What is the impact of role tension on the efficacy of HR practitioners during layoffs?

Abstract

Purpose- The purpose of this study was to explore how HR practitioners experience, interpret, and manage role tension during organisational layoffs. It sought to understand the interplay between individual coping strategies, decision-making efficacy, and organisational contexts such as support systems and climate. Design/methodology/approach – A qualitative research design was applied to explore this through a phenomenological research strategy. A semi-structured interview process was conducted to seek HR practitioner’ experiences, whose feedback was thematically analysed to address the study’s research questions and objectives. Findings – The findings of this research indicate a dynamic interplay between personal ethics, organisational systems, and contextual pressures, suggesting that HR practitioners’ efficacy is both individually cultivated and structurally mediated. Research limitations/implications – The study’s cross-sectional design limited its ability to capture the evolving nature of HR practitioners’ experiences over time, which a longitudinal approach could have illuminated. Additionally, the sample was confined to South African organisations, potentially constraining broader generalisability. Originality/value – This study makes an original and substantive contribution to the understanding of role tension among Human Resource (HR) practitioners during organisational layoffs, an area that has received limited empirical and theoretical attention.