Digital HRM and Administrative Performance in Multi-Speciality Hospitals: The Mediating Role of Employee Engagement

The digital transformation of healthcare organizations has significantly reshaped human resource management practices and administrative operations. Digital Human Resource Management (Digital HRM) has emerged as a strategic approach that integrates technology-enabled HR functions, including e-recruitment, e-training and development, Human Resource Information Systems (HRIS), digital performance management, and employee self-service platforms, to enhance organizational effectiveness. Despite the growing adoption of Digital HRM in healthcare institutions, limited empirical research has examined the mechanisms through which these practices influence administrative performance. This study investigates the impact of Digital HRM on administrative performance and examines the mediating role of employee engagement in multi-speciality hospitals. Grounded in the Job Demands–Resources (JD-R) Theory and the Resource-Based View (RBV), the study employed a quantitative research design and collected data from 400 employees working in selected multi-speciality hospitals in Hyderabad and Secunderabad. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA), and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). The findings reveal that Digital HRM significantly and positively influences employee engagement and administrative performance. Employee engagement also demonstrates a significant positive effect on administrative performance and partially mediates the relationship between Digital HRM and administrative performance. The study concludes that employee engagement serves as a critical strategic mechanism through which Digital HRM enhances organizational outcomes. The findings contribute to the literature on Digital HRM, Industrial-Organizational Psychology, and Healthcare Management while providing practical insights for hospital administrators seeking to improve administrative effectiveness through technology-enabled HR practices.