The Influence of Human Resource Information Systems on Employee Performance in Kenyan Commercial Banks

The rapid proliferation of digital technologies has fundamentally altered how organisations manage their human capital. Human Resource Information Systems (HRIS) have emerged as a critical infrastructure within this transformation. However, the extent to which these systems translate into measurable improvements in employee performance remains contested, particularly within the African banking context. This study investigated the influence of HRIS on employee performance in Kenyan commercial banks, focusing on four operational dimensions: e-recruitment management, e-training management, e-payroll management, and e-performance management systems. The study was anchored in Systems Theory (Bertalanffy, 1968) and the Resource-Based View Theory (Barney, 1991), which together provide a coherent lens through which technology-driven HR practices can be evaluated as both systemic and strategic assets. A cross-sectional descriptive research design was adopted. The target population comprised all 42 licensed commercial banks in Kenya, and structured questionnaires were administered to senior HR managers across these institutions. Forty valid responses were obtained, yielding a response rate of 95.24%. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and multiple linear regression. The findings revealed that Kenyan commercial banks have extensively adopted e-performance and e-recruitment management systems (composite means of 4.02 and 4.35, respectively), while e-payroll and e-training systems have been adopted to a moderate degree (composite means of 3.57 and 3.66, respectively). The regression model demonstrated a strong and statistically significant relationship between HRIS dimensions and employee performance (R² = 0.846, p < 0.05), with e-recruitment management emerging as the strongest predictor (β = 0.239, p = 0.000), followed by e-performance management (β = 0.170, p = 0.000), e-training management (β = 0.159, p = 0.000), and e-payroll management (β = 0.149, p = 0.019). The study concludes that strategic investment in HRIS substantially enhances employee performance across multiple dimensions, including efficiency, reliability, and problem-solving capacity. The findings carry important implications for bank management and policymakers, particularly regarding the need for systematic HRIS integration, continuous workforce training on digital HR platforms, and alignment between e-performance management systems and broader organisational strategic objectives. Future research should consider longitudinal designs and mixed-methods approaches to deepen causal understanding across diverse organisational sectors.