The role of HR analytics in supporting and improving strategic HR decision-making: A Case Study of Sidal Gaz, Algiers

Abstract

This study examines the role of human resources analytics in supporting and enhancing the quality of strategic HR decision-making within Algerian organizations, with a particular focus on Sidal Gaz, an industrial establishment located in Rghaia, Algiers. The significance of this research stems from the growing gap between the theoretical potential of HR analytics and its limited practical application in developing-country organizational contexts, where traditional intuition-based managerial approaches remain predominant. The research adopted a qualitative approach based on a single case study methodology. Primary data were collected through semi-structured interviews conducted with three key organizational stakeholders: the HR director, her assistant, and the company's general manager. Interview data were analyzed using NVivo software within a thematic analysis framework structured around five major axes. The central contribution is the design of an interactive HR dashboard under Power BI, bridging raw data and strategic decision-making across four key dimensions. The findings demonstrate that the Power BI dashboard — built on a fully reconstructed HR database — substantially improved strategic decision-making across four dimensions: accuracy, speed, objectivity, and strategic alignment. Information retrieval times were compressed from several days or weeks to mere seconds. Decision-making shifted from a reactive, intuition-based approach to proactive, indicator-driven choices aligned with institutional objectives. All three interviewees — the General Manager, the HR Director, and the HR Assistant — converged toward a synergistic model in which data disciplines and enriches professional experience without replacing it. The study also identifies four interconnected categories of challenges: data quality and availability deficits, human and cultural resistance, technical limitations, and sustainability gaps — several of which are specific to the Algerian organizational context. The study concludes by recommending technical consolidation through HRIS integration, structured development of analytical tool competencies, and a systematic cultural transformation toward data-driven governance.