Call for Proposals
Research in Human Resource Management
SPECIAL TOPIC: Human Resource Management and Engineering
Special Topic Editor: Richard A. Posthuma, UTEP
Email: rposthuma@utep.edu
Background
Too often, researchers collapse into silos that impair the cross-fertilization of ideas. The goal of this research volume is to break down these silos and promote the transfer of research insights between engineering and human resource management.
Ironically, human resource scholarship can be traced back to the early days of scientific management, an engineering approach known as Taylorism. This early research focused on efficiency maximization, best practices for performing work, standardization of jobs, time and motion studies, and incentive pay (Kanigel 1997; Taylor 1911; Wren & Bedeian 2009). However, this research was questioned by studies conducted at the Western Electric Company's Hawthorne works (Mayo 1933; Roethlisberger & Dickson 1939), highlighting the importance of employee attitudes, group dynamics, and social factors influencing productivity. This shift marked the beginning of significant research in industrial and organizational psychology, much of which moved away from engineering. Nevertheless, a few strands of engineering have continued to overlap with human resource management, including ergonomics, human factors, and job design (Khan, 2020; Neuman & Dul, 2020; Parker et al., 2017).
However, in recent years, the integration of engineering and human resource management has once again emerged in exciting and new ways across several areas. For example:
- Civil Engineering: Research has explored the integration of project management systems with human resource management to optimize workforce allocation in large-scale infrastructure projects.
- Construction Management: Studies have examined how workforce training and safety protocols in construction sites are influenced by engineering standards and how HRM practices can minimize accidents and enhance productivity.
- Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering: Research on lean manufacturing and Six Sigma methodologies has shown that efficient production systems depend heavily on human resource factors, including team training, motivation, and job design.
- Electrical Engineering: The development of smart grids and automation has raised questions about workforce planning and the reskilling of employees to adapt to technological advancements.
- Robotics and Automation Engineering: Robotics and Robotic Process Automation (RPA) has generated interest in how it affects human job roles, necessitating a nuanced understanding of workforce integration strategies from both RPA and HRM perspectives.
- Biomedical Engineering: Research has highlighted the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration between biomedical engineers and HR professionals to address issues such as ethical workforce management in clinical environments.
- Computer Engineering: The emergence of artificial intelligence, machine learning, and natural language processing applications has prompted questions about workforce planning, employee data privacy, and HR strategies for managing tech-savvy talent pools.
Yet, Research in Human Resource Management is a research series in which papers should contribute to the advancement of research in Human Resources as well. Typically, accepted papers are literature reviews or conceptual papers that make theoretical contributions. Papers should focus on the Human Resources and Engineering literature with theoretical insights and directions for future research.
Theme of this Special Issue
This volume will focus on research that lies at the intersection of human resource management and various engineering disciplines. It aims to explore how HR can be integrated into engineering processes to advance research, practice, and education with strong theoretical foundations. The chapters will address the transfer of knowledge between these two disciplines, as well as how educational programs can prepare graduates for diverse careers in engineering, business, education, and policy.
SUBMISSION AND REVIEW PROCESS
Authors can submit proposals between now and October 31, 2025 to the Issue Editor, Richard Posthuma, at rposthuma@utep.edu. Proposals should detail the content and contributions of the full article. Proposals should be double-spaced and include no more than five pages of text. References, tables, and appendices do not count against this page limit. Please do not send complete papers, although you may note in the proposal that you have a draft. If you have questions about a potential submission, please contact Richard Posthuma via email.
Relevant Dates
Proposals Due: October 31, 2025
Final Decisions on Proposals: December 1, 2025
Full Draft of Paper Due: August 31, 2026
Feedback to Authors: November 14, 2026
Final Paper Submission: February 1, 2027