Digitalization of Society and Socio-political Issues 1

3Algorithmic Management, Organizational Changes and the Digitalization of HR Practices: A Critical Perspective

Recruitment, remuneration, training, social dialog, the promotion of professional equality, quality of life at work, diversity, etc. are all areas that the vast Human Resources (HR) function is called upon to deal with on a daily basis within contemporary organizations, who are constantly confronted with market uncertainties, increased competitiveness and digital transformations. Experts agree that the HR function is changing rapidly (see ANDRH reports¹, managerial literature and the many publications of management researchers). Thus, traditionally oriented towards the administrative management of staff, it would have become a strategic function (Peretti 2018). The purpose of this chapter is to critically examine the transformations underway related to the massive use of digital tools (platforms, professional social networks, chatbots, predictive models) that affects HR – practices, whether in terms of recruitment, training or internal communication – and which have profound consequences on management within companies. The approach is part of the field of organizational communication and draws from research in sociology related to work in large companies as well as from Information and Communication Sciences (ICS). To what extent does digital technology contribute to the transformation of HR processes and business developments? How does it affect managerial practices ...