Big data and human resource management: paving the way toward sustainability

PurposeThis paper aims to examine the influence of big data (BD) on human resource management (HRM). It defines how these data can be a useful tool in the decision-making process of companies' human resources to obtain a sustainable competitive advantage.Design/methodology/approachThis paper emphasizes the need to develop a holistic approach to emphasize these relations. Starting from these observations, the document proposes empirical research employing Eurostat data to test the benefits of BD in HRM decisions that optimize the relationship between training, productivity, and well-being.FindingsThe findings estimate HRM decisions and their impact in a broader macroeconomic and microeconomic perspective.Originality/valueBD research is emerging as a crucial discipline in human resources. To overcome this problem, the paper develops an analysis of the literature on cleaner production and sustainability context; it creates a conceptual framework to clarify whether the existing studies consider the growing intensity of BD on human resources.