From External Demands to Educational Content - A Study on How Digitalization Influences HRM Curricula

Abstract

Purpose: Digitalization is transforming the labor market, leading to new skill requirements within the field of HR. The latest Cranet study shows that Sweden lags in applying digital solutions and AI in HR practices. Human resources management (HRM) education programs rarely include courses focusing on digitalization or collaboration between people and technology. According to experts, this may be one of several reasons Sweden falls behind. Thus, this study explores how Swedish Human Resource Management (HRM) education programs address the emerging competence demands driven by digitalization. Specifically, the focus is on how education coordinators define the mission of academic HRM education in light of the increased demand for digital competence among HR professionals, and what consequences this has for HRM curricula. Theory: Curriculum Theory and Institutional Theory are used in a complementary manner to analyze how the content of HRM education is shaped by both structural conditions and institutional logics. Method: Ten semi-structured interviews were conducted with education coordinators at six Swedish universities. Result: The findings indicate that while digitalization is widely recognized as a significant transformation in the labor market, its integration into HRM education remains limited and inconsistent. The changing skill requirements of HR professionals are being recognized, but the concept of digital competence is seldom explicitly addressed in curricula or internal discussions at universities. Institutional autonomy, limited resources, and variations in individual educators’ interests contribute to the fragmentation of efforts to adapt educational content. Academic ideals emphasize critical thinking, analytical ability, and generic knowledge over the development of skills related to technical advancement. Consequently, digitalization is treated as a peripheral or cross-cutting theme rather than a central curricular component.