Orchestrating the music of e-HRM

Some years ago we examined the relationship between e-HRM and HRM service quality and argued that the key drivers of HRM service quality are the strengths of HRM content and of e-HRM technology (Bondarouk, Harms, & Lepak, 2016). Figure 3 shows that technological characteristics influence the perceived quality of HRM services for 18,4%; while the content of HRM (philosophy, policies and practices) – influences the perceived quality of the total HRM for 46,6%. These findings lead to a very simple conclusion for HRM practice: we cannot start orchestrating e-HRM music unless we have all HR instruments in the right place and well-tuned (Bondarouk et al., 2016). In other words, organizations should start with digitalization of HRM unless the HRM practices, policies and HRM philosophy are aligned and well-accepted.