Chapter 9: Unpacking The “E” of e-HRM: A Review and Reflection on Assumptions about Technology in e-HRM Research

For research in electronic Human Resource Management (e-HRM), the ongoing diffusion of sophisticated information technology (IT) in HRM invokes critical questions concerning the role and status of technology in theoretical contemplation and empirical analysis. Earlier research indicates that the domain treats technology solely as a general and generic entity. At the same time, scholars in kindred domains warn that analytically waiving technology can lead to puzzling results and one-sided contribution made to knowledge. Perspectives and conceptions applied in research are based on (often implicit) assumptions that profoundly shape the questions asked and conclusions drawn. To scrutinize prevailing assumptions about technology in e-HRM, we conduct a systematic literature review of 62 research papers. The review uncovers rich and manifold assumptions and conceptions on technology but confirms that technology is largely addressed only at a very general and generic level. We discuss potential consequences of this finding and call for more complex considerations of the “e” in e-HRM. To this end, we suggest avenues for theorizing technology in e-HRM contexts more extensively. We argue that these perspectives can bring fresh explanatory resources and open up the domain for new insights in future research.