What question did this study set out to answer?

This article aims to review 60 years of research on technology's influence on human resource management.

November 18, 2020

Sixty years of research on technology and human resource management: Looking back and looking forward

Key Points

This article aims to review 60 years of research on technology's influence on human resource management.
Reviewed 154 articles in Human Resource Management over six decades.
Identified recurring patterns across three time periods and perspectives on technology.
Categorized research into thematic streams related to technology's impact on jobs, HR activities, and technology workers.
Outlined evolving patterns of technology research across three decades.
Highlighted three main thematic areas: impact on jobs, HR technology use, and management of tech workers.
Provided strategic suggestions for future HR studies concerning emerging technologies.

Abstract

Abstract Technology has changed the way we work and how companies manage their employees. This article reviews 60 years of research on the relationship between technology and human resource management, as represented in Human Resource Management . Based on 154 articles, we identify recurring and evolving patterns of research on technology across three time periods (separated by the advent of the personal computer in 1977 and by the popularization of consumer internet services in 1997), three perspectives on technology (tool, proxy, and ensemble view of technology), and three thematic streams (the impact of technology on jobs and organizations, the utilization of technology in HR activities, and the management of technology workers). Drawing on patterns of research that emerged in the past, we provide suggestions for future HR research on newly arriving technology.

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