2023 Theses Doctoral

Three Essays in Information Technology and Human Resource Management

Perkowski, Patryk

This dissertation consists of three chapters examining how new forms of information technology are impacting human resource management. Advances in machine learning, human resource management systems, and job platforms are transforming how firms compete for talent, how they match workers to projects and tasks, and how they motivate and retain their employees. My dissertation examines the causes and consequences of these changes to further understand not only how firms can use their human capital as a source of competitive advantage, but also how workers can thrive in the digital economy.

Chapter 1 examines how job performance and demographic representation considerations impact the adoption of algorithms in hiring. Chapter 2 studies the effects of the adoption of artificial intelligence on teams and their performance and coordination using a laboratory experiment. Chapter 3 documents the rise of outsourced recruiting and proposes a new experimental tool, the two-sided audit, to increase our understanding of how firms hire.

Overall, my dissertation seeks to further our understanding of firm human resource practices in the digital age by illustrating that this will require not only an understanding of the benefits and drawbacks of human versus machine prediction, but also an appreciation of behavioral responses by job candidates, workers, and managers alike.