EXPLORING BUSINESS SCHOOLS’ READINESS FOR SMART HRM 4.0: CURRICULUM TRANSFORMATION AND PEDAGOGICAL INNOVATION

Abstract

The Age of Cyber-Physical or the Smart Industry eras are some other names for the Fourth Industrial Revolution. It has a significant impact on every aspect of life, particularly organizational management processes and practices. Smart technologies such as Big Data, the Internet of Things, Cloud Computing, and Artificial Intelligence-based automation have reshaped processes and practices of supply chain management, contributing to the emergence of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Human Resources Management's traditional functions are going through a significant transformation. This cyber-physical revolution has enabled HRM functions and practices to be digitally integrated through smart technologies to collectively achieve organizational objectives. HRM professionals must be equipped with new skills sets in the era of Smart Industry. Universities have a responsibility to skill up the proposed professionals to fulfil the workforce market demands of the fourth industrial revolution. This study explores universities Readiness for offering Smart HRM 4.0 courses and their teaching in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. The study unpacks the current status of university curriculum, and teaching-learning practices in light of Smart HRM4.0 course teaching and learning requirements.  The findings and reflections highlighted the different universities' initiatives, making changes in the Business Curriculum by integrating smart technology embedded HRM courses, in addition to identifying various gaps in the curriculum to incorporate smart technology integration. The study also reveals gaps in teaching staff skills and competencies, besides strong enthusiasm for technology adoption. This study adopts a qualitative approach, grounded in relativist ontology and a subjectivist epistemology within a constructivist paradigm. Guided by a phenomenological methodology, this study sought to understand the lived experiences of university HRM teachers through in-depth interviews. The interviews data were analyzed using Braun and Clarke’s reflective thematic analysis, with themes developed through the researcher’s reflexive interpretation of participants’ accounts at a latent level of meaning.   This study contributes to the existing literature by sharing in-depth contextual readiness level of Business Schools' Curriculum for Smart HRM 4.0 students’ preparedness. These findings will inform the development of strategies for universities to upgrade curricula, teaching staff competencies, and teaching practices to support modern technology-based teaching and learning environments.