRD. They will provide insights into AI-driven HRD initiatives. All data and analyses will be placed in an open-access repository, and the URL will be provided in the final manuscript.

Despite the expected contributions of this project, several limitations should be discussed. First, the protocol’s reliance on systematic literature reviews may introduce a potential bias, as certain valuable perspectives from non-systematic reviews or other types of reviews may be overlooked. Second, the scope of the review is contingent upon the availability of relevant literature published in English from 1995 onwards; this temporal and linguistic restriction may exclude valuable insights from non-English publications or earlier works that could contribute to a more nuanced understanding of the historical development of AI in HRD. Lastly, it should be mentioned that as AI-related technology is evolving rapidly future updates to this umbrella review will be necessary to ensure that it includes the most updated trends and practices.

Supporting information

S1 file. prisma-p checklist ( https://osf.io/2935t )..

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0310125.s001

S2 File. Search term identification strategy ( https://osf.io/vgck2 ).

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0310125.s002

S3 File. VosViewer keywords and search terms matching ( https://osf.io/nxc7v ).

* Note : All supplementary files are available in an open-access repository: https://osf.io/af6d7/ .

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0310125.s003

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Human resource management research in healthcare: a big data bibliometric study

Xiaoping qin.

1 School of Health Policy and Management, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100730 China

Yu-Ni Huang

2 College of Medical and Health Science, Asia University, Taichung, 41354 Taiwan

Kaiyan Chen

3 Department of Education, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100730 China

4 Department of Innovative Medical Research, Hospital Management Institute, Chinese People’s Liberation Army General Hospital, Beijing, 100853 China

Richard Szewei Wang

5 Affiliation Program of Data Analytics and Business Computing, Stern School of Business, New York University, New York, 10012 United States of America

6 Tsinghua-Berkeley Shenzhen Institute, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen, 518055 China

Bing-Long Wang

Associated data.

All data and materials generated or analysed during this study are included in this published article.

Human resource management (HRM) in healthcare is an important component in relation to the quality and efficiency of healthcare delivery. However, a comprehensive overview is lacking to assess and track the current status and trends of HRM research in healthcare. This study aims to describe the current situation and global trends in HRM research in healthcare as well as to indicate the frontiers and future directions of research. The research methodology is based on bibliometric mapping using scientific visualization software (VOSviewer). The data were collected from the Web of Science(WoS) core citation database. After applying the search criteria, we retrieved 833 publications, which have steadily increased over the last 30 years. In addition, 93 countries and regions have published relevant research. The United States and Australia have made significant contributions in this area. Current research articles focus on topics clustered into performance, hospital/COVID-19, job satisfaction, human resource management, occupational/mental health, and quality of care. The most frequently co-occurring keywords are human resource management, job satisfaction, nurses, hospitals, health services, quality of care, COVID-19, and nursing. There is limited research on compensation management and employee relations management, so the current HRM research field still has not been able to present a complete and systematic roadmap. We propose that our colleagues should consider focusing on these research gaps in the future.

Introduction

Among the many management elements, people are the most dynamic and active element, and they are an important asset in organizations [ 1 ]. The term “human resources” was first coined by the academic Peter F. Drucker in 1954 [ 2 ]. The key function of human resources management (HRM) is to “put the right people in the right jobs at the right time” [ 2 ]. HRM refers to the planned allocation of human resources in accordance with the requirements of organizational development through a series of processes, such as recruitment, training, use, assessment, motivation, and adjustment of employees, to mobilize their motivation, bring into play their potential and create value for the organization [ 1 ]. Ensuring the achievement of the organization’s strategic objectives, HRM activities mainly include human resource strategy formulation, staff recruitment and selection, training and development, performance management, compensation management, staff mobility management, staff relationship management, staff safety and health management, etc. Similarly, modern healthcare management has human resources as the core. The HRM level in hospitals is related to the quality and efficiency of medical services provided by hospitals, which is also the core of internal hospital management and the focus of health macro management [ 3 ].

The World Health Organization (WHO) states that health systems can only work with the help of health workers, and that improving the coverage of health services and realizing the right to the highest standard of health depends on the availability, accessibility, acceptability and quality of health workers [ 4 ]. In response to evolving characteristics in socio-economic development and the human resource market, healthcare system personnel reforms are evident in three key areas: first, decentralization and flexible employment practices grant hospital managers greater decision-making autonomy concerning priorities and access to medical resources. However, they also impose quantitative and functional constraints on physicians' working hours, career planning, and medical payment systems. Second, a focal point is the rational allocation of technical staff to achieve efficiency while controlling labor costs. Finally, hospital organization change and restructuring are prevalent. Many European countries have unionized hospital employees, limiting the ability to establish independent incentives and rewards. In contrast, U.S. hospital employees often do not belong to specific organizations, leading cost control efforts to revolve around adjusting the allocation of technical staff and employee numbers to reduce labor expenses [ 5 – 7 ].

The current global trend in the number of publications on HRM in healthcare is rising. However, there are currently several problems in HRM research. The following issues mainly exist: (1) the expertise and professionalism of HRM managers are limited. (2) Theoretical methods and technical applications are weak. (3) Insufficient regulation of regulations, systems and procedures. (4) Management is mainly at the level of operational work, and functions are too fragmented [ 8 , 9 ]. Although hospitals worldwide generally recognize the importance of HRM, they do not pay sufficient attention to it. The management of human resources is also stuck in the previous understanding that its work is carried out only by transferring positions in hospitals, promoting and reducing the salary of employees and a series of other operations [ 10 ]. Most senior management in hospitals have comprehensive medical knowledge; some are experts in a particular field. Still, they lack expertise in HRM, which makes them work in a transactional way in HRM. There is also currently a general health workforce imbalance in countries worldwide. The lack of well-being of healthcare workers is particularly problematic in foreign healthcare institutions [ 11 ], and to reduce costs, some organizations have reduced staffing levels. In turn, because of lower quality of service, the morale of healthcare providers often suffers. Patient satisfaction may decline [ 12 ]. In the process of data gathering, we found that the literature related to HRM in healthcare is still under-reported and that the research topics are scattered, and there is still a lack of generalization and summary of these literatures [ 13 ]. There is no systematic theoretical support in the current research, which defines the perspective that researchers should take when analyzing and interpreting the data to be collected, leading to biased interpretations of the results, and does not allow other researchers to combine the findings with existing research knowledge and then apply them to practice [ 14 ]. Second, data collection was not rigorous, and the downloading strategy was not appropriate to achieve completeness and accuracy of data. There is also a lack of information and incomplete use of features in the presentation of knowledge maps and visualization results [ 15 ].

Therefore, the aims of this study are the following; first, we provide a new way of viewing the field of healthcare HRM and its associations by examining co-occurrence data. Second, we relate our evolutionary analysis to a comprehensive future research agenda which may generate a new research agenda in healthcare hospital HRM. This review, therefore, focuses on illuminating the research frontiers and future roadmap for healthcare HRM research [ 16 , 17 ].

Materials and methods

This study provides a bibliometric analysis of the HRM research literature in health care over a 30-year period to describe the landscape and trajectory of change in the research field. The methodology used for this overview is based on bibliometric mapping [ 18 , 19 ], a visualization technique that quantitatively displays the landscape and dynamic aspects of the knowledge domain [ 20 ]. Data were collected from the Web of Science (WoS) core citation database. Two Java-based scientific visualization software packages (CiteSpace and VOSviewer), developed by Chaomei Chen and Van Eck and Waltman, were used to analyze the data [ 18 , 21 ].

The data for this study were retrieved from the Web of Science on 28 September 2022. Web of Science was chosen as the search engine, because it is the most widely accepted and commonly used database for analyzing scientific publications [ 22 ]. The keywords “human resource management” and “healthcare organization” were used as search topics. First, to get a complete picture of HRM research, we searched all the literature from 1977 to the date of the search.

Eight hundred thirty-three publications on HRM in healthcare organizations were identified (Fig.  1 ). We excluded publications before 1990, because the two documents before 1990 did not include complete information. In addition, articles, review articles, and early access articles were included in the study. To minimize language bias, we excluded literature published in languages other than English. Each publication in WoS contains detailed information, including the year of publication, author, author’s address, title, abstract, source journal, subject category, references, etc. A detailed description of the contents of the database preceded the bibliographic analysis. For example, some authors presented their names in different spellings when submitting articles, so reviewing and integrating the data in detail was necessary. A total of 718 publications were included and exported to VOSviewer and CiteSpace software to analyze the following topics: global publishing trends, countries, journals, authors, research orientations, institutions, and quality of publications.

Research flow chart of the bibliometric analysis

Introduction to CiteSpace and VOSviewer

VOSviewer is a software tool for building and visualizing bibliometric networks. It was developed by Van Eck and Waltman [ 21 ]. In VOSviewer, metric networks can be visualized and analyzed for factors, including journals, researchers, or individual publications. They can be constructed based on citations, bibliographic couplings, co-citations, or co-authorship relationships [ 21 ].

Global publication trends

Number of global trends.

After applying the search criteria, we retrieved a total of 718 articles. Figure  2 a shows the increase in articles from 1 in 1977 to 108 in 2021. To predict future trends, a linear regression model was used to create a time curve for the number of publications throughout the year, and the model fit curve for the growth trend is shown in Fig.  2 b. The trend in the number of publications fitted the time curve well at R 2  = 0.8802. The R-squared value is a measure of how well the trend line fits. This value reflects the degree of fit between the estimated value of the trend line and the corresponding actual data; the better the fit, the more reliable the trend line is [ 23 , 24 ]. Based on the model’s trends, it is also predicted that the number of articles on HRM in healthcare will increase to approximately 300 by 2030, an almost threefold increase compared to 2021.

a Total number of publications related to HRM research. The bars indicate the number of publications per year. b Model fitting curves of global publication trends. c Top 10 countries of total publications. d Distribution world map of HRM research

Country and regional contributions

Figure  2 c, d shows the number of publications and the world distribution of the top 10 countries in total publication numbers. The USA contributed the most publications (172, 24.2%), followed by Australia (86, 12.0%), the UK (83, 11.6%), and China (78, 10.9%).

Total number of citations

The USA had the highest total number of citations of all included publications (5195) (Table ​ (Table1), 1 ), while the UK ranked second (2661), followed by Australia (1960) and the Netherlands (1271). The detailed rankings and numbers are shown in Fig.  3 a and Table ​ Table1 1 .

Contributions in publications of countries

a Top 10 countries of average citations for each article. b Average number of citations. c Top 10 countries of the H-index

Average citation frequency

Belgium had the highest average number of citations (49.26), followed by the UK (32.06), the USA (30.2), and Canada (27.13), as shown in Fig.  3 b.

Total citations and the h-index reflect the quality of a country’s publications and academic impact[ 25 ]. Figure  3 c shows the ranking of the h-index, where the top country is the USA (h-index = 36), followed by the UK (h-index = 27), Australia (h-index = 23), and Canada (h-index = 22).

Analysis of publications

Table ​ Table2 2 shows the top 10 journals for publications on HRM in healthcare, with 54 articles published in “International Journal of Human Resource Management”, 44 articles published in “BMJ Open”, 30 articles published in “Journal of Nursing Management”, and 24 articles in “BMC Health Services Research”.

Top 10 journals of publications related to HRM research

Table ​ Table3 3 shows the top 10 most published authors with 96 articles/reviews in the last decade, representing 13.4% of all literature in the field. Timothy Bartram from Australia has published 19 papers, followed by Sandra Leggat from Australia, Stanton P from the USA, and Townsend K from the UK with 13, 11, and 10 papers, respectively. All researchers listed as authors were included in this term for analysis, regardless of their relative contribution to the study. Notably, we have included all authors in this analysis regardless of their relative contribution to the study.

Top 20 authors of publications

Research orientation

Figure  4 a shows the top 10 research orientations of the 100 research orientations. The most common research orientations were management (193 articles), nursing (107 articles), health policy services (105 articles), and health care sciences services (201 articles).

a Top 10 research orientations and the number of publications in each orientation. b Top 20 institutions with the most publications

Institutions

Figure  4 shows the top 20 institutions with the most published papers. La Trobe University has the highest number of articles with 24, followed by the University of London (23) and Griffith University (18).

Co-occurrence analysis

In the keyword mapping on HRM research in healthcare, the size of the nodes represents the frequency, while the line between the nodes reflects the co-occurrence relationship. A total of 1914 keywords were included, and 59 met the criteria. All keywords were grouped into six clusters: performance (light blue cluster), job satisfaction (red cluster), quality of care (blue cluster), human resource management (brown cluster), occupational/mental health (purple cluster), and hospital/COVID-19 (green cluster) (Fig.  5 ).

Co-occurrence analysis of HRM research in healthcare

The most prominent themes in HRM research in healthcare are as below. In the “Performance” cluster, the keywords which have the greatest co-occurrence strength were “performance”, “systematic review”, “decentralization health system” and “motivation”. The main keywords in the “Job Satisfaction” cluster are “job satisfaction”, “organizational commitment”, “transformational leadership” and “turn over”. In the “Quality of care” cluster, the keywords that stand out are “quality of care”, “patient safety”, “high-performance work system”, “quality management” and “patient satisfaction”. In the “Human resource management” cluster, the prominent keywords include “human resource management”, “health policy”, “public health”, and “education and training”. In the “Occupational/Mental Health” cluster, the prominent keywords are “Occupational health”, “mental health”, “well-being” and “burnout”. The main keywords in the “Hospital/COVID-19” cluster were “hospitals”, “COVID-19” “workforce” and “qualitative research”.

Global trends in HMR in healthcare

Our study of HMR research in healthcare illustrates current and global trends in publications, contributing countries, institutions, and research orientations. The field of HMR research has evolved over the past three decades. However, as this study shows, the number of publications steadily increases yearly, with 93 countries or regions publishing in the field, suggesting that research focusing on HMR research and providing in-depth knowledge will likely increase.

Quality and status of publications worldwide

We find that most publishing countries are developed countries, but developing countries are catching up. The total citation rate and the h-index reflect the quality and scholarly impact of a country’s publications [ 25 ]. According to our study, the US ranks first among other countries in total publications, citations, and h-index, making the most substantial contribution to global HRM research. The UK and Canada also contribute significantly, with impressive total citation frequencies and h-index, especially the UK, which ranks second in average citation frequency. However, some countries, such as Belgium, Canada and Australia, also play an important role, given their high average citation frequency. In developing countries, HRM research has also served as a guide for hospitals to improve the quality of care. The study will serve as a reference for developing countries to learn from the experience of developed countries as their economic development gradually catches up with that of developed countries.

The impact and prestige of the journals can be seen in the number of articles published in the field and the influential journals in healthcare HRM research, including the BMC Health Services Research, the Journal of Nursing Management, the International Journal of Human Resource Management, the Health Care Management Review, and the Journal of Health Organisation and Management. These high-quality journals are thus the main source of information for researchers in this field on the latest developments in HRM in healthcare.

The study shows that almost all of the top 20 institutions come from the top five countries with the most publications, with the majority coming from the US, Australia and the Netherlands, reflecting the great academic influence of these three countries in the field of HRM in healthcare. These institutions play an important role in raising the academic performance of a country. Furthermore, the top 20 authors represent research leaders who are likely to impact the future direction of research significantly. Therefore, more attention should be paid to their work to stay abreast of the latest developments in the field.

Research Focus on HRM

Keywords play a crucial role in research papers as they contain vital information [ 26 ]. A systematic analysis of keywords within a specific research domain offers valuable insights into trends and focal points across various research areas [ 27 ]. Moreover, co-occurrence analysis relies on the number of joint publications to evaluate relationships among the identified keyword domains. As a result, it serves as an effective method for predicting future trends and focal points within the research areas of interest. These findings are expected to inspire more researchers to contribute to the future of HRM research in healthcare [ 28 ].

In this study, a total of six research domains were eventually summarized. Performance, Hospital/COVID-19, Job Satisfaction, Human resource management, Occupational/Mental Health, and Quality of care. By visualizing the analysis results, we can easily further clarify future trends. As the co-occurrence diagram shows, the keywords “Organizational culture”, “Patient safety”, “Nursing”, “Leadership”, “Quality of care” and “Hospitals” are highlighted as larger icons, so that investment and demand for quality research are necessary for the context of these six research directions.

Six modules and research directions in human resources

This study found that the visual clustering results and the keywords that emerged from the clusters were closely related to the HRM module s described in “Human Resources Management: Gaining a Competitive Advantage” by Noe. R . [ 29 ]. The modules have been cited in HRM research and are used as textbooks in universities [ 30 – 33 ]. Some of the keywords in each cluster correspond to human resource planning, performance management, recruitment and staffing, and training and development, respectively. The explanation of the HRM modules is described in the next paragraph. However, there are no explicit keywords in the modules related to employee relations management and compensation management results. This may be due to the private nature of the compensation structure in healthcare organizations during data collection, making it unavailable.

The explanation of the HRM modules [ 29 ]

• Human resource planning is the starting point of HRM. It helps the organization forecast future personnel needs and their basic qualities, primarily through planning.
• Recruitment and staffing, with HR planning as the input, is equivalent to the organization’s blood, nourishing the organization and solving the problem of staffing and staff matching.
• Training and development, with the “education” theme.
• Performance Management is at the heart of the six dimensions. It is also the primary input to the other dimensions.
• Compensation management aims to motivate employees to solve the company’s problems.
• Employee relations management aims to manage people and help the company form an effective cycle of rational human resource allocation.

Human resource planning

Human Resource Plan (HRP) stands for the implementation of the HR development strategy of the enterprise and the accomplishment of the enterprise’s goals, according to the changes in the internal and external environment and conditions of the enterprise, through the analysis and estimation of the future needs and supply of human resources and the use of scientific methods for organizational design, as well as the acquisition, allocation, utilization and maintenance of HR and other aspects of functional planning. HRP ensures that the organization has a balance of HR supply and demand at a needed time and in a required position, and achieves a reasonable allocation of HR and other resources to effectively motivate and develop of employees [ 34 ].

Decentralization health system, organizational culture/structure are high-frequency words in the clustering results related to “human resource management”. It is important to assess the extent to which decentralization can be used as a policy tool to improve national health systems. For policymakers and managers, based on relevant literature and research as well as country experience analysis, the experience of decentralization in relation to the organization and management of healthcare services is considered a forward-looking and pioneering concept capable of achieving optimal allocation of HR and other resources, in addition to the need to focus more on ex-ante and ex-post incentive development to deliver a 1 + 1 > 2 HRM effect [ 35 ]. HRP is the starting point and basis for all specific HRM activities. It directly affects the efficiency of the overall HRM of the enterprise. It is, therefore, taken as the primary job requirement for HR managers [ 36 ]. Organizational culture/structure significantly impacts the healthcare sector, such as excellence in healthcare delivery, ethical values, engagement, professionalism, cost of care, commitment to quality and strategic thinking, which are key cultural determinants of high-quality care delivery [ 37 ]. Therefore, as with other for-profit organizations, healthcare organizations must ensure that their organizational structure functions effectively to achieve their strategic goals. The organization formulates and implements HRM, an important task to achieve the development strategy goals.

Staff recruitment and allocation

Recruitment and staffing are the first steps in hospital HRM activities. Under the guidance of the organization’s human resources development plan, potential staff who meet the development conditions are attracted. Through the scientific selection of outstanding personnel, a platform with guaranteed treatment and development prospects is provided to ensure that the team of the healthcare organization is built solidly and meets the development needs. From the findings of this study, the keywords “workforce” and “workload” appear as high-frequency keywords in the co-occurrence analysis. Still, keywords related to traditional staff recruitment (e.g., analysis of recruitment needs, job analysis, competency analysis, recruitment procedures, and strategies) do not appear often. Recruitment and staffing are the prerequisites of human resources work. They bring a new dynamic source to healthcare organizations while complementing staff, making the organization full of vitality and vigor, facilitating organizational innovation and management innovation and helping improve the healthcare organization’s competitive advantage [ 38 ]. Recruitment and staffing, as a part of HR, directly impact the successful running of daily activities.

Training and development

Human resource training is an important component of quality and safety in the health care system. The keyword “education and training” shows a high frequency of co-occurrence in the clustering results of analysis, corresponding to the module “training and education”. However, it is connected to the keywords “human resource management” and “health policy”, and is in the same cluster with” public health”, “health care management”, and the distance between the lines and dots indicate that these topics are closely related, proving the importance of education and training in the HRM of health systems. Healthcare organizations (especially for non-professionals and caregivers) can improve the performance of their employees by enhancing their capabilities, knowledge and potential through learning and training, so that they can maximize their qualifications to match the demands of their work and advance their performance [ 39 , 40 ].

Performance management

Performance management, the core of the six modules, is also featured in the clustering results. Although this is an important focus for HR professionals, few studies have explored the link between HRM and health sector performance [ 6 ], the results show “performance” and “motivation”. The effectiveness of performance management is an important component of HRM, which effectively improves the quality of care in healthcare organizations/institutions [ 6 ]. Focusing on the effectiveness of performance management is considered to be crucial. First, as an integral part of HRM within an organization, it can help the organization meet its goals. Second, ineffective approaches can lead to negative attitudes among employees (including clinicians, nursing staff, administrators, etc.) and adversely affect performance due to decreased satisfaction among employees and patients. Third, given the increasing quality and cost reduction pressures on healthcare organizations, conducting further research on performance management and effectiveness is critical [ 41 ]. However, it is clear from our results that healthcare organizations have recognized the importance of performance management and are pursuing “high performance”. Although the topic of performance management in HRM in healthcare is one of the research priorities, the number is lacking and more discussion on performance management should be suggested for future research.

Compensation management

Compensation is an important tool to motivate employees to work hard and to motivate them to work hard. The results of the database's bibliographic analysis show that no keywords directly involved compensation. This indicates that “compensation management” has not been considered a hot topic or a research issue over 30 years of available literature. To clarify the content of this module, we further searched the database of 718 articles with keywords, such as compensation, remuneration, salary, etc., and found that only 35 of them mentioned or discussed compensation, and some years (e.g., 2018, 2009) even had no relevant literature being published. However, issues such as fairness of compensation management and employee compensation satisfaction are still important issues of concern to business management academics [ 42 , 43 ]. The actual situation is that it is difficult to conduct research on compensation management. Most organizations keep their employees’ compensation confidential, and when conducting research, HR managers avoid talking about their employees’ compensation or leave it vague, rendering it impossible for researchers to conduct further research.

Employee compensation is one factor that has the greatest impact on organizational performance. In the future, organizations should be encouraged to scientifically structure their compensation management and empower academic research to establish and implement fair compensation management systems based on empirical research while maintaining the privacy and security of organizational information.

Employee relations management

The connotation of employee relations management involves organizational culture and employee relations, as well as the coordination of the relationship between employers and employees. Healthcare organizations have complex structures with employees with varying skills, tasks or responsibilities, and such conflicts are often managed through the communication skills of administrative staff [ 44 ]. Although the keywords related to “employee relations management” did not occur in this study's analysis results, the six HRM modules are closely related. Therefore, this does not mean that no description of employee relations management was completely absent in the retrieved articles. It is clear that there is currently a lack of research on employee relations management in the healthcare field. Still, with the continuous development of the healthcare industry, it faces multiple challenges. If employee relations are not handled properly, healthcare organizations with social responsibility will face great public pressure, which will even affect the quality of healthcare services and performance, so it is especially important to strengthen the research on employee relations management.

This study inevitably has some limitations, the first of which arises from using quantitative methods to review documents in the field of HRM. The review relied on an analysis of the bibliographic data associated with the documents rather than a review of the research findings. The impact of the study was, therefore, limited to the general direction of developments in the field, rather than a synthesis of research findings. As a result, we may have missed some publications due to database bias. Second, most of the publications identified were in English and some articles relevant to other languages have not been included. Third, Since HRM exists in a wide range of industries and research areas, although researchers have set the screening criteria as detailed as possible, there may still be some literature that has not been detected.

This study describes the current state and global trends in HRM research in healthcare. The United States has made significant contributions in this field, establishing itself as a global leader. It is foreseeable that more and more publications will be published in the coming years, which indicates that HRM research in healthcare is booming. The analysis results of this study echoed the modules of HRM. It can be seen that in the current HRM research, many topics have been of interest. However, the focus and hotspots of the research are scattered, and there is presently no systematic research on the content of HRM in healthcare.

Acknowledgements

The authors thank the Editor-in-Chief and the referees for their helpful comments which help to improve our manuscript significantly.

Author contributions

BW, ZH and LLconceived of the presented idea. BW, developed the theory. BW, YH, RW, KC and XQ collected the data and discussed the results. BW and YH encouraged XQ to investigate the hospital management field and supervised the findings of this work. All authors discussed the results and contributed to the final manuscript.

This research was supported by Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, China (Grant number: 2021-RC630-001).

Availability of data and materials

Declarations.

There are no human or animal studies in this manuscript, and no potentially identifiable human images or data are presented in this study.

Not applicable.

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

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7 Great Open Access Research Databases For HR Professionals

Have you ever wondered how you can stay up to date with the latest advancements in Human Resources Management ( and other related fields ) without going back to University?

In the field of HRM, it’s not always necessary to return to college to continue learning. If higher education is not an option for you, it’s still important to note that the pursuit of knowledge should always extend beyond personal insights and the opinions of popular workplace influencers. This article aims to guide HR professionals towards credible and up-to-date HRM learning content. It underscores the necessity of diversifying information sources and relying on validated, professional resources to elevate the quality of people management practices.

The Significance of Reliable HR Knowledge

Human Resources Management is a dynamic field in which new knowledge is created every day, and where staying up-to-date with the latest advancements is essential. While personal experiences and influencers may offer insights, their quality and applicability can be questionable. In addition, as HR professionals shift between different organizational contexts and environments, the knowledge gained in one setting may not seamlessly translate to another. Thus, exclusive reliance on these sources can be a risky choice. It’s imperative to understand that learning is a continuous process, necessitating a foundation in rigorously researched insights.

The Scientific Method and HRM

There are professionals in many areas of social sciences, including Human Resources Management, who spend their days at work applying the scientific method, defined by Oxford Reference (2021) as the procedure that science utilizes to gain knowledge. The scientific method consists of making observations, formulating specific theories, and testing hypotheses to verify their validity through experimentation. This process, as well as other mixed research methods, lead researchers to produce trustworthy knowledge. For that reason, it’s important to stay up to date with the work of the scientific community and the findings that concern HRM professionals.

In addition, through science-backed knowledge, we can also discover how others are evaluating certain subjects and processes. This information might be of great use to those who want to carry out specific research projects within organizations, complementing the popular “ internal best practices ” approach.

It’s important to note that academic research papers are not always accessible free of cost. The work of researchers is valuable and important, and it makes sense for databases to charge a fee to access their knowledge. Independently of that, there still are many open-access sources with thousands of valuable studies and academic dissertations available to the general public online. If your budget is tight, why not take advantage of all that hard work, learn something new, and complement your existing knowledge with some well-researched facts?

Accessing Unrestricted HR Material

To access credible HRM material, you can explore various sources (Proofed, 2019). We reviewed a few to discover if we could find studies on HR topics that we were interested in learning more about, and we were quite satisfied with what we found. Now we’re sharing information on 7 databases we’d recommend:

1. The International Labour Organization

The ILO (2021) is the United Nations agency that collaborates with governments, employers, and workers to establish labor standards, formulate policies, and implement programs aimed at promoting decent work. Given the ILO’s central focus on labor-related matters, its database serves as a valuable resource for HR professionals seeking high-quality content on personnel management. The ILO’s website offers dedicated sections for publications and research, featuring resources such as LabourDoc (the ILO’s institutional repository) and LabourDiscovery (the ILO’s library collection). A search for Human Resources Management on LabourDoc yields 1,383 document results, while LabourDiscovery provides access to an extensive collection of 715,122 documents. Many of these materials are available as full-text open-access resources and provide links to other databases mentioned in this article.

2. Google Scholar

Google Scholar (n.d.) is widely recognized as an effective platform for accessing professional content. This scholarly literature search engine was created to offer a user-friendly means to conduct targeted searches. It encompasses a diverse array of fields, including Human Resource Management (HRM), and incorporates content from articles, books, academic publishers, universities, and various other reputable sources. When searching for “Human Resources Management,” users can expect to discover an extensive collection of pages containing relevant content, which can be further refined using date filters.

CORE (n.d.) positions itself as the world’s largest repository of open-access research papers. Its mission is to provide a global open-access research platform that ensures free and unrestricted accessibility for all (CORE, 2019). This platform gathers research papers sourced from institutional and subject repositories, hybrid and open-access journals, and encompasses all research domains. It currently possesses an impressive collection of over 208 million open-access articles drawn from a network of more than 10,000 data providers worldwide. A straightforward search for “Human Resources Management” yields a total of 19,011,079 academic articles in 19 different languages (CORE, n.d).

4. BASE: The Bielefeld Academic Search Engine

BASE (Bielefeld University Library, 2021) is a specialized German academic web resource search engine. It holds an extensive collection of content, with over 240 million files sourced from more than 8,000 content providers, and is searchable in over 20 languages. In addition, 60% of these full-text documents are freely accessible to the general public. A single search using the keyword “Human Resources Management” generates a substantial result of 25,961 items. This content derives from a variety of sources, including digital collections, journals, institutional repositories, and more. It’s important to note that BASE holds rigorous standards for academic quality and relevance when accepting content on its platform.

5. EThOS: British Library e-theses online service

EThOS , the British Library’s e-theses online service, is the official national repository for doctoral research theses produced in the United Kingdom, as described by Kefford (n.d). It is dedicated to enhancing the visibility and accessibility of these valuable academic works. A substantial portion of the research documents available on this platform has been publicly funded to support students in UK Higher Education Institutions. Consequently, there is a prevailing belief that the knowledge generated through such funding should be openly accessible in full-text format. EThOS holds an extensive collection, comprising 500,000 records and 260,000 full-text documents, originating from more than 120 institutions. It continually expands and updates its content to benefit a wide audience. A general search for “Human Resources Management” yields a noteworthy 1,620 records of doctoral theses.

6. DOAJ: The Directory of Open-Access Journals

The DOAJ (2020), short for The Directory of Open-Access Journals, serves as an autonomous repository housing more than 15,000 peer-reviewed open-access journals, spanning all fields of science, including Human Resource Management within its social science category. Its objective is to enhance the global presence, accessibility, and utilization of research journals. The content featured on this platform is contributed by researchers from 125 different countries, and it is accessible in up to 80 languages, all without charge. When conducting a journal search for “Human Resources Management,” the DOAJ returns 35 results, each containing a collection of articles related to the subject.

7. SSRN: Social Science Research Network

The SSRN , officially known as the Social Science Research Network, under Elsevier (2021), is another notable open-access digital library and preprint community that enjoys a user base of 2.3 million individuals. Its core focus lies in social sciences, encompassing a vast repository of 940,733 research papers spanning over 60 distinct disciplines. The majority of these documents are available for free download. Searching for “Human Resources Management” on SSRN yields a significant result of 1,938 papers, providing a valuable resource for interested learners.

Looking for professional HR content that is a bit more digestible?

At The Humans of HR , our mission is to offer accessible and practical content that draws inspiration from the work of fellow professionals and the scientific community. We take pride in creating and delivering high-quality educational content. If you’re seeking content that is easily digestible, free from abstract sections and overwhelming statistics, yet maintains a strong scientific foundation, we invite you to explore our Online Magazine . Additionally, staying connected with us through our newsletter or on social media channels will keep you updated on our latest contributions to the field.

To conclude…

Gaining HR knowledge requires a multifaceted approach. Relying solely on personal experiences or influencers is insufficient in a field that demands precision and adaptability. Leveraging professional sources, including the scientific community’s work and reputable platforms, empowers HR professionals to make informed decisions and uphold high standards in HR management practices.

If there’s something we want you to take away from reading this article, it’s that there are thousands of well-researched pieces of content on work-related topics freely accessible online. The platforms we’ve highlighted are invaluable tools designed to empower you in making evidence-based decisions when it comes to managing people in the workplace. Let’s ensure that this abundance of high-quality knowledge doesn’t go untapped or underutilized.

About the Author

Rossina Gitto  is the Founder and creative force behind  The Humans of HR . She’s a Licensed Psychologist specialized in workplace dynamics and holds a Master’s Degree in International Human Resources Management from the University of Paris II Panthéon-Assas. Having lived, studied, and worked in 8 different countries across Europe, the Americas, and the Middle East, she brings a unique global perspective to People Management. She contributes, edits, and publishes diverse content across a broad spectrum of topics for The Humans of HR.

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The Humans of HR is a Digital Social Enterprise that is on a mission to humanize the world of work. We aspire to be recognized as a high-quality educational media outlet in HR, Employment, & Business for a diverse body of learners from all over the world. Our Magazine currently reaches readers in over 150 countries. We believe everyone is entitled to have access to professional content that is backed up by the work of the scientific community no matter where they come from. That is the reason why we started writing, and also why we will continue to do so. In order to keep growing and keep our content open to our global audience, we would like for you to consider supporting our work. You can help us by becoming a Guest Contributor , signing up to our Career Development Coaching & Mentoring Services , considering a Business Collaboration , shopping on our Goodie Store , or making a donation right here. Your contribution is highly appreciated .

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Bielefeld University Library. (2021).  Base—Bielefeld academic search engine | what is base? https://www.base-search.net/about/en/index.php CORE. (n.d.).  About core . Retrieved April 12, 2021, from https://core.ac.uk/about CORE. (2019, January 21).  Introducing core . https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-gFYNg_8ySQ DOAJ. (2020).  Directory of open access journals . About. https://doaj.org/about/

Elsevier. (2021).  Social Science Research Network Solutions . Elsevier.Com. https://www.elsevier.com/solutions/ssrn Google. (n.d.).  About google scholar . Retrieved April 12, 2021, from https://scholar.google.com/intl/en/scholar/about.html International Labour Organization. (2021).  About the ilo . ILO. https://www.ilo.org/global/about-the-ilo/lang–en/index.htm Kefford, B. (n.d.).  About British Library EThOS – search and order theses online  [Text]. Retrieved April 12, 2021, from https://ethos.bl.uk/About.do Oxford Reference. (2021).  Scientific method . Oxford Reference. https://doi.org/10.1093/oi/authority.20110803100447727 Proofed. (2019, April 5). 10 free research and journal databases.  Proofed . https://getproofed.com/writing-tips/10-free-research-journal-databases/

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Human Resource Management Research Paper Topics

Human resource management research paper topics are a critical area of study for students and professionals aiming to understand and advance the field of Human Resource Management (HRM). With the rise of complex organizational structures, diverse workplace environments, and evolving employment laws, HRM has become an essential part of any successful organization. This abstract provides an overview of the multifaceted world of HRM research and introduces a comprehensive list of research paper topics that cater to various aspects of HRM. From talent acquisition to employee retention, performance evaluation, training, and legal compliance, the following sections will offer detailed insights into these areas. Students interested in pursuing research in HRM will find these topics engaging and highly relevant to the current organizational landscape. Additionally, they will be introduced to iResearchNet’s writing services that provide expert assistance in producing custom HRM research papers, ensuring quality, depth, and adherence to academic standards.

100 Human Resource Management Research Paper Topics

Human Resource Management (HRM) is a field that delves into the multifaceted interactions between employees and organizations. The role of HRM has evolved over time to include not only the management of recruitment and employee relations but also strategic planning, legal compliance, and organizational development. Here, we present a comprehensive list of Human Resource Management research paper topics divided into 10 essential categories, each containing 10 specific topics.

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HRM is a dynamic and broad field that demands multidimensional approaches to study. As students explore various topics, they will find intricate connections between management strategies, organizational behavior, and employee satisfaction. The following list serves as an inclusive guide to inspire research and academic inquiry.

• The role of HRM in organizational strategy
• Integrating HRM and business planning
• Talent management strategies
• Outsourcing HR functions: Pros and cons
• Technology and HRM
• Cross-cultural HRM
• Mergers and acquisitions: HRM challenges
• Strategic HR planning and organizational success
• The future of strategic HRM
• Best HR practices in top-performing companies
• Innovative recruitment techniques
• Bias and discrimination in the recruitment process
• Role of artificial intelligence in recruitment
• Recruitment marketing strategies
• Social media as a recruitment tool
• Ethics in employee selection
• Assessing the effectiveness of recruitment strategies
• Diversity and inclusion in recruitment
• Remote hiring practices
• Campus recruitment strategies
• The effectiveness of training programs
• Employee development and organizational growth
• The role of mentors in employee growth
• E-learning and virtual training methods
• Personalized training approaches
• Training evaluation methods
• Cross-training and skill development
• The future of corporate training
• Impact of continuous learning culture
• Leadership development programs
• Modern performance appraisal techniques
• 360-degree feedback system
• Employee engagement and performance
• Performance management and job satisfaction
• Aligning performance goals with organizational objectives
• Challenges in performance evaluation
• Performance-based rewards
• Emotional intelligence and employee performance
• Performance management in remote work environments
• Real-time performance tracking systems
• Building trust and collaboration among employees
• Conflict resolution strategies
• Impact of organizational culture on employee engagement
• Managing generational differences in the workplace
• Role of leadership in fostering engagement
• Employee wellness programs
• The psychology of employee engagement
• Communication strategies for employee relations
• Remote employee engagement tactics
• Work-life balance initiatives
• Salary negotiation techniques
• The psychology of compensation
• Pay equity and gender wage gap
• The impact of benefits on employee retention
• Flexible compensation models
• Global compensation strategies
• Linking compensation to performance
• Employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs)
• Non-monetary benefits and motivation
• Compensation transparency
• Labor law compliance in multinational corporations
• Whistleblowing and ethical considerations
• HRM in unionized workplaces
• Workplace harassment laws
• Employee rights and employer responsibilities
• Managing employee terminations ethically
• Diversity and anti-discrimination policies
• Legal aspects of employee benefits
• Remote work and legal challenges
• Ethical dilemmas in HRM
• Building a diverse workforce
• Strategies for fostering inclusion
• The impact of diversity on team performance
• Gender diversity in leadership roles
• Managing cultural diversity
• Age diversity in the workplace
• Disability inclusion strategies
• LGBT+ inclusion in the workplace
• Ethnic diversity and organizational success
• Bias reduction training
• The role of HRM in shaping organizational culture
• Employee behavior and organizational success
• Workplace norms and values
• Emotional labor in organizations
• Organizational change management
• Strategies for building a positive work environment
• Employee motivation and organizational culture
• The psychology of workplace relationships
• Corporate social responsibility (CSR) and culture
• The role of leadership in defining organizational culture
• Emerging Trends in HRM
• HRM in the gig economy
• Artificial intelligence and HRM
• Employee mental health and well-being
• Sustainability and HRM
• The future of remote work
• Integrating HRM and corporate social responsibility (CSR)
• Blockchain in HRM
• Personal branding in HR
• The role of big data analytics in HRM
• HRM challenges in the post-pandemic world

The list of human resource management research paper topics presented above offers a rich and diverse avenue for exploration. Each category delves into core aspects of HRM, reflecting the ever-changing nature of this field. As students embark on their research journey, they will discover a world that intricately connects people, organizations, and societal values. Whether focusing on traditional practices or emerging trends, these topics provide the starting point for meaningful inquiry and the creation of knowledge that contributes to the continued growth and evolution of HRM.

Human Resource Management and the Range of Research Paper Topics

Human Resource Management (HRM) is an interdisciplinary field that integrates aspects of management, psychology, sociology, economics, and legal studies. It is the art and science of managing people within an organization to maximize their performance, well-being, and alignment with strategic goals. As a broad and multifaceted domain, HRM opens doors to a wide array of research opportunities. This article will explore the essence of HRM, its historical evolution, theoretical frameworks, practical applications, and the myriad of research paper topics it offers.

Historical Background

The history of HRM can be traced back to the early 20th century, during the rise of the industrial revolution. The scientific management theory introduced by Frederick Taylor sought to apply scientific principles to worker productivity. As the business environment grew more complex, the Hawthorne studies emerged, highlighting the importance of social factors and human relations in the workplace. The evolution from personnel management to modern HRM reflects a shift from viewing employees as mere resources to recognizing them as valuable assets.

Theoretical Frameworks

HRM is underpinned by several key theories that guide practice:

• Resource-Based View (RBV): Emphasizes the role of human resources as a competitive advantage.
• Equity Theory: Focuses on fairness and justice in employee relations.
• Expectancy Theory: Explains how employees are motivated by the expected outcomes of their actions.
• Human Capital Theory: Regards employees as assets whose value can be enhanced through training and development.

These theories offer diverse perspectives for research, ranging from organizational behavior to strategic HRM.

Key Functions and Practices

The scope of HRM encompasses various functions that address the needs of both the organization and its employees:

• Recruitment and Selection: Designing and implementing processes to attract and hire suitable candidates.
• Training and Development: Enhancing employee skills and knowledge through continuous learning.
• Performance Management: Assessing and managing employee performance to align with organizational goals.
• Compensation and Benefits: Structuring pay and rewards to motivate and retain talent.
• Labor Relations: Navigating the legal landscape and fostering healthy employee-employer relationships.

Contemporary Challenges

Modern HRM faces several challenges that provide fertile grounds for research:

• Diversity and Inclusion: Creating a workforce that represents various backgrounds, beliefs, and perspectives.
• Technology and Automation: Leveraging technology to enhance HR processes while considering its impact on jobs.
• Globalization: Managing HR practices across different cultures and jurisdictions.
• Ethical Considerations: Balancing organizational needs with ethical treatment of employees.

Emerging Trends

The ever-changing business landscape leads to new trends in HRM:

• Remote Work: The rise of virtual workplaces and the associated management challenges.
• Well-Being and Mental Health: Prioritizing employee health and well-being as part of HR strategy.
• Sustainability: Integrating social responsibility into HR practices.

Range of Research Paper Topics

The complexity and diversity of HRM lead to an abundance of research paper topics. Here are examples from different areas:

• Strategic HRM: Examining the alignment of HR practices with business strategy.
• Employee Engagement: Exploring factors that influence engagement and its impact on performance.
• Legal Aspects of HRM: Investigating laws and regulations affecting HR practices.
• Organizational Culture and Behavior: Analyzing the influence of culture on employee behavior and organizational success.

Human Resource Management is a vast and dynamic field that intertwines various disciplines, theories, practices, and challenges. From historical roots to contemporary issues, HRM offers a rich tapestry of research opportunities. Whether investigating traditional functions or delving into emerging trends, students and scholars can find a wealth of topics that resonate with their interests and contribute to our understanding of human interactions within organizational contexts. The spectrum of human resource management research paper topics reflects the depth and breadth of a field that continues to evolve, shaping the way we work, lead, and thrive in an ever-changing world.

How to Choose Human Resource Management Research Paper Topics

Selecting the right topic for a research paper in Human Resource Management (HRM) is a critical step that can shape the entire trajectory of your project. The topic you choose should align with your interests, academic level, the specific requirements of the assignment, and the current trends in the field. Here’s a guide to help you navigate the decision-making process and pinpoint a topic that resonates with you.

The realm of Human Resource Management is vast and diverse, encompassing various theories, functions, challenges, and emerging trends. Choosing a suitable research paper topic within this multifaceted field requires careful consideration and strategic thinking. This section will outline ten essential tips to guide you in selecting a meaningful, relevant, and engaging topic for your research.

• Identify Your Interests: Begin by reflecting on what aspects of HRM intrigue you. Are you passionate about organizational behavior, talent acquisition, employee welfare, or strategic HRM? Your research will be more enjoyable if it aligns with your interests.
• Understand the Assignment Requirements: Review the guidelines and grading criteria provided by your instructor. Consider the scope, length, and expected complexity of the paper.
• Conduct a Preliminary Literature Review: Explore existing research in areas that interest you. Identify gaps, controversies, or emerging trends that could form the basis for your study.
• Consider the Target Audience: Think about who will read your paper. Tailoring the topic to your audience’s interests, knowledge level, and expectations can enhance its impact.
• Evaluate Available Resources: Assess the availability of data, tools, and resources needed for your research. The feasibility of a topic depends on your ability to access relevant information and support.
• Align with Current Trends: Consider choosing a topic that relates to contemporary issues or recent developments in HRM. This alignment can make your research more relevant and appealing.
• Seek Guidance from Instructors or Peers: Don’t hesitate to consult with your instructor, classmates, or academic advisors. They may offer valuable insights, feedback, or suggestions.
• Ensure Ethical Consideration: Ensure that your chosen topic complies with ethical standards, particularly if it involves human subjects, sensitive data, or controversial subjects.
• Consider the Broader Impact: Reflect on how your research could contribute to the field of HRM. A topic with potential practical implications or theoretical advancements can add value to your work.
• Create a Shortlist and Evaluate: Draft a list of potential topics and weigh them against the criteria outlined above. This systematic approach can help you identify the most suitable option.

Selecting a research paper topic in Human Resource Management is a thoughtful and iterative process that requires introspection, exploration, and strategic thinking. By considering your interests, academic requirements, available resources, current trends, ethical considerations, and potential impact, you can identify a topic that not only resonates with you but also contributes to the vibrant discourse in HRM. Remember that your choice is not set in stone; it’s a starting point that you can refine and adapt as you delve into your research. Embrace the journey, for the right topic is a gateway to discovery, learning, and growth in the multifaceted world of human resource management.

How to Write a Human Resource Management Research Paper

Writing a research paper on Human Resource Management (HRM) is a complex task that requires a clear understanding of the subject matter, a methodical approach to research, and strong writing skills. The following section will guide you through the process of crafting a well-structured, insightful, and academically rigorous research paper in HRM.

Human Resource Management is at the core of organizational success, shaping the way businesses attract, retain, and develop talent. As a field that intertwines with psychology, sociology, business strategy, and law, writing a research paper on HRM is both challenging and rewarding. The following guide provides a step-by-step approach to help you navigate the research, writing, and revision stages, ensuring that your paper is thorough, coherent, and impactful.

• Understand the Assignment: Before diving into research and writing, clarify the assignment’s objectives, scope, format, and grading criteria. Ensure you understand what is expected in terms of content, structure, style, and depth of analysis.
• Choose a Relevant Topic: Select a topic that aligns with your interests, the course objectives, and current HRM trends. Refer to Section IV for guidance on choosing the right topic.
• Conduct Comprehensive Research: Utilize reputable sources such as academic journals, books, and industry reports to gather data, theories, and insights related to your topic. Evaluate the credibility and relevance of each source.
• Develop a Thesis Statement: Craft a clear and concise thesis statement that outlines the central argument or focus of your paper. The thesis should guide the reader on what to expect and provide a roadmap for your analysis.
• Create an Outline: Develop a detailed outline that breaks down the main sections and sub-sections of your paper. An outline will help you organize your thoughts, maintain coherence, and ensure a logical flow of ideas.
• Write the Introduction: Begin with an engaging introduction that introduces the topic, provides background information, highlights its significance, and presents the thesis statement.
• Develop the Body Paragraphs: Divide the body of your paper into clear sections and subsections. Use headings and subheadings to guide the reader. Each paragraph should have a clear topic sentence, supporting evidence, and a concluding sentence that links back to the thesis.
• Include Practical Insights and Case Studies: Where appropriate, include practical examples, case studies, or industry insights that illustrate your points. This application of theory to real-world scenarios can enhance the depth and relevance of your paper.
• Write the Conclusion: Summarize the key findings, restate the thesis in light of the evidence, and discuss the implications, limitations, and recommendations for future research or practice.
• Revise and Edit: Review your paper multiple times to check for clarity, coherence, grammar, and formatting errors. Consider seeking feedback from peers or instructors, and use plagiarism check tools to ensure originality.

Writing a research paper in Human Resource Management is a multifaceted process that requires careful planning, diligent research, critical analysis, and thoughtful writing. By following the tips outlined above, you can create a paper that not only meets academic standards but also contributes valuable insights to the dynamic field of HRM. Remember that writing is a process of continuous refinement; embrace revisions, seek feedback, and strive for clarity and depth. The journey of crafting an HRM research paper is an opportunity to deepen your understanding, hone your skills, and contribute to the ongoing discourse in a field that shapes the heart of organizations around the world.

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Human Resources Research Paper Topics for 2024

Table of contents

• 1 How to choose a Human Resources topic for your project?
• 2 Human Resources Management Research Topics
• 3 HR Topics for Discussion
• 4 HR Research Topics for Presentation
• 5 HRM Research Topics on Talent Management
• 6 Equal Employment Opportunity HR Research Topics
• 7 Career Development HR Research Topics
• 8 Research Topics on Recruitment and Selection
• 9 HR Risk Management Topics
• 10 Workplace Safety Human Resource Management Topics
• 11 HR Research Topics on Performance Management and Appraisal
• 12 HR Research Topics on Performance Management and Appraisal
• 13 Trending Human Resource Management Topics

Human Resources is one of the most popular and essential topics for business-minded individuals. If you recall your basic economics, you might remember that the essential components necessary for production in any economy are land, capital, and labor.

Human labor is an essential resource that keeps a business running. Like any other resource, it needs to be managed. This is where the term ‘Human Resources’ and related research topics come into play.

Finding relevant data for a research paper is easy if you know where to look. There are lots of online sources and books in libraries to use in your task. Make sure you spend sufficient time planning before beginning your task.

How to choose a Human Resources topic for your project?

Choosing research topics in human resource management is not as simple as picking a title and writing about it. To get a good grade, the paper must be original and well-researched. It needs to cover all relevant aspects of the chosen HR topics. Writing on HR-related research topics is a highly structured and analytical process. This is true for all fields, including human resources research topics.

The first step is topic selection . This is where we can help you. This page features a list of over 90 human resources topics. If you are struggling to come up with your own ideas, please select HR-related research topics from this list instead.

These titled papers all have a great deal of material about human resource management research topics out there. These are trending topics in HRM research and have plenty of resources available on the internet. Each of them is also relevant to the actual field of human resources management. Choosing the right human resources research topic is crucial for academic success. However, writing a high-quality paper can be challenging. If you’re looking for expert assistance, consider using the best research paper writing service to ensure your paper is thoroughly researched and professionally written. So, while writing HR-related research topics is not a typical activity for an HR employee, it will provide valuable insights and information. These insights could give you a leg up in the future when you have graduated from School and College.

Human Resources Management Research Topics

At most large companies, ‘Human Resources’ is an entire department of its own. Most other departments at the company typically deal with producing a good or service. Others, like the public relations department, work with the media and other external affairs. Hence, there are many ways to approach HR research topics.

• How HR helps companies remain competitive in a global market
• Managing part-time, full-time, and freelancing employees
• How much paid leave is optimal?
• What occasions deserve raises and bonuses?
• The simplest way to resolve interpersonal conflicts
• The most effective team-building strategies
• Organizing teams according to personalities
• Can an introverted employee be a good team leader?
• How to improve productivity through a goal-oriented approach
• The agile method and how it helps
• The best way to utilize productivity metrics
• Methods for disciplining employees
• Managing international employees
• Ways to prevent workplace violence
• Benefits of regular psychological counseling for all employees
• Assessing the impact of leadership development programs
• Effective strategies for HR risk management
• The role of job satisfaction in employee retention
• How to conduct a thorough job analysis
• Innovative HR research methods for better decision-making

HR Topics for Discussion

Are you interested in discussing the latest trends in human resource management? The following list of HR topics will be useful to you:

• The impact of remote work on employee productivity
• Strategies to promote diversity and inclusion in the workplace
• Dealing with mental health issues among employees
• Improving overall employee wellness
• Utilizing data-driven HR strategies
• Meeting the needs of Gen Z employees
• Providing professional development opportunities for employees
• Enhancing employee experience to boost retention
• Making recruitment processes mobile-friendly
• The role of HR in addressing social issues
• Building resilience in the workplace
• Avoiding business buzzwords in communication
• Cultivating empathy among employees
• Expressing gratitude to reduce workplace stress
• Fostering psychological safety at work
• HR’s role in promoting sustainability
• Leading a hybrid work environment effectively
• Strategies for leading effective meetings
• Managing pay equity in organizations
• Addressing workplace safety compliance
• Benefits of psychological counseling for employees
• Managing a global workforce
• Preventing workplace violence
• Exploring virtual reality in training programs
• Evaluating the impact of employee wellness initiatives
• How job analysis influences employee performance
• The link between employee engagement and job performance
• Strategies for improving employee productivity
• How to measure job satisfaction effectively
• The role of career development in boosting employee engagement
• Methods to enhance employee retention

HR Research Topics for Presentation

Here are several engaging HR research topics suitable for presentation. These topics aim to explore current trends and essential issues in Human Resources, providing a broad spectrum of ideas for your next project.

• How to utilize independent contractors and other gig workers
• Ways to recognize hidden bias
• Steps to document employment actions
• Methods to conduct performance appraisals
• Approaches to confront workplace bullying
• Implementing diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives
• Building company culture with trust
• Strategies to enhance employee wellness and well-being
• Ideas to promote sustainable work practices
• Exploring new frontiers of AI in HR
• Evaluating the role of HR in modern organizations
• Developing effective employee training programs
• Understanding IBM talent management techniques
• Crafting successful talent acquisition strategies
• Ensuring workplace safety compliance
• Benefits of regular psychological counseling for employees
• Addressing workplace violence prevention
• Exploring the use of virtual reality in training
• Examining the impact of employee wellness programs
• The importance of the performance management cycle
• Talent management strategies for modern organizations
• The role of human resource managers in shaping organizational culture

HRM Research Topics on Talent Management

Exploring interesting HR research topics in talent management can provide valuable insights for improving organizational success. Here are some fresh ideas to consider for your next project:

• How to attract top talent in a remote-first world
• The role of AI in identifying and nurturing high-potential employees
• Balancing talent acquisition and development in a hybrid work environment
• Leveraging data analytics for effective talent management
• The impact of employer branding on talent attraction and retention
• Adapting talent management practices for Gen Z and millennials
• The role of continuous learning and development in talent retention
• Implementing inclusive talent management strategies for a diverse workforce
• The effectiveness of employee referral programs in talent acquisition
• Managing talent mobility and internal career pathing
• How to foster innovation through effective talent management
• Evaluating the impact of remote work on employee engagement and talent retention
• The use of gamification in enhancing employee development and performance
• The role of leadership development programs in talent management
• How to boost employee motivation through talent management
• Effective workplace stress management techniques in talent management
• The evolving role of human resource managers in talent acquisition
• Innovative employee performance management styles for talent development
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Equal Employment Opportunity HR Research Topics

To manage employee performance effectively while ensuring fairness, consider these thought-provoking topics on equal employment opportunity for your research.

• Are women more likely to get paid less for the same position as a man?
• Do men and women deserve the same pay?
• How to manage equal opportunity employment?
• The best tactics for implementing equal opportunity
• Recruiting as an equal opportunity employer
• How to recognize and manage discrimination in the workplace
• The glass ceiling and how to break it
• Best practices for mediating disputes between employees
• Dealing with intimate relationships between employees
• How to create a diverse workplace?
• Making the workplace an inclusive and accessible place for disabled employees
• Preventing unfair discrimination against LGBT+ employees
• The costs of an unequal workplace
• The benefits of a diverse and inclusive workplace
• Government requirements for equal opportunity

Career Development HR Research Topics

Those who are interested in working in the field could take their first steps by writing a paper on human resource management topics. There is a huge variety of possible human resource topics for research papers, so everyone will likely find some aspect of it they enjoy.

• Growing leaders among employees
• Why does professional career development matter?
• How career development helps both employees and organizations
• The best approaches to on-the-job training
• Should training be prioritized over completed current work?
• Best practices for training interns
• Should interns be paid more?
• Professional certification training for employees
• How does active professional development affect productivity?
• Is it worth it to help an employee develop if they find a new, better-paid job afterward?
• Skills that all employees should develop
• Must-have training and development for all employees
• Advantages and disadvantages of paying for an employee’s professional training
• Advantages and disadvantages of leading professional development sessions
• Should companies help employees pay for school?

Research Topics on Recruitment and Selection

Studying human resources is a crucial part of management studies. Whether you are a college or university student, you can buy paper online to save time and effort. There are lots of reputable services that can provide excellent assignments to boost your academic performance.

• What does the ideal new employee look like?
• When is the best time to recruit a new employee?
• When is the worst time to recruit a new employee?
• Should highly skilled but untested individuals be recruited for senior positions?
• Best practices for improving employee retention.
• How to attract good employees?
• The best platforms to recruit on
• Is social media an effective way to recruit?
• What kind of employees should small businesses look for?
• What kind of employees are needed for a large company?
• Criminal background checks – Do’s and Don’ts
• How to effectively assess skills during an interview.
• How does HR evaluate a potential new recruit?
• Is it better to recruit an employee with experience but no skill, or the other way around?
• Recruiting university graduates directly – a good idea or a bad one?

HR Risk Management Topics

With so many moving parts working together in one company, it is natural for confusion or conflicts to arise. In order to make sure all these departments, employees, and managers work together, Human Resources is essential. In companies with hundreds of employees, their job simply cannot be understated.

• What kind of risks does HR have to manage?
• What role does HR take in risk management?
• How does HR ensure worker protection?
• Is HR there to protect employees or protect the company?
• Legal measures HR can take.
• Risk management during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• How HR managed risks revolving around COVID-19.
• Reasons to carry out regular internal audits.
• Risk management among the ‘#metoo’ movement.
• Training the workplace to minimize potential risks.
• Risk management when working from home.
• Ways to ensure all your employees follow masking and social distancing rules.
• Ways to ensure all employees get vaccinated.
• Responding to a legal action taken by an employee.
• When should HR take legal action?

Workplace Safety Human Resource Management Topics

To improve workplace safety through effective human resources management, consider these essential topics for your research papers:

• How to ensure compliance with workplace safety rules.
• The consequences of not following workplace safety.
• Ways to prevent Osha violations.
• How to ensure all employees follow health and safety protocols?
• How to ensure all employees get vaccines?
• Fines and penalties for violating workplace safety rules.
• Consequences of violating safety rules.
• Steps to minimize or prevent burnout.
• Bringing dangerous weapons into the workplace.
• Steps to take when an employee is assaulted at work.
• How to ensure psychological wellbeing during remote work.
• Ensuring company leadership also follows safety roles.
• Combating sexual harassment at the workplace.
• Monitoring employees during remote work – is it ethical?
• Developing specialized safety standards for the workplace.

HR Research Topics on Performance Management and Appraisal

Delve into the core aspects of performance management and appraisal with these compelling HR research topics that offer fresh perspectives and practical insights.

• How to evaluate the impact of remote work on performance appraisals?
• What role does artificial intelligence play in performance management systems?
• How to approach performance feedback in virtual teams?
• What are the benefits of continuous performance management in agile organizations?
• How effective is 360-degree feedback in enhancing employee performance?
• How to link employee performance to organizational goals in hybrid work models?
• What are the best practices for performance appraisals in multinational companies?
• How to measure employee engagement through performance metrics?
• What impact does diversity and inclusion have on performance appraisals?
• How can gamification techniques be used in performance management?
• What role does employee well-being play in performance appraisal outcomes?
• How to adapt performance management systems for Gen Z employees?
• How do leadership styles affect performance management effectiveness?
• How to integrate learning and development with performance appraisal systems?
• What is the role of data analytics in predicting employee performance trends?
• What are the challenges in conducting fair performance appraisals during economic downturns?
• How beneficial is employee self-assessment in performance appraisals?
• What role does emotional intelligence play in performance reviews?
• How to customize performance management approaches for different job roles?
• How does performance management influence employee retention rates?

Trending Human Resource Management Topics

Explore the latest trends in human resource management with these current and relevant topics that reflect the evolving landscape of HR practices:

• Unique ways to keep morale up during the pandemic.
• Online recreational activities to develop teamwork during remote work.
• Use of VR and AR in the workplace.
• Famous figures or celebrities in the workplace.
• Analyzing and updating how much a particular job is worth.
• Steps to take to improve long-term retention.
• Ways to handle overqualified employees or applicants.
• Is an HR department necessary for smaller, family-owned businesses?
• Defusing a tense and volatile moment in the workplace.
• DRM tools for keeping in-house training methods proprietary.
• Use of artificial intelligence for HR topics and tasks.
• How big data is useful to human resources.
• Virtual and online onboarding and orientation.
• Hiring the most talented personnel from a global marketplace.
• Are virtual interviews better than in-person interviews?

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HR is one of the most dynamic fields of work currently available. It is at the crossroads of psychology, sociology, accounting, and business. In the last few years, there have been many exciting changes in how human resources are handled, due to the rise of virtual platforms and working from home.

Only time will tell if these changes are temporary or permanent. But whichever way they go, our list of HR topics for research project 2023 will always be here for perusal.

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The research–practice gap in the field of HRM: a qualitative study from the academic side of the gap

• Review Paper
• Published: 15 June 2020
• Volume 15 , pages 1465–1515, ( 2021 )

Cite this article

• Jesús de Frutos-Belizón   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-3194-6910 1 ,
• Fernando Martín-Alcázar 1 &
• Gonzalo Sánchez-Gardey 1  

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10 Citations

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In recent studies, researchers agree that there is a substantial gap between research and practice in the field of human resource management (HRM). The literature exploring the causes and consequences of this gap does not represent a finely structured discourse; it has focused on analysing the gap from the practitioner side, and it is based on opinions and theoretical discussions rather than on empirical evidence. In this paper, we try to shed some light on this so-called “valley of death”. We attempt to identify the causes underlying the disconnect between academics and professionals in our field by drawing on empirical qualitative evidence obtained from interviews with 15 expert academics in the field of HRM. Thus, the approach presented in our work differs from that of the prior literature in that it is focused not on the opinions of individual authors but on the personal experiences of a larger expert sample composed of independent, experienced scholars in the area. Based on in-depth semi-structured interviews, we analyse the factors explaining why academics are not always willing to focus their research on professional needs or orientate their research outputs to the practitioner community.

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Acknowledgement

This study has benefited from financing from the Research Project ECO2014-56580-R of the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitively, and the Research Projects P12-SEJ-1810 from the Andalusia Government (Spain) and PR2016-018 (Research Projects University of Cadiz).

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Department of Business Management, University of Cádiz, Cádiz, Spain

Jesús de Frutos-Belizón, Fernando Martín-Alcázar & Gonzalo Sánchez-Gardey

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• Notes: The academics interviewed appear in alphabetical order. This order is not related to the number assigned to each academic interviewed. All information about the interviewees was obtained through Elsevier’s Scopus database and public information in their CVs
• *The Centre for Performance-led HR (CPHR) at Lancaster has been successful at bringing together world–class academic experts to work with top HR directors to overcome the most pressing issues facing senior HR specialists. It is a unique partnership between Lancaster University Management School and major corporations and was nominated as one of five Outstanding Employer Engagement Initiatives in the 2009 Times Higher Education Awards
• **NIHR Patient Safety Translational Research Centres (PSTRCs) work to pull advances in basic research with potential relevance to patient safety into an applied research setting
• ***The LINK Research Institute, based at Dublin City University Business School, sets out to understand the factors that contribute to successful organisations, both private and public, in Ireland and internationally. The LINK Research Institute enjoys mutually beneficial collaborations with a wide range of organisations. This includes various consulting projects with a wide range of organisations such as: Fáilte Ireland, Enterprise Ireland, The Electricity Supply Board, The Health Service Executive, The Department of Social Protection, Novartis, Intel, Mars, Airbus and Pfizer
• ****The Global Future of World Foundation aims to help Business, Academia and Goverments around the globe to prepare the workforce of the future for a sustainable world by detecting and predicting trends and paradigms for successful transformation ( http://globalfutureofwork.com/ )
• + The Institute for Business Research serves as the hub for externally funded business research within the Broad College of Business, and as part of the Michigan State University (MSU) campus-wide research infrastructure, collaborates with other MSU Colleges/Departments as well as the Offices of Regulatory Affairs, MSU Technology, Sponsored Programs, Business Connect and Contract and Grant Administration
• ++ The People Management Center (PMC) is an organization located with the department of Human Resource Studies at Tilburg University, which serves as a platform for global HR excellence to connect staff and students of the department, TIAS Business School and the business partners in the HR field

Appendix 2: Interview guide

According to your research experience, do you consider that research is individual or collective? What individuals or agents do you collaborate with in the development of your research projects?

Could you say that you have a stable research group? Do you have stable relationships with agents outside the group?

Could you briefly describe how work is normally organized in the research projects in which you participate?

Do you engage with professional partners in the development of research? How was this experience? What difficulties and benefits did you find in these collaborations?

Normally, what motivates your choice of research topics?

Could you specify the different steps of the research processes conducted in your group?

Which of them do you think are more important?

Do you think your research is relevant to the professional community?

Have you ever carried out a research project collaboratively with the professional community?

Do you consider that research in our field must be produced only for academics? Is it considered possible or viable to produce research jointly with the professional community?

How much time would you say that the whole process takes, from the time you have a stimulus to research until the time an output is generated?

What specific steps of the process do you feel are more time-consuming?

Do you usually change your research ideas and initial impressions after contrasting them with the rest of the members of your research team? Do you also do this with non-academic agents?

Does your research group have formal procedures (such as regular meetings) established? Do they incorporate external agents?

Could you say that the group has established routines to develop research activities?

Does your research team have a strong shared culture?

What do you think are the skills, knowledge or experience necessary to carry out a successful academic career? How would you describe a successful researcher in terms of knowledge, skills and experience?

How are these skills distributed in your group? Are there members specialized in some specific activities or phases of the research process?

How would you describe internal relationships within your research team?

Have you ever had communication problems between the members of the unit? How would you describe your communication with external and/or professional agents?

How is your research normally funded?

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de Frutos-Belizón, J., Martín-Alcázar, F. & Sánchez-Gardey, G. The research–practice gap in the field of HRM: a qualitative study from the academic side of the gap. Rev Manag Sci 15 , 1465–1515 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11846-020-00397-x

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Received : 27 June 2017

Accepted : 01 June 2020

Published : 15 June 2020

Issue Date : August 2021

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1007/s11846-020-00397-x

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• Human resource management research
• Valley of death
• Research–practice divide
• Rigor–relevance gap

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5 Areas of Human Resources Research

• Published August 22, 2019
• Last Updated March 16, 2022

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Human Resource: Areas of Investigation

• Job Satisfaction
• Cultural Diversity
• Protected Class Employees
• Compensation Plans
• Recruiting Strategies

In addition to personnel issues such as recruitment and training, there are several areas of human resources research that HR teams often partake in as well. Investigations help human resource staff improve HR procedures and processes, and this, in turn, helps to ensure that companies run smoothly. While there are many topics that HR teams may examine, five of the most common (and highly important) areas are discussed below.

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1. Job Satisfaction

One very important and common area of human resource exploration is job satisfaction. Employees perform their best when they are satisfied with their jobs. They are also more likely to be loyal to their employers if they enjoy their work. But just what makes employees satisfied with their positions? Exploring this query can help HR teams determine what employees need and want while on the clock. When exploring this area, human resource personnel may choose to conduct interviews individually or in groups. They may also examine similar businesses to determine what keeps other companies’ staff members happy and satisfied.

2. Cultural Diversity

Another area that is commonly explored by human resource professionals is cultural diversity. Not only are work environments becoming highly diverse, but with globalization, there is a need to understand persons of different cultures overseas as well. As an article published on the website known as Small Business Chron explains, understanding and managing cultural diversity is especially important for companies that operate in other countries. Exploration in this area often involves determining effective cultural sensitivity training programs for the workplace.

3. Protected Class Employees

Examining the procedures involved in eliminating discrimination among protected class employees is also a common area of exploration for HR departments. Typical things that are explored in this area include whether or not there have been discrimination suits filed against the company, how these problems have been handled, and whether or not solutions have been effective. Examining standard procedures and comparing them with effective procedures used by similar companies can help HR teams in this area as well. Since discrimination suits can pose serious consequences to businesses, this topic is highly important for companies both large and small.

4. Compensation Plans

Because appropriate compensation plans are among the many factors that can help to keep employees satisfied, this is another very common area of exploration for human resource personnel. Researching compensation plans typically involves examining job descriptions and comparing them with the going rate for such roles. It may also involve adjusting job descriptions, comparing salaries to that of similar roles in similar companies, adjusting compensation, and researching benefit plans by interviewing employees about what types of benefits they would like or need.

5. Recruiting Strategies

One of the most important jobs of any HR professional is to locate new talent that will benefit the company. Because of this, recruiting strategies is yet another common area of human resource exploration. HR teams must explore various options for locating top talent. They accomplish this by examining the company’s needs and the available pool of local job candidates. They must determine how they can reach this pool of persons, what platforms they should use to advertise open positions, and what would attract the best talent possible.

Human resource teams are responsible for much more than simply recruiting and training new staff members. They are also often responsible for researching various areas of interest that will benefit the company as a whole. Although there are many areas of human resources research, the five areas described above are some of the most common.

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HR’s New Role

• Peter Cappelli
• Ranya Nehmeh

Though the human resources function was once a strong advocate for employees, in the 1980s things changed. As labor markets became slack, HR shifted its focus to relentless cost cutting. Because it was hard for employees to quit, pay and every kind of benefit got squeezed. But now the pendulum has swung the other way. The U.S. unemployment rate has been below 4% for five years (except during the Covid shutdown), and the job market is likely to remain tight. So today the priorities are keeping positions filled and preventing employees from burning out. Toward that end HR needs to focus again on taking care of workers and persuade management to change outdated policies on compensation, training and development, layoffs, vacancies, outsourcing, and restructuring.

One way to do that is to show leaders what the true costs of current practices are, creating dashboards with metrics on turnover, absenteeism, reasons for quitting, illness rates, and engagement. It’s also critical to prevent employee stress, especially by addressing fears about AI and restructuring. And when firms do restructure, they should take a less-painful, decentralized approach. To increase organizational flexibility and employees’ opportunities, HR can establish internal labor markets, and to promote a sense of belonging and win employees’ loyalty, it should ramp up DEI efforts.

In this tight labor market, cost cutting is out. Championing employee concerns is in.

Idea in Brief

The pendulum swing.

For decades, when U.S. labor markets were slack, HR focused on cost cutting, which meant squeezing employees’ pay, benefits, and training. But now that labor markets are tight, the challenge is to retain workers.

The New Priorities

HR must focus on keeping positions filled and preventing employees from burning out or becoming dissatisfied.

The HR function must educate leaders about the true costs of turnover, address employee anxiety about AI and restructuring, lobby for investments in training, rethink how contract workers and vendors are used, and strengthen diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts.

From World War II through 1980 the focus of the human resources function was advocating for workers—first as a way to keep unions out of companies and later to manage employees’ development in the era when all talent was grown from within. Then things changed. Driven by the stagflation of the 1970s, the recession of the early 1980s, and more recently the Great Recession, HR’s focus increasingly shifted to relentless cost cutting. Decades of slack labor markets made slashing HR expenses easy because it was hard for people to quit. Pay and every kind of benefit, including training and development, got squeezed. Work demands went up, and job security fell.

• Peter Cappelli is the George W. Taylor Professor of Management at the Wharton School and the director of its Center for Human Resources. He is the author of several books, including Our Least Important Asset: Why the Relentless Focus on Finance and Accounting Is Bad for Business and Employees (Oxford University Press, 2023).
• Ranya Nehmeh is an HR specialist working on topics related to people strategy, human capital, leadership development, and talent management and is the author of The Chameleon Leader: Connecting with Millennials (2019).

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ILRHR 5600 Human Resources Management: Statistics and Data

• Company Research
• Finding Industry Information
• Statistics and Data

Finding Statistics

Statistics are published on the web and in print publications.  Publishers include the federal government, state governments, foreign governments, international agencies, private entities, and membership organizations.  Recording of statistics is sometimes mandated by law, but in other instances, it is entirely voluntary.  Even required government statistics often change over the years.  Statistics are not always published and raw data and data sets are not always accessible.  Finally, there may be hefty fees for some statistics!

The best strategy for finding statistics is to identify the stakeholders (governments, companies, organizations) and do a thorough search of their publications and Internet pages.  The resources below are good places to start you statistical research.

• Data & Reproduction Archive (Cornell Center for Social Science) The Cornell Center for Social Science (CCSS) houses the Data & Reproduction Archive, started by the former Cornell Institute for Social and Economic Research (CISER) in 1982. This extensive data collection emphasizes political and social behavior, demography, economics, and health. The collection includes federal and state census files, administrative records, public opinion surveys, and economic and social data from national and international organizations, along with studies compiled by individual researchers.
• Data.gov Excellent and growing source for raw data, including 5 pages on data sets on labor and employment.
• Federal Committee on Statistical Methodology (FCSM) A major portal for U. S. government statistics. The FCSM compiles, assesses, and disseminates information on statistical or survey methods and practices for Federal statistical agencies.
• International Statistical Agencies Comprehensive list by country, compiled by the U. S. Census Bureau. NOTE: Scroll to bottom of web page for the list.
• ProQuest Statistical Abstract of the U.S. The ProQuest Statistical Abstract of the United States is the authoritative and comprehensive summary of statistics on the social, political, and economic conditions of the United States. Data begins in 2013. For historical data, see separate listing, hosted by the U.S. Census Bureau.
• ProQuest Statistical Insight Provides statistical data from U.S. government publications from 1973, state and private sources from 1980, and international organizations from 1983.
• Statista Statista provides access to statistics and studies gathered by market researchers, trade organizations, scientific publications, and government sources on over 600 industries.

Company Statistics

• Bizminer Provides detailed industry analysis and market research reports on more than 16,000 lines of business in national and local markets. Their many uses include valuation, business plans, due diligence and competitive benchmarking. Industry reports cover profit and loss, balance sheets, financial ratios, start-up trends, and more. Financial reports allow you to compare businesses in a specific sales class and geographic area to industry average benchmarks and competitors.
• Business & Economy Page (U.S. Census) Business and economy data available from the U.S. Census organized by survey title or topic.
• Labor Database Contains publicly available US data about labor and unions dating from 1983-2014 in a MSAccess database for easy manipulation. Available at Catherwood Library only. Ask for assistance at the ILR Reference Desk.
• Orbis Provides access to company information and financial data for more than 275 million companies worldwide. Users can screen for companies based on geography, financial performance, industry, deals, ownership structure, number of employees, year of incorporation, and other criteria. Orbis is an excellent source for private company information, especially in international markets.
• PitchBook Search thousands of private equity and venture capital deals by hundreds of criteria. Use PitchBook to establish benchmarks, find real time data on deals, identify and analyze comparables, and search investor details. Users must create an account using your Cornell email address. Log in > Log in with SSO > [Cornell email address].

Industry Statistics

• CEIC Data Manager CEIC Data contains economic, industrial and financial time-series data. Our Global Database offers unprecedented coverage of 221 countries in Asia, Europe and Central Asia, Middle East, Africa and the Americas. EIC also offers 18 macro-economic concepts, and 1,400,000 time series. Data comes from analysts on the ground and the prime national and regional statistical agencies and major industrial data issuing organizations of each country covered. The CEIC Data Manager provides access to the entire CEIC database from within the Microsoft Excel spreadsheet application. Times-series can be directly retrieved from the database and imported into Excel for quick analysis.
• Economic Report of the President (Council of Economic Advisors) The Economic Report of the President is an annual report written by the Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisors. It overviews the nation's economic progress using text and extensive data appendices. Current and previous years are provided.
• Industry Statistics Portal Search for industry statistics by NAICS code.
• ILOSTAT The ILO's database of statistics, contains over 100 indicators covering more than 230 countries and economies. The Yearly indicators dataset contains standardized indicators for purposes of greater comparability across countries and relies heavily on the official submission of data by national authorities. The Short term indicators dataset contains monthly, quarterly and semi-annual data drawn from official websites of national authorities and is updated on a monthly basis. Additional data and tools are available from the site. This database replaces LABORSTA.
• IRS Tax Statistics Here you will find a wide range of tables, articles, and data that describe and measure elements of the U.S. tax system. This data is extremely useful for scholarly and policy research.
• U.S. Census Economic Data and Information See all the surveys and programs conducted by the U. S. Census Bureau that pertain to industries, companies, and business.

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