Journal of Finance, Management, and Development

Global perspectives on Strategic Human Resource Management challenges and innovations? A Systematic Literature Review

Abera Atto Ambo — 2026-09-30

This systematic literature review examines the global development of Strategic Human Resource Management (SHRM) in response to emerging organizational, technological, and institutional challenges. Following the PRISMA framework, the study systematically reviewed and analyzed 33 peer-reviewed articles published between 2020 and 2025, selected from Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar, from an initial pool of 2,773 records. The selected studies were synthesized using thematic and comparative content analysis, which identified recurring patterns, key challenges, and emerging innovations in SHRM across various national contexts. The results show that cross-cultural complexity and regulatory fragmentation are the most significant challenges, followed by talent shortages, ethical risks related to artificial intelligence in HR decision-making, and institutional inconsistencies across regions. In response, leading innovations ranked by prevalence and impact include the use of artificial intelligence in HR analytics, the implementation of agile HR practices, the strategic integration of sustainability principles, and adaptations to gig-economy employment models. The review also highlights notable differences in the adoption and effectiveness of SHRM practices between developed and developing economies, emphasizing the importance of context-specific strategies. Based on these findings, the study points to key areas for future research and practice, such as developing comprehensive AI ethics frameworks, conducting longitudinal and cross-cultural SHRM studies, and exploring decentralized, digitally-enabled HR models. Overall, the review compiles current evidence to promote a more adaptable, ethically grounded, and globally responsive SHRM approach.

Aligning People with Purpose: A Systematic Literature Review

Wogderes Dame — 2026-09-30

This SLR provides a global perspective on SHRM, focusing on realigning human capital with the firm's purpose amid current challenges and new trends. The review aims to reflect on SHRM's contributions to aligning purpose across sectors, examine major global trends and innovations, and suggest directions for future research. A comprehensive search of Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar yielded 2820 records from 2020 to 2025. After screening, 30 studies were selected for inclusion. The findings identify five key themes: SHRM as a strategic tool to embed purpose through frameworks like the Resource-Based View and Social Exchange Theory; increased employee engagement and well-being when personal and organizational purposes align; the role of digital tools and agile HR practices in maintaining purpose alignment in hybrid or remote work settings; advances in green HRM and ESG-oriented practices; and the importance of authentic leadership and ‘cultural fit' in aligning employees' organizational purpose. Despite growing interest in this area, significant gaps remain, including the under-representation of emerging economies and non-corporate contexts, the lack of longitudinal studies, inconsistent measurement of constructs, and limited empirical research on digital technologies in HRM. The review advocates for more longitudinal, industry-specific, and cross-cultural studies, the development of standardized measures for purpose alignment, and further analysis of the ethical use of technology in SHRM. Enhancing these capabilities will give SHRM a strategic edge and help organizations integrate talent practices with emerging global trends and values.

Impact of Poverty and Inequality on Economic Growth In East Africa

Worku Legesse Yadete — 2026-09-30

The primary aim of this study is to evaluate how a group of selected countries align with the
theoretical expectations regarding the impact of poverty and inequality on economic growth.
The study conducted an econometric analysis through using panel data that were collected for 6
east African developing countries over period 2015-2024 to determine how poverty and
inequality affect economic growth in these countries. The data was analyzed using fixed effect
model. The study used population below poverty line, Gini index, and GDP per capita as
indicators of for poverty, inequality, and economic growth respectively. The study employed
Gross capital formation, investment rate, and population growth rate as control variables data
was collected from World Bank indicators and other known websites sources. The study
discussed the resulst by using both descriptive and regression results to draw the conclusion and
to indicate future direction through recommendations.

Efficiency of Public Expenditure on Human Capital in Selected Regions and City Administrations, Ethiopia

Berhanu Hirpa Woldie — 2026-09-30

The research investigates inefficiencies in public spending on education across various
regions in Ethiopia, despite generally high efficiency scores. Its primary goal is to
analyze these inefficiencies and identify ways to enhance the technical efficiency of both
educational and health expenditures for improved outcomes. Utilizing panel data from
the 2008/09 to 2020/21 fiscal years, the study encompasses ten regions, including Afar,
Amhara, Benishangul Gumuz, Gambela, Harari, Oromia, Southern Nations,
Nationalities and Peoples, Somali Regional States, along with Addis Ababa and Dire
Dawa City Administrations. Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) was employed to assess
the efficiency of public expenditures in the education and health sectors. The results
indicate that health expenditure efficiency surpasses that of education, with average
efficiency scores for health spending ranging from 0.992 to 1.000. While average
efficiency scores for educational spending ranging from 0.828 to 0.981, reflecting a
commendable but improvable allocation of resources. Significant potential for enhancing
educational efficiency exists, which is vital for advancing educational outcomes and
fostering regional development. The study stresses the importance of optimizing public
spending in education to maximize its impact on learning and development. By
identifying gaps and inefficiencies, policymakers can allocate resources more effectively
to areas in need, leading to successful educational programs that benefit local
communities. Additionally, the analysis provides insights into the current efficiency
landscape and sets the stage for future research and policy initiatives aimed at improving
educational outcomes in Ethiopia, thereby promoting regional development and social
equity through targeted interventions and strategic planning.

Does Fiscal Policy Influence Economic Growth in Ethiopia? A Review Article

Fikadu Gawushalo Meno — 2026-09-30

The aim of this literature review-based work is to assess the current arguments regarding
the existing consequences of fiscal policy variables on the growth of the economy. The
review applied a document review methodology to investigate recent fiscal policy
empirical works together with fiscal policy trends in Ethiopia. The reviewed literature has
shown that the influence of fiscal policy on countries' growth is not clear-cut. It can be
either positive or negative, and some studies even show no discernible effect. Even though
the weight of fiscal policy on the growth of the economy is questionable, the findings of the
reviewed studies supported that fiscal policy had a positive impact on the growth of the
country's economy. The implications for policy of these findings are that fiscal policy is
more likely to positively affect the growth of the real sector, especially for developing
countries like Ethiopia. This clarifies the confusion among governments and decisionmakers regarding the mixed effects of fiscal policy on economic growth. Therefore,
policymakers should give due attention while designing a fiscal policy or an economic
policy in general, and choosing appropriate fiscal policy tools. Although this review
included pertinent scholarly works on the relationship between fiscal policy variables and
the growth of the economy of nations, future research would benefit from investigating
threshold effects, systematically estimating optimal debt-to-GDP thresholds for Ethiopia
and comparable economies, and identifying which institutional dimensions—control of
corruption, regulatory quality, or rule of law—most strongly mediate fiscal policy
outcomes.