UPSCALING PEOPLE ANALYTICS - Using sensemaking and translation to understand HRBP’s experience in change initiatives when implementing and upscaling data-driven processes

Abstract

Most current research on people analytics and data-driven approaches in Human Resources takes a macro perspective, and empirical insights are lacking, especially empirical insights from case studies. Therefore, this study takes a qualitative approach by conducting a single case study and taking a micro-perspective on a case company. The company is a large multinational company in the manufacturing industry. This allows for theoretical and empirical insights from the process of upscaling and implementing people analytics. Hence, the purpose of the study is to gain more knowledge in the process of change initiatives within people analytics, specifically regarding the implementation and upscaling of data-driven processes within HR. Digital transformation is rapidly changing the work-environment; therefore, organisations need to adapt for new ways of working, this includes working more with data-driven processes within HR such as people analytics. Digital transformation highlights the occurrence of change, and this specific change process will be analysed by using translation within the Scandinavian Institutionalism perspective and immanent, involved-deliberate and detached deliberate sensemaking. The study is qualitative where semi-structured interviews were conducted to gather data. Via purposeful sampling, the study gathers empirical data from HRBP’s working for the case company (11) and relevant stakeholders for people analytics (6). Additionally, an ethnographical method was used by observing. From the empirical data, three main themes were identified: establishing credibility, learning and practising people analytics, which lead to three discussions points: making HRBP’s credible business partners, learning people analytics and practicing people analytics. The conclusion is that during this process, multiple opportunities and challenges was identified which is enabling or disabling the HRBP’s to become data-driven. Additionally, the effort from the case company to institutionalise people analytics as an HR practice can be seen as a continuous change process which is accompanied by episodic periods of change. during this process, the HRBP’s mainly used involved-deliberate sensemaking in trying to understand the disruptions.