Abstract:
In the modern world‚ where there is technological acceleration‚ including in Small and Midsize
Enterprises (SMEs)‚ the use of Human Resources Information System (HRIS) in SMEs is becoming more
popular․ However‚ the adoption is not uniform‚ as many behavioural‚ organizational‚ and environmental factors
influence the adoption․ Accordingly‚ this research investigates a conceptual model based on Unified Theory of
Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT)‚ identifying the antecedents of HRIS usage in the context of
Generation Z HR professionals in SMEs․ To account for the antecedents of HRIS adoption, the conceptual study
considered the original four UTAUT constructs, added environmental factors, and presented a new conceptual
framework with gender moderating all relationships․ Consequently‚ the mechanistic model proposes that the
acceptance of HRIS is conditioned by personal factors‚ the organizational supportive system‚ and environmental
factors․ Nevertheless‚ recent research from 2004 to 2026 in the Dimension database suggests that since Gen Z
employees are digital natives‚ they are likely to expect optimal workflow․ For this reason‚ Gen Z employees have
an important role in HRIS implementation․ Thus‚ the current study fills the research gap with respect to the
adoption of the UTAUT framework in the context of SMEs‚ and considers environmental factors in an attempt to
provide a more thorough view of HRIS adoption. Practically‚ this research will assist SME managers and HR
managers to design HRIS solutions that meet the expectations of Gen Z employees to improve user acceptance
and usage. Overall, the proposed framework provides a sound basis for improving HRIS adoption and supporting
effective digital HR transformation in SMEs.
