The ethical implications of big data in human resource management

Abstract

This article examines the ethical implications of big data in human resource management (HRM) practices, specifically in the areas of recruitment and selection, training and development, performance management, compensation, and employee retention. The article commences with a characterization of big data applications in HRM processes and practices, highlighting their benefits and value for the management of the workforce. It also shows how the application of big data analytics can put employees at great risk through institutional surveillance and other algorithmic manipulation practices such as profiling, coercion and control. Our theorizing advances the HRM and ethics literatures by offering a more expanded and nuanced view of the significant ethical challenges specific to individual HR practices. Additionally, our analysis brings ethics into the domain of HRM by problematizing the exploitation of employee information through digital technology for corporate gain. In so doing, it employs a moral principles framework to show how BDA - HRM practices can compromise employees' rights to privacy, confidentiality, transparency, and protection. Our analysis also raises concerns shared by both the practitioner and scholarly communities that are yet to be addressed and offers recommendations for research and practice.