Resource Orchestration Theory and the Configuration of Electronic Human Resources Management

Electronic human resources management (e-HRM) as a field has been developed on an exploratory basis, thus lacking theoretical foundations. Research into its theoretical underpinnings is therefore needed. Research orchestration theory (ROT) is an expansion of resource-based theory. It considers managers’ roles in the selection and configuration of resources, and it aims to explain the process of achieving a competitive advantage and exploiting the dynamic capabilities of resource configuration. This study is based on Strohmeier’s [34] framework and focuses on the configuration of e-HRM and its underlying elements: actors, strategies, activities, and technologies. We propose ROT as a solid foundation for the empirical investigation of e-HRM.