Abstract:
The use of electronic Human Resource Management (e-HRM) has increased phenomenally in
recent years, in order to achieve various positive consequences such as lower costs, improved
relations amongst and between e-HRM actors, and even gaining a strategic role for the
Human Resource (HR) function. Empirical research focusing on e-HRM consequences, has
however, persistently shown unintended and contradictory findings between and within prior
studies conducted in the Western context. Such contradictions are detrimental to the practice
of e-HRM, since the implementation of the phenomenon can no longer be defended vis-a-vis
the returns from its deployment. The goal of this study was to develop a model for
maximising e-HRM macro-level consequences, in the context of actors. This study adopted a
partially mixed sequential dominant status explanatory design wherein the first phase, a
quantitative study, studied the effect of e-HRM use on employee performance, job
satisfaction, and organisational politics and subsequently on macro-level consequences. The
second phase, a qualitative study to contextualise the quantitative results, studied the
unexpected and non-significant results from the quantitative study. That is, a survey and
narrative inquiry were used as research strategies. The sample consisted of HR professionals,
line managers and IT professionals. The results indicate that there is successful partial
mediation linked to employee performance, job satisfaction and organisational politics. These
variables act as independent mediators, each playing a role in explaining the effect of e-HRM
use on e-HRM macro-level consequences. Job satisfaction however plays a greater
contributing role than the other two variables. Employee performance and job satisfaction in
serial mediation, subject to complementary HR interventions, contribute to the maximisation
of intended e-HRM macro-level consequences. The contribution of the thesis is in the model
that may inform and help minimise the occurrence of unintended consequences and maximise
the occurrence of intended consequences. A model that has employee performance and job
satisfaction as mediating variables, is recommended as the most fitting, to guarantee intended
consequences. For this model to work, a number of recommendations are suggested,
including aligning HRM strategies and e-HRM strategies for enhanced intended macro-level
consequences. It is important to realise that employee perception of e-HRM use may be
different from actual use. Future studies are encouraged to explore ways of measuring both
actual and perceived e-HRM use.
