Determinants of HRIS Adoption Among Gen Z HR Professionals in SME Contexts A Conceptual Analysis

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.