FROM HR DIGITALIZATION TO RESILIENCE: THE STRATEGIC ROLE OF HRM SYSTEM MATURITY

Abstract

In environments characterized by frequent disruption and uncertainty, organizational resilience has become a critical capability, particularly for firms operating in labor-intensive and export-dependent industries. Drawing on Dynamic Capabilities Theory, this study investigates the relationship between Digital Human Resource Management (Digital HRM) and organizational resilience, with a specific focus on the mediating role of HRM system maturity in Pakistan’s textile sector. Using a quantitative, cross-sectional research design, data were collected from 410 textile firms through a structured online survey administered to HR managers, directors, and HR professionals. The data were analyzed using SPSS for descriptive, reliability, validity, and regression analyses, while mediation was tested using PROCESS Macro (Model 4) with bootstrapping. The results reveal that Digital HRM has a significant positive effect on organizational resilience and HRM system maturity. HRM system maturity also demonstrates a strong positive relationship with organizational resilience and partially mediates the Digital HRM–resilience relationship. These findings indicate that while Digital HRM directly enhances organizational resilience by improving information flow and responsiveness, its full potential is realized when digital tools are embedded within mature, integrated, and strategically aligned HR systems. This study makes several contributions to the literature by clarifying the capability-based mechanism through which Digital HRM fosters organizational resilience and by extending Dynamic Capabilities Theory to the HR digitalization context in an emerging economy. Practically, the findings suggest that managers should complement digital HR investments with efforts to strengthen HRM system maturity in order to build sustainable resilience in disruption-prone industries.