trending research topics in human resource management

Human Resources Research Paper Topics For 2024

Table of contents

1.1 Human Resources Management Research Topics
1.2 Equal Employment Opportunity HR Research Topics
1.3 Career Development HR Research Topics
1.4 Research Topics on Recruitment and Selection
1.5 HR Risk Management Topics
1.6 Workplace Safety HR Topics
1.7 Trending HR Topics

Human Resources is one of the most popular and essential topics for the business minded. If you remember your basic economics, you may remember that the basic components necessary for production in any kind of economy are Land, Capital, and Labor.

Human labor is an essential resource that keeps a business running. Like any other resource, it must be managed. This is where the term “Human Resources” and Human resources research topics come in.

Having relevant data for research paper is easy if you know where to look. There are lots of online sources and books in libraries to use in your task. Make sure you spend enough time on planning before writing your task.

How to choose a Human Resources topic for your project?

Selecting research topics in human resource management is not as simple as simply choosing the title and proceeding to write it. In order to get a good grade, the paper must be original and well researched. It needs to cover all relevant aspects of the chosen HR topics. Writing a hr related research topics is a very structured and analytical process. This is true for all fields, including human resources research topics.

The first step is topic selection . This is where we can help you. This page features a list of over 90 human resources topics. If you are having problems coming up with your own ideas, please choose hr related research topics from this list instead.

These titled papers all have a great deal of material about human resource management research topics out there. They are each trending topics in hrm topics for research and have plenty of resources available out there on the internet. Each of them is also relevant to the actual field of human resources management.

So, while writing a hr related research topics is not a typical or common activity for an HR employee, it will give you a lot of insights and information. These insights could give you a leg up in the future when you have graduated from School and College.

Human Resources Management Research Topics

At most large companies, ‘Human Resources’ is an entire department of its own. Most other departments at the company typically deal with producing a good or service. Others, like the public relations department, work with the media and other external affairs. Hence, there are many ways to approach HR research topics.

How HR helps companies remain competitive in a global market.
Managing part-time, full time, and freelancing employees.
How much paid leave is optimal?
What occasions deserve raises and bonuses?
The simplest way to resolve interpersonal conflicts.
The most effective team-building strategies.
Organizing teams according to personalities.
Can an introverted employee be a good team leader?
How to improve productivity through a goal-oriented approach.
The agile method and how it helps.
The best way to utilize productivity metrics.
Methods for disciplining employees.
How to manage international employees.
Preventing workplace violence.
Benefits of regular psychological counseling for all employees.

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Equal Employment Opportunity HR Research Topics

Are women more likely to get paid less for the same position as a man?
Do men and women deserve the same pay?
How to manage equal opportunity employment?
The best tactics for implementing equal opportunity.
Recruiting as an equal opportunity employer.
How to recognize and manage discrimination in the workplace.
The glass ceiling and how to break it.
Best practices for mediating disputes between employees.
Dealing with intimate relationships between employees.
How to create a diverse workplace?
Making the workplace an inclusive and accessible place for disabled employees.
Preventing unfair discrimination against LGBT+ employees.
The costs of an unequal workplace.
The benefits of a diverse and inclusive workplace.
Government requirements for equal opportunity.

Career Development HR Research Topics

Those who are interested in working in the field could take their first steps by writing a paper on human resource management topics. There is a huge variety of possible human resource topics for research papers, so it is likely that everyone will find some aspect of it they enjoy.

Creating leaders among employees.
Why does professional career development matter?
How career development helps both employees and organizations.
The best approaches to on-the-job training.
Should training be prioritized over completed current work?
Best practices for training interns.
Should interns be paid more?
Professional certification training for employees.
How does active professional development affect productivity?
Is it worth it to help an employee develop if they find a new, better-paid job afterward?
Skills that all employees should develop.
Must-have training and development for all employees.
Advantages and disadvantages of paying for an employee’s professional training.
Advantages and disadvantages of leading professional development sessions.
Should companies help employees pay for school?

Research Topics on Recruitment and Selection

Studying human resources is a crucial part of management studies. Whether you are a college or university student, you can buy paper online to save time and effort. There are lots of reputable services that can provide excellent assignments to boost your academic performance.

What does the ideal new employee look like?
When is the best time to recruit a new employee?
When is the worst time to recruit a new employee?
Should highly skilled but untested individuals be recruited for senior positions?
Best practices for improving employee retention.
How to attract good employees?
The best platforms to recruit on.
Is social media an effective way to recruit?
What kind of employees should small businesses look for?
What kind of employees are needed for a large company?
Criminal background checks – Do’s and Don’ts.
How to effectively assess skills during an interview.
How does HR evaluate a potential new recruit?
Is it better to recruit an employee with experience but no skill, or the other way around?
Recruiting university graduates directly – a good idea or a bad one?

HR Risk Management Topics

With so many moving parts working together in one company, it is natural for confusion or conflicts to arise. In order to make sure all these departments, employees, and managers work together, Human Resources is essential. In companies with hundreds of employees, their job simply cannot be understated.

What kind of risks does HR have to manage?
What role does HR take in risk management?
How does HR ensure worker protection?
Is HR there to protect employees or protect the company?
Legal measures HR can take.
Risk management during the covid-19 pandemic.
How HR managed risks revolving around covid-19.
Reasons to carry out regular internal audits.
Risk management among the ‘#metoo’ movement.
Training the workplace to minimize potential risks.
Risk management when working from home.
Ways to ensure all your employees follow masking and social distancing rules.
Ways to ensure all employees get vaccinated.
Responding to a legal action taken by an employee.
When should HR take legal action?

Workplace Safety HR Topics

How to ensure compliance with workplace safety rules.
The consequences of not following workplace safety.
Ways to prevent osha violations.
How to ensure all employees follow health and safety protocols?
How to ensure all employees get vaccines?
Fines and penalties for violating workplace safety rules.
Consequences of violating safety rules.
Steps to minimize or prevent burnout.
Bringing dangerous weapons into the workplace.
Steps to take when an employee is assaulted at work.
How to ensure psychological wellbeing during remote work.
Ensuring company leadership also follows safety roles.
Combating sexual harassment at the workplace.
Monitoring employees during remote work – is it ethical?
Developing specialized safety standards for the workplace.

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149+ Best Human Resource Management Research Paper Topics

Post author By Pooja Barman
October 18, 2023

Are you looking for the best MBA HR research paper topics? If yes, here we give all the most exciting human resource project ideas for you.

If you’re studying human resource management (HRM), you know it’s a big and important field. People are the most vital part of any business. So, as a student, you often have to write assignments like essays, research papers, and theses about HRM. If your assignment doesn’t have a specific topic, it can be challenging. This article gives you a list of exciting HR topics to choose from. We’ve organized them into categories like training, talent management, leadership, and more, making it easier for you to pick the right one for your assignment.

In this blog, we will delve into HR research paper topics, explore how to choose the best ones, and understand why these topics benefit students.

You May Also Like: How Can You Reduce the Stress of Completing a Project

Table of Contents

What is HR Research Paper Topics?

HR research paper topics encompass a wide range of subjects related to managing human capital within an organization. These topics can be broadly categorized into areas such as recruitment, training and development, employee motivation, diversity and inclusion, labor relations, compensation and benefits, and more.

The goal of HR research is to provide insights and solutions to challenges that organizations face when dealing with their employees. It allows students to explore, analyze, and propose solutions to real-world HR issues, contributing to the field’s development.

How to Choose a Good HR Research Paper Topic

Here’s a guide on how to choose a topic that not only interests you but also aligns with your career goals:

1. Identify Your Interests

Start by considering your personal interests. What aspects of HR intrigue you the most? It could be talent acquisition, performance management, employee well-being, or any other facet of HR. Choosing a topic that aligns with your passion will make the research and writing process more engaging and fulfilling.

2. Consider Relevance

Look for topics that are relevant in the current HR landscape. HR is a dynamic field, and certain topics may gain more significance over time. Staying current with trends and emerging issues will help you choose a topic that resonates with the HR community and provides valuable insights.

3. Consult Your Advisor

Engage with your academic advisor or professor for guidance. They can provide suggestions, feedback, and help you refine your research topic. Advisors have a wealth of experience and can steer you in the right direction.

4. Define Your Scope

Ensure that your research topic is neither too broad nor too narrow. A topic that is too broad can be overwhelming, while a very narrow topic might limit the available research material. Find the right balance that allows you to delve deep into the subject while having access to relevant literature.

5. Explore Current Research

Review existing literature and research in the field. This will help you identify gaps and areas where further investigation is needed. Building upon existing research can lead to more meaningful contributions.

6. Practicality

Consider the feasibility of conducting research on your chosen topic. Can you access the necessary data, conduct surveys or interviews, or perform experiments if required? Ensure your chosen topic is practical within the scope of your resources and time constraints.

7. Ethical Considerations

Be mindful of ethical considerations when selecting a topic. Ensure that your research does not violate any ethical standards or raise ethical concerns. HR topics often involve sensitive issues, so it’s crucial to approach them with sensitivity and ethical integrity.

149+ Exciting MBA HR Research Paper Topics For Beginners

These are the major MBA HR research paper topics for beginners are given below.

Professional/Career Development HR Research Topics

Training and development general/ interesting human resource research topics, employee engagement hr research paper topics, compensation and benefits, mba labor relations hr research paper topics, performance management, diversity and inclusion research paper topics, hr technology research paper topics, workplace well-being, talent management hr research paper topics, employee turnover trending research topics in human resources, hris topics for dissertations, essays, and research paper.

Here are your HRIS (Human Resource Information System) research topics presented below.

Employee Benefits and Well-being Research Paper Topics

Here are simplified versions of your provided talent management research topics:

Equal Employment Opportunity HR Research Paper Topics

Following are the Equal Employment Opportunity HR Research Topics for students.

Managing Equal Employment Opportunity : How HR departments make sure that everyone has a fair chance at work.
Best EEO Practices : The right ways to ensure equal opportunities at work.
Importance of Equal Opportunities : Why it’s crucial to treat everyone fairly in the workplace.
EEO and Workplace Diversity : How equal opportunities connect with having a diverse workforce.
Role of EEOC : What the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission does to enforce fair treatment at work.
Workplace Discrimination Effects : How unfair treatment affects employee well-being.
Direct vs. Indirect Discrimination : Different types of unfair treatment at work.
Handling Unfair Dismissal : What to do when someone is fired unfairly.
Mediation and Dispute Resolution : Using mediation to solve workplace problems.
Including LGBTI Workers : How to make sure LGBTI employees are treated fairly.
Employee Diversity and Performance : How having a diverse workforce affects a company’s success.
EEO’s Impact on Organizations : How equal opportunities influence a company.
Equal Opportunities and Employee Performance : How treating people fairly affects how well they work.
EEO and the Transport Industry : Equal opportunities in the transportation field.
EEO and the Glass Ceiling : Breaking down barriers for career advancement.
Coordinating EEO Practices : Ensuring that companies follow EEO rules.

Top 10 Most Promising HR Research Paper Topics For College Students

Here are some promising HR research paper topics that students can consider:

The Impact of Diversity and Inclusion Programs on Organizational Performance: Analyze how diversity and inclusion initiatives influence employee engagement, innovation, and overall organizational success.
Remote Work and Employee Productivity: Examine the challenges and benefits of remote work arrangements, focusing on productivity, employee well-being, and work-life balance.
The Role of Emotional Intelligence in Leadership Effectiveness: Investigate the relationship between emotional intelligence among leaders and employee satisfaction, performance, and retention.
Mental Health and Well-being Programs in the Workplace: Evaluate the effectiveness of mental health programs and their impact on employee well-being, absenteeism, and productivity.
The Future of Work: AI and Automation in HR: Explore the implications of artificial intelligence and automation in HR, such as AI-driven recruitment and chatbots for employee support.
Performance Appraisal Systems and Employee Motivation: Analyze different performance appraisal methods and their influence on employee motivation and job satisfaction.
Workplace Harassment and Strategies for Prevention: Investigate the prevalence of workplace harassment, its effects on employees, and strategies for prevention and intervention.
The Role of HR in Talent Acquisition in the Gig Economy: Examine how HR functions in organizations adapt to the gig economy and the challenges they face in attracting and retaining gig workers.
The Impact of Training and Development on Employee Retention: Assess the relationship between investment in employee training and development and long-term employee retention.
The Role of HR in Change Management: Explore the HR department’s role in managing organizational change, particularly in mergers and acquisitions.

What’s Next?

Once you’ve chosen your HR research topic, the next steps will depend on your academic or professional goals. Here are some general guidelines:

Research and Data Collection : Start by conducting thorough research on your chosen topic. Gather relevant information, academic articles, books, and any necessary data. Use reliable sources to ensure the quality of your research.
Outline Your Paper : Create a clear and organized outline for your paper. This will help you structure your ideas and arguments effectively.
Writing Your Paper : Based on your outline, start writing your paper. Ensure you follow the appropriate formatting and citation style (e.g., APA, MLA, Chicago) as required by your institution or publication.
Proofreading and Editing : After writing, carefully proofread and edit your paper. Check for grammar, spelling, and formatting errors. You can also seek feedback from peers or mentors.
Research Paper or Dissertation : If you’re working on a research paper or dissertation, make sure to follow the specific guidelines and expectations set by your academic institution or publication.
Professional Writing Service : If you prefer expert assistance, consider hiring a professional writing service. Expert writers can help you create a well-researched, properly formatted, and organized HR paper on your chosen topic. You can use this paper as a reference and guide for your own assignment.

Selecting the right HR research paper topic is the first step toward a successful research journey. By considering your interests, the relevance of the topic, and ethical considerations,. You can choose a subject that not only aligns with your academic and career goals but also contributes to the ever-evolving field of HR. HR research paper topics offer numerous benefits for students, from practical application to skill development and the opportunity to make a meaningful contribution to the field.

So, adopt the opportunity to explore HR topics and let your research be a beacon of knowledge and innovation in the world of human resources.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the four core hr areas.

These are recruitment, selection, and placement; learning and development; performance management; and rewards and recognition.

What are the 5 functional areas of HR?

These are talent management, compensation, employee benefits, training, and development.

What are the areas of strategic HR?

Examples of strategic HR functions include compensation planning, recruitment, succession planning and employee development.

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Human Resource Management Research Paper Topics

Human resource management research paper topics are a critical area of study for students and professionals aiming to understand and advance the field of Human Resource Management (HRM). With the rise of complex organizational structures, diverse workplace environments, and evolving employment laws, HRM has become an essential part of any successful organization. This abstract provides an overview of the multifaceted world of HRM research and introduces a comprehensive list of research paper topics that cater to various aspects of HRM. From talent acquisition to employee retention, performance evaluation, training, and legal compliance, the following sections will offer detailed insights into these areas. Students interested in pursuing research in HRM will find these topics engaging and highly relevant to the current organizational landscape. Additionally, they will be introduced to iResearchNet’s writing services that provide expert assistance in producing custom HRM research papers, ensuring quality, depth, and adherence to academic standards.

100 Human Resource Management Research Paper Topics

Human Resource Management (HRM) is a field that delves into the multifaceted interactions between employees and organizations. The role of HRM has evolved over time to include not only the management of recruitment and employee relations but also strategic planning, legal compliance, and organizational development. Here, we present a comprehensive list of Human Resource Management research paper topics divided into 10 essential categories, each containing 10 specific topics.

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HRM is a dynamic and broad field that demands multidimensional approaches to study. As students explore various topics, they will find intricate connections between management strategies, organizational behavior, and employee satisfaction. The following list serves as an inclusive guide to inspire research and academic inquiry.

The role of HRM in organizational strategy
Integrating HRM and business planning
Talent management strategies
Outsourcing HR functions: Pros and cons
Technology and HRM
Cross-cultural HRM
Mergers and acquisitions: HRM challenges
Strategic HR planning and organizational success
The future of strategic HRM
Best HR practices in top-performing companies
Innovative recruitment techniques
Bias and discrimination in the recruitment process
Role of artificial intelligence in recruitment
Recruitment marketing strategies
Social media as a recruitment tool
Ethics in employee selection
Assessing the effectiveness of recruitment strategies
Diversity and inclusion in recruitment
Remote hiring practices
Campus recruitment strategies
The effectiveness of training programs
Employee development and organizational growth
The role of mentors in employee growth
E-learning and virtual training methods
Personalized training approaches
Training evaluation methods
Cross-training and skill development
The future of corporate training
Impact of continuous learning culture
Leadership development programs
Modern performance appraisal techniques
360-degree feedback system
Employee engagement and performance
Performance management and job satisfaction
Aligning performance goals with organizational objectives
Challenges in performance evaluation
Performance-based rewards
Emotional intelligence and employee performance
Performance management in remote work environments
Real-time performance tracking systems
Building trust and collaboration among employees
Conflict resolution strategies
Impact of organizational culture on employee engagement
Managing generational differences in the workplace
Role of leadership in fostering engagement
Employee wellness programs
The psychology of employee engagement
Communication strategies for employee relations
Remote employee engagement tactics
Work-life balance initiatives
Salary negotiation techniques
The psychology of compensation
Pay equity and gender wage gap
The impact of benefits on employee retention
Flexible compensation models
Global compensation strategies
Linking compensation to performance
Employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs)
Non-monetary benefits and motivation
Compensation transparency
Labor law compliance in multinational corporations
Whistleblowing and ethical considerations
HRM in unionized workplaces
Workplace harassment laws
Employee rights and employer responsibilities
Managing employee terminations ethically
Diversity and anti-discrimination policies
Legal aspects of employee benefits
Remote work and legal challenges
Ethical dilemmas in HRM
Building a diverse workforce
Strategies for fostering inclusion
The impact of diversity on team performance
Gender diversity in leadership roles
Managing cultural diversity
Age diversity in the workplace
Disability inclusion strategies
LGBT+ inclusion in the workplace
Ethnic diversity and organizational success
Bias reduction training
The role of HRM in shaping organizational culture
Employee behavior and organizational success
Workplace norms and values
Emotional labor in organizations
Organizational change management
Strategies for building a positive work environment
Employee motivation and organizational culture
The psychology of workplace relationships
Corporate social responsibility (CSR) and culture
The role of leadership in defining organizational culture
Emerging Trends in HRM
HRM in the gig economy
Artificial intelligence and HRM
Employee mental health and well-being
Sustainability and HRM
The future of remote work
Integrating HRM and corporate social responsibility (CSR)
Blockchain in HRM
Personal branding in HR
The role of big data analytics in HRM
HRM challenges in the post-pandemic world

The list of human resource management research paper topics presented above offers a rich and diverse avenue for exploration. Each category delves into core aspects of HRM, reflecting the ever-changing nature of this field. As students embark on their research journey, they will discover a world that intricately connects people, organizations, and societal values. Whether focusing on traditional practices or emerging trends, these topics provide the starting point for meaningful inquiry and the creation of knowledge that contributes to the continued growth and evolution of HRM.

Human Resource Management and the Range of Research Paper Topics

Human Resource Management (HRM) is an interdisciplinary field that integrates aspects of management, psychology, sociology, economics, and legal studies. It is the art and science of managing people within an organization to maximize their performance, well-being, and alignment with strategic goals. As a broad and multifaceted domain, HRM opens doors to a wide array of research opportunities. This article will explore the essence of HRM, its historical evolution, theoretical frameworks, practical applications, and the myriad of research paper topics it offers.

Historical Background

The history of HRM can be traced back to the early 20th century, during the rise of the industrial revolution. The scientific management theory introduced by Frederick Taylor sought to apply scientific principles to worker productivity. As the business environment grew more complex, the Hawthorne studies emerged, highlighting the importance of social factors and human relations in the workplace. The evolution from personnel management to modern HRM reflects a shift from viewing employees as mere resources to recognizing them as valuable assets.

Theoretical Frameworks

HRM is underpinned by several key theories that guide practice:

Resource-Based View (RBV): Emphasizes the role of human resources as a competitive advantage.
Equity Theory: Focuses on fairness and justice in employee relations.
Expectancy Theory: Explains how employees are motivated by the expected outcomes of their actions.
Human Capital Theory: Regards employees as assets whose value can be enhanced through training and development.

These theories offer diverse perspectives for research, ranging from organizational behavior to strategic HRM.

Key Functions and Practices

The scope of HRM encompasses various functions that address the needs of both the organization and its employees:

Recruitment and Selection: Designing and implementing processes to attract and hire suitable candidates.
Training and Development: Enhancing employee skills and knowledge through continuous learning.
Performance Management: Assessing and managing employee performance to align with organizational goals.
Compensation and Benefits: Structuring pay and rewards to motivate and retain talent.
Labor Relations: Navigating the legal landscape and fostering healthy employee-employer relationships.

Contemporary Challenges

Modern HRM faces several challenges that provide fertile grounds for research:

Diversity and Inclusion: Creating a workforce that represents various backgrounds, beliefs, and perspectives.
Technology and Automation: Leveraging technology to enhance HR processes while considering its impact on jobs.
Globalization: Managing HR practices across different cultures and jurisdictions.
Ethical Considerations: Balancing organizational needs with ethical treatment of employees.

Emerging Trends

The ever-changing business landscape leads to new trends in HRM:

Remote Work: The rise of virtual workplaces and the associated management challenges.
Well-Being and Mental Health: Prioritizing employee health and well-being as part of HR strategy.
Sustainability: Integrating social responsibility into HR practices.

Range of Research Paper Topics

The complexity and diversity of HRM lead to an abundance of research paper topics. Here are examples from different areas:

Strategic HRM: Examining the alignment of HR practices with business strategy.
Employee Engagement: Exploring factors that influence engagement and its impact on performance.
Legal Aspects of HRM: Investigating laws and regulations affecting HR practices.
Organizational Culture and Behavior: Analyzing the influence of culture on employee behavior and organizational success.

Human Resource Management is a vast and dynamic field that intertwines various disciplines, theories, practices, and challenges. From historical roots to contemporary issues, HRM offers a rich tapestry of research opportunities. Whether investigating traditional functions or delving into emerging trends, students and scholars can find a wealth of topics that resonate with their interests and contribute to our understanding of human interactions within organizational contexts. The spectrum of human resource management research paper topics reflects the depth and breadth of a field that continues to evolve, shaping the way we work, lead, and thrive in an ever-changing world.

How to Choose Human Resource Management Research Paper Topics

Selecting the right topic for a research paper in Human Resource Management (HRM) is a critical step that can shape the entire trajectory of your project. The topic you choose should align with your interests, academic level, the specific requirements of the assignment, and the current trends in the field. Here’s a guide to help you navigate the decision-making process and pinpoint a topic that resonates with you.

The realm of Human Resource Management is vast and diverse, encompassing various theories, functions, challenges, and emerging trends. Choosing a suitable research paper topic within this multifaceted field requires careful consideration and strategic thinking. This section will outline ten essential tips to guide you in selecting a meaningful, relevant, and engaging topic for your research.

Identify Your Interests: Begin by reflecting on what aspects of HRM intrigue you. Are you passionate about organizational behavior, talent acquisition, employee welfare, or strategic HRM? Your research will be more enjoyable if it aligns with your interests.
Understand the Assignment Requirements: Review the guidelines and grading criteria provided by your instructor. Consider the scope, length, and expected complexity of the paper.
Conduct a Preliminary Literature Review: Explore existing research in areas that interest you. Identify gaps, controversies, or emerging trends that could form the basis for your study.
Consider the Target Audience: Think about who will read your paper. Tailoring the topic to your audience’s interests, knowledge level, and expectations can enhance its impact.
Evaluate Available Resources: Assess the availability of data, tools, and resources needed for your research. The feasibility of a topic depends on your ability to access relevant information and support.
Align with Current Trends: Consider choosing a topic that relates to contemporary issues or recent developments in HRM. This alignment can make your research more relevant and appealing.
Seek Guidance from Instructors or Peers: Don’t hesitate to consult with your instructor, classmates, or academic advisors. They may offer valuable insights, feedback, or suggestions.
Ensure Ethical Consideration: Ensure that your chosen topic complies with ethical standards, particularly if it involves human subjects, sensitive data, or controversial subjects.
Consider the Broader Impact: Reflect on how your research could contribute to the field of HRM. A topic with potential practical implications or theoretical advancements can add value to your work.
Create a Shortlist and Evaluate: Draft a list of potential topics and weigh them against the criteria outlined above. This systematic approach can help you identify the most suitable option.

Selecting a research paper topic in Human Resource Management is a thoughtful and iterative process that requires introspection, exploration, and strategic thinking. By considering your interests, academic requirements, available resources, current trends, ethical considerations, and potential impact, you can identify a topic that not only resonates with you but also contributes to the vibrant discourse in HRM. Remember that your choice is not set in stone; it’s a starting point that you can refine and adapt as you delve into your research. Embrace the journey, for the right topic is a gateway to discovery, learning, and growth in the multifaceted world of human resource management.

How to Write a Human Resource Management Research Paper

Writing a research paper on Human Resource Management (HRM) is a complex task that requires a clear understanding of the subject matter, a methodical approach to research, and strong writing skills. The following section will guide you through the process of crafting a well-structured, insightful, and academically rigorous research paper in HRM.

Human Resource Management is at the core of organizational success, shaping the way businesses attract, retain, and develop talent. As a field that intertwines with psychology, sociology, business strategy, and law, writing a research paper on HRM is both challenging and rewarding. The following guide provides a step-by-step approach to help you navigate the research, writing, and revision stages, ensuring that your paper is thorough, coherent, and impactful.

Understand the Assignment: Before diving into research and writing, clarify the assignment’s objectives, scope, format, and grading criteria. Ensure you understand what is expected in terms of content, structure, style, and depth of analysis.
Choose a Relevant Topic: Select a topic that aligns with your interests, the course objectives, and current HRM trends. Refer to Section IV for guidance on choosing the right topic.
Conduct Comprehensive Research: Utilize reputable sources such as academic journals, books, and industry reports to gather data, theories, and insights related to your topic. Evaluate the credibility and relevance of each source.
Develop a Thesis Statement: Craft a clear and concise thesis statement that outlines the central argument or focus of your paper. The thesis should guide the reader on what to expect and provide a roadmap for your analysis.
Create an Outline: Develop a detailed outline that breaks down the main sections and sub-sections of your paper. An outline will help you organize your thoughts, maintain coherence, and ensure a logical flow of ideas.
Write the Introduction: Begin with an engaging introduction that introduces the topic, provides background information, highlights its significance, and presents the thesis statement.
Develop the Body Paragraphs: Divide the body of your paper into clear sections and subsections. Use headings and subheadings to guide the reader. Each paragraph should have a clear topic sentence, supporting evidence, and a concluding sentence that links back to the thesis.
Include Practical Insights and Case Studies: Where appropriate, include practical examples, case studies, or industry insights that illustrate your points. This application of theory to real-world scenarios can enhance the depth and relevance of your paper.
Write the Conclusion: Summarize the key findings, restate the thesis in light of the evidence, and discuss the implications, limitations, and recommendations for future research or practice.
Revise and Edit: Review your paper multiple times to check for clarity, coherence, grammar, and formatting errors. Consider seeking feedback from peers or instructors, and use plagiarism check tools to ensure originality.

Writing a research paper in Human Resource Management is a multifaceted process that requires careful planning, diligent research, critical analysis, and thoughtful writing. By following the tips outlined above, you can create a paper that not only meets academic standards but also contributes valuable insights to the dynamic field of HRM. Remember that writing is a process of continuous refinement; embrace revisions, seek feedback, and strive for clarity and depth. The journey of crafting an HRM research paper is an opportunity to deepen your understanding, hone your skills, and contribute to the ongoing discourse in a field that shapes the heart of organizations around the world.

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For custom human resource management research paper.

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80 Human Resource Management Research Topics

FacebookXEmailWhatsAppRedditPinterestLinkedInAre you a student searching for compelling human resource management (HRM) research topics? Look no further! Our comprehensive list of dissertation topics in HRM is here to assist you in finding captivating ideas for your academic journey. HRM is a critical function within organizations, responsible for managing the most valuable asset: the workforce. In this […]

Are you a student searching for compelling human resource management (HRM) research topics? Look no further! Our comprehensive list of dissertation topics in HRM is here to assist you in finding captivating ideas for your academic journey.

HRM is a critical function within organizations, responsible for managing the most valuable asset: the workforce. In this guide, we have curated a diverse range of thought-provoking research topics that cover various aspects of HRM, including talent acquisition, employee development, performance management, diversity and inclusion, and workplace culture. Whether you’re pursuing an undergraduate, master’s, or doctoral degree, this post offers a wealth of opportunities to delve into emerging trends, address industry challenges, and contribute to the advancement of this dynamic field. With our thoroughly researched content, you can easily find and select a topic that aligns with your interests and career aspirations.

So, get ready to embark on an exciting research journey in the field of HRM, exploring the latest theories, best practices, and innovative approaches to enhance organizational effectiveness and employee well-being.

A List Of Potential Research Topics In Human Resource Management (HRM):

The role of HRM in facilitating organizational resilience and adaptation post-COVID.
Analyzing the role of HR in managing and preventing workplace harassment and discrimination.
Examining the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on employee well-being and mental health.
Analyzing the challenges and opportunities of hybrid work models in the post-pandemic era.
The role of performance management in driving employee motivation and performance.
The influence of organizational justice on employee attitudes and behavior.
The role of technology in transforming HR practices and enhancing employee experience.
Analyzing the impact of globalization on HRM practices and international HRM strategies.
The role of HR in managing change and facilitating organizational transformation.
The impact of employee engagement initiatives on organizational culture and performance.
The influence of organizational culture on employee satisfaction and retention.
Analyzing the role of HRM in managing diversity and inclusion in UK organizations.
Strategies for managing and supporting remote teams in the new normal.
Strategies for fostering a culture of trust and psychological safety in the post-pandemic workplace.
Investigating the impact of employee voice mechanisms on organizational effectiveness.
The influence of UK employment law and regulations on HRM practices and strategies.
The role of HR in managing employee burnout and promoting work-life balance after COVID-19.
Examining the effectiveness of performance management systems in UK organizations.
Analyzing the role of HR in managing employee well-being during times of change and uncertainty.
Strategies for managing workplace conflicts and fostering positive employee relations.
The impact of employee motivation strategies on organizational performance.
The influence of organizational culture and values on employee resilience and post-COVID recovery.
The impact of remote work on employee engagement and productivity in a post-COVID world.
Investigating the impact of flexible work schedules on employee work-life balance.
Examining the effects of COVID-19 on diversity and inclusion practices in organizations.
Investigating the relationship between HR practices and employee turnover intentions.
Strategies for effective talent acquisition and recruitment in a competitive job market.
The role of HR analytics in making data-driven HR decisions and improving HR effectiveness.
Investigating the effectiveness of HRM practices in managing employee turnover.
The influence of HRM practices on organizational agility and adaptability.
Exploring the role of HRM in promoting work-life balance and well-being in the UK workplace.
The role of HR in promoting work-life balance and employee well-being.
Evaluating the effectiveness of leadership development programs in grooming future leaders.
The role of HR in fostering a culture of innovation and creativity in organizations.
The influence of HR practices on employee engagement and productivity in the UK context.
Investigating the relationship between HR practices and employee psychological contract.
Analyzing the impact of performance appraisal systems on employee motivation and performance.
The influence of social media on employee recruitment and employer branding.
Exploring the relationship between HR practices and employee job satisfaction.
Exploring the role of HRM in managing employee relations and industrial disputes in the UK.
Strategies for promoting work-life integration in a technology-driven work environment.
Exploring the effectiveness of performance-based rewards and recognition programs.
Strategies for effective internal communication and employee engagement in the post-COVID workplace.
Examining the impact of flexible work arrangements on work-life balance and job satisfaction.
Strategies for promoting work engagement and job satisfaction among remote workers.
The influence of digitalization on HR practices and employee experiences in the post-COVID workplace.
Analyzing the impact of artificial intelligence and automation on HRM practices.
The role of HR in managing workforce diversity and fostering inclusive work environments.
The influence of flexible work arrangements on employee satisfaction and work-life integration post-COVID.
Examining the effectiveness of talent management strategies in retaining high-potential employees.
Exploring the relationship between employee satisfaction and customer satisfaction.
Exploring the impact of remote onboarding and training processes in a post-pandemic environment.
Strategies for promoting knowledge sharing and collaboration in the digital workplace.
Examining the role of HRM in supporting organizational sustainability and corporate social responsibility initiatives in the UK.
Analyzing the effects of the gig economy on HR practices and employment relationships in the UK.
Analyzing the impact of employee engagement initiatives on employee retention.
The role of HRM in managing employee vaccine policies and workplace safety protocols.
Strategies for effective talent acquisition and retention in the post-COVID job market.
The role of HR in managing employee development and career growth.
Analyzing the impact of employee wellness programs on employee health and productivity.
Investigating the effectiveness of mentoring programs in developing future leaders.
The impact of remote work on employee engagement and productivity.
The influence of HRM practices on employee commitment and organizational citizenship behavior.
The impact of workplace diversity on team performance and innovation.
Exploring the effectiveness of flexible benefits programs in meeting diverse employee needs.
Exploring the benefits and challenges of implementing diversity and inclusion initiatives in the workplace.
Exploring the challenges and opportunities of talent management in a post-pandemic world.
Analyzing the role of HR in managing cross-cultural teams and promoting cultural diversity.
The influence of employee training and development programs on organizational performance.
Analyzing the impact of remote performance management practices in the post-COVID era.
Strategies for managing a multigenerational workforce and leveraging generational diversity.
Exploring the role of HR in managing organizational crises and facilitating resilience.
The impact of flexible work arrangements on employee satisfaction and retention in the UK.
The impact of Brexit on talent management and workforce mobility in the UK.
Analyzing the implications of workforce downsizing and restructuring on employee morale and motivation post-COVID.
Investigating the impact of employee benefits and compensation on job satisfaction and retention.
The role of HR in supporting and promoting employee reskilling and upskilling initiatives post-pandemic.
Examining the effectiveness of employee wellness programs in mitigating the long-term effects of COVID-19.
Investigating the impact of employee empowerment on job satisfaction and organizational commitment.
Exploring the relationship between employee engagement and organizational performance.

These research topics provide a broad range of opportunities for students to delve into various aspects of human resource management. From exploring emerging trends to addressing critical challenges in the field, students can contribute to the knowledge base and make a valuable impact on the practice of HRM.

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Research trends in human resource management. A text-mining-based literature review

International Journal of Manpower

ISSN : 0143-7720

Article publication date: 26 April 2022

Issue publication date: 14 March 2023

The purpose of the study was to detect trends in human resource management (HRM) research presented in journals during the 2000–2020 timeframe. The research question is: How are the interests of researchers changing in the field of HRM and which topics have gained popularity in recent years?

Design/methodology/approach

The approach adopted in this study was designed to overcome all the limitations specific to the systematic literature reviews and bibliometric studies presented in the Introduction. The full texts of papers were analyzed. The text-mining tools detected first clusters and then trends, moreover, which limited the impact of a researcher's bias. The approach applied is consistent with the general rules of systematic literature reviews.

The article makes a threefold contribution to academic knowledge. First, it uses modern methodology to gather and synthesize HRM research topics. The proposed approach was designed to allow early detection of nascent, non-obvious trends in research, which will help researchers address topics of high value for both theory and practice. Second, the results of our study highlight shifts in focus in HRM over the past 19 years. Third, the article suggests further directions of research.

Research limitations/implications

In this study, the approach designed to overcome the limitations of using systematic literature review was presented. The analysis was done on the basis of the full text of the articles and the categories were discovered directly from the articles rather than predetermined. The study's findings may, however, potentially be limited by the following issues. First, the eligibility criteria included only papers indexed in the Scopus and WoS database and excluded conference proceedings, book chapters, and non-English papers. Second, only full-text articles were included in the study, which could narrow down the research area. As a consequence, important information regarding the research presented in the excluded documents is potentially lost. Third, most of the papers in our database were published in the International Journal of Human Resource Management, and therefore such trends as “challenges for international HRM” can be considered significant (long-lasting). Another – the fourth – limitation of the study is the lack of estimation of the proportion between searches in HRM journals and articles published in other journals. Future research may overcome the above-presented limitations. Although the authors used valuable techniques such as TF-IDF and HDBSCAN, the fifth limitation is that, after trends were discovered, it was necessary to evaluate and interpret them. That could have induced researchers' bias even if – as in this study – researchers from different areas of experience were involved. Finally, this study covers the 2000–2020 timeframe. Since HRM is a rapidly developing field, in a few years from now academics will probably begin to move into exciting new research areas. As a consequence, it might be worthwhile conducting similar analyses to those presented in this study and compare their results.

Originality/value

The present study provides an analysis of HRM journals with the aim of establishing trends in HRM research. It makes contributions to the field by providing a more comprehensive and objective review than analyses resulting from systematic literature reviews. It fills the gap in literature studies on HRM with a novel research approach – a methodology based on full-text mining and a big data toolset. As a consequence, this study can be considered as providing an adequate reflection of all the articles published in journals strictly devoted to HRM issues and which may serve as an important source of reference for both researchers and practitioners. This study can help them identify the core journals focused on HRM research as well as topics which are of particular interest and importance.

Human resource management
Text-mining

Piwowar-Sulej, K. , Wawak, S. , Tyrańska, M. , Zakrzewska, M. , Jarosz, S. and Sołtysik, M. (2023), "Research trends in human resource management. A text-mining-based literature review", International Journal of Manpower , Vol. 44 No. 1, pp. 176-196. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJM-03-2021-0183

Emerald Publishing Limited

Published by Emerald Publishing Limited. This article is published under the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) licence. Anyone may reproduce, distribute, translate and create derivative works of this article (for both commercial and non-commercial purposes), subject to full attribution to the original publication and authors. The full terms of this licence may be seen at http://creativecommons.org/licences/by/4.0/legalcode

1. Introduction

The human resource (HR) function has evolved over the years from serving a purely administrative role into one that is more strategic in character. Today it is believed that the mission of human resource management (HRM) is to support the organization in achieving its objectives by developing and implementing HR strategies that are integrated with a company's business strategy, promote staff development, foster a positive employment relationship, promote an ethical approach to people management, and care about the environment (social and natural) ( Ehnert, 2009 ; Braga et al. , 2021 ).

In practice, HRM means providing continuous solutions to a wide array of problems occurring in employee-employer, line worker-manager, and employee-employee relations and also in contacts with, e.g. trade unions. Human behaviors, feelings and attitudes are determined both by the personal characteristics of individuals and by the impact of the environment. The shape of HRM is significantly influenced by such factors as, e.g. the demographic and technological transformations ( Greiling, 2011 ; Silva and Lima, 2018 ), and globalization ( Gerhart and Fang, 2005 ).

HRM has evolved as a professional and academic discipline in parallel with both planned shifts in global considerations and unplanned phenomena such as, e.g. epidemics. For researchers it is crucial to identify, define, explain, and help practitioners understand the key factors which have an impact on HRM. Another of the researchers' roles is to formulate practical guidelines on how to manage people in different circumstances and outline areas of future research. HRM thrives on the contributions made in other fields that it assimilates and applies in practice. It unscrupulously builds on theoretical developments made earlier in related disciplines ( Boxall et al. , 2009 ). Finally, the researcher endeavors to provide an overview, comparisons, analyses and syntheses of previously published findings ( Paul and Criado, 2020 ).

The theme of trends in HRM has been addressed in numerous publications (e.g. Cooper et al. , 2020 ; Madera et al. , 2017 ). Their authors have employed various approaches to identify such phenomena, including systematic literature reviews. Articles offering a traditional overview provide a quantity-oriented (i.e. meta-analytical, systematic) approach together with descriptive or qualitative elements. Jointly, they develop a theoretical background, highlight irregularities in existing findings, integrate the findings of a wide variety of publications and in general provide other researchers with an up-to-date understanding of the discipline, frequently prepared by leading specialists ( Palmatier et al. , 2018 ). In most cases, the documents selected for analysis were based on titles, keywords and abstracts only. Unfortunately, they contain only around 8% of all research findings ( Blake, 2010 ). In order to gain a deeper insight into such a body of knowledge authors have often turned to the by-hand review method (e.g. Cooper et al. , 2020 ).

Conventional systematic by-hand literature reviews are sometimes characterized by errors in article selection, possible simplifications and potentially incomplete and not universal results (subjective, impressionistic descriptions), In response to these shortcomings, in recent years a number of new alternatives have emerged. One new approach that has attracted increasing attention is bibliometric studies. This method applies dedicated IT tools to gauge trends in articles. They examine academic material from both an objective and qualitative perspective for the purposes of identifying, organizing, and analyzing information in a specific research field ( Capobianco-Uriarte et al. , 2019 ). As far as trends in HRM are concerned, Markoulli et al. (2017) presented a summary of previously published traditional and narrative reviews and on its basis created a science map and defined clusters based on keyword co-occurrence analysis and the VOSviewer software tool.

Bibliometric analyses can be treated as a platform for writing an entire article or can be used only as preparation for the groundwork for further in-depth content analysis and qualitative descriptions. In turn, a text mining toolset can help identify research trends and select papers which are in line with a particular trend. Moreover, a full-text analysis of publications using a text mining toolset enables researchers to obtain higher-quality results than when using only keywords, such as in the case of VOSviewer analyses ( Kobayashi et al. , 2018 ). As a consequence we decided that it was worth adopting a methodology based on full-text mining and a big data toolset in order to identify trends in HRM research. We believe that big data and analytics help not only companies function but also researchers in a highly data-driven world ( Kobayashi et al. , 2018 ).

The purpose of the study was to detect trends in HRM research presented in journals during the 2000–2020 timeframe. The following research question was asked: how are the interests of researchers changing in the field of HRM and which topics have gained in popularity in recent years?

The paper is organized as follows. In the second section we describe the HRM research trends identified in previous studies. Here the focus is on the context in which authors were operating when analyzing HRM issues. The third section is devoted to the research method employed for the purpose of this study. Then we present the results and discussion. The article ends with conclusions, including limitations and areas of future research.

The article makes a threefold contribution to academic knowledge. First, it uses modern methodology to gather and synthesize HRM research topics. The proposed approach was designed to allow early detection of nascent, non-obvious trends in research, which will help researchers address topics of high value for both theory and practice. Second, the results of our study highlight shifts in focus in HRM over the past 20 years. Third, the article suggests further directions of research.

2. Trends in the HRM research identified in previous studies

In their search for HRM research trends authors of this study firstly used the Scopus database and a search strategy based on such terms as: trends in human resource management/HRM, trends in research on human resource management/HRM, human resource management/HRM trends, intellectual structure of human resource management/HRM. The searching process covered titles, abstracts and keywords and was limited to articles written in English. The search produced 37 documents. Then the authors also searched for additional articles in Google Scholar.

Most of the articles were devoted to the trends identified in HR practices in companies (e.g. Dubravska and Solankova, 2015 ). One of such trends is HRM digitalization ( Ashbaugh and Miranda, 2002 ). Table 1 presents a list of HRM trends identified in the research (related to academic work) conducted by different authors.

It can be concluded from the above that researchers employed different approaches to defining and identifying these trends. Research trends may be associated with research topics (e.g. Özlen, 2014 ), research methods (e.g. Pietersen, 2018 ) and the general characteristics of the academic domain (e.g. Sanders and De Cieri, 2020 ). Although a number of authors have provided traditional literature reviews of trends in HRM, Chae et al. (2020) , for example, focused only on the local (Korean) research trends and used only keyword analyses. Others focused on a specific sector ( Cooper et al. , 2020 ), industry ( Madera et al. , 2017 ) or region ( Wood and Bischoff, 2020 ). There are also articles that outline the evolution of research in particular journals (e.g. Pietersen, 2018 ). Others address specific problems, such as international HRM (e.g. Sanders and De Cieri, 2020 ) or green HRM ( Yong et al. , 2020 ). The most visible trends identified in previous studies and associated with research topics were strategic HRM, HR performance and employment/industrial relations. The first topic was addressed in eight works while the remaining was the subject of five publications.

3. Material and methods

The approach adopted in this study was designed to overcome all the limitations specific to the systematic literature reviews and bibliometric studies as presented in the Introduction. The full texts of papers were analyzed. The approach applied is consistent with the general rules of systematic literature reviews ( Tranfield et al. , 2003 ) and consists of several steps, which are presented in Figure 1 .

3.1 Selection of journals

Thousands of articles covering HRM can be found on both Scopus and the Web of Science. For the sake of the present analysis, it was necessary to define inclusion criteria in the meta-analysis.

The main topic of the journal was related to HRM,

The journals were indexed in Scopus and WoS,

The journals have a high SNIP index value (the limit value is set at 1 - status for 2020; full values are presented in Table 2 ),

Full versions of the article were available,

The articles were published in the years 2000–2020.

A total of 8 journals met the above criteria ( Table 2 ). The full texts of the papers were downloaded from academic databases. No duplicates were found. Only research papers were included, while editorials, calls for papers, errata and book reviews were excluded.

All the metadata were removed from the papers. The titles and abstracts often contain catchwords designed to increase readership. As a consequence, only the texts of papers minus their titles, keywords, abstracts and references were analyzed in this study. Additional bibliographic information that could be useful in the analytical process was downloaded from the Crossref database. Each paper was converted into a text file and then into a bag-of-words model for the needs of automatic analysis using computer algorithms. The algorithms were created using Python libraries, such as grobid, nltk, scikit-learn, hdbscan, and scipy ( Pedregosa et al. , 2011 ).

3.2 Search for the most important terms

w i j – result for term i in document j ,

t f i j – number of occurrences of i in j ,

d f i – number of documents containing i ,

N – number of documents in the corpus (set of documents).

The TF-IDF method is not a mathematical model. It requires extensive computation, cannot be used to discover synonyms and ignores multiple meanings of words ( Zhang et al. , 2011 ). However, in the case of research papers, these problems have a minimal impact due to the more precise language used by researchers.

3.3 Identification of thematic groups (clusters)

The TF-IDF model presents each paper as a multidimensional vector. The number of dimensions is equal to the number of keywords used in the analysis. In the next step, all the vectors were compared to each other, which led to the discovery of clusters.

As mentioned in section 3.2 , the TF-IDF model does not analyse synonyms and ignores multiple meanings of words and phrases. In scholarly texts, it is rarely a problem. Even in HRM, where the number of synonyms can be perceived as higher than in other areas of management, the impact on the results should be negligible.

There are two main approaches to clustering: partitioning and hierarchical clustering. The former can be applied when all the corpus elements must be included in one of the groups. This induces data noise, as not even similar elements have to be included. The latter allows some elements to remain outside the clusters. The clusters become much more homogenous. This constitutes a better approach when it comes to identifying trends. Multiple hierarchical clustering methods are available, e.g. meanshift, DBSCAN, Optics and HDBSCAN (Hierarchical Density-Based Spatial Clustering of Applications with Noise) ( McInnes et al. , 2017 ). HDBSCAN is characterized by the least number of limitations. It takes each paper (vector) and checks at what distance it can find similar publications. Then it compares the results, and the densest areas are detected as clusters. Unlike some other methods, the clusters lack permanent density or a fixed number of elements. The only parameter that the researcher needs to establish is the minimum cluster size. The best value can be determined through a series of experiments.

In the present study, the authors carried out a set of experiments using different minimum cluster sizes. The highest value detected was 20. Lower values lead to a much higher number of clusters. Moreover, general phrases not directly related to HRM played a significant role in the discovery of these clusters. With the minimum cluster size set to values greater than 20, the number of clusters was significantly lower. That led to general results based on the most popular phrases only.

The entire sample was divided into groups of papers published in 5-year overlapping periods starting with 2000–2004 and ending with 2016–2020. Each paper was assigned to all the groups into which it fitted. Cluster analysis was performed for every group separately, and the results were used to identify trends.

Cluster analysis was performed on each group separately, and the results were used to discover trends. Approximately 30 clusters on average were identified for each five-year period. However, for a trend to be identified at least two similar clusters had to be discovered in successive periods Therefore, many unrelated clusters were excluded by the algorithm. Such behaviour is expected, as it removes noise from data. Usually, only one-third of clusters meet the conditions to form trends.

The number of papers published in each year is presented in Figure 2 . A slight decrease in the number of articles can be observed compared to 2018–19, which may have been a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.

3.4 Identification of trends

Long-lasting trends that existed and evolved during the studied period,

Declining trends which came to an end during the studied period,

Emerging trends which began during the studied period,

Ephemeris trends that began and ended during the studied period.

3.5 Interpretation of trends

The results delivered by the algorithm must be checked through further studies. The algorithm can detect mergers or splits in trends. We decided, however, that the final decision should be left to researchers. At this stage, trends should also be named, interpreted and described. The interpretation phase should help highlight changes within trends and try to predict their future evolution.

4. Results and discussion

The analyses, performed by researchers using automatic algorithms and further verification, led to the discovery of 42 trends presented in Table 3 . These trends are ordered according to the year of their first occurrence and their duration. It is worth emphasizing that the year in which a trend was observed does not indicate that the idea behind it emerged at the same time. Rather, it shows when a subject began to increase in popularity among researchers. Furthermore, the number of identified trends is much higher than the results from previous studies presented in Section 2.1 Table 4 .

The use of tracking revealed the evolution of clusters, and made it possible to identify trends. The analysis led to the discovery of the types of trends presented in Section 3.4. Of the 42 trends, 4 were long-lasting, 5 declining, 17 emerging and 16 ephemeris in character. One possible fact to note is that “strategic HRM”, which was a prevailing trend in previous studies, is not directly presented in the results obtained using text-mining analyses. However, it is included in the “architecture and changing role of HRM” trend.

At this point it is worth emphasizing that sociologists of science have examined the principles governing the selection of topics analysed by researchers, and noticed that it may result from a trade-off between conservative production and risky innovation ( Bourdieu, 1975 ). The main problem when choosing research topics is deciding whether to continue topics fixed in the literature or take the risk of exploring new, hitherto unknown themes. Trend a analysis offers an indirect solution based on strategic ambidexterity. This is not only because it allows us to observe disappearing themes that continue to be exploited, but also to identify those topics, in which there is a growing interest (exploration).

Long-lasting trends are not homogenous and change over time. The evolution of trends can be tracked using keywords of considerable importance in subsequent years. The importance of keywords was evaluated using the TF-IDF algorithm and averaged for each cluster. The TF-IDF formula was presented in the Methodology section. It should be noted that the TF-IDF score has to be calculated for each phrase in each paper. In this study, over 150,000 phrases were identified in over 6 thousand papers. That resulted in a significant number of calculations made by the algorithm, which cannot be presented in the paper. A comparison of cluster keywords reveals new topics within trends. The evolution of trends may lead to the disappearance of earlier topics or to their parallel development. Declining and ephemeris trends are associated with issues that are of less interest to researchers, have been resolved or were eclipsed by changes in a researcher's approach to the object of their study. The disappearance of certain trends is a normal phenomenon in science. Such a disappearance can be predicted to a certain degree when the average number of papers decreases.

Since we identified many trends, only a few examples will be described below. One example of a long-lasting trend is “Diversity Management”, which covered the entire 2000–2020 timeframe. The articles that discussed this trend focused on effective diversity management, its impact on organizational performance (e.g. Choi et al. , 2017 ), team performance ( Roberge and van Dick, 2010 ), knowledge sharing ( Shen et al. , 2014 ), innovation ( Peretz et al. , 2015 ), and the various factors which impact upon its effectiveness. Some papers discussed only one form of diversity in the workplace, e.g. age diversity ( Li et al. , 2011 ), gender diversity (e.g. Gould et al. , 2018 ) or ethnic diversity (e.g. Singh, 2007 ).

One sub-trend that can be observed within the above-discussed trend is age management', which falls within the 2005–2018 time range. The papers assigned to this sub-trend focus on HR practices towards older employees (e.g. Kooij et al. , 2014 ).

One example of a declining trend is “new and traditional career models”. This trend, which was observed in the years 2000–2019, highlights the fact that the weakening of organizational boundaries has increased career freedom and independence from previously constraining factors. The papers which examined this issue provide conceptual knowledge of different career dimensions. For example, a shift has taken place from objective to subjective careers. Individuals have to make sense of their careers, because they can no longer depend on their employers ( Walton and Mallon, 2004 ). Individual cultural, social and economic capital builds a field of opportunities for pursuing a career ( Iellatchitch et al. , 2003 ). Simultaneously, two major kinds of boundaries to the “boundaryless career” have been identified: the competence-based boundary (industry boundary) and the relation-based boundary (social capital boundary) ( Baghdadli et al. , 2003 ).

In the last two decades, increasing environmental awareness has pushed researchers towards addressing the issue of HRM as a strategic tool for making companies sustainability-driven organizations (e.g. Podgorodnichenko et al. , 2020 ). One of the emerging trends identified in our study is “Green and sustainable HRM”. This trend focuses on the environmental responsibility of companies (e.g. DuBois and Dubois, 2012 ) or/and achieving simultaneously social and economic goals (if the triple bottom line concept is discussed) (e.g. Ren and Jackson, 2020 ). The results, in the form of behavioral changes, have also been examined (e.g. Dumont et al. , 2017 ) and the contribution of HRM to company sustainability has been discussed in the context of different countries (e.g. Alcaraz et al. , 2019 ).

Finally, one example of an ephemeris trend is “HR certification”. The discussion on this trend was initiated by Lengnick-Hall and Aguinis (2012) . They applied a multi-level theory-based approach to investigating HR certification. They tried to assess the value of HR certification for individual HR specialists, their organizations as well as for the HR profession as a whole. The main topic addressed in later articles devoted to this trend was the value of HR certification (e.g. Aguinis and Lengnick-Hall, 2012 ). The value of HR certification has been linked with shareholder value ( Paxton, 2012 ). The link between organizational values and HR certification is another issue that has been addressed. Organizational values are treated as a key antecedent to the use and pursuit of HR certification ( Garza and Morgeson, 2012 ).

Table 3 presents only those periods during which specific trends were active, but provides no information on their dynamics. This can be observed by looking at the average number of papers per year (ANPY) in consecutive periods. Table 4 presents all the trends active during the last year of the study. They were divided into three groups according to whether the ANPY was decreasing, increasing or stable in recent years. To depict the relative strength of these trends, table shows the average number of papers published in the final 5-year period.

It can be concluded that trends with an increasing dynamic coincide with the trends defined in the literature. For example, “flexible employment from the perspective of HRM” corresponds with “employment relations” distinguished by Markoulli et al. (2017) and “the HRM process, the changing nature of HRM, and precarious employment relations” in the typology developed by Cooper et al. (2020) . “Diversity Management” is related to “organizational culture” ( Özlen, 2014 ). “Employee participation” may be associated with “employment relations” ( Cooke et al. , 2019 ) and “organizational commitment” ( García-Lillo et al. , 2017 ). The latter occurs both in the presented typology and in previous ones. “leader–member exchange” should be included in “behavioral issues” ( Özlen, 2014 ). Finally, a trend characterized by an increasing dynamic is “green and sustainable HRM”. Green HRM was an independent subject of analysis in a study by Yong et al. (2020) .

5. Conclusions

5.1 contributions and implications.

The present study provides an analysis of HRM journals with the aim of identifying trends in HRM research. It makes contributions to the field by providing a more comprehensive and objective review than analyses resulting from conventional systematic literature reviews as well as by identifying 42 different trends. It fills an existing gap in literature studies on HRM with a novel research approach – a methodology based on full-text mining and a big data toolset. As a consequence, this study can be considered as providing an adequate reflection of all the articles published in journals strictly devoted to HRM issues and which may serve as an important source of reference for both researchers and practitioners. It can also help them identify the core journals focused on HRM research as well as those topics which are of particular interest and importance.

As the study covers a period of over 20 years it should come as no surprise that some trends emerged and declined over this time. However, our study creates an opportunity for reviving research topics which combine old trends with new ones, and at the same time take into account the interdisciplinary nature of HRM as a field of research. Some researchers have observed that success can often be achieved by adopting a tool from another research area or through a new way of analyzing old problems that brings new insights and solutions ( Adali et al. , 2018 ).

Finally, we observed the emergence of a number of trends during the studied period that are still active. In particular, green and sustainable HRM is not only an emerging trend but also developing rapidly. It is worth mentioning here that while many articles have focused on green HRM issues, they have not been published in journals that specialize in HRM but in journals devoted to environmental issues. One possible future challenge for researchers may be to estimate the proportions between HRM articles published in HRM journals and those featured in other journals.

Practitioners interested in the evolution of the field can find in this paper areas of HRM that require improving in their own businesses or which can be treated as a platform for introducing innovations in HRM (emerging trends). The information contained in this paper can also be utilized as a source for evaluating the performance of sub-fields in a HRM research domain and for adjusting research policies with regard to funding allocations and comparing research input and output ( Gu, 2004 ). The editors of journals may take into account the results presented in this paper when making decisions regarding the direction, scope, and themes of their journals.

5.2 Limitations

First, our eligibility criteria included only papers indexed in the Scopus and WoS database and excluded conference proceedings, book chapters, and non-English papers. Second, only full-text articles were included in the study, which could narrow down the research area. As a consequence, important information regarding the research presented in the excluded documents is potentially lost. Third, most of the papers in our database were published in the International Journal of Human Resource Management, and therefore such trends as “challenges for international HRM” can be considered significant (long-lasting). Another – the fourth – limitation of the study is the lack of estimation of the proportion between searches in HRM journals and articles published in other journals. Future research may overcome the above-presented limitations. Although we used valuable techniques such as TF-IDF and HDBSCAN, the fifth limitation is that, after trends were discovered, it was necessary to evaluate and interpret them. That could have induced researchers' bias even if – as in this study – researchers from different areas of experience were involved. Finally, this study covers the 2000–2020 timeframe. Since HRM is a rapidly developing field, in a few years from now academics will probably begin to move into exciting new research areas. As a consequence, it might be worthwhile conducting similar analyses to those presented in this study and compare their results.

Workflow of the methodology used in this study

Number of papers in the years 2000–2020

Trends in HRM research identified in previous studies

HRM-related journals included in this study

Trends in HRM research in the years 2000–2020

Activity of long-lasting and emerging trends in recent years

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HRM Dissertation Topics

Published by Carmen Troy at January 6th, 2023 , Revised On April 16, 2024

Introduction

Human resource management studies stated that employees should be hired, retained and managed. It is an extensive field that requires an in-depth understanding of the underlying factors and concepts.

As a human resource management student, you will study many different concepts, frameworks, and theories related to employee management. However, before your graduation, you will be required to submit a dissertation on a human resource management research topic of your choice.

Even though several topics and concepts are yet to explore in the field of human resource management, you will want to make sure that your proposed topic has sufficient literature to support and justify the content of a theoretical framework , or else you might struggle with data collection .

This article provides you with a comprehensive list of HRM topics that are relevant to your field and identifies some interesting literature gaps.

Choosing from our list of topics will certainly improve your chances of submitting an outstanding dissertation. So, go ahead and choose an HRM dissertation topic of your interest. We can even customize these topics based on your project needs.

PhD qualified writers of our team have developed the proposed topics, so you can trust to use these topics for drafting your dissertation.

Note –

You may also want to start your dissertation by requesting a brief research proposal from our writers on any of these topics, which includes an introduction to the topic, research question , aim and objectives , literature review along with the proposed methodology of research to be conducted. Let us know if you need any help in getting started.

Check our dissertation examples to get an idea of how to structure your dissertation .

Review the full list of dissertation topics for here.

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Project Management Dissertation Topics
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Management Dissertation Topics
Operations Management Dissertation Topics

2024 HRM Dissertation Topics

Topic 1: how human resources departments achieve equal employment opportunities.

Research Aim: The research will aim to investigate how HR departments achieve equal employment opportunity in organizations. EEO, or Equal Employment Opportunity, is the notion everybody has an equal chance to pursue a job on the basis of merit, regardless of skin color, gender, or gender identity. It is the duty of HR department to give every employee and equal right in the organization. The research will examine how HR department keep the organization environment friendly by controlling equal employment opportunities.

Topic 2: The effect of motivating strategies on employee performance

Research Aim: The research will aim to find the impact of motivating strategies on employee performance. Employee motivation plays a huge part on performance. Employee engagement cannot be substituted by anything else in order for any organisation to run efficiently and without interruption. It is critical that a company and its employees not only have a strong connection with the top management, but also have a good and healthy relationship with their colleagues. The study will also make recommendations on what further might be done to obtain optimal results utilising motivating methods for the benefit of both the company and the individual.

Topic 3: Organizational Conflicts as Antecedents of Staff Turnover: Evidence from the UK Food Sector

Research Aim: The research will aim to review recent available literature on employee turnover in order to determine organizational conflicts as antecedents of employee turnover in the UK food sector in order to close gaps in the literature and present a broader range of turnover factors and understanding of employee motivational factors in their job decision.

Topic 4: How does AI involvement in HRM provide Zara with a competitive advantage?

Research Aim: The research will aim to inspect the benefit of competitive advantage at Zara through the involvement of artificial intelligence in their HRM. AI assists the human resources department in identifying their personnel’ skill sets and recommending a training programme based on their work positions. It combines all of the data and assists the HR staff in making succinct decisions about what training to do in which sector to boost abilities. The study will also explain the importance of AI in organizations and organizations success. It will also look into strategies and policies Zara used to achieve competitive advantage.

Topic 5: The role of HR in creating a respected working environment that contributes in sustainable revenue growth

Research Aim: The research aims to examine the role of HR in creating a respected working environment and sustainable revenue growth. The study will identify current misunderstandings and disparities in understanding of topics such as sustainable development, corporate social responsibility, and the link between strategic human resource management and sustainable HRM through a comprehensive literature review. It will also identify and recognise the challenges that sustainable HRM encounters in reality, with a particular emphasis on the prevalent strategic HRM schema and the misunderstanding of corporate social responsibility.

Covid-19 HRM Research Topics

The role of managers during the pandemic.

Research Aim: In this study, the Human resource management techniques which HR managers will adopt for performing their operations during the COVID -19 will be discussed.

The management techniques for employees.

Research Aim: This study will focus on how the employees are trained during the Coronavirus pandemic.

The economic Crisis for HR Managers during Covid-19

Research Aim: This study will discuss how the economic crisis will disturb the payroll and how the managers will work.

The policies of HR for affected employees.

Research Aim: In this study, HR will design policies on how HR will manage when there is a gap between employees working. How will the ill patients be provided with support by companies through HR?

The employees' cooperation for HR

Research Aim: This study will highlight how well the employees support the decisions of the HR policymakers during the pandemic.

HRM Dissertation Topics for 2023

Topic 1: effect of employee engagement on customer loyalty in the service-based industry.

Research Aim: Employees engagement means that employees are passionate and committed to their work. In the service industry, where employees’ performance can greatly influence the quality of service, it is worth exploring employee engagement in customer loyalty in the service-based industry. Therefore, in this study, survey-based research will be conducted to identify employee engagement in customer loyalty.

Topic 2: Contingent workforce and its impact on organisation’s performance – Evaluating the IT Industry

Research Aim: Nowadays, companies hire freelancers and contractual workers, unlike permanent payroll employees. Various cost benefits can be obtained by hiring such a workforce. However, such a workforce may not have the required skills to do a job as effectively as a trained staff would have done. Thus, the present study focuses on identifying the impact of a contingent workforce on its performance in the IT industry.

Topic 3: Factors of growing mental health issues of employees at workplace in service-based industries

Research Aim: The wellness of employees at the workplace is necessary for their mental health and work performance. This study will identify the factors that can increase employees’ mental health issues at the workplace based on survey-based of employees and managers of service-based industries.

Topic 4: Analysing the importance and impact of training and development on an organisation’s sustainability during economic crises.

Research Aim: to achieve organizational objectives and milestones, leaders and business owners have realized the importance of training and developing their workforce to align with the organizational objectives. This research aims to analyze the importance and impact of employee training and development on the organization’s sustainability during economic downturns.

Topic 5: How online digital platforms have helped organisations in recruiting effectively and efficiently

Research Aim: With the advent of technology, firms have revolutionized their business operations. Under this revolution, many organizations have adopted different techniques and methods to recruit talented employees. Therefore, this research intends to determine how online digital platforms have helped organizations find employees more efficiently and effectively.

Topic 6: Analysing the factors which directly impact an employee's personal decision to leave employment

Research Aim: Employee turnover rate has always been a major concern for many organizations regardless of their size and nature. A valuable and talented employee is usually hard to find and retain. However, it has been found out that different factors motivate an employee to search for a new job. Keeping this phenomenon in mind, the current research will be analyzing the factors that directly impact the employee’s personal decision to leave employment.

Topic 7: Critically analysing the concept of workplace flexibility and how it impacts employee and organisational performance

Research Aim: In today’s modern era, the workplace environment has been transformed drastically from a strict and conventional style to a more flexible one. Therefore, this research aims to critically analyze the concept of workplace flexibility and how it impacts employee and organizational performance.

Topic 8: A comparative analysis of employees' job satisfaction and motivational factors in public versus private organisations.

Research Aim: Job satisfaction and employee motivation are regarded as the most important element of HR practices. The main aim of HR policies is to satisfy, retain, and motivate employees. Therefore, this research aims to conduct a comparative analysis of the employee’s job satisfaction and motivational factors in public versus private organizations.

Topic 9: The influence of COVID-19 on virtual employee management practices by organisations

Research Aim: This research is highly useful in the current context of COVID-19. Organisations all around the world are getting impacted by the COVID-19 and are closed at the moment. The current study will focus on using different virtual employee management practices that companies can use in the current context of COVID-19. These practices will be beneficial for organizations in almost all business sectors.

Topic 10: The role of using transformational leadership style in the improvement of organisational creativity at Morrisons

Research Aim: The aim of this research will be the benefits of using the transformational leadership style by Morrisons’ leaders to improve organizational creativity. This study will research how leaders can get the advantage of a transformational leadership style for increasing creativity at the organization.

Topic 11: The green HRM practices and their impacts on the corporate image of IKEA

Research Aim: This study will aim to study different green HRM practices and their role in improving IKEA’s corporate image and reputation. It will be researched how companies can improve their corporate image by focusing on green HRM practices and processes. The findings will be beneficial for the management, customers as well as employees.

Topic 12: Involving employees in the decision-making process and its influence on employee productivity at Subway

Research Aim: It will be researched in this study how Subway and other companies in this industry can involve the workers in the decision-making process to improve employee productivity. It will be studied that employee productivity is increased by involving the employees in the decision-making process. The findings will be useful in designing useful HR practices by Subway.

Topic 13: The impact of a flat organisational structure on the decision-making process

Research Aim: The main objective of this study is to evaluate the decision-making difficulties and issues faced by HR managers of companies with a flat organizational structure. This study will also investigate the benefits and challenges related to the flat organizational structures used by companies. A case study approach will be used.

Topic 14: The role of workforce diversity in improving organisational capability and innovation at Toyota Motors

Research Aim: To carry out this study, an innovative company named Toyota Motors will be selected. The main objective for carrying out this study will be to analyze how the organizational capability and innovation at Toyota Motors are improved due to workforce diversity. The main emphasis will be on studying the workforce diversity present at Toyota Motors and its significance in improving innovation and organizational capability. The success factors of Toyota Motors for HR will be studied.

Topic 15: The impact of digitalization on changing HRM practices at Aviva

Research Aim: The contemporary business world moves towards digitalization due to technological advancements. This research will study the different impacts of digitalization in changing various HRM practices at Aviva. Different HRM practices used by Aviva before and after the digitalization era will be discussed, and the changes will be analyzed. This study will show how digitalization has changed HRM practices in the contemporary business world.

Topic 16: The influence of employee learning and development opportunities on employee satisfaction at British Airways

Research Aim: It will be studied in this research that how employee satisfaction at British Airways is influenced by employee learning and development opportunities. Different employee learning and development opportunities at BA will be studied, along with their impact on workforce satisfaction.

Topic 17: The impact of recognizing employee contributions on employee retention at Shell

Research Aim: This study’s main objective is to analyse whether Shell can retain its employees by recognizing their contributions or not. Different strategies used by Shell for recognizing employee contributions will be studied that lead towards motivating the employees, which ultimately impact the retention of workers.

Topic 18: The role of green HR practices in employee engagement and retention

Research Aim: Green HR practices is a newly emerged concept in HRM. The study will aim to research the impact of green HR practices on employee engagement and retention. It will be studied how companies can improve employee engagement and retention by focusing on green HR practices.

Topic 19: The role of providing daycare facilities in increasing the productivity of female employees

Research Aim: This study will be focusing on the productivity of female workers. It will be studied how female workers’ productivity is increased by providing daycare facilities for their children. The impact on the satisfaction level of female employees due to the daycare facility will also be explored.

Topic 20: The impact of artificial intelligence on enhancing the human resource practices of Zara

Research Aim: For this study, the researcher will focus on the concept of artificial intelligence and use it in the HR context. It will be studied that either the HR practices at Zara can be enhanced by implementing AI. The benefits and implications of implementing AI in the HR context will also be part of this study.

Topic 21: The role of e-leadership in improving employee productivity and motivation.

Research Aim: The contemporary business world has become highly advanced due to technological capabilities. The concept of e-leadership has emerged due to advancements in technology. The purpose of this study will be to analyse the impact of e-leadership in improving the productivity and motivation level of the workforce.

Topic 22: The role of effective HR planning in a successful strategic alliance process.

Research Aim: This study will study the importance of effective HR planning for the strategic alliance process. It will be studied how HR management can mould the HR practices and focus on effective HR planning to make the strategic alliance process successful.

Topic 23: The impact of different personality traits on teamwork at Microsoft

Research Aim: The main focus of this research will be studying Microsoft’s teamwork. It will be further analyzed how Microsoft’s teamwork is influenced by the personality traits possessed by different team members. Different types of personality traits will be studied in this research that impacts teamwork positively and negatively.

Topic 24: The impact of career growth opportunities on employee loyalty at HSBC Holdings.

Research Aim: This study will aim to review different types of career growth opportunities offered by HBSC Holdings to its employees. Moreover, it will also be studied how employee loyalty is improved due to various career growth opportunities. The findings of this study will be beneficial for the banking sector.

Topic 25: The role of adapted HR practices in improving organisational performance at the international branch of DHL.

Research Aim: The study’s main objective will be to analyse companies’ changes in their HR practices for international branches. How and why the HR practices are adapted by HR management for improving the organisational performance at the company’s branch, which is located outside the country. For this, the DHL case study will be selected, and it will be assessed how and why DHL has used adapted HR practices across different countries.

HR Learning and Development Dissertation Topics

All organisational activities aimed at improving the productivity and performance of groups and individuals can be classified as HRM’s learning and development function elements. Learning and development encompass three pivotal activities, including education, training, and development.

As such, the training activities help to evaluate an employee based on his existing job responsibilities. Educational activities include those focusing on jobs that an employee can expect to carry out in the future.

Finally, the development activities are those that the employer may partake in the future. If you’re interested in exploring this human resource topic in-depth, we have some interesting dissertation topics for you:

Topic 1:The importance of appreciative inquiry with respect to organisational learning and development culture – A case study of ExxonMobil

Research Aim: This research will discuss the importance of appreciative inquiry and its impact on organisational learning and development culture with a specific focus on ExxonMobil.

Topic 2:To establish the correlation between organisation competency development and learning activities & programmes

Research Aim: This research will discuss how organisational competency development and organisational learning activities are correlated.

Topic 3:An examination of knowledge management and organisational learning for sustained firm performance. A case study of British Telecom

Research Aim: This research will examine how organisational learning and knowledge management helped British Telecom sustain their firm performance.

Topic 4:Investigating learning and development of human resources in the public sector in the UK

Research Aim: This dissertation will evaluate the different ways of achieving the learning and development of human resources in the UK’s public sector.

Topic 32:The importance of HR learning and development activities for SMEs

Research Aim: This research will focus on how SMEs utilize HR learning and developmental activities to improve their employees’ performance.

Topic 33:Human resource practices and employees’ decision to quit – Does Lack of Learning and Development play a Role.

Research Aim: This research will focus on whether or not lack of learning and development in an organization leads to employee turnover,

Topic 34:Developing organisational competitive advantage through strategic employee training in computer knowledge

Research Aim: This dissertation will explore how companies can gain a strategic advantage over their competitors through employee training.

Topic 35:The impact of various training and learning based activities on employees’ productivity

Research Aim: The main aim of this research will be to determine the impact of different pieces of training and learnings on employees’ productivity.

Topic 36: The role of HR analytics and metrics in improving organizational performance at Tesco

Research Aim: This study aims to research a new concept in human resource management, named HR analytics and metrics. Moreover, their impact on improving organizational performance will also be studied. This study will be beneficial for Tesco in using HR analytics and metrics in different HR practices that can lead to improved organizational performance.

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HR Performance Review Dissertation Topics

A performance review, also known as a career development discussion, performance evaluation and employee appraisal, can be defined as a method to evaluate an employee based on their job performance, mainly for appraisals. This might be an interesting area to focus your dissertation on. Here are some interesting topics in this area of HRM:

Topic 37:To understand the relationship between performance review and employee motivation in large and diversified business organisations

Research Aim: This research will understand the relationship between employee motivation and employee performance review. Large and diversified businesses will be the main focus of this study.

Topic 38:Effective performance appraisal – A study to establish a correlation between employer satisfaction and optimising business results

Research Aim: This research will analyse the impact of performance appraisal on employer satisfaction and how it optimises business results.

Topic 39: Investigating the efficacy of performance appraisal from the perception of employees in UK retail industry – A case study of Tesco

Research Aim: This research will analyse the efficacy of performance appraisal concerning employees, with a specific focus on Tesco.

Topic 40: Employee performance appraisal and the role of fairness and satisfaction

Research Aim: This dissertation will explore whether employees report satisfaction and fairness when performance appraisal is conducted.

Topic 41:Investigating performance review and appraisal methods employed by human resource department of any large oil and gas company

Research Aim: This research will study the human resource department of a large oil and gas company and will investigate how “performance review” and appraisals are conducted.

Topic 42: Job satisfaction and performance appraisals – Are they Interconnected?

Research Aim: This research will study in-depth whether job satisfaction and performance appraisals are interconnected or not.

Topic 43:Investigating the relationship between public sector appraisals and the spinal pay reward

Research Aim: This research will talk about the spinal pay reward system and evaluate its effectiveness in the public sector.

Topic 44:Analysing the impact of performance management on employee performance improvement

Research Aim: This research will investigate how performance management helps companies improve their employees’ performance.

Topic 45: Can HR performance drive employee engagement? Studying the UK banking industry

Research Aim: This research will talk about the different ways through which HR performance review helps in improving employee engagement. The UK banking industry will be in focus in this study.

Topic 46:The role of HR performance review in increasing employee retention and productivity

Research Aim: This research will investigate how organisations utilize performance reviews as a tool to improve employee retention and productivity.

HR Employee Motivation Dissertation Topics

Employees need objectives and goals to remain focused. The quality of work may significantly drop if they are not constantly motivated by their employers.

Business organizations employ various employee motivation methods and techniques to keep their employees motivated. Thus, this is an interesting topic to explore for your final year dissertation. Here are some HRM dissertation topics related to employee motivation.

Topic 47:To investigate the role of motivation in HRM – A study highlighting the most important motivation factors for future business leaders

Research Aim: This research will discuss the different motivation factors organisations should use to develop future leaders. In addition to this, the role of motivation throughout HRM will be discussed.

Topic 48:Employee satisfaction and work motivation – Are they both related?

Research Aim: This research will understand the relationship between motivation and employee satisfaction and the different motivation techniques companies can employ to increase employee satisfaction.

Topic 49: Evaluating the Role of Employee motivation in performance Enhancement

Research Aim: This study will discuss the role of employee motivation concerning employee performance, i.e. whether it enhances performance or not.

Topic 50:Human resource management – Motivation among workers in large and diversified business organisations

Research Aim: This dissertation will talk about motivation in large and diversified organisations and how these companies ensure that their employees are motivated at all times.

Topic 51:Effects of motivational programmes and activities on employee performance

Research Aim: This research will focus on the different motivational techniques and programs that impact employee performance.

Topic 52: Does motivation play a role in decreasing employee turnovers? A case study of British Airways

Research Aim: This research will discuss the role of motivation in decreasing employee turnover with a specific focus on British airways.

Topic 53:Motivation and performance reward – Are the two interrelated?

Research Aim: This research will talk about motivation and performance rewards and will assess whether the two are interrelated and directly related.

Topic 54: Work productivity and the role of employee motivation programmes and activities

Research Aim: This study will assess employee motivation programs’ impact on employee productivity, i.e. if it increases or decreases.

Topic 55:To discuss the role of employee motivation in relation to retention levels

Research Aim: This research will analyze employee motivation’s role to help companies retain employees.

Topic 56:Differences and similarities between traditional and contemporary theories

Research Aim: This research will discuss and compare traditional and contemporary motivation theories implemented by companies.

Topic 57: The role of employee empowerment in employee motivation and satisfaction at British Petroleum.

Research Aim: This study will aim to analyse different strategies of employee empowerment carried out by British Petroleum and their impact on workers’ motivation and satisfaction. The research will be studied that either different employee empowerment strategies improve employee motivation and satisfaction. The findings will be beneficial for companies working in the petroleum sector.

Topic 58: The impact of open communication in improving employee engagement at Zara

Research Aim: In this research, different modes of communication used by organisations will be studied and especially the impact of open communication in improving employee engagement at Zara will be analyzed. The importance of open communication for different organisations in the fashion and retail sectors will be discussed. Moreover, different communication strategies that can help improve employee engagement at Zara will be discussed based on past literature, theories, and framework.

HR Performance Management Dissertation Topics

All processes and activities to consistently meet organisational goals and objectives can be considered the HR performance management mechanism elements. Different organisations employ different performance management strategies to gain a competitive advantage. To explore this area of human resources, here are some intriguing topics for you:

Topic 59:Investigating different performance management techniques for retaining employees

Research Aim: This research will talk about companies’ various performance management techniques to retain employees.

Topic 60:The role of performance management activities in improving employees’ skills and abilities

Research Aim: This research will discuss how performance management helps employees improve their skills and abilities and how it ultimately helps companies.

Topic 61:Managing performance of workers through performance management techniques – A Case Study of Google

Research Aim: This research will explore how organisations use different performance management techniques to manage employees and their performance. A specific focus of this study will be Google Incorporation.

Topic 62:Employee performance and performance management systems – A qualitative study

Research Aim: This study will conduct a qualitative study to understand the different performance management systems for improving employee performance.

Topic 63:Performance management examinations in human resource management of profit-oriented organisations

Research Aim: This research will understand performance management in profit-oriented companies regarding how their human resource department ensures optimal performance.

Topic 64:Exploring the essentials elements of the performance management framework

Research Aim: This research will explore its vital features and performance management framework.

Topic 65:Human resource management practices and business performance – The role of environmental uncertainties and strategies

Research Aim: This research will explore whether environment uncertainties and strategies play a role in employee and business performance.

Topic 66:The efficacy of performance management systems in the UK’s retail industry

Research Aim: This research will explore the UK’s retail industry’s performance management efficacy.

Topic 67:Towards a framework for performance management in a higher education institution

Research Aim: This research will investigate performance management in the educational setting.

Topic 68:Should wages be capped through performance management – A qualitative study

Research Aim: This research will analyse whether wages should be adjusted and capped concerning performance management with a focus on its effects.

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Strategic Human Resource Management Dissertation Topics

Strategic human resource management is tying the human resource management objective to the company’s goals and objectives. This helps companies in innovating and staying ahead of their competitors by gaining a competitive advantage.

Being a relatively new concept, there are various aspects of strategic HRM that are left to be explored. Here are some interesting strategic HRM dissertation topics for you:

Topic 69:The efficacy of communication processes and employees’ involvement plans to improve employee commitment towards organisational goals – A case study of Sainsbury

Research Aim: This research will study the role and efficacy of the communication processes and employees’ involvement in order to improve employees’ commitment towards organisational goals.

Topic 70:To investigate SHRM theory and practice in a call centre – A case study of any UK call centre

Research Aim: This dissertation will discuss the various SHRM theories and how it is implemented. A UK-based call center will be focused on this study.

Topic 71: Differences and similarities between SHRM strategies and policies employed by German and Japanese automobile companies

Research Aim: This research will compare the different SHRM techniques and policies implemented by German and Japanese automobile companies.

Topic 72: A resource-based view assessment of strategic human resources quality management systems

Research Aim: This research will understand the resource-based view of strategic human resources quality management systems.

Topic 73: To understand and critically evaluate the HRM strategies employed by small and medium sized enterprises in the UK

Research Aim: This research will discuss and evaluate the different strategic HRM strategies employed by small and medium-sized enterprises in the UK.

Topic 74: Relating organisational performance to strategic human resource management – A study of small scale businesses in the UK

Research Aim: This study will analyse whether organisational performance and strategic human resource management are interconnected by assessing small scale businesses in the UK.

Topic 75: Investigating strategic human resource management in Singapore – A qualitative study

Research Aim: This research will analyse strategic human resource management in Singapore by undertaking a qualitative method.

Topic 76: The role of organisational support programmes to enhance work outcome and employees behaviour

Research Aim: This research will understand the organisational support program in order to enhance employee work outcome and their behaviour.

Topic 77: To establish the most important components of strategic HRM for SMEs in the UK to develop a competitive advantage

Research Aim: This research will talk about the relationship between the different SHRM components for SMEs in the UK in order to gain a competitive advantage.

Topic 78: To establish the significance of the relationship between organisational performance and strategic human resource management

Research Aim: This research will explore the relationship between organisational performance and strategic human resource management and how it helps companies achieve their objectives.

Human Resource Theory Dissertation Topics

The human resource theory framework consists of a soft and hard approach to human resources management. Various theories cover the different aspects of the soft and hard human resource approach.

Exploring this area of HRM will help in understanding more about the soft and hard HRM approaches. Here are some dissertation topics in this area that you can choose from.

Topic 79: A comparative analysis of various human resources theory approaches

Research Aim: This research will discuss various human resource theories and approaches and provide a comparative analysis.

Topic 80:To study human resources systems practiced by Multinationals in the UK

Research Aim: This research will discuss the various human resource systems as practised by multinational companies operating in the UK.

Topic 81:The role of human resources management (HRM) in regards to addressing workers’ concerns.

Research Aim: This research will discuss the importance of human resources in understanding and addressing worker’s concerns.

Topic 82: Can HRM have a negative influence on the performance of business organisations – A qualitative study?

Research Aim: This research will discuss a unique aspect of human resource management, i.e. whether it harms the company’s performance or not.

Topic 83: Is Human resources the only option for employees? An exploratory study

Research Aim: This study will analyze human resources’ role in solving employee issues and assess whether it is the only option for employees.

Topic 84:Exploring the contribution of human resource to the success of organisations

Research Aim: This research will aim to understand the role and contribution of the human resource department in companies’ success.

Topic 85:To investigate the most predominant human HRM and control strategies employed by business organisations

Research Aim: This research will discuss an interesting topic, i.e. the most predominant HRM strategies organisations implement.

Topic 86:To investigate the role of HR as a shared service.

Research Aim: This study will discuss human resources’ role as a shared service in the organisation.

Topic 87:Does a supervisor has a role to play in implementing HR practices – A critical study

Research Aim: This study will critically analyze supervisors’ role in implementing human resource practices in an organization.

Topic 88:The ethics of firing employees – Do companies really follow it?

Research Aim: This research will focus on how employees are fired at organizations and whether human resources follow the ethics of firing or not.

HR Organisational Culture Dissertation Topics

Organisational culture, also known as organisational climate, is defined as the process by which an organisation’s culture can be quantified. The properties of the work environment that are either considered positive or negative by the employees (and that may influence their behaviour) are the most important components of the organisational culture framework.

Studying this aspect of human resources will help you gain an in-depth knowledge of the role of culture in human resource management. Here are some interesting dissertation topics in this area:

Topic 89:The role of leadership, HRM and culture in vitalising management systems in firms

Research Aim: This research will understand the role of leadership and culture in human resource management and how it helps companies manage their systems.

Topic 90:Finding the right balance between differentiation and standardisation of HRM practices and policies – HRM of multinational companies operating within the European Union

Research Aim: There are certain human resource practices that are standardized throughout the world. This research will investigate the differences between such standard policies with respect to culture. Multinationals operating in the European Union will be focused.

Topic 91:Cross-cultural human resource management – The role it plays in the success of different organisations

Research Aim: This research will study the role of cross-cultural human resource management in the success of companies.

Topic 92:The impact of cross-cultural competencies in start-up companies

Research Aim: A lot of companies do not encourage cross-cultural human resources in the workplace. This research will analyse how cross-cultural competencies help startups grow and succeed.

Topic 93:The role of organisational cultural on HRM policies and practices – A case study of Cambridge University

Research Aim: This research will aim to understand the role of organisational culture on human resource policies and practices. The main focus of this study will be at Cambridge University.

Topic 94:The relationship between human resource management practices and organisational culture towards organisational commitment

Research Aim: This research will assess the relationship between different cultures and human resource practices with respect to organisational commitment.

Topic 95: Investigating cultural differences between the work values of employees and the implications for managers

Research Aim: This study will conduct an investigation related to the work values of employees based on their various cultural differences. It will then be concluded what this means for the managers.

Topic 96:To effectively manage cultural change without affecting work productivity

Research Aim: This research will discuss an interesting topic as to how managers should manage organisational cultural change without harming productivity.

Topic 97:Inducting new employees into the culture – Does it help organisations?

Research Aim: This research will discuss whether or not it is feasible for organisations to hire employees when the company is undergoing a cultural change.

Topic 98:Recruiting to change the culture – The Impact it has on the Profitability of the Company

Research Aim: This research will discuss whether companies should hire to lead change in the organisation, i.e. whether hiring should be done for this specific purpose, and what this new hiring means for the company in terms of profitability.

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HR Diversity Dissertation Topics

The changing corporate world has provoked organisations to develop and implement diversity management systems as part of their human resource management system. Although relatively new, diversity management is an important research area of human resource management that brings challenges and learning to employees.

With many areas unexplored and literature gaps in this subject, there are some extremely interesting dissertation topics you can select for your final year project. Some of them are listed here:

Topic 99: Investigating the difference between discrimination and diversity – How Do they Impact Organisations

Research Aim: This research will discuss the differences between the two concepts, diversity and discrimination and their impact on organisations.

Topic 100:Managing diversity through HRM: A conceptual framework and an international perspective

Research Aim: This study will discuss how the human resource department can manage diversity. The study will be conducted in an international setting.

Topic 101:Managing diversity in the public sector – How do companies manage to remain successful

Research Aim: This research will explore managing diversity in the public sector and how these companies can be successful even through diversity.

Topic 102:Managing cultural diversity in human resource management

Research Aim: As much as a human resource helps companies manage diversity, how will companies manage diversity in their main HR department. This research will answer this exact question.

Topic 103:The managerial tools, opportunities, challenges and benefits associated with diversity in the workplace

Research Aim: This research will focus on the tools available to human resources in managing diversity, and how they change it to opportunities and overcome diversity-related challenges.

Topic 104: Investigating the challenges of exclusion and inequality in organisations – Assessing HR’s role.

Research Aim: This research will first investigate the exclusion and inequality challenges that organisations face and how human resources overcome these challenges.

Topic 105:How does HRM Help in managing cultural differences and diversity

Research Aim: This research will discuss HR’s role in managing cultural differences and diversity in organisations.

Topic 106: Can HR eliminate diversity-related discrimination from workplaces? Assessing its role

Research Aim: This research will talk about HR’s role in eliminating diversity-related discrimination from organisations, and whether it will be successful in doing so or not.

Topic 107:Training managers for diversity – How difficult is it for companies and HR

Research Aim: This research will discuss and analyse the role of HR and companies in ensuring manager’s learning and development for diversity.

Topic 108:Training the newly hired staff for diversity in a large and diversified business organisation

Research Aim: This research will investigate the role of HR in training employees and staff to deal with, manage and coexist with diverse employees.

Important Notes:

As a human resource management student looking to get good grades, it is essential to develop new ideas and experiment with existing human resource management theories – i.e., to add value and interest to your research topic.

Human resource management is vast and interrelated to many other academic disciplines like management , operations management , project management , business , international business , MBA and more. That is why it is imperative to create a human resource management dissertation topic that is articular, sound, and actually solves a practical problem that may be rampant in the field.

We can’t stress how important it is to develop a logical research topic based on your entire research. There are several significant downfalls to getting your topic wrong; your supervisor may not be interested in working on it, the topic has no academic creditability, the research may not make logical sense, there is a possibility that the study is not viable.

This impacts your time and efforts in writing your dissertation , as you may end up in the cycle of rejection at the initial stage of the dissertation. That is why we recommend reviewing existing research to develop a topic, taking advice from your supervisor, and even asking for help in this particular stage of your dissertation.

While developing a research topic, keeping our advice in mind will allow you to pick one of the best human resource management dissertation topics that fulfil your requirement of writing a research paper and add to the body of knowledge.

Therefore, it is recommended that when finalizing your dissertation topic, you read recently published literature to identify gaps in the research that you may help fill.

Remember- dissertation topics need to be unique, solve an identified problem, be logical, and be practically implemented. Please look at some of our sample human resource management dissertation topics to get an idea for your own dissertation.

How to Structure your HRM Dissertation

A well-structured dissertation can help students to achieve a high overall academic grade.

A Title Page
Acknowledgements
Declaration
Abstract: A summary of the research completed
Table of Contents
Introduction : This chapter includes the project rationale, research background, key research aims and objectives, and the research problems. An outline of the structure of a dissertation can also be added to this chapter.
Literature Review : This chapter presents relevant theories and frameworks by analyzing published and unpublished literature on the chosen research topic to address research questions . The purpose is to highlight and discuss the selected research area’s relative weaknesses and strengths while identifying research gaps. Break down the topic and key terms that can positively impact your dissertation and your tutor.
Methodology : The data collection and analysis methods and techniques employed by the researcher are presented in the Methodology chapter, which usually includes research design , research philosophy, research limitations, code of conduct, ethical consideration, data collection methods, and data analysis strategy .
Findings and Analysis : Findings of the research are analysed in detail under the Findings and Analysis chapter. All key findings/results are outlined in this chapter without interpreting the data or drawing any conclusions. It can be useful to include graphs, charts, and tables in this chapter to identify meaningful trends and relationships.
Discussion and Conclusion : The researcher presents his interpretation of the results in this chapter and state whether the research hypothesis has been verified or not. An essential aspect of this section is establishing the link between the results and evidence from the literature. Recommendations with regards to the implications of the findings and directions for the future may also be provided. Finally, a summary of the overall research, along with final judgments, opinions, and comments, must be included in the form of suggestions for improvement.
References : Make sure to complete this following your University’s requirements
Bibliography
Appendices : Any additional information, diagrams, and graphs used to complete the dissertation but not part of the dissertation should be included in the Appendices chapter. Essentially, the purpose is to expand the information/data.

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Special Topics: Managing HR for Innovation, HR in Public Service, Work Redesign, and Well-Being

First Online: 24 April 2022

Cite this chapter

Ashish Malik 2

Part of the book series: Springer Texts in Business and Economics ((STBE))

2646 Accesses

At the end of this chapter, you should be able to:

Define the terms ambidexterity and public service motivation

Analyze the relationship between HRM practices, ambidexterity, and innovation

Identify the emerging trends in Green HRM

Analyze the impact of employee well-being on the HRM-performance link

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Bibliography

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Malik, A. (2022). Special Topics: Managing HR for Innovation, HR in Public Service, Work Redesign, and Well-Being. In: Malik, A. (eds) Strategic Human Resource Management and Employment Relations. Springer Texts in Business and Economics. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-90955-0_14

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9 Trends That Will Shape Work in 2024 and Beyond

Emily Rose McRae,
Peter Aykens,
Kaelyn Lowmaster,
Jonah Shepp

Looking ahead at a year of continued disruption, employers who successfully navigate these trends will be able to create a competitive advantage.

In 2023, organizations continued to face significant challenges, from inflation to geopolitical turmoil to controversy over DEI and return-to-work policies — and 2024 promises more disruption. Gartner researchers have identified nine key trends, from new and creative employee benefits to the collapse of traditional career paths, that will impact work this year. Employers who successfully navigate these will retain top talent and secure a competitive advantage for themselves.

In 2023, business leaders and organizations continued to contend with major shifts affecting the workplace, including the pressure of inflation on both employer and employee budgets, the emergence of generative AI (GenAI) , geopolitical turmoil, a series of high-profile labor strikes , increased tension over return-to-office (RTO) mandates , a shifting legal and societal landscape for DEI initiatives, the increased impact of climate change , and more.

Emily Rose McRae is a senior director analyst covering the future of work and workforce transformation, and she leads the talent research initiative for executive leaders. Emily Rose works across all issues related to the future of work, including emerging technologies and their impact on work and the workforce, new employment models, and creating an enterprise-wide future of work strategy.
Peter Aykens is a distinguished vice president and chief of research for the Gartner HR practice. He is responsible for setting the practice’s research agenda and strategy to address the mission critical priorities of HR leaders, including leadership, talent management, recruiting, diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), total rewards, learning and development, and HR tech.
Kaelyn Lowmaster is a director of research in the Gartner HR Practice. She focuses on the Future of Work including all areas of future strategy development, with a core emphasis on the impact of emerging technology on work and the workforce.
Jonah Shepp is a senior principal, research in the Gartner HR practice. He edits the Gartner HR Leaders Monthly journal, covering HR best practices on topics ranging from talent acquisition and leadership to total rewards and the future of work. An accomplished writer and editor, his work has appeared in numerous publications, including New York Magazine , Politico Magazine , GQ , and Slate .

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The Top Ten HR Trends That Matter Most In 2024

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Rapid use of Generative AI, the emergence of a new blended workforce of humans and digital workers, and increasing employee fear of being obsolete (FOBO), together prove what Intel co-founder Gordon Moore (and the author of Moore’s Law) said, at any given point in time, “change has never been this fast and will never be this slow ever again.”

Resiliency, agility, and adopting a “test and learn approach” will mark the winning strategies for 2024.

As I have done in in 2016, 2017 , 2018 , 2019 , 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023 , here is my countdown of what you should include on your HR roadmap for 2024.

1. Generative AI Will Be Your New Work Buddy

In 2024, Generative AI will shake up how we think about what work we do and what we delegate to our new “work buddy.” This will be the year of specialized AI powered assistants working side by side with humans. Teachers will get a copilot for homework grading, such as Class Companion . Architects will get an AI assistant for design, SketchPro, and online learners studying at Kahn Academy will be able to access Kahnmigo to aid in brainstorming helping them to become better writers and learners while decreasing a teacher’s administrative workload.

Walmart launched one of the largest AI powered work buddies, called My Assistant , an AI powered app to help Walmart’s 50,000 corporate employees be more productive in summarizing long documents, creating new content, and taking over routine tasks that humans did in the past. Microsoft’s Co-Pilot, soon to launch, will integrate generative AI into Microsoft 365, allowing workers to perform at a much higher level. Jared Spataro, Microsoft Corporate Vice President, believes Microsoft Co-Pilot will transform meetings from a point in time and place to a knowledge object. This means employees working with Microsoft Co-Pilot will not only be able to create a summary of the meeting, but also use Co-Pilot to query the group’s sentiment on the meeting topic, the dissenting opinions, who the key dissenters were, and the agreed-to next steps. While these AI powered work buddies can boost efficiency and performance, it will be up to humans to have a strategy to capitalize on their potential.

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2. Generative AI Will Impact How Managers Lead

Generative AI has evolved to one of the fastest adopted technologies, with nearly 200 million users of ChatGPT since it launched on November 30, 2022. Business and HR leaders are struggling with how to keep pace with rapid adoption in the workplace. The impact on managers is not simply in training employees on how to use Generative AI, but also in helping managers lead teams of humans and digital workers. Morgan Stanley estimates Generative AI technologies will likely affect a quarter of all occupations that exist today , and this will rise to 44% within three years. To address this, companies and education providers need to provide training on how to use Generative AI. Within the next three years, this will translate into a $16 billion market for re-skilling workers displaced by Generative AI.

As Generative AI becomes increasingly adept at problem solving, it will be up to managers to get better at problem finding. Managers will be working side-by-side with their human and digital teams to foster a culture of continuous learning while leaning into their uniquely human skills, such as relationship building, communications, and collaboration. One thing is certain: Generative AI will drive organizational change, impact workflows, automate some jobs, and create new ones. But it will always be humans augmented by machines that will create innovation.

3. The Fear of Obsolescence Will Force Companies to Increase Spending in Career Development & Mobility

While employers see the promise of increased productivity using Generative AI, a recent survey by EY reports that 75% of employees are concerned AI will make certain jobs obsolete, and two-thirds say they fear AI will replace their job. This fear of being obsolete is causing employees to seek out training in using Generative AI and acquiring new skills to better deal with their fears. PwC announced a $1 billion investment in training its workers on AI with courses on topics such as the ethics of AI, responsible use of AI, and how to create AI prompts to generate the best results. Their goal is to engage 75,000 U.S. PwC employees to both enroll and complete these courses.

In addition to training employees on how to use Generative AI, there is an explosion of new internal talent marketplaces as companies continue to find it difficult to successfully recruit external talent. Internal talent marketplaces have become the de facto way companies connect employees with internal career opportunities and resources to grow in their careers. For example, Grow at Key is KeyBank’s AI powered employee-led, and manager supported talent platform to support internal talent mobility. Launched with the vision that every employee can be the CEO of her own career, Grow at Key provides a range of resources, from matching employees to new job roles to accessing mentoring, coaching, and stretch assignments. To date, there has been a 60% increase in employees engaging in training programs and one in three KeyBank employees have enrolled in an Investing in My Development session to prepare them for understanding how to better manage their careers.

4. Hybrid Work Environments Are Good for Business

Companies need to stop debating the merits of hybrid work and realize this is the new way of working for many knowledge workers as we enter 2024. An ADP survey of 32,000 workers reports that 64% of workers would consider quitting if asked to return to the office full time. Recent research shows companies that allow choice and a remote first/hybrid work environment have revenue growth four times faster than their peers who are more stringent about office attendance. This research conducted by Boston Consulting Group and Scoop Technologies Inc. among 554 public companies employing 26.7 million people, found that “fully flexible” firms — which are either completely remote or allow employees to choose when they come to an office — increased sales 21% between 2020 and 2022, on an industry-adjusted basis. The better growth rates for more remote-friendly companies reflects their ability to hire faster and from a wider geographic area, along with higher rates of employee retention.

As hybrid work becomes the norm, leaders must have a plan to combat proximity bias, or the phenomenon of favoring in-person workers for career development, mentoring, and stretch assignments at the expense of those who work remotely. Hybrid work environments “work” when leaders ensure they are equitable for all and grant autonomy for individual leaders to determine when and where work happens, rather than follow a CEO mandate. Leaders must remember presence in the office does not equate to performance, so they need to shift from “managing by walking around,” to “managing by connecting across geographies.”

5. The Workforce Is a Blend of Full-time Employees, Part-Timers, Contingent Workers, and Digital Workers

Remember when the blended workforce was simply a distinction between full-time workers and part-time workers. Today’s work now gets accomplished by a blend of full-time workers, part-timers, teams of contractors, contingent workers, and digital workers, the later designed to augment some tasks of human labor. In fact, Statista reports a growth in all sectors except full-time workers, with part-timers (growing from 20 million in 1990 to 26 million in 2022) and contingent workers forecast to be half of the US workforce by 2027.

This blended workforce is not a new concept; it’s been around for decades. What’s different now is that a greater percentage of key jobs are performed by contingent workers. Overall, we are starting to see upwards of 30% to 50% of a global organization’s total workforce composed of contingent workers. MIT Sloan Management Review reported that the Novartis workforce includes 110,000 full time employees plus 50,000 contractors and temporary workers. Cisco has 83,000 full time employees and 50,000 plus contingent workers of various types. This new workforce ecosystem requires a new set of management practices, and leadership approaches, especially as 81% of companies in a recent HBR Analytical Services survey report that contingent workers are important to their organization, but only 38% say that their organization is effective at managing them.

Leaders will need to acknowledge they will have more types of contributors—human and digital, full time, part time and contingent—that must seamlessly work together. What is needed is a total workforce strategy where HR plays a central role in coordinating all the cross-functional disciplines that hire internal and external workers.

6. The Four Day Work Week is Desired by Both Front-line and Knowledge Workers

Many of the assumptions we have about how we work, when we work, the needs of our workers, the demographics of the workforce, and where we work have been changed forever. One of the major changes, as we move into 2024, is our assumptions about a five-day work week. All workers, including both frontline and knowledge workers, want flexibility in when they work. Research conducted among 1,301 workers found 41% of both front-line workers and knowledge workers want flexibility in when they work, and 56% of front-line workers and 69% of knowledge workers want the ability to opt for a 4-day work week with no pay reduction.

As I wrote in my Forbes column , the UK four-day work week pilot was conducted among 61 companies and found 56% intend to continue trying the four-day week citing benefits of increased productivity and decreased employee attrition. These UK companies adopted the 80-100-100 model of flexible working: a drop in hours to 80% of their standard work week, while retaining 100% pay and 100% productivity.

Experiments on a shortened work week are also occurring in the US. For example, several Chick-Fil-A stores are allowing front-line workers the opportunity to work 13 hour shifts for three consecutive days with full pay. The results so far have been increased retention while maintaining customer service efficiencies.

However, it’s important to remember the three- or four-day work week is not a one size fits all solution. Companies should adopt a “test and learn approach,” focusing on the type and magnitude of changes required to allow for a shortened work week, the level of employee and manager training needed, and the type of well-being support required for new ways of working.

7 . Cognitive Skills Will Increase in Importance as Generative AI Gains Traction

The World Economic Forum estimates that 44% of a workers’ core skills are expected to change in the next five years. While there are endless lists of the most important skills for the future, World Economic Forum identifies five core skills that will increase in importance in the next five years . This are shown in Figure 1 as:

Figure 1: Top Five Skills Gaining in Importance For Future of Work

Cognitive skills are growing in importance, reflecting the increased demand for creative and analytical thinking in the age of AI. This combined with technological literacy, the third fastest growing skill along with the skills of resilience, flexibility, curiosity, and lifelong learning are evidence that leaders will continue to emphasize a culture of lifelong learning. As Generative AI gains traction, one skill I see that is foundational to all of them is the ability to be digitally curious , meaning seeking out and using new and emerging digital technologies to enhance one’s cognitive skills. I think about the past few years where some of the new technologies I have used include Mural , an online visual collaborative tool, StreamYard , a live streaming studio, and ChatGPT 4.0 and Pictory , to create a new video entitled, Flexible Work for All . This is the start of building my digital curiosity muscle, trying out these platforms and seeing what they might mean for enhancing my work.

8. Holistic Financial Well-being Is The Must Have Benefit for 2024

Financial well-being among workers is eroding. LendingClub reports 61% of American workers live paycheck to paycheck and lack a core set of financial literacy skills, and over half of workers earning $100,000 are living paycheck to paycheck.

Unifi, a leader in aviation services with more than 23,000 employees, became aware of this two years ago and created a new offering for frontline workers to access their earned wages on-demand. Since then, this has grown beyond early access to wages to a holistic financial well-being offering with almost 20% frontline workforce enrolled and taking advantage of free services including anonymous financial coaching and customizable saving plans. Dr. Archana Arcot, Chief People Officer at Unifi, believes that, “the major driver of this program is to relieve an employee’s financial stress and make financial wellness part of their everyday life.”

MetLife reports nearly half of workers surveyed cited financial concerns as the cause of poorer mental health. To address this, Unifi adopted a Goal Based Savings program which resulted in the company moving to the top 1% with a total amount saved of $10,000+ YTD, as reported by Payactiv . By offering holistic financial well-being programs, companies like Unifi can not only enhance their employee experience but build financial wellness into their employer value proposition and be better able to attract talent in a tight labor market.

9. The Sexy C-Suite Job For 2024 Is Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer

While we have seen a myriad of new C-suite job roles in the past decade—from Chief Medical Officer to Chief Ethics Officer—the Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer is coming at a time when organizations are looking for guidance with how to create guidelines and policies for safe and ethical use of generative AI in the workplace. LinkedIn reports 44% globally and 57% in the U.S. say their organizations don’t have policy guidelines or training for how to use these new tools at work.

Organizations are starting to appoint a new C-suite player to lead this effort. Research from Foundry , an IDG company, finds 11% of mid-size to large organizations already have an individual with the role of Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer and another 21% of organizations are actively seeking such a person for this role. This role is growing in importance as business leaders develop an AI strategy, create governance practices, and engage cross functional leaders in safe, ethical, and responsible use of generative AI.

A new Wavestone survey of Data and AI leaders found 61.7% report the responsibility for Generative AI is currently part of the Chief Data Officer (CDO) remit. But a growing number of organizations are creating a new role, the Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer (CAIO) to oversee AI developments for their organization. “This will be very much a focus during 2024,” says Randy Bean, Innovation Fellow at Wavestone.

10 . An Organization’s Sustainability Record Will Attract and Retain Talent

As the talent marketplace continues to be competitive, climate change and sustainability has become one of the defining challenges for current and future generations. A growing number of publicly traded companies, such as Alphabet, Apple , Cisco , and PayPal , have created sustainability annual reports with Alphabet committing its entire $5.57B Sustainability Bond to support environmentally and socially responsible projects such as clean energy, clean transportation, and circular economy design.

A company’s sustainability record is proving to make a difference in talent acquisition and retention. Research by IBM Institute for Business Value, found 70% of workers and those in the job market, are drawn to environmentally sustainable employers. And almost half of these workers said they would take a lower salary to work for environmentally and socially responsible organizations. Gartner predicts employers will respond by promoting climate change protections, such as offering employees shelter during natural disasters, as part of employee benefit offerings.

In addition, a growing number of universities are building ambitious goals to integrate sustainability into their curriculum, campus operations, and endowment. The University of Toronto, placing first out of 1,400 universities in environmental and social impact, is making headway to de-carbonize its campus by 2050, developing new energy efficient student centers, and committing to climate responsible construction.

The Global Business School Network, a network of 150 global business schools in 50 countries, has several new initiatives for universities to share sustainability “next practices.” While companies and universities are each addressing sustainability, I see the need for greater collaboration among them, as both employees and students weigh the environmental impact of their employer and university. Sustainability is both a business and educational issue requiring joint corporate and university solutions.

What’s important to you as you reflect on your 2024 HR Playbook?

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Best Human Resources Research Topics [2024]
1.2 Equal Employment Opportunity HR Research Topics. 1.3 Career Development HR Research Topics. 1.4 Research Topics on Recruitment and Selection. 1.5 HR Risk Management Topics. 1.6 Workplace Safety HR Topics. 1.7 Trending HR Topics. Human Resources is one of the most popular and essential topics for the business minded.
Emerging Trends in People-Centric Human Resource Management: A
Jayashree Mahesh ([email protected]) is an Associate Professor in the Department of Management, Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS Pilani).She is Myers-Briggs Type Indicator Certified Practitioner and Accredited Belbin Trainer. Her research interest is in the areas of Mindfulness and Employee Well-being, Innovative Pedagogies for Student Engagement, Leadership and Futuristic ...
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Management experts applaud leaders who are, among other things, determined, humble, and frugal, but rarely consider whether they are generous. However, executives who share their time, talent, and ideas often give rise to legendary organizations. Does generosity merit further consideration? asks James Heskett. Open for comment; 0 Comments.
149+ Best Human Resource Management Research Paper Topics
HR research paper topics encompass a wide range of subjects related to managing human capital within an organization. These topics can be broadly categorized into areas such as recruitment, training and development, employee motivation, diversity and inclusion, labor relations, compensation and benefits, and more.
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John P. Steinbrink. Using the results of a survey of 380 companies in 34 industries, this author examines three basic types of compensation plans: salary, commission, and combination (salary plus ...
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Human Resource Management and the Range of Research Paper Topics. Human Resource Management (HRM) is an interdisciplinary field that integrates aspects of management, psychology, sociology, economics, and legal studies. It is the art and science of managing people within an organization to maximize their performance, well-being, and alignment ...
The HR ecosystem: Emerging trends and a future research agenda
Human Resource Management is the leading journal for human resource management studies. Internationally recognised, this HRM journal covers micro to multi-level topics. Abstract Human resource leaders are experimenting with new approaches to organizing and utilizing workers that are not limited to the traditional boundaries of the firm, but ...
Human resources management 4.0: Literature review and trends
To achieve this objective, this study performs a systematic literature review and content analysis of 93 papers from 75 journals. The main results of the research show that digital trends resulting from Industry 4.0 affect the field of HRM in 13 different themes, promoting trends and challenges for HRM, the workforce, and organizations.
Trending Topics for HR Leaders
Human Resources Trending Topics Labor Market Trends. Peer benchmarks on labor market trends, including Confronting the Cost-of-Work Crisis and DEI Backlash. ... Clients receive 24/7 access to proven management and technology research, expert advice, benchmarks, diagnostics and more. Fill out the form to connect with a representative and learn more.
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Human Resource Development Review (HRDR) began in March 2002, starting with Holton's (2002) editorial, The Mandate for Theory in Human Resource Development.As of this writing, HRDR is one of leading journals in organizational research fields.HRDR became a Social Science Citation Index (SSCI) journal in July 2014, thanks to the tremendous efforts of the former editor, Jamie Callahan, and the ...
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A List Of Potential Research Topics In Human Resource Management (HRM): The role of HRM in facilitating organizational resilience and adaptation post-COVID. Analyzing the role of HR in managing and preventing workplace harassment and discrimination. Examining the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on employee well-being and mental health.
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Purpose - The purpose of the study was to detect trends in human resource management (HRM) research presented in journals during the 2000-2020 timeframe. The research question is: How are the interests of ... Research trends may be associated with research topics (e.g. Ozlen, 2014€ ), research methods (e.g. Pietersen, 2018) and the ...
Research trends in human resource management. A text-mining-based
The purpose of the study was to detect trends in human resource management (HRM) research presented in journals during the 2000-2020 timeframe. The research question is: How are the interests of researchers changing in the field of HRM and which topics have gained popularity in recent years?,The approach adopted in this study was designed to ...
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Research Aim: The research aims to examine the role of HR in creating a respected working environment and sustainable revenue growth. The study will identify current misunderstandings and disparities in understanding of topics such as sustainable development, corporate social responsibility, and the link between strategic human resource management and sustainable HRM through a comprehensive ...
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Identify the emerging trends in Green HRM. ... Its increasing proliferation is also evident in special issues dedicated to the topic. For example, Human Resource Management in 2012, Journal of Organizational Behavior in 2013, and, ... The examples from the above research on the topics of managing HR for innovation, HR in public service, work ...
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In this fourth annual review issue published by The International Journal of Human Resource Management (IJHRM), we are delighted to present five articles that cover some of the important areas in people management in contemporary work settings. Our review articles cover topics that are less well-researched, compared with some popular themes, as ...
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To help HR leaders better manage and lead during these times, Gartner conducted an annual survey of more than 800 HR leaders and identified the top 5 priorities for HR in 2023. Top of the list is leader and manager effectiveness, but many HR leaders will also prioritize change management, employee experience, recruiting and future of work.
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When employees feel they can receive a higher salary at another company, they start looking. For the HR department, you'll want to consider the cost of employee turnover. The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) estimates "the average replacement cost of a salaried employee to be six to nine months' salary. For an employee earning ...
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Human Resources Research Paper Topics For 2024

How to choose a Human Resources topic for your project?

Human Resources Management Research Topics

Equal Employment Opportunity HR Research Topics

Career Development HR Research Topics

Research Topics on Recruitment and Selection

HR Risk Management Topics

Workplace Safety HR Topics

Trending HR Topics

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149+ Best Human Resource Management Research Paper Topics

What is HR Research Paper Topics?

How to Choose a Good HR Research Paper Topic

1. Identify Your Interests

2. Consider Relevance

3. Consult Your Advisor

4. Define Your Scope

5. Explore Current Research

6. Practicality

7. Ethical Considerations

149+ Exciting MBA HR Research Paper Topics For Beginners

Professional/Career Development HR Research Topics

Employee Benefits and Well-being Research Paper Topics

Equal Employment Opportunity HR Research Paper Topics

Top 10 Most Promising HR Research Paper Topics For College Students

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80 Human Resource Management Research Topics

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Research trends in human resource management. A text-mining-based literature review

Design/methodology/approach

Research limitations/implications

Originality/value

1. Introduction

2. Trends in the HRM research identified in previous studies

3. Material and methods

3.1 Selection of journals

3.2 Search for the most important terms

3.3 Identification of thematic groups (clusters)

3.4 Identification of trends

3.5 Interpretation of trends

4. Results and discussion

5. Conclusions

5.2 Limitations

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HRM Dissertation Topics

Introduction

2024 HRM Dissertation Topics

Topic 2: The effect of motivating strategies on employee performance

Topic 3: Organizational Conflicts as Antecedents of Staff Turnover: Evidence from the UK Food Sector

Topic 4: How does AI involvement in HRM provide Zara with a competitive advantage?

Topic 5: The role of HR in creating a respected working environment that contributes in sustainable revenue growth