The Characteristics of Agile Human Resource Practices: A Systematic Literature Review Approach

Authors

  • Natpimol Pengpao Graduate School of Human Resource Development, National Institute of Development Administration (NIDA), Bangkok, 10240, Thailand
  • Chiraprapha Akaraborworn Graduate School of Human Resource Development, National Institute of Development Administration (NIDA), Bangkok, 10240, Thailand

Keywords:

Agile HR Practices, Characteristics of Agile HR, Systematic literature review

Abstract

This qualitative research aims to investigate the characteristics of Agile Human Resource Practices (AHRPs) that facilitate adaptability within organizations. Employing a systematic literature review methodology, the study provides insights
valuable to organizational management in navigating rapid and ongoing changes. Globally, leading companies-particularly in Western contexts such as Google, Amazon, and Microsoft-have adopted agile HR practices to maintain competitive advantage, while organizations in Eastern regions are beginning to follow suit. In today’s volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous (VUCA) environment-further
intensified by the transformative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic-organizations are compelled to reconfigure roles and responsibilities to foster agile working
environments that support long-term competitiveness. Traditional human resource
management approaches may no longer suffice in such dynamic contexts. The study identifies six core characteristics of AHRPs: Flexibility, Speed, Flow, Adaptability, Customer Orientation, Team Collaboration, and Technology (3FACTT), which
together represent key enablers of agile HR management. This research not only
advances the theoretical understanding of AHRPs but also provides a foundation for future studies, especially for HR practitioners seeking to design future-ready
organizations.

References

Aghina, W., Ahlback, K., de Smet, A., Lackey, G., Lurie, M.,

Murarka, M., & Handscomb, C. (2018). The five

trademarks of agile organizations. Retrieved August

, 2023, from https://www.mckinsey.com/businessfunctions/

organization/our-insights/the-five-trade

marks-of-agile-organizations

Agile Manifesto. (2001). Manifesto for Agile Software

Development. Retrieved August 19, 2023, from https://

agilemanifesto.org

Ahammad, M., Glaister, K., & Gomes, E. (2020). Strategic

agility and human resource management. Human

Resource Management Review, 30(1), 100700.

AIHR. (n.d.-a). About us. Retrieved August 19, 2023, from

https://www.aihr.com/about-us/

AIHR. (n.d.-b). Agile HR: All you need to know to get started. Retrieved August 19, 2023, from https://www.aihr.com/blog/agile-hr/

Ananthram, S., & Nankervis, A. (2013). Strategic agility and the role of HR as a strategic business partner: an Indian perspective. Asia Pacific Journal of Human Resources, 51(4), 454-470.

Appelbaum, E., Bailey, T., Berg, P., Kalleberg, A., & Bailey, T. (2000). Manufacturing advantage: Why high-performance work systems pay off. New York: Cornell University Press.

Azizi, M., Atlasi, R., Ziapour, A., Abbas, J., & Naemi, R. (2021). Innovative human resource management strategies during the COVID-19 pandemic: A systematic narrative review approach. Heliyon, (7)6, E07233.

Azizsafaei, F. (2017). The Role of Human Resource

Management in Achieving Organisational Agility. UK:

Birmingham City University

Becker, B., & Huselid, M. A. (1998). High performance work systems and firm performance: A synthesis of research and managerial implications. Research in Personnel and Human Resource Management, 16, 53-101.

Bennett, N., & Lemoine, G. (2014). What a difference a word makes: Understanding threats to performance in a

VUCA world. Business Horizons, 57(3), 311-317.

Bersin, J. (2020). Responding to COVID-19. Ten lessons from the world's HR leaders. Retrieved August 19, 2023,

from https://joshbersin.com/2020/04/respondingto-

covid-19-ten-lessons-from-the-worlds-hr-leaders/

Baird, P., Anderson, T., Newcombe, H., & Lowry, R. (1988).

Genetic disorders in children and young adults: a

population study. American Journal of Human Genetics,

(5), 677-693.

Biron, M., De Cieri, H., Fulmer, I., Lin, C., Mayrhofer, W.,

Nyfoudi, M., …Sun, J. (2021). Structuring for innovative

responses to human resource challenges: A skunk works

approach. Human Resource Management Review,

(2), 100768.

Boehm, B., & Turner, R. (2005). Management challenges to implementing agile processes in traditional development organizations. IEEE software, 22(5), 30-39.

Burger, C., Koster, A., Lechner, C., & Szczepanski, M. (2008). Making Growth happen: How to Manage Growth

Initiatives Effectively. New York: Booz & Company.

Cappelli, P., & Neumark, D. (2001). Do “high-performance” work practices improve establishment-level outcomes? Ilr Review, 54(4), 737-775.

CIPD. (n.d.). Our history. Retrieved August 19, 2023, from

https://www.cipd.org/en/about/our-history/

CIPD. (2020). People Profession 2030 : A collective view of

future trends. London: Chartered Institute of Personnel

and Development.

Cooke, F., Schuler, R., & Varma, A. (2020). Human resource management research and practice in Asia: Past, present and future. Human Resource Management

Review, 30(4), 100778.

Dank, N., & Hellström, R. (2020). Agile HR: Deliver value in

a changing world of work. London: Kogan Page

Publishers.

Deksnys, M. (2018). Organizational agility in high growth

companies. Lithuania: Mykolas Romeris University.

Denning, S. (2015). How to make the whole organization

“Agile”. Strategy & Leadership, 43(6), 10-17.

Denning, S. (2018). The emergence of Agile people management. Strategy & Leadership, 46(4), 3-10.

Doz, Y. (2020). Fostering strategic agility: How individual

executives and human resource practices contribute.

Human Resource Management Review, 30(1), 100693.

Dyer, L., & Shafer, R. (2003). Dynamic organizations:

Achieving marketplace and organizational agility with

people (CAHRS Working Paper, 03-04). New York:

Cornell University.

Festing, M., & Eidems, J. (2011). A process perspective on

transnational HRM systems—A dynamic capabilitybased

analysis. Human Resource Management Review,

(3), 162-173.

Gartner. (2018). Agile HR 101 a guidebook for HRBPs.

Retrieved August 19, 2023, from https://www.academia.

edu/39969674/A_Guidebook_for_HRBPs_Agile_

HR_101

Gandee, T., & Haan, P. (n.d.). Sustainable Innovation for

Google. Retrieved August 19, 2023, from https://www.

academia.edu/download/32827107/Paper_23_J1b_

Gandee_and_Haan.pdf

Han, S., & Stieha, V. (2020). Growth mindset for human

resource development: A scoping review of the

literature with recommended interventions. Human

Resource Development Review, 19(3), 309-331.

Harsch, K., & Festing, M. (2020). Dynamic talent management

capabilities and organizational agility—A qualitative

exploration. Human Resource Management, 59(1),

-61.

Heilmann, P., Forsten-Astikainen, R., & Kultalahti, S. (2020). Agile HRM practices of SMEs. Journal of Small

Business Management, 58(6), 1291-1306.

Holbeche, L. (2019). Designing sustainably agile and resilient organizations. Systems Research and Behavioral

Science, 36(5), 668-677.

Huselid, M. (1995). The impact of human resource management practices on turnover, productivity, and corporate financial performance. Academy of Management Journal, 38(3), 635-672.

Javadin, S., Tabatabaie, S., & Zarandi, A. (2018). Prioritizing

and Evaluating the Dimensions of Agility of Human

Resources in Small and Medium Companies of Tehran

Province. International Journal of Environmental and

Science Education, 13(8), 661-668.

Jiang, K., Lepak, D., Hu, J., & Baer, J. (2012). How does human resource management influence organizational

outcomes? A meta-analytic investigation of mediating

mechanisms. Academy of Management Journal, 55(6),

-1294.

Junker, T., Bakker, A., Gorgievski, M., & Derks, D. (2021).

EXPRESS: Agile Work Practices and Employee

Proactivity: A Multilevel Study. Human Relations,

(12), 1-29.

Kavitha, R., & Suresh, M. (2021). Agile Practices in Human

Resource Management. In Advances in Materials

Research. New York: Springer.

Kehoe, R., & Wright, P. (2013). The impact of high-performance

human resource practices on employees’ attitudes and

behaviors. Journal of Management, 39(2), 366-391.

Khodabandeh, N., Mohammdi, N., Mansouri, A., & Droodi,

H. (2018). Designing a human resource agility model

based on grounded theory approach (Study case: Social

security organization). Iranian Journal of Educational

Sociology, 1(7), 163-179.

LeMay, M. (2018). Agile for everybody: Creating fast, flexible, and customer-first organizations. CA: O'Reilly Media Inc.

Liberati, A., Altman, D., Tetzlaff, J., Mulrow, C., Gøtzsche, P., Ioannidis, J., Clarke, M., … Moher, D. (2009). The

PRISMA statement for reporting systematic reviews

and meta-analyses of studies that evaluate health care

interventions: Explanation and elaboration. Journal of

Clinical Epidemiology, 62(10), e1-e34.

Malik, M., Sarwar, S., & Orr, S. (2021). Agile practices and

performance: Examining the role of psychological

empowerment. International Journal of Project

Management, 39(1), 10-20.

Management & Solutions. (2019). From agile delivery, to an agile organization. Retrieved August 19, 2023, from

https://www.managementsolutions.com

McMackin, J., & Heffernan, M. (2021). Agile for HR: fine in

practice, but will it work in theory? Human Resource

Management Review, 31(4), 100791.

McMackin, J., & Heffernan, M. (2023). Agile: How HR is

changing shape. Retrieved June 19, 2023, from https://

www.hrmagazine.co.uk/content/features/agile-howhr-

is-changing-shape/

Nijssen, M., & Paauwe, J. (2012). HRM in turbulent times:

how to achieve organizational agility? The International

Journal of Human Resource Management, 23(16),

-3335.

Park, H., Gardner, T., & Wright, P. (2004). HR practices or HR capabilities: Which matters? Insights from the Asia

Pacific region. Asia Pacific Journal of Human Resources,

(3), 260-273.

Pasmore, B., & O'Shea, T. (2010). Leadership agility: A business imperative for a VUCA world. People and Strategy, 33(4), 32.

Patel, P., Messersmith, J., & Lepak, D. (2013). Walking the

tightrope: An assessment of the relationship between

high-performance work systems and organizational

ambidexterity. Academy of Management Journal,

(5), 1420-1442.

Sharifi, H., & Zhang, Z. (1999). A methodology for achieving agility in manufacturing organisations: An introduction.

International Journal of Production Economics, 62

(1-2), 7-22.

SHRM. (n.d.-a). About SHRM. Retrieved August 19, 2023,

from https://www.shrm.org/about

SHRM. (n.d.-b). 2023-2024 SHRM state of the workplace.

Retrieved August 19, 2023, from https://www.shrm.

org/mena/topics-tools/research/2023-2024-shrmstate-

workplace

Sherehiy, B., Karwowski, W., & Layer, J. K. (2007). A review

of enterprise agility: Concepts, frameworks, and

attributes. International Journal of Industrial

Ergonomics, 37(5), 445-460.

Sherehiy, B., & Karwowski, W. (2014). The relationship

between work organization and workforce agility in

small manufacturing enterprises. International Journal

of Industrial Ergonomics, 44(3), 466-473.

Srivastava, P. (2016). Flexible HR to cater to VUCA Times.

Global Journal of Flexible Systems Management,

(1), 105-108.

Subramanian, N., & Suresh, M. (2022). Assessment framework for Agile HRM practices. Global Journal of Flexible Systems Management, 23, 135–149.

Torrington, D., MacKay, L., & Hall, L. (1985). The changing

nature of personnel management. Employee Relations,

(5), 10-16.

Ulrich, D. (1997). HR of the future: Conclusions and observations. Human Resource Management, 36(1), 175-179.

Ulrich, D., & Dulebohn, J. (2015). Are we there yet? What's

next for HR? Human Resource Management Review,

(2), 188-204.

Ulrich, D., & Yeung, A. (2019). Agility: The new response to

dynamic change. Strategic HR Review, 18(4), 161-167.

Winter, B. (2015). Agile Performance Improvement. (1st Ed.). New York: Apress.

Downloads

Published

2025-03-05

How to Cite

Pengpao, N., & Akaraborworn, C. . (2025). The Characteristics of Agile Human Resource Practices: A Systematic Literature Review Approach. Journal of Multidisciplinary in Social Sciences, 21(1), 12–25. retrieved from https://so03.tci-thaijo.org/index.php/sduhs/article/view/273336

Issue

Section

Original Articles