Human capital management and the HR function challenged by the early scaling of generative AI: an exploratory study of role transformation through a revisited Ulrich matrix

Gestion du capital humain et fonction ressources humaines à l’épreuve du début du passage à l’échelle de l’IA générative: une étude exploratoire de la transformation des rôles à travers la matrice d’Ulrich revisitée

Alexandre Guillard, Pascal Le Goff, Florian Magnani and Corinne Forasacco
Additional contact information
Alexandre Guillard: ESSEC Business School
Pascal Le Goff: ESSEC Business School
Florian Magnani: MAGELLAN - Laboratoire de Recherche Magellan - UJML - Université Jean Moulin - Lyon 3 - Université de Lyon - Institut d'Administration des Entreprises (IAE) - Lyon
Corinne Forasacco: ESSEC Business School

Post-Print from HAL

Abstract: This exploratory study examines the impact of the early stages of large-scale generative AI (GAI) deployment on human capital management and the Human Resources function. Drawing on a qualitative approach combining a literature review and semi-structured interviews with HR professionals, the analysis is structured around an updated version of Ulrich's matrix (1997). This revisited matrix comprises five fundamental roles of the HR function: functional expert (evolution of the administrative expert), human capital developer (focused on developing future talent), employee advocate (defender of employee interests), strategic partner (contributing to the overall strategy), and leader (driving transformation). The results reveal a significant transformation of these roles in the face of GAI. The study highlights key success factors for this transformation, notably the support of senior management, technical ownership of AI by the HR function, change management, data mastery, and a methodical experimental approach. The cross-analysis of field perspectives and the literature underscores a consensus on the transformative potential of GAI, while identifying contextual specificities. This research contributes to a better understanding of the challenges of GAI for the HR function and acknowledges the methodological limitations of its exploratory nature, paving the way for subsequent quantitative studies already planned to empirically validate its initial findings.

Keywords: exploratory study; change management; talent development; Ulrich’s matrix; generative artificial intelligence; human resources management; human capital; strategic partner; digital transformation; gestion des ressources humaines; intelligence artificielle générative; Intelligence artificielle générative Gestion des ressources humaines Transformation digitale Capital humain Matrice d'Ulrich Partenaire stratégique Développement des talents Gestion du changement Étude exploratoire Generative artificial intelligence Human resources management Digital transformation Human capital Ulrich's matrix Strategic partner Talent development Change management Exploratory study; Intelligence artificielle générative; Gestion des ressources humaines; Transformation digitale; Capital humain; Matrice d'Ulrich; Partenaire stratégique; Développement des talents; Gestion du changement; Étude exploratoire Generative artificial intelligence; Human resources management; Digital transformation; Human capital; Strategic partner; Talent development; Change management; Exploratory study; Ulrich's matrix; transformation digitale; generative artificial intelligence human resources management digital transformation human capital Ulrich's matrix strategic partner talent development change management exploratory study; étude exploratoire; gestion du changement; développement des talents; partenaire stratégique; matrice d’Ulrich; capital humain (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025-09-12
Note: View the original document on HAL open archive server: https://hal.science/hal-05345094v1
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Published in Question(s) de Management, 2025, n° 56 (4), pp.123-136. ⟨10.3917/qdm.236.0123⟩

There are no downloads for this item, see the EconPapers FAQ for hints about obtaining it.

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:hal:journl:hal-05345094

DOI: 10.3917/qdm.236.0123

Access Statistics for this paper

More papers in Post-Print from HAL
Bibliographic data for series maintained by CCSD ().