Research Handbook on Human Resource Management and Disruptive TechnologiesBy Bondarouk, T. and Meijerink, J. (eds.), Cheltenham, UK: Edward Elgar Publishing, 2024. 310 pp. $200 (hardback). ISBN: 978‐1‐80220‐923‐5 (cased), 978‐1‐80220‐924‐2 (ebook)

This is the book that is essential for any HR academic or practitioner. As the introduction highlights, this century has witnessed the emergences into the mainstream of multiple technologies, not least AI, which are making substantial changes to the management of HRM. The focus of the book is how HRM academics and practitioners respond to these rapid and at times unpredictable changes in the evolving workplace. The book is effectively set out in four sections after the introductory chapter, using theory and practical examples to highlight the HR issues, particularly the more subtle aspect of these changes. Importantly, the book focuses on how disruption can be understood in multiple ways. Whilst some may see this as too broad a view which dilutes the focus, I would argue that in this current volatile and uncertain environment, such a broad perspective provides the opportunity to explore the issues and possibilities without boundaries. This inclusive approach is important because all these issues have the potential to merge and create major disruption in how, when, where, and even why work is done. After the introduction chapter, which is a section in itself (which never makes much sense to me), section 2 focuses on the debates surrounding technology and its intersection with people and its capacity to disrupt. Bondarouk and Ruel put context to the future of work in the lead chapter. The most here and now chapter of this section is Soleimani et al.'s work on the bias in AI-powered HRM. No need to look beyond the case of AMAZON to see how this can go very wrong. This is followed aptly by a chapter on ethical dilemmas. Section 3 focuses on the meso or organizational level and the impact of technological disruption on the policies and processes. From on-line platforms to virtual teams, these are important issues in the workplace debate which for many were forced upon them due to the pandemic with little planning or understanding of the long-term changes and implications. For example, many thought the pandemic was a temporary aberration which then went on for more than 12 months. This gave people the taste of hybrid or blended working from which many do not want and even have refused to turn away from. Section 4 engages in a micro or workplace level focus on issues currently being debated, for example, the disruptive potential of AI in areas like recruitment and selection and performance management, and talent management. The chapters within this section reflect on the often-subtle issues emerging in the dynamic and changing environment for practitioners. For researchers, it provides a useful template for further research. The final section of the book (section 5) engages with aspects including generational issues. Stegehuis and Bondarouk use the nice defining terms of digital natives and digital immigrates to define the technological adoption by users. Khoreva and Einola take this a stage further by seeing AI as a partner. They explore the impact on job roles, including the reworking and replacement of jobs. From their critical review, they argue that there needs to be time and effort put into implementing and managing these significant changes by senior management and HR. This chapter is complimented by Rogers et al. focusing on the tensions at play within organizations using a variety of platforms. The final chapters of the section and the book explore key underlying themes of disruptive technology in the contemporary environment of volatility and complexity. Shaba et al. look at the disruption as a theme that has been constant through all the industrial revolutions eras—job design—and the threats and opportunities. The nuance in the fourth industrial relations is the fact that AI will start to replace AI—how this impacts our work may be very different in focus from the previous three industrial revolutions. However, with the emergence of job crafting, where workers can increasingly “craft” their work patterns and practices, the opportunity to enhance work (and work-life balance) is also an aspect of AI involvement. Building on this theme, Gartner et al. delve into the increasing disconnection of work from time and space. For HR, the challenge will be engagement and managing flexible work arrangements and health and safety. The final chapter by Peters et al. pulls together the final themes of the book in a chapter that focuses on social cohesion, isolation, and the management of performance in these new work settings. They argue that HR needs to understand the positive and negative aspects of this changing world of workplace and space. Whilst the book has a strong research theme running through it, which is not surprising noting the contributors. Everyone interested in and managing work and people will get something from this book.