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Translating HR analytics: from business buzzwords to public sector practices
Dalarna University, School of Culture and Society, Business Administration and Management. Uppsala universitet, Företagsekonomiska institutionen.ORCID iD: 0000-0003-2377-1310
Uppsala universitet, Företagsekonomiska institutionen.ORCID iD: 0000-0001-7479-0656
(English)Manuscript (preprint) (Other academic)
Abstract [en]

The study examines the implementation of human resource analytics (HRA) within the context of public sector organisations, drawing upon the organisational translation perspective. We conduct a longitudinal process study of real-time HRA implementation projects in two public sector organisations in Sweden. The findings reveal that the content of the HRA concept undergoes significant transformation during the translation process, with components being copied, omitted, added, and altered. As a result, HRA in practice diverges substantially from its original idea. The study identifies three translation patterns: alignment to the needs of final users, technological determinism, and organisational complexity. We argue that these translation patterns may explain the outcomes from the unique translation processes. The study contributes to the organisational translation literature by integrating principles of heterogeneity and homogeneity of translation results. Additionally, it provides empirical evidence to the field of HRA, enhancing understanding of HRA in public sector organisations.

Keywords [en]
HR analytics; human resource management; Scandinavian institutionalism; organisational translations; HR analytics implementation; public sector HR
National Category
Business Administration
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:du-50600OAI: oai:DiVA.org:du-50600DiVA, id: diva2:1957926
Available from: 2025-02-17 Created: 2025-05-13 Last updated: 2025-11-14Bibliographically approved
In thesis
1. Exploring the Practice of HR Analytics: Insights from a Public Sector Context
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Exploring the Practice of HR Analytics: Insights from a Public Sector Context
2025 (English)Doctoral thesis, comprehensive summary (Other academic)
Abstract [en]

Human Resource Analytics (HRA) is a technology-enabled organisational practice that utilises quantitative data and analysis to enhance HR decision-making. While HRA has gained increasing interest among HR practitioners, its adoption has been predominantly concentrated in technology-intensive private sector companies. At the same time, academic research on HRA remains limited, particularly in the public sector. Although factors such as low technological maturity and a lesser focus on profit maximisation and competitive advantage may hinder its implementation, HRA holds significant potential for public sector organisations due to their distinct characteristics. These include large workforces generating extensive HR-related data, political authority, governmental ownership, and a strong emphasis on transparency, accountability, and efficiency in areas such as competence supply, workforce recruitment, and retention.This thesis comprises four papers that collectively conceptualise and investigate the practice of HRA, exploring the reasons, preconditions, and processes involved in its implementation within public sector organisations. Empirical data were collected from three Swedish public sector organisations at the national, regional, and local levels. The study employs an engaged scholarship research design, allowing for the pragmatic application of multiple theoretical perspectives best suited to address the overarching research question: How is HRA being implemented in public sector organisations? This research aims to contribute to the existing HRA literature while also offering practical insights for organisations and HR practitioners operating in this under-researched context.By adopting a practice-based approach, informed by institutional legitimacy concept, the AMO (Ability, Motivation, Opportunity) framework, and organisational translation perspective, this thesis reveals that HRA practices undergo significant adaptation during implementation. In the public sector, HRA has primarily been limited to improving HR reporting and the visualisation of descriptive HR data. HRA practitioners, driven by contextual factors and the need to ensure the legitimacy of HR activities through economic rationality, face constraints related to analytical skills, organisational resources, and sector-specific characteristics.Given the rapid advancements in technology, including the growing influence of AI, future research should explore how these developments, alongside challenges such as employee privacy and data protection, impact the further evolution of HRA practices in the public sector.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Uppsala: Uppsala University, 2025. p. 111
Series
Doctoral thesis / Företagsekonomiska institutionen, Uppsala universitet, ISSN 1103-8454 ; 225
Keywords
human resource analytics, HR analytics, people analytics, HR reporting, HR practitioners, HR implementation, practice theory, public sector HR
National Category
Business Administration
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:du-50599 (URN)978-91-506-3103-6 (ISBN)
Public defence
2025-05-27, Hörsal 2, Ekonomikum, Kyrkogårdsgatan 10, 14:15 (English)
Opponent
Supervisors
Available from: 2025-05-13 Created: 2025-05-13 Last updated: 2025-11-14Bibliographically approved

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Espegren, YaninaLagerström, Katarina

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CiteExportLink to record
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Citation style
  • apa
  • ieee
  • modern-language-association-8th-edition
  • vancouver
  • chicago-author-date
  • chicago-note-bibliography
  • Other style
More styles
Language
  • de-DE
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  • nn-NB
  • sv-SE
  • Other locale
More languages
Output format
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  • text
  • asciidoc
  • rtf