Blockchain in human resource management of organizations : an empirical assessment to gauge HR and non-HR perspective

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to understand the views of employees about the application of distributed ledger database technology blockchain, in area of human resource management (HRM) of organizations. The current study aims to understand the views of both HR and non-HR employees of how they assess the current scenario of HRM in their organizations, their awareness about the blockchain technology and their opinion about the scope of application of blockchain in HRM. Design/methodology/approach: A sample of 158 employees was collected consisting of employees working in both HR and non-HR profiles across various organizations. Chi-square test of homogeneity, log-linear analysis and basic frequencies were used to analyze the data. Findings: The results revealed that there was no difference in viewpoints of HR and non-HR employees across all contexts related to blockchain in HRM. The study also analyzed the opinion of employees regarding advantages, organizational barriers and probable usages of blockchain in HRM. Research limitations/implications: The study will provide an insight to the organization decision-makers who are willing to roll out Industry 4.0 technology blockchain in HRM and beliefs of employees regarding acceptance of such change in organization. Originality/value: This study will be a novel attempt to understand the scope of application of blockchain technology in HRM of organizations in Indian context.