Human Resources Management and Services

Features and trends in the development of HR management in Ukraine

Oleksandr Borovykov — 2025-08-11

Ukrainian Human Resource (HR) practices have multiple difficulties from economic changes combined with digital transformation and workforce instability brought on by the war in 2022. The study examines Ukrainian HR practices between 2015 and 2024, focusing on the digitalization of HR systems, talent development, staff engagement, and hiring strategies. It considers the effects of organizational size and industry type. The study combined interviews with 30 HR professionals and surveyed 150 organizations from different industry groups and sizes. Our data required both quantitative statistical tests and manual content breakdown with codes. Research has shown significant differences between Information Technology (IT) and farming firms, as 89% of IT businesses have integrated artificial intelligence (AI)-powered HR tools. In comparison, only 15% of agricultural companies have adopted them. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) showed less commitment to digital transformation and European Union (EU) requirements than large enterprises, which adopted these systems at rates of 75% and 88%, respectively. Western Ukraine first established mental health initiatives during the crisis, and Eastern Ukraine moved toward decentralized administration. Digitalization assistance for small businesses, along with EU and local human resources frameworks, should form the basis of our suggestions. This research calls for flexible people management methods to boost the Ukrainian workspace’s ability to recover from shocks.

How internal brand management enhances brand citizenship behavior via brand identification under leader-member exchange effects

Chiowa Ieong — 2025-08-12

In an era of intensified market competition, internal brand management (IBM) has emerged as a critical strategy for aligning employee behavior with brand values. This study investigates how IBM influences brand citizenship behavior (BCB) among front-line restaurant employees in Macao, emphasizing the mediating role of brand identification (BI) and simultaneously testing the moderating effect of leader-member exchange (LMX). Drawing from Social Identity Theory and Social Exchange Theory, the structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to test the model using data from 315 employees across 11 Macao restaurant companies. Analyzing via software package Smart-Pls 4.1, we found that IBM significantly enhances BI, which in turn strongly predicts BCB. While IBM directly impacts BCB, the effect is mediated by BI. Furthermore, LMX moderates the IBM-BI relationships, underscoring the role of leadership in internal branding effectiveness. These findings contribute to the internal branding literature by validating BI as a key psychological mechanism and LMX as a boundary condition. Practically, the study provides insights for restaurant industry seeking to foster brand-aligned behaviors through internal brand management.

Digital HR strategies and evaluation of their effectiveness in private enterprises under remote work: Evidence from Chongqing, China

Ling Yang — 2025-09-23

The rapid digitalisation of business processes and the widespread adoption of remote work since the COVID‑19 pandemic have forced private enterprises to re‑examine the role of human resource management (HRM). Drawing on the resource‑based view, this study investigates how digital HR strategies—covering recruitment & selection, training & development, performance management and digital employee services—affect employee engagement and firm performance in a context where a significant portion of the workforce operates remotely. Using survey data from 150 employees and managers in 50 privately owned firms in Chongqing, China, supplemented by semi‑structured interviews with HR leaders, we develop a digital HR adoption index and test its impact on remote work effectiveness and organisational performance. The results show that higher levels of digital HR adoption positively influence employee engagement, reduce perceptions of relative deprivation and cyberloafing, and enhance remote work effectiveness. Regression analysis further indicates that remote work effectiveness mediates the relationship between digital HR adoption and organisational performance. Qualitative insights highlight the importance of leadership support, training and the integration of platforms such as WeChat Work, DingTalk and Tencent Meeting for managing remote teams. Our findings offer evidence‑based recommendations for private enterprises in emerging economies to align digital HR strategies with remote working arrangements, support employee well‑being and sustain performance.

Bridging the divide: How HR policy framing shapes Gen Z attitudes toward workplace gender equality

Huaying Fang — 2025-10-11

This study examines how the framing of organizational gender-equity policies shapes support among Generation Z employees. Drawing on performativity (Butler, 1990) and intersectionality (Crenshaw, 1991), we conceptualize framing as mediating how Gen Z employees perceive equity initiatives. Using a mixed-methods design, we combine survey data from 4,861 Gen Z respondents in 30 countries with directed content analysis of four HR policy documents (coded for equity vs enforcement, identity recognition, and youth engagement). Results reveal a gender gap: Gen Z women strongly endorse inclusive equity measures, consistent with evidence that women show stronger support for equality policies, whereas Gen Z men are more skeptical of policies framed as exclusive or punitive – mirroring polls finding many Gen Z men say equality efforts have gone too far. These findings suggest that performative policy framing activates social identities differently by gender and that intersectional policy language affects reception. Practically, we recommend framing equity initiatives in terms of shared fairness and collective benefit, using transparent rationale and inclusive identity language. Gen Zers expect fair pay, inclusive policies, and transparency, so HR communications should emphasize fairness and allyship to enhance legitimacy and support among this cohort.

Integrating art, aesthetics, and immersive media to promote employee well-being and psychological health

Fangming Ke — 2025-09-15

This study examines the viability and user acceptance of a Cultural Healing Virtual Museum as a novel method for enhancing employee well-being and psychological health in organizational environments. The research shows how combining art and design can create engaging cultural experiences, looking at how visual appeal, space layout, and interactive technology can help reduce stress, build emotional strength, and teach employees about culture. The study focuses on middle-aged working individuals, especially those facing stress and sub-health issues, utilizing a mixed-methods approach with 381 participants. Notably, 87.14% of participants reported awareness of the concept of cultural healing, and over 78% indicated a willingness to engage with immersive cultural wellness tools. Research indicates a pronounced inclination toward culturally relevant virtual settings that integrate traditional healing practices—such as Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), calligraphy, and meditation themes—with modern digital aesthetics. The findings demonstrate that art-based immersive components markedly improve emotional well-being, cultivate trust in organizational health programs, and elevate the propensity to participate in preventative self-care activities. Principal elements influencing engagement comprised visual coherence, symbolic significance, and emotional impact. Even though most feedback was positive, some participants expressed concerns about how comfortable they were with technology and using virtual reality, pointing out the need for easy training and designs that include everyone. These findings suggest that immersive wellness strategies rooted in art and heritage can contribute directly to human capital development by boosting proactive health behavior and reducing psychological strain. This research highlights the possibility of incorporating art, cultural heritage, and immersive technology into workplace wellness initiatives to bolster employee well-being, improve psychological health, and facilitate human capital development.

Cultural heritage as human capital: Integrating Yao identity and circular design for sustainable workforce engagement in jewelry industries

Danfeng Chen — 2025-09-20

This study investigates the integration of Yao ethnic cultural history into sustainable jewelry design and its implications for human resource planning, organizational management, and employee engagement techniques within creative sectors. The research emphasizes new approaches to improving employee well-being, work happiness, and organizational commitment by integrating cultural authenticity with circular economy concepts. The study specifically aims to (1) use Yao cultural elements to strengthen the organization’s identity and boost employee pride, (2) evaluate how consumers respond to circular economy ideas and how these ideas impact employee motivation and performance, and (3) explore how sustainability efforts based on culture affect consumer behavior and the morale of the workforce. We used a mixed-methods approach, combining qualitative interviews with fifteen experts in design, sustainability, and cultural heritage with a quantitative survey of 240 participants. Research indicates that using Yao motifs—such as traditional needlework and nature-inspired designs—enhances market attractiveness and promotes more employee alignment with business ideals, hence improving satisfaction and performance. The increasing customer acceptance of recycled and upcycled items enhances employees’ sense of purpose and engagement. These findings highlight the importance of incorporating sustainable HR practices, including culturally oriented training and open ethical principles, to enhance labor relations and foster equity. Utilizing cultural heritage in design innovation serves as a strategic instrument to enhance human capital and promote long-term organizational sustainability.

The influence of incentives as mediators in the relationship between antecedent factors and worker productivity: A systematic literature review

Irmohizam Ibrahim — 2025-09-16

In today’s changing world of work, Strategic Human Resource Management (SHRM)) still focuses on making workers more productive. This study systematically examines the mediating function of incentives both monetary and non-monetary between antecedent characteristics (e.g., leadership, organizational culture) and employee productivity using a systematic literature review (SLR) of papers published from 2010 to 2024. The review adheres to PRISMA principles and integrates 18 peer-reviewed studies chosen through a stringent screening and quality evaluation process from Scopus and Google Scholar. The results show that the success of incentives depends a lot on things like the ideals of the business, the style of leadership, and the demographics of the workforce. Thematic analysis, informed by the Ability-Motivation-Opportunity (AMO) theory and Strategic Human Resource Management (SHRM) frameworks, delineates four principal processes by which incentives affect productivity: goal alignment, perceived equity, motivational pathways, and cultural congruence. The research emphasizes the necessity of customizing incentive systems to specific organizational contexts and offers practical guidance for HR professionals. Recognizing limitations and publishing bias, suggestions for future incentive system design are presented.

A literature review on university student entrepreneurship from a Human Resource Development (HRD) perspective

Hae-Won Lee — 2025-10-10

In response to the increasing youth unemployment rate and the demand for future-oriented career development, university student entrepreneurship has emerged as a critical domain in both economic policy and education. This study conducts a comprehensive literature review to examine the interrelationships between entrepreneurship, entrepreneurship education, entrepreneurial competency, and entrepreneurial intention among university students, with an emphasis on the Human Resource Development (HRD) perspective. The review reveals that entrepreneurial mindset significantly influences students’ intention to start a business, while entrepreneurship education contributes both directly and indirectly through the development of entrepreneurial competencies. Entrepreneurial competencies serve as a practical foundation for translating intention into action and are integral to HRD’s goal of competency-based talent development. The study further highlights that entrepreneurship education aligned with HRD principles—such as experiential learning, self-directed development, and learning organization frameworks—can foster employability and self-employment capacity. This integrative analysis suggests that university entrepreneurship programs should not be seen merely as policy instruments, but rather as strategic HRD initiatives for developing future-ready, opportunity-creating human capital. Implications for educational design, policy development, and future empirical research are discussed.