Attitude towards E-HRM: an empirical study at Philips

Purpose ‐ The purpose of this paper is to present a research project on attitude towards electronic human resource management (E-HRM). A research model was formulated, based on two theories from complementary research areas: Davis' technology acceptance model and Ulrich's model on HR roles. Design/methodology/approach ‐ The study used an online questionnaire, in which 99 managers and 257 employees within Philips (Electronics) Netherlands participated. Managers and employees answered questions as to their previous experiences with regard to IT systems in general, their preferred HR roles, and their attitude towards E-HRM systems. Findings ‐ Differences in perceived usability of current IT systems, as well as the preferred HR roles strategic partner (high preference) and employee champion (low preference), were related to a positive attitude towards E-HRM systems. For managers, user support was also found to be a predictor of a positive attitude towards E-HRM. Originality/value ‐ This research suggests a multi-factorial framework that can help organizations in understanding and solving difficulties of implementation with E-HRM systems, as far as attitude towards these systems is concerned.