IMPLICATIONS OF WORK AUTOMATION FOR HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

Abstract

Work automation affects workplace and employee engagement in a complex way. Concerns about job stability or a reluctance to be supervised by an algorithm may cause employees’ resistance to work automation and make it difficult to implement. The literature review revealed an important gap in empirical research on the specifics of human resource management (HRM) practices in the context of work automation. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to analyze the challenges and HRM practices under conditions of work automation. The research used qualitative data from Polish organizations collected through semi-structured interviews, conducted in 2022, with 10 managers responsible for applying HRM practices. To analyze the collected research material, a theoretical coding system was developed using an open coding approach. The research shows that the key challenges and practices of HRM under work automation include four areas: redesigning work as a result of automation, identifying the causes of employees’ negative reactions to work automation, engaging employees in work automation and sharing the benefits of automation with employees.