Chapter 1: Organizational Challenges that May Prompt Changes in Human Resource Management: Theory and Research

This paper presents an overview of the goals of Research in Human Resource Management (HRM): to advance theory and research in HRM, present literature reviews that offer new directions for research, and consider novel theoretical models that enhance the knowledge base in our field. Although we have amassed a great deal of theory and research in HRM over the last century (Zedeck, 2011), we believe that there are numerous changes affecting today’s organizations, and these challenges create demands for new or modified models and research in HRM and Organizational Behavior (OB). Therefore, we review the implications that several organizational challenges (e.g., transition of the economy and employment relationship; and increased diversity, globalization, and technology) have for the transformation of HR practices, and changes in HR theory and research. We also provide a brief review of the papers included in this volume.