Divergent Conceptions of People Analytics in Practice versus Academia

The literature review filter reduced the articles used by this study by half, excluding broad or irrelevant ones. The remaining 79 articles from nine consultancies were categorized into four themes: motivation behind people analytics (PA), approaches to achieving PA, fields affected by PA, and consequences of PA. Findings highlight discrepancies between academic and practitioner perspectives, particularly in depth and specificity. Practitioners often lack clarity and focus on marketing, while academics emphasize potential risks. The study identifies key conceptual differences and calls for further research to bridge gaps between academia and practice in the field of PA.