International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management

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Examining the relationship between Relational e-HRM and
Organizational Performance
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Journal: International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management

Manuscript ID IJPPM-03-2021-0153.R1
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Manuscript Type: Standard Paper

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Covid-19, e-HRM, e-selection, e-recruitment, e-performance appraisal,
Keywords:
Organizational performance
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Page 1 of 26 International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management
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4 Examining the relationship between Relational e-HRM and Organizational Performance:
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6 A study of the Banks of Lahore during Covid-19 pandemic.
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8 Purpose
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10 The paper empirically investigates the implementation of relational e-HRM practices in banks and
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examines their relationship with overall organizational performance of the banks in Lahore during Covid-
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13 19. It also highlights the issues that managers faced during the implementation of relational e-HRM
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practices.
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17 Design/methodology/approach
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19 Mixed method approach was adopted to carry out this cross-sectional study. Commercial banks having
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20 their head offices in Lahore were chosen and 171 branches were selected randomly. Purposive sampling
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22 technique was used to collect qualitative data and semi-structured interviews of sixteen branch managers
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were carried out online. Qualitative data was analyzed thematically while covariance based structural
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25 equation modeling (CB-SEM) was used to understand the effect of e-HRM practices on organizational
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27 performance.
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29 Findings
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31 Most of the banks were found to have implemented all the relational e-HRM practices except e-selection
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32 which was implemented only in two branches. Relational e-HRM practices had a positive effect on
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34 overall performance of banks during Covid-19. Centralized decision making, limited autonomy of bank
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branches, presence of senior, computer illiterate employees and inadequate financial resources were found
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37 to obstruct the implementation of e-HRM practices.
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39 Originality
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41 The paper adds to the e-HRM literature and examines the association between relational e-HRM practices
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43 and overall organizational performance in the context of banks operating in Lahore which apparently has
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never been done before.
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Research limitations/implications
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49 Only the top commercial banks operating in Lahore, one of the largest metropolitan in Pakistan, are
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50 included in this study. Generalizability of findings may be enhanced with further studies.
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52 Keywords: Covid-19, e-HRM, e-selection, e-recruitment, e-performance appraisal, organizational
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54 performance, technology adoption.

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 International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management Page 2 of 26
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5 1. Introduction
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7 Coronavirus was declared as a pandemic on March 11, 2020 by the World Health Organization. Pakistan,
8 a state having an estimated population of 204.65 million, detected its first case of Covid-19 on February
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10 26, 2020 and since then the virus has rapidly spread throughout Pakistan (Abid et al., 2020). Pakistan,
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like rest of the world, imposed a complete lockdown at the initial stages of the pandemic which disrupted
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13 the functioning of both the small and large scale businesses. Government, in order to ease economic
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pressure mounting on businesses, then imposed the strategy of ‘smart lockdown’ which was formed after
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16 the consultations with molecular cell biologists, economists, scientists and health system managers under
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18 which an intermittent lockdown for ten days was imposed followed by a four days of work per fortnight
19 in order to put a halt to the spread of pandemic (Haque and Nayab, 2020). Covid-19 adversely affected all
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21 the sectors of economy of Pakistan. Communities residing in distant areas like Gilgit Baltistan had to
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22 suffer the most due to financial uncertainty, decrease in income, joblessness, and food shortages (Ali et
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24 al., 2020). Disruptions in supply chains, reduction in demand and decrease in profits also brought the
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small and medium enterprises of Pakistan to the verge of complete collapse (Shafi et al., 2020). The
27 quality of education also deteriorated and ‘online education’ brought major challenges like poor internet
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29 connections, low computer literacy rate and high internet and computer prices for majority of the students
30 (Adnan and Anwar, 2020; Shahzad et al., 2020). Medical students also suffered due to the delays in their
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32 examinations and results which negatively affected their confidence to become competent medical
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professionals (Dhahri et al., 2020). Community doctors and pharmacists were also unable to provide their
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35 services to the public amidst the pandemic due to weak healthcare system (Atif and Malik, 2020).
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37 However, Pakistan still fared well in managing Covid-19 pandemic as compared to many other
38 developing states (Jappa, 2020).
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40 Like many other functions of the organizations, human resource management (HRM) also got profoundly
41 affected by the extraordinary situation created by Covid-19 (Gigauri, 2020). One of the major challenges
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43 imposed by the pandemic on businesses was the dismissal of employees. However, HRM undertook a
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leadership role and assisted the companies in continuation of their operations by enabling people to
46 manage their stress and work remotely. Electronic human resource management (e-HRM) played a
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48 crucial role in this regard and increased the HRM service quality (Bondarouk et al., 2017). The trend of
49 implementing e-HRM also witnessed a rise during Covid-19 because of the assistance it provided to the
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51 organizations (Munir et al., 2020). Literature also suggests that e-HRM has this potential to enhance the
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service quality of HRM (Kovach et al., 2002). However, most of the studies on e-HRM have been carried
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54 out in developed states while the studies carried out in developing countries are exceedingly rare (Stone et
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56 al., 2015). Moreover, the previous studies focused on the relationship between e-HRM and quality of HR
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Page 3 of 26 International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management
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3 services which is not enough (Strohmeier and Kabst, 2009; Wahyudi and Park, 2014). This study fills this
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5 gap and investigates the adoption status of relational e-HRM practices in the banking sector during the
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pandemic, examines the impact of these practices on the overall organizational performance during
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8 Covid-19 and identifies the hurdles in the implementation of relational e-HRM practices. Banking sector
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10 has been chosen for this study as the financial institutes are strong contributors to the economy and the
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top management of the banking sector in Pakistan is also concerned with the improvement of the quality
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13 of HR services to gain competitiveness (Bashir, 2015).
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1.1 Electronic Human Resource Management (e-HRM)
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16 E-HRM has been defined differently by different scholars. Bondarouk and Ruel (2009) defined it as the
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18 integration between HRM and Information Technology (IT). It is also defined as the conscious and direct
19 implementation of HR strategies with a complete or partial support of web-based technology and channels
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21 (Ruel et al., 2004). It has also been referred as paperless or green HRM, web-based HRM, virtual HRM,
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22 computer-based HR that enables an organization to serve the social cause, achieve the performance,
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24 enhance employee’s passion and reduce the staff burden (Bondarouk et al., 2017; Stone et al., 2015;
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Swaroop, 2012).  E-HRM is further classified into three different types which include operational e-HRM,
27 relational e-HRM and transformational e-HRM (Wright and Dyer, 2000). Operational e-HRM is
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29 concerned with the performance of administrative HR functions while the focus of transformational e-
30 HRM is on more complex HR functions that are performed at strategic level and may contribute in the
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32 success of the organization (Lengnick and Moritz, 2003; Bondarouk and Ruel, 2006). This study,
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however, focuses on relational e-HRM which deals less with administrative processes and more with
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35 supportive and complex business tasks such as recruitment and selection, training, and performance
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37 management (Kovach et al., 2002). Relational e-HRM also works as a means of interaction and
38 networking among different stakeholders of an organization (Strohmeier, 2007).
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40 Various studies on e-HRM have focused on various aspects of E-HRM and its adoption in the
41 organizations (Panayiotopoulos et al., 2007). In developing countries, e-HRM is still in the stage of
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43 infancy as compared to the developed countries (Parry, 2011; Marler and Fisher, 2013). Only a few large
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firms in Pakistan have adopted e-HRM while majority of the organizations, especially the public sector
46 organizations, have not yet implemented it (Iqbal and Ahmad, 2016). Moreover, e-HRM has also
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48 positively affected the organizational performance by making the record keeping easier, enhancing the
49 smooth flow of information and making the strategy implementation more convenient (Kumar and
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51 Kamal, 2013; Nenwani and Raj, 2013; Sagum, 2015).
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 International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management Page 4 of 26
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3 2. Hypotheses Development
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5 Organizations are increasingly relying on their human resource management functions to achieve
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7 competitive advantage (Bondarouk et al., 2017; Hussein, 2016; Iqbal and Ahmad, 2016). Organizations
8 are also investing more in information and communication technology and are consistently integrating
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10 information and communication technology with HR practices to improve their managerial practices,
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enhance innovation, maintain work life balance, and achieve competitive advantage (Ruel and Heijden,
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13 2009; Stanton and Coovert, 2004). Review of the extensive amount of literature revealed that adoption of
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relational e-HRM is beneficial for the organizations and has a positive impact on their performance
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16 (Bondarouk et al., 2017). Performance of the organizations can be measured through different indicators
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18 such as financial health, quality of the product or service, efficiency, and effectiveness (Sink and Tuttle,
19 1989). The two widely used indicators to measure organizational performance are organizational
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21 effectiveness and financial performance (Abu-Jarad et al., 2010). Financial performance, which is also
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22 called as the profitability of the organization, indicates the reduction in costs and improvement of services
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24 due to efficient and effective managerial operations (Carton and Hofer, 2006; Davis et al., 2000). As
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many as 82% of the 238 studies published in ‘Strategic Management Journal’ from 1980 to 2004 used
27 financial indicators to measure organizational performance (Combs et al., 2005). Similarly, Santos and
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29 Brito (2012) also declared cost-based performance measure to be the best indicator to assess financial
30 performance of an organization. However, solely relying on this indicator may lead to ignoring many
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32 other important non-financial aspects of organizational performance. Organizational efficiency and

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effectiveness also contribute to the organizational performance where organizational efficiency is defined
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35 as the ability to achieve goals and perform well using minimum energy, effort, time and resources and
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37 organizational effectiveness is defined as the extent to which an organization achieves its goals and
38 objectives (Price, 1972; Thorsby, 2000). As suggested by Luo, Huang, and Wang (2012), this study used
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40 operational and financial performance to measure organizational performance. Therefore, the concept of
41 organizational performance is conceptualized as a second order variable which can be measured by its
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43 two first order factors of operational and financial performance.

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45 2.1 Impact of E-Recruitment and E-Selection on Organizational Performance
46 E-recruitment and e-selection, which are relational e-HRM activities, include the use of web portals and
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48 websites to attract applicants towards an organization and hiring the best candidates after electronic
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exams and web-based interviews (Ashok and Priyanka, 2014; Dhamija, 2012; Galanaki 2002). E-
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51 recruitment allows organizations to collect a large number of resumes and assists in rapid selection of
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53 competent candidates by quickly matching their qualification, experience and skills with job description
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54 (Galanaki, 2002; Hausdorf and Duncan, 2004; Ofori and Aryeetey, 2011). It also aids in the wider access
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56 to the competent pool of candidates which in turn assists in achieving competitive advantage and
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Page 5 of 26 International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management
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3 enhancing organizational performance (Dhamija, 2012; Kuhn and Skuterud, 2000; Pin et al., 2001). It
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5 also reduces organizational cost, makes processes more efficient, reduces advertisement costs, and
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improves organizational image (Anderson, 2003; Dickinson and Tatton, 2011; Ensher et al., 2002; Tong
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8 and Sivanand, 2005; Zall, 2000). However, e-recruitment and e-selection was also found to have a
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10 negative relationship with organizational performance in the service sector of Bangladesh (Hosain, 2017).
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Furthermore, it is also essential for the organization to have the ability and resources to completely
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13 implement e- recruitment to make the maximum use of it (Stone et al., 2015). E-recruitment may also
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have some limitations if it is handled by junior and less experienced employees (Parry and Tyson, 2011).
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16 From above reviewed literature, it is evident that most of the extant literature supports that e-recruitment
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18 and e-selection has a positive impact on the organizational performance. On the basis of these findings,
19 following hypotheses were developed.
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21 H1: There is a positive effect of electronic recruitment on organizational performance.
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22 H2 There is a positive effect of the electronic selection procedure on organizational
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24 performance.
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26 2.2 Impact of E-Training on Organizational Performance

27 E-training is the important component of relational e-HRM that involves the provision of learning
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29 opportunities to employees through a wide range of technologies, applications, tools and processes such
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as internet, computer-based learning, virtual classrooms, intranet/extranet (LAN/WAN), audio and
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32 videotape, satellite broadcast, interactive TV, and CD-ROM. (Brown and Charlier, 2013; Nenwani and
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34 Raj, 2013; Bell, 2007). The concept of e-training has got the attention of both researchers and
35 practitioners as it significantly reduces the organizational costs (Cornford and Pollock, 2003; Wild et al.,
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37 2002). It enables organizations to overcome geographical constraints, saves time, reduces information
38 overload, improves employee tracking, and allows the organization to train a large number of employees
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40 (Bell, 2007; Evan and Haase, 2001; Welsh et al., 2003). Organizations worldwide are becoming more
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economically successful and European organizations are saving millions of dollars through the
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43 application of e-training (Evan and Haase, 2001; Wild et al., 2002). However, in case of service sector
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45 organizations of Bangladesh, e-training was found to have a negative relationship with the organizational
46 performance (Hosain, 2017). Based upon the above mentioned findings, it is evident that majority of the
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48 research findings support a positive relationship between e-training and e-HRM, hence following
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hypothesis is formulated.
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51 H3. There is a positive effect of electronic training on organizational performance.
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53 2.3 The Impact of E-Performance Appraisal and Organizational Performance
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56 management process faster, easier, and reliable. It reduces the organizational costs and makes the HR
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3 processes more efficient (Appelbaum et al., 2011). It also helps managers in performance management
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5 and makes it easier for them to record, share and compare the previous performances of employees
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(Payne et al., 2009). E-performance appraisal adds to the transparency, enables quick sharing of
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8 organizational goal with employees, and makes it easier to manage promotions and compensation plans
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10 that increase employee motivation (Al-Raisi et al., 2011; Kariznoee et al., 2012; Kundu and Kadian,
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2012). It also improves employees’ perception regarding fairness in their organizations and assists them
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13 in quick decision making (Mbugua, 2015; Midiwo, 2015). Its application promotes flexibility, innovation,
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16 performance appraisal is very much evident from the above reviewed literature on the basis of which
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fourth hypothesis is developed as follows:
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19 H4. There is a positive effect of electronic performance appraisal system on organizational
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21 performance.
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22 Figure 1 shows the conceptual framework developed in the light of above reviewed literature and
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24 proposed hypotheses.
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3. Research Methodology
27 Mixed methods approach was adopted to carry out this cross-sectional study. The quantitative part of the
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29 study analyzes the adoption status of relational e-HRM practices in banks during Covid-19 and examines
30 their relationship with organizational performance while the qualitative part identifies the hurdles faced
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32 by the banks during the implementation of e-HRM practices.

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3.1 Procedure and sample:
35 There are 30 scheduled banks that are operating in Pakistan. Out of these 30, 6 have their head offices in
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37 the provincial capital of Punjab i.e. Lahore, while 20 banks have their head offices in Karachi, 3 in
38 Islamabad and 1 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Only the commercial banks having their head offices in
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40 Lahore were included in this study. Six banks that have their head offices in Lahore are as below
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1. Finca Microfinance Bank Limited
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43 2. MCB Bank Limited.

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45 3. MCB Islamic Bank Limited.
46 4. Soneri Bank Limited.
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48 5. The Bank of Punjab
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6. The Punjab Provincial Cooperative Bank Limited.
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51 The Punjab Provincial Cooperative Bank Limited was not the part of this study as it only provided
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53 services to the farmers for development of agriculture sector.
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54 Both probability and non-probability sampling techniques were used to carry out this study. These five
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56 commercial banks were chosen on the basis of convenience which is the type of non-probability
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3 sampling. There are three hundred branches of these banks that are operating in Lahore. A sample size of
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5 171 was calculated using Slovin’s formula and quantitative data was collected from these 171 branches
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through simple random sampling technique which is the type of probability sampling. Sampling frame
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8 was obtained from the respective bank’s HR departments.
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10 For the collection of qualitative data, purposive sampling technique was used which is the type of non-
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probability sampling techniques. Semi- structured interviews of sixteen branch managers were carried
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13 out. The interviews were carried out online due to the pandemic. The collected data was then analyzed
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14 and major themes were identified. Data was collected from the branch managers of the banks as they were
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16 working at the senior positions and had relevant experience and knowledge regarding the organizational
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performance, implementation of e-HRM practices and the hurdles faced during the implementation of e-
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19 HRM practices before and during Covid-19 in their respective branches. The demographic information of
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21 the respondents is given in following table 1.
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22 Data was collected from 171 branch managers of the banks. 85% of the branch managers were males.
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24 Most of the respondent’s were aged between 31 to 40 years and 62.6% of the respondents had a Master's
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degree. 36 of the branch managers had 1 to 5 years of work experience, 85 branch managers had 6 to 10
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27 years of work experience, 34 branch managers had 11 to 15 years of work experience. 16 branch
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29 managers had a work experience of more than 15 years. Out of the five chosen banks, one was a public
30 sector bank and remaining belonged to the private sector. The bank that was public sector had 36
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32 branches operating in Lahore.

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34 3.2 Measures
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36 The questionnaire was adopted from a study carried out by Atallah (2016) for the collection of data. The
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questionnaire was then adapted to suit the needs of the study and reliability and validity of all scales was
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39 analyzed. The questionnaire had two portions and all the items were measured on a five-point Likert scale
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41 ranging from 1=strongly disagree to 5=strongly agree. The first portion of the questionnaire inquired
42 about the adoption status of relational e-HRM practices. It had four questions on e-recruitment, the
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44 sample item from scale is “in this bank applications for various jobs are submitted through an electronic
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47 select candidates for various jobs”, four items on e-training such as “in our organization, training is
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provided to employees through internet/ videos or multimedia” and five items on e-performance appraisal
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50 such as “in this organization, the process of performance appraisal is done electronically”. The second
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52 part of questionnaire had eight items related to organizational performance. Out of these eight items, four
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items measured financial performance and had questions such as “relational E-HRM practices help to
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3 reduce organizational costs” and remaining four items measured operational performance and had items
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5 such as “these practices save time with fast and effective processes.”
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Questionnaire was distributed electronically using google forms. Hard copies of questionnaires were also
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8 sent to the branch managers of the banks. The data was then entered using Statistical Package for Social
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10 Sciences (SPSS) version 24. For qualitative data collection, an interview guide comprising of twelve
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questions was developed and semi-structured interviews were carried out online.
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13 3.3. Common Method Bias
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It is usually observed that the data collection from a common source can create high level of correlation
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16 among variables which leads to incorrect internal consistency estimates and hence create an issue of
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18 common method variance (Chang et al., 2010). Data were collected from a single source in present study
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21 We have used Harman’s single factor test, as suggested by Podsakoff and Organ (1986), to assess whether
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22 a single variable accounts for most of the covariance between the opted measures. The results of this test
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24 revealed that a single factor accounted for 22.78 percent of the total variance which is way less than 50
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percent threshold. Consequently, it has been established that the common method bias is not a pervasive
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30 4. Data Analysis
31 4.1 Adoption Status of Relational Electronic Human Resource Management
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33 Out of 171 branches of different banks, 144 branches were found to have completely adopted electronic
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35 recruitment system while 27 bank branches were relying only on a few components of electronic
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36 recruitment which showed that overall adoption status of e-recruitment in banks was high during Covid-
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38 19. Only 2 branches of different banks were found to have following e-selection process during
39 pandemic. 9 branches were found to conduct only their selection tests electronically while selection
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41 interviews were carried out face to face. All the remaining branches were not relying on e-selection
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process which has shown that only a few branches have adopted complete e-selection system. It was
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44 found that 167 out of 171 branches were relying on e-training during the pandemic while only 4 branches
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46 had not adopted it. E-performance appraisal was also adopted by the large number of banks and out of
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47 171 bank branches, 111 branches had completely implemented e-appraisal system while it was partially
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4.2. Descriptive Statistics, Normality of Data, and Reliability Statistics
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52 Mean and standard deviations of the constructs are given in the first two columns of the above table 2.
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54 The values of Cronbach’s alpha are between 0.721 and 0.903 which prove that that the tool we adapted
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3 kurtosis. All the values of skewness and kurtosis were between -1 to +1 which showed that data was
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5 normally distributed as shown in table 2. Multicollinearity was checked using Variance Inflation Factor
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(VIF) values. It was found the VIF values were below 5 and values of tolerance level were greater than
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8 0.2 which showed that there was no issue of multicollinearity amongst the independent variables (Hair et
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4.3 Measurement Model
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13 We have used the guidelines outlined by Anderson and Gerbing (1988) and therefore performed
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confirmatory factor analysis as recommended in covariance-based structural equation modelling (CB-
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16 SEM) using AMOS version 25. Maximum likelihood method was adopted because all the scales in the
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18 present study were adopted from previous studies. Li (2016) noted that when data is found to be normally
19 distributed and multicollinearity is of no concern, the maximum likelihood method generates far superior
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21 results. The model fit values i.e., comparative fit index (CFI > 0.90), goodness of fit (GFI > 0.90), root
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22 mean residual (RMR < 0.08) and root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA < 0.08) were
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24 examined by using the directions of Williams et al. (2009). It was found that overall model is fit. All the
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model fit values were found to be in range in CFA where x2/df = 1.13, CFI = 0.97, GFI = 0.95, RMR =
27 0.021 and RMSEA = 0.017. Construct reliability was measured through Cronbach Alpha values. It was
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29 observed that the values of composite reliability were greater than 0.7 which proved that constructs were
30 reliable (Bagozzi et al., 1991). Similarly, the values of Cronbach Alpha fell between .621 and .903 which
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32 also proved the reliability of the constructs.

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Convergent validity was measured through factor loadings and average variance extracted (AVE). The
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35 values of factor loadings of each construct were higher than 0.5 which also proved the convergent validity
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37 of the constructs (Hair et al., 2010; Hulland, 1999). Similarly, the values of AVE were greater than 0.5
38 which proved the existence of convergent validity among the items of each construct (Henseler et al.,
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40 2009) as shown in the table 3 below.

41 Discriminant validity of constructs was measured through the most commonly used Fornell and Larcker
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43 method. It was found that the values of the square root of AVE of each variable were greater than the
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values of correlation between variables which showed that the discriminant validity amongst the latent
46 constructs existed (Fornell and Larcker, 1981) as shown in table 4 below. Comparison of cross loadings
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48 of each construct with the outer loadings of a construct was also carried out to ascertain the discriminant
49 validity. It was noticed that the outer loadings of each item were greater than the cross-loadings of other
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51 items which confirmed the presence of discriminant validity among latent constructs.
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3 4.4 Structural Model (Hypotheses Testing)
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5 In order to test the hypotheses, the structural model was drawn and run-on AMOS version 25. It was used
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7 to assess the direction and strength of relationship between the variables of the study. We first analyzed
8 the model fitness by looking at various indicators which were x2/df, GFI, AGFI, CFI, TLI and RMSEA.
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10 The results of the structural modeling revealed a normed Chi-square x2/df of 1.899 (x2 =231.172, df=121),
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GFI=0.891, AGFI=0.879, CFI=0.960, TLI=0.943 and RMSEA=0.062. All of these indices suggest that
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13 the model is adequately fit. After the model fitness estimates, the results of structural model analysis
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revealed that out of 4 paths, 3 were significant having p-values less than 0.05 (Table-5) with R2 values
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16 ranging from 0.532 to 0.756 which shows that the variance explained by the model was between the range
17
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18 of 53.2 percent to 75.6 percent for organizational (financial and operational) performance. It is important
19 to note here that organizational performance was conceptualized as a second order construct here in this
o
20
21 study which has 2 first order factors of operational and financial performance. Only one of the
du
22 relationships between e-Selection and organizational performance was found to be insignificant i.e.,
23
24 ESOP(b= 0.0670.05) whereas other relationships are all positive and significant i.e., EROP (b =
25
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26
0.334, p < 0.05), ESOP(b=0.0670.05), ETOP (b=0.222, p<0.05), and EPAOP(b=0.389, p=0.05).
27 Therefore, H1, H3 and H4 were supported and H2 was not supported in our study as shown in the table 5
28
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29 below.
30 4.5 Qualitative Analysis
31
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32 Sixteen semi-structured interviews were carried out online and data was analyzed using thematic analysis.
33
34 The questions explored the perceived linkage between relational E-HRM practices and organizational
35 performance and also inquired about the hurdles in the implementation of relational E-HRM practices
nd

36
37 especially during Covid-19. Following findings were drawn from the data collected through interviews.
38
4.5.1 Financial advantage of relational e-HRM during Covid-19
39
Pe

40 The interviewees agreed on the financial advantages of relational e-HRM practices and considered them
41
42 as an important tool to reduce the costs that are incurred while performing the HRM functions
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43 traditionally. Managers also reported that e-HRM practices have significantly reduced the amount of time
44
45 required to carry out the activities such as CV collection, shortlisting of candidates, administration of
46
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selection tests, performance appraisals and training programs. Participants also admitted that e-HRM has
47
48 resulted in the selection and retention of competent workforce, reduced the risk factor associated with the
49
exposure to Covid-19 and made the workplace safer during pandemic. E-training had enabled the
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50
51 administration to carry out training of employees working in distant branches which has not only reduced
52
53 the cost but has also increased the efficiency and has enabled the banks to safely impart important skills
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54 during pandemic.
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3 Respondents were also of the view that the implementation of e-HRM has made the HR departments
4
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5 leaner and reduced the workload on individual HR staff members. However, it was pointed out that
6
having a dedicated information technology (IT) or technical department that specialized in developing
7
8 and implementing the in house Human Resource Information System (HRIS) or assisted the HR officials
rn
9
10 in tackling the advanced level issues in the implemented HRIS was indispensable for the effective
11
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implementation of e-HRM.
12
13 4.5.2 Increasing trend of online training because of Covid-19 and State Bank
of
14
15
Regulations:
16 Managers reported that the banks were now increasingly relying on online trainings not only due to the
17
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18 restrictions imposed by Covid-19 but also because of the regulations prescribed by the State Bank of
19 Pakistan in the light of Financial Action Task Force (FATF) recommendations which made it mandatory
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20
21 for all the banks to provide a specific set of training sessions to bank employees in order to curb money
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22
23
laundering and financial terrorism. The banks had to implement e-training programs as it enabled them to
24 train the large number of employees with ease.
25
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26 4.5.3 Preference to traditional selection

27
Majority of the managers reported that they relied on traditional selection practices and preferred face to
28
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29 face selection interviews and exams before as well as during Covid-19 as it allowed them to effectively
30
31 evaluate the applicants. E-interviews were carried out only in the case of hiring at senior positions
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32 especially when the applicants were not from the same city or country.
33
34 However, e-recruitment processes comprising of online advertisement of vacancy, online
35
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collection of CVs and applications were implemented as it made the process of shortlisting and screening
36
37 applicants less time consuming.
38
39 4.5.4 Growing Effectiveness of e-appraisal.
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40 Bank managers reported that adoption of e-appraisal system was on the rise as it was perceived to keep
41
42 favoritism and biasness in check. Moreover, it also complemented the FATF related regulations by
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43 ensuring the presence and growth of competent employees who displayed integrity. All the interviewees
44
45 also agreed that the e-performance appraisal system has made the entire process of performance
46
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47
evaluation more fair, objective, and transparent.
48 4.5.5 Centralized Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), centralization in decision making
49
and limited autonomy.
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50
51
52 The participants pointed out that the presence of centralized enterprise resource planning (ERP),
53
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excessive control exercised by the head offices and limited autonomy of the bank branches were amongst
54
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55 the major hurdles in the path of complete implementation of all the relational e-HRM practices before as
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3 well as during Covid-19. The limited autonomy of the bank branches made it mandatory for them to seek
4
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5 approval from their head offices before implementing any change which significantly limited and slowed
6
down their ability to implement relational e-HRM initiatives.
7
8 4.5.6 Presence of senior, computer illiterate and non-serious employees
rn
9
10 Presence of older employees having less understanding of the technology posed another challenge to the
11
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implementation of relational e-HRM practices during Covid-19. Banks, however, were now offering early
12
13 retirement and golden handshake programs to such employees. Similarly, non-seriousness exhibited by
of
14
some employees during their e-training sessions and while using technological goods and softwares was
15
16 identified as another reason behind incomplete implementation of relational e-HRM practices amidst
17
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18 Covid-19.
19 4.5.7 Inadequate financial resources
o
20
21 Majority of the managers highlighted inadequate financial resources as another major factor that delayed
du
22
23
or stopped the implementation of relational e-HRM practices. These financial challenges were aggravated
24 further during the pandemic which made the adoption of relational e-HRM practices even more difficult.
25
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26 5. Discussion
27
The study explored the adoption status of relational e-HRM practices in banks and examined the impact
28
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29 of these practices on the organizational performance during Covid-19. It was found that e-recruitment
30
31 reduced organizational cost the most and had the maximum positive effect on organizational performance
ya

32 of the banks followed by e-performance appraisal. E-training had the least positive impact on
33
34 organizational performance of banks while e-selection was found to have no significant impact on
35
nd

organizational performance. The study also revealed that e-training in spite of having less positive effect
36
37 on organizational performance was implemented the most and was completely adopted by 167 branches
38
and partially adopted in remaining four branches while e-recruitment was completely adopted in 144
39
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40 branches. E-performance appraisal was found to be completely implemented in 111 branches and partially
41
42 adopted in 67 branches whereas e-selection was completely adopted in only two branches and nine
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43 branches had implemented it partially.

44
45 The analysis of the qualitative data revealed the agreement between the respondents regarding the
46
rm

financial advantages of implementing relational e-HRM practices before and during Covid-19. HR
47
48 departments were found to get leaner and workload on individual HR staff members was decreasing due
49
to increased implementation of relational e-HRM practices. It was also reported by the branch managers
an

50
51 that in addition to Covid-19, it was also the State Bank of Pakistan that has compelled the banks to
52
53 provide important trainings to the staff members in order to implement the regulations developed in the
c

54 light of Financial Action Task Force (FATF) recommendations to fight money laundering and economic
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55
56 terrorism which has made e-training an important training tool. It was also found that banks still preferred
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3 traditional selection methods to e-selection as it enabled them to effectively evaluate the applicants and
4
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5 implementation of e- performance appraisal was on the rise. Centralized enterprise resource planning
6
(ERP), centralization in decision making, limited managerial autonomy of bank branches, presence of
7
8 senior, computer illiterate, non-serious employees and inadequate financial resources were identified as
rn
9
10 the major hurdles by the bank managers in the complete implementation of e-HRM practices during and
11
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before Covid-19.
12
13 5.1 Theoretical Implications
of
14
The findings of this study clarify the relationship between relational e-HRM practices and organizational
15
16 performance of the banks and adds to the existing e-HRM literature. The study is carried out in the
17
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18 context of state like Pakistan which adds to its significance as well. Four hypotheses were tested in this
19 study. The first hypothesis assumed a positive relationship between electronic recruitment and
o
20
21 organizational performance during Covid-19. This hypothesis was supported and electronic recruitment
du
22 was found to have a maximum effect on organizational performance. This finding is consistent with the
23
24 findings of Ensher et al. (2002) and Dhamija (2012) who indicated that electronic recruitment improves
25
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26
organizational performance by cost efficiency, improving the communication process, and reducing
27 recruitment time. Similarly, Henry and Temtime (2009) also found that the recruitment and selection
28
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29 process of an organization is important because the performance of an organization is dependent on the

30 better performing workforce. However, this finding is not consistent with the findings of Hosain (2017)
31
ya

32 who found that e-recruitment had no impact on the organizational performance in service sector of
33
Bangladesh.
34
35 Second hypothesis assumed that e-selection also positively affects the organizational
nd

36
37 performance. However, the hypothesis was not supported, and e-selection was found to have an
38 insignificant relationship with organizational performance. This finding is supported by the findings of
39
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40 Parry and Tyson (2011) who explained that the initial selection process through electronic exams in
41 generally handled by junior HR employees owing to which it may not be as cost effective as it seems. It is
42
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43 also consistent with the findings of Hosain (2017) who found that e-selection did not improve the
44
45
performance of the organizations operating in the service sector of Bangladesh. However, this finding is
46 not consistent with the findings of Tong and Sivanand (2005) who found that electronic recruitment and
rm

47
48 selection procedure helps to reduce organizational cost and save time by adding efficiency and
49 effectiveness to the process
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50
51 Third hypothesis that assumed a positive effect of e-training on organizational performance was
52
also supported. However, e-training was found to have less effect on organizational performance as
53
c

54 compared to the effect of e-recruitment and e-performance appraisal. This finding is supported by the
eM

55
56 findings of Cornford and Pollock (2003) and Welsh et al. (2003) who found that e-training improves
57
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3 organizational financial performance by reducing the cost of trainers, traveling cost and other expenses.
4
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5 Similarly, Evan and Haase (2001) also found that e-training helps the organizations in optimization of
6
their resources and enables them to train a large number of employees using less time and resources.
7
8 Nenwani and Raj (2013) also found that e-training has a positive effect on organizational performance in
rn
9
10 the long run. However, this finding was inconsistent with the findings of Hosain (2017) who found that
11
al
e-training had no impact on organizational performance in the service sector of Bangladesh.
12
13 In the fourth and last hypothesis, e-performance appraisal was assumed to have a positive effect
of
14 on organizational performance during Covid-19. The hypothesis was supported and it was found that e-
15
16 performance appraisal had a positive effect on organizational performance. This result is consistent with
17
Pr
previous findings of Odhiambo and Kamau (2013) and Opiyo and Abok (2015) who found that e-
18
19 performance appraisal affects the organizational performance positively as it adds to transparency,
o
20
21 fairness, and objectivity. Similarly, Kundu and Kadian (2012) also found that effective e-performance
du
22 appraisal improves the employees’ performance which enhances the performance of organization as
23
24 well.
25
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26
5.2 Practical Implications
27 The study recommends that the policy makers of the organizations, particularly the ones
28
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29 operating in the financial services sector, should understand the importance of relational e-HRM practices
30 and adopt them to develop a competitive advantage, enhance organizational performance and cope up
31
ya

32 with the challenges imposed by the emergent threats like that of Covid-19. Organizations are also
33
recommended to implement relational e-HRM practices to save their HRM related costs, recruit
34
35 competent candidates, improve the quality of their performance appraisal methods and to train a large
nd

36
37 number of employees with ease. To ensure the smooth implementation of relational e-HRM practices, the
38 qualitative part of the study further recommends that banks and other such organizations should adopt a
39
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40 decentralized model of decision making, provide managerial autonomy to the bank branches for quick
41 decision making regarding their workforce and ensure the availability of the adequate financial resources
42
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43 for effective implementation of relational e-HRM practices particularly during the time of crisis like that
44
45
of Covid-19. The findings of the qualitative part of the study also suggest that implementation of
46 relational e-HRM initiatives such as e-training can help the banks train their employees to counter money
rm

47
48 laundering, economic terrorism and meet other regulatory requirements imposed by Financial Action
49 Task Force (FATF).
an

50
51 5.3 Limitations and Directions for Future Research
52
53 Due to the time and financial constraints, only the banks operating in Lahore are covered in this study
c

54 which reduces its generalizability and constitute one of its limitations. Moreover, it is a cross sectional
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55
56 study which is another limitation of this research. For future research, it is suggested to replicate this
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3 study in other metropolitans of Pakistan like Karachi, Islamabad, Faisalabad etc. Not just the branch
4
ou
5 managers but also the other employees of banks who are either directly affected by the relational e-HRM
6
practices or implement these practices need to be interviewed in future studies to develop more
7
8 comprehensive understanding. Relationship between relational e-HRM practices and variables like
rn
9
10 organizational resilience, organizational justice perceptions and employee performance also need to be
11
al
investigated in future research endeavors. Lastly, a longitudinal study should be carried out in future to
12
13 develop a comprehensive understanding of the effects of relational e-HRM practices on the organizations.
of
14
15
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3 Figure 1: Conceptual model of the study
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E-Recruitment
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9 Operational
Performance
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18 Financial
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21 Appraisal
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3 Table 1. Demographic Profile of Respondents
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7 Gender Male
146 85.4
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9 Female 25 14.6
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11 Age 20-30 years
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13 31-40 years
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15 Above 40 years
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17 Qualification Graduation
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23 13.5
19 Master’s
107 62.6
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21 MPhil/PhD
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Work Experience 1-5years
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26 6-10 years 85 49.7

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28 11-15 years 34 19.9
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30 Above 15 years 16 9.4
31 Form of Ownership Public
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33 Private
34 135 78.9
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Table 2. Descriptive Statistics, Normality of Data, and Reliability Statistics
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Cronbach
Constructs Mean SD Skewness Kurtosis
41 Alpha
42 E-Recruitment 3.920 0.965 .029 .358 0.721
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43 E-Selection 3.841 1.058 -.062 -.556 0.794

44 E-Training 3.792 1.120 .345 .489 0.903
45 E-Performance
46 .376 .593
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Appraisal 3.723 1.163 0.856
48 Operational
3.141 1.127 .320 -.565
49 Performance 0.823
Financial Performance 3.452 1.321 .231 .404 0.844
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3 Table 3 Convergent Validity
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Constructs Items Loadings CR AVE
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6 E-Recruitment ER1 0.721 0.788 0.649
7 ER2 0.777
8 ER3 0.820
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9 ER4 0.701
10 E-Selection ES1 0.765 0.816 0.614
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ES2 0.744
13 ES3 0.701
E-Training ET1 0.696 0.924 0.568
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16 ET3 0.723
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ET4 0.715
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19 E-
Performance EPA1 0.702 0.901 0.557
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22 EPA2 0.687
23 EPA3 0.722
24 EPA4 0.764
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EPA5 0.678
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27 Operational
OP1 0.769 0.912 .603
28 Performance
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29 OP2 0.785
30 OP3 0.777
31 OP4 0.823
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32 Financial
33 FP1 0.814 0.923 0.732
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Performance
35 FP2 0.788
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36 FP3 0.709
37 EP4 0.763
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41 Table 4. Discriminant Validity
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44 Constructs ER ES ET EPA OP
45 ER 0.703
46 ES 0.295 0.765
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47 ET 0.237 0.446 0.754

48 EPA 0.525 0.215 0.374 0.712
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OP 0.168 0.068 0.224 .281 0.801
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Note: Values on the diagonal (italized) are the square root of the AVE and other off-diagonal values
52 represent the correlation coefficients among variables.
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3 Table 5. Hypotheses Testing
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Hypotheses Relationship Unstd. Beta Std. Beta Std. Error t-value p-value
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6 H1 EROP .582 .401 .049 2.337 .000
7 H2 ESOP .177 .067 .216 0.810 .413
8 H3 ETOP .391 .222 .214 3.341 .006
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9 H4 EPAOP .473 .389 .103 2.887 .000
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3 Compliance Report
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All the changes suggested by the respected reviewer have been incorporated in the article. The details of
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9 these changes are as follows.
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i- The title of the paper has been changed to “Examining the relationship between Relational e-HRM and
12 Organizational Performance: A study of the Banks of Lahore during Covid-19 pandemic”. However, this
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new title exceeds the given limit of words in a title which is 12. Hence only first 12 words are added in
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15 the "Title, & Abstract" section of the submission while manuscript mentions the complete title.
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17 ii- Few changes have been made and highlighted in the literature review to make it more critical.
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19 iii- Following subsections as suggested by the reviewer have been added and highlighted in Methodology
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20 section.
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22  Subsection of “Procedure and Sample” detailing the sampling protocol has been added,
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 “Demographic Tables” has been added
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25  Subsection of “Measures” mentioning all the variables one by one as well as the examples of
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26 specific items in the questionnaire have also been added.

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28 iv- Change pertaining to the construct of organizational performance has also been made. We have used
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29 organizational performance as a second order variable. A detailed paragraph with relevant references has
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been added and highlighted in this regard. The conceptual model has also been revised due to this change.
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v- Common Method Bias has been examined in the revised paper.
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vi- Other tables have been modified and new tables have been added as well. Table pertaining to the
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36 properties of variables has also been added and highlighted in the revised manuscript. Table showing
37 discriminant validity, convergent validity, and hypotheses testing have been added.
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39 vii- A fundamental and major revision in the analysis part has been made. Multiple regression analysis
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40 was removed and Covariance Based Structural Equation Modeling was used to understand the effect of e-
41 HRM practices on organizational performance.
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viii- Following subsections have been added and changes have been made and highlighted in them
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45 accordingly.
46
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47  Theoretical implications,
48  Practical implications,
49  Limitations and Directions for Future Research
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