«Two and a half Men – The Impact of
HR-Analytics on Responsible Leadership

Welcome to the research project, "Two and a Half Men - The Impact of HR Analytics on Responsible Leadership," where we investigate two crucial aspects of the workplace of the future:

1. Why leaders assume responsibility in the workplace, and
2. How HR technologies influence leadership and decision-making processes

In today's competitive landscape, HR-Technologies, also known as HR-Analytics or People Analytics, play an increasingly vital role for organizations. However, it is essential to be aware of the risks and biases that accompany such technologies. Therefore, we emphasize the importance of human leadership in making the final decisions, particularly in critical employee related areas (e.g., shortlisting CVs and promotions, during attrition models or performance management).

Our project aims to go beyond the technical validity of these tools' recommendations and uncover how they impact HR professionals and leaders using them. We've observed that, in practice, leaders sometimes struggle to maintain a morally responsible decision-making style when deploying these tools, leading to scandals, reputation damage and lawsuits (e.g., Amazon).

To achieve our aim of effectively promoting responsible leadership during HR-Technology usage our research follows a three-step exploratory mixed-method design:

Responsible Leadership Framework:

1. We conducted a comprehensive literature review to develop a framework that explores the impact of technology on decision-making within organizations. This framework enables us to analyze the state of responsible leadership during HR-Technology deployment in organizations.
2. Expert-Interviews: Using a critical incident technique, we analyze the factors and conditions that lead to successful responsible HR-Technology decision-making in Switzerland, Germany and the US.
3. Intervention Testing (Experiment): Experimental testing of identified factors that enable or inhibit responsible leadership in HR-Analytics contexts.

We aim to equip organizations with the tools needed to promote responsible leadership in their decision-making processes and address ethical challenges arising from HR-Technologies—issues that will shape the future of our workplaces. Join us on this journey of exploring the impact of HR Analytics on responsible leadership for a better, more ethical business world.

If you are interested in our project or the findings, please contact Alice Rickert

per e-mail or by phone.