Liberating HR through technology

Abstract

Abstract Workforce management applications are expected to drive the next phase of enterprise‐wide applications market growth. But will firms actually benefit from these applications? Horror stories of failed technology implementation efforts abound and hardly inspire confidence. Treating installation of HR technology as a form of innovation, we introduce a model that describes the technology implementation process. The model brings to the fore various issues that merit the attention of academics and practitioners alike. It appears that firms that undertake technology initiatives with a view to enable the HR function to focus more on value‐added activities are the ones most likely to realize the full potential of technology. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.