Revisiting theoretical pillars of HRM in the age of uncertainty: Contributions for performance

Introduction

Organizations are continuously experiencing growing challenges pertaining workforce. Across the economic and social landscapes, we live in an international context marked by uncertainty, discontinuity, and accelerated transformation. As such, organizations are increasingly required to respond to volatile environments, technological change, shifting social expectations, and evolving forms of work affecting the workforce. Such developments have intensified the need to revisit the theoretical foundations of Human Resource Management (HRM) and to question whether established assumptions remain sufficient to explain how people, organizations, and performance are connected in the current turbulent era. Our special issue (SI) invites scholars to return to the basic theoretical pillars of HRM research. Rather than adding further complexity without reflection, this SI explores the need to “go back to basics” in order to critically examine the core concepts, assumptions, and models that have traditionally guided the HRM field. In uncertain times, HRM research must not only describe new practices and organizational responses, but also challenge conventional views on how HRM contributes to individual, organizational, social, and sustainable performance. Traditional perspectives have emphasized the alignment between HRM policies and organizational strategy, the development of employee capabilities, and the role of HRM systems in improving performance. However, the current context raises important questions about the adequacy of these assumptions. Uncertainty, digitalization and the rise of AI, sustainability pressures, demographic change, new models for employment relationships, and growing concerns about employee well-being require renewed theoretical reflection and empirical exploration. Revisiting the theoretical foundations of HRM also requires considering the tensions, paradoxes, and unintended consequences of HRM policies and practices.

Our special issue encourages contributions that critically examine the basic assumptions of HRM research and offer theoretical, empirical, or conceptual advances. We are particularly interested in work that revisits established HRM theories, challenges dominant perspectives, clarifies foundational concepts, or proposes new ways of understanding the HRM–performance relationship in uncertain environments. Contributions may address, but are not limited to, the following topics:

• Revisiting Theoretical foundations of HRM in contexts of uncertainty
• Critical reassessments of the HRM–performance relationship
• Challenges to traditional strategic HRM assumptions
• HRM, organizational resilience, and adaptation to change
• HRM and employee performance in uncertain and complex environments
• Sustainable HRM, green HRM, and long-term organizational performance
• HRM and employee well-being, happiness, engagement, and inclusion
• HRM, knowledge management, innovation, and creativity
• HRM and the management of technological and digital transformation
• HRM and the need for professional reskilling
• Work intensification, stress, and the unintended consequences of HRM
• HRM systems, organizational culture, and competing performance outcomes
• HRM and new approaches to work
• New theoretical approaches to careers, employability, and work-life integration

This Call for Papers invites researchers to contribute to the debate on the theoretical pillars of HRM and their implications for performance in the age of uncertainty. Submissions should be theoretically well grounded and methodologically rigorous, offering a clear contribution to the renewal of HRM research. Empirical original research articles, conceptual papers, and literature reviews are welcome.

List of Topic Areas

• Organizational Performance
• HRM theory
• Careers and Diversity Management
• Change Management
• Ethics and Work-life Balance
• HRM and Digital Challenges
• HRM and Sustainability
• Knowledge Management
• Leadership and Communication
• Organizational Behaviour
• Performance and Appraisal
• Competency and Talent Management
• Workplace well-being and happiness
• Organizational Success

Submissions Information

Submissions are made using ScholarOne Manuscripts. Registration and access are available at: https://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/joepp

Author guidelines must be strictly followed. Please see: https://www.emeraldgrouppublishing.com/journal/joepp

Authors should select (from the drop-down menu) the special issue title at the appropriate step in the submission process, i.e. in response to “Please select the issue you are submitting to”.

Submitted articles must not have been previously published, nor should they be under consideration for publication anywhere else, while under review for this journal.

Key Deadlines

Opening date for manuscripts submissions: 31/03/2027

Closing date for manuscripts submission: 30/06/2027

Closing date for abstract submission: 31/03/2027

Email for submissions: [email protected]