Electronic Human Resource Management and Employee Engagement for Sustainable Development Goals: Examining the Mediating Role of Perceived Organizational Support in Private Universities of Bangladesh
Abstract
The digital transformation of human resource management has become increasingly important for advancing sustainable organizational development and supporting the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth) and SDG 4 (Quality Education). Despite growing adoption of Electronic Human Resource Management (E-HRM) in developing economies, the psychological mechanisms through which E-HRM practices translate into employee engagement remain theoretically underspecified. This study examines the direct and mediated effects of E-HRM practices on employee engagement, with perceived organizational support (POS) as the hypothesized mediator. A quantitative, cross-sectional survey design was employed with a stratified random sample of 412 academic and administrative staff from UGC-approved private universities in Bangladesh. Data were analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) via SmartPLS 4.0. Results confirm that E-HRM practices significantly predict both employee engagement (β = 0.218, p < .05) and POS (β = 0.473, p < .05), and POS significantly predicts employee engagement (β = 0.461, p < .05). Bias-corrected bootstrapping confirmed a significant indirect effect of E-HRM on engagement through POS (β = 0.218, 95% CI [0.153, 0.287]), with a VAF of 50.0% indicating partial mediation. The structural model explained 49.3% of the variance in employee engagement. These findings identify POS as a critical psychological mechanism linking digital HR investments to sustainable employee engagement. The study contributes to the literature on E-HRM and offers practical insights for higher education institutions seeking to strengthen workforce sustainability, improve employee well-being, and advance organizational outcomes aligned with the SDGs. Keywords: Electronic Human Resource Management (E-HRM); Employee engagement; Perceived organizational support; Decent work; Sustainable higher education; Digital transformation; Social exchange theory