Contextual barriers to implementing pandemic HRM in Indian manufacturing SMEs: A comprehensive analysis

BACKGROUND: Existing literature lacks in-depth analyses and identification of barriers to implementing HR practices that affect employee health and well-being, especially during and after the pandemic. Moreover, existing studies primarily focus on large organizations with generic HR contexts. Therefore, this research contributes by evaluating the contextual relationship between barriers to implementing pandemic Human Resource Management (HRM) practices in Indian manufacturing SMEs. OBJECTIVE: The post-pandemic landscape has necessitated a reevaluation of Human Resource (HR) practices, particularly in terms of employee health and well-being while balancing organizational performance goals. This study seeks to identify and evaluate the significant barriers hindering the implementation of re-designed HR policies, focusing on Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) in the manufacturing sector in developing countries during and after the pandemic transition. METHODS: The study initially identified ten barriers through a thorough literature review, which was then validated by experts. Subsequently, the interrelationships among these barriers were explored, and their structural hierarchy was established using the Total Interpretive Structural Modelling (TISM) approach. Additionally, a MICMAC (Matriced Impact Croises Multiplication Applique) analysis was performed to assess the driving-dependence power of each barrier. RESULTS: “Manager’s resistance to change” and “employee’s resistance to change” were found to be highly dependent on the other identified barriers. Among these, “lack of skilled managers at affordable costs” and “implementation expenses of new normal HRM practices” emerged as the most critical barriers, with the potential to impact all other barriers in the implementation of re-designed policies. CONCLUSIONS: The study helps owners of manufacturing SMEs and managers to understand the significant barriers to implementing HR policies, particularly in frequent pandemic situations for enhancing employees’ health and well-being while ensuring organizational performance. The planned framework might make it easier for practitioners and decision-makers to comprehend how the various implementation barriers relate to one another. The study’s focus on Indian manufacturing SMEs limits the generalizability of findings to other contexts. Reliance on expert opinions introduces bias, and further validation through empirical research is needed.