Building High Involvement Work Systems in the Digital Era: Employee Experience-Oriented Digital HRM and Employee Involvement

Abstract

Despite the increasing application of digital technology in management practices, its implications for employee involvement and high involvement work systems (HIWSs) remain largely unexplored. Based on an in-depth qualitative case study of Tencent—one of China's largest information technology companies—this article explores whether and in what ways employee experience (EX)-oriented digital HRM contributes to the development of HIWSs. Drawing on socio-technical systems theory, we examine the goals, tasks, structures, actors, and technical elements of the digital HRM system in the case company, as well as the interactions among these elements. Our findings suggest that the EX-oriented digital HRM system enhances two key dimensions of HIWSs: technological empowerment and organizational involvement. First, EX-oriented digital HRM provides employees with digital tools that enable them to exercise some autonomy in various facets of their work life. This includes self-management, team collaboration, and personalized learning and development opportunities. Second, EX-oriented digital HRM arguably promotes employee involvement in both product development and some aspects of organizational management by leveraging user experience design. This study contributes to the theory of socio-technical systems and the literature on HIWSs in the digital era.