INNOVATIVE HUMAN RESOURCE PRACTICES AND EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO IT SECTOR
Authors:   CMR University, Bangalore, Karnataka, India, BAHADUR TIWARI BHUPENDRA , ESWARA REDDY E , KINGSLEY JOSHUA SAM X 
Published: January 2024

The industry of information technology in India includes the following services namely IT and software services, IT enabled services, hardware (engineering) services, and e-businesses/e-governance associated with government services. IT services are outsourcing of software support/installation, processing services, systems integration, exports of products and services, and training/education of the information technology science. The significant improvements in the industry have brought about a vital need for systematic process of managing the majority of employees in the IT industry. There was also a need created for technology in the subject matter of managing the employees and other aspects that came into picture. Hence, Innovative Human Resource practices came into existence for upgrading the skills and building the employees to work towards the goal of the organization. This gave birth to HR technology, Employee Engagement, ERP and so on. The study focuses on identifying various applications of Innovative Human resource practices in IT industry, the role of demographics and the factors influencing employee engagement and productivity. The study also analyzes the impact of innovative human resource practices on employee engagement and productivity and finally examines the mediating role of employee engagement upon the relationship between innovative human resource practices and employee productivity. To support the study, review of the relevant literature (Books, Research thesis and research papers) available in the innovative human resource practices space (both Global and Indian) was done. The research gap was identified in 4 categories i.e. empirical gap, evidence gap, methodological gap and population gap. The conceptual framework for the study was also designed. The literature review was categorized into national and international, theoretical and empirical to keep the study relevant according to the current global standards. Based on the research gap and the conceptual framework, the questionnaire was framed and according to the hypothesis the plan of analysis was structured to further the study. The data collection was completed through offline and online method, based on sample design. The analysis included Structural Equation Model, ANOVA, Independent t test and Mediation analysis – Andrew Hayes, Model 4 using SPSS and AMOS software. The study found out that HR Technology, HR Analytics, Collaboration Tools, AI in HR and Employee Pulse survey, are contributors to Innovative Human resource practices but there is no significant impact of demographic variables on perception of IHRM. Also, Employee retention, Reward and recognition, Personality development and Performance appraisal are factors influencing Employee engagement and Innovative work system, Employee contribution, Vigour, Dedication, Psychological factors, Motivational factors, Experience Factors and Individual capacity are factors influencing Employee Productivity. IHRM has significant impact on employee engagement and the employee productivity. Employee engagement mediates the relationship between IHRM and employee productivity. To conclude, this study provides insights into how employees are affected by innovative HR practices and provides practical solutions for organizations looking to encourage staff. By using motivational strategies that are directly tied to employees’ immediate interests and that are intended to affect their views and attitudes, innovative HR practices can assist firms in projecting a sense of employee engagement. Employees are further encouraged to be selfless and altruistic by the degrees of perceived satisfaction with the creative HR methods. As a result, they become more open to doing tasks that aren’t directly relevant to their professions but nevertheless helpful to their businesses. This would increase the efficiency of enterprises in managing their human resources, particularly those businesses that are team-based. Keywords: Innovative Human Resource Practices, Employee Engagement, Employee Productivity, IT Sector, Bengaluru, Human Resource Technology, Trends of IHRM, Innovative Human Resource Technology tools, IHRM Strategies, Information Technology.