Conceptualizing Challenges to Electronic Human Resource Management (e-HRM) Adoption: A case of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Tanzania

Most of the Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) in the developing countries are yet to espouse and witness the full potential of electronic Human Resource Management (e-HRM) in their business operations despite its popularity in the developed countries. SMEs indispensable role in economic growth regarding employment creation and their contribution to GDP is globally acknowledged. A successful adoption of e-HRM may be the catalyst for the growth of Tanzania and many developing countries. Unfortunately, the application of e-HRM by the SME sector in Tanzania lacks depth and has been scrimpy. Numerous reasons and factors account for the low adoption rate of e-HRM by Tanzanian SMEs. This study aspires to address this scantiness by investigating e-HRM adoption to overcome the barriers that confront the SME sector in their quest to adopt e-HRM. Financial barrier was the most relevant among the five group of barriers. However, technical and Internet security prove to impede the adoption too. Thus to stimulate the adoption of e-HRM to increase productivity and enhance global competiveness, stakeholders and the government should invest in e-HRM and its components. Specifically, the paper delineates challenges of e-HRM adoption. A systematic desk review presents the evolution of prominent TAM model to fit contextual requirements and research advancement. This review thus culminates in a synthesized conceptual framework useful in research on e-HRM in the SMEs.