Talent Management in Critical Perspective: A Study on Employee Commodification in the Modern HRM Era

Abstract

This study investigates employee commodification within Talent Management (TM) practices in tourism and hospitality organizations in Semarang Regency, Indonesia, using a critical phenomenological approach. While TM is widely promoted as a strategy for developing high-performing employees, it may also create unequal treatment by reducing individuals to organizational resources. This qualitative study collected data through semi-structured in-depth interviews and participant observation involving eight purposively selected participants. Data were analyzed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) combined with Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) to explore participants’ lived experiences and the power relations embedded in organizational practices. The findings reveal five superordinate themes: identity instrumentalization through talent labeling; unequal access to development opportunities and organizational resources; reduction of employees’ value to measurable performance; adaptive responses expressed through active acceptance, strategic negotiation, passive resistance, and exit voice; and the moderating role of Javanese organizational culture, which encourages indirect expressions of dissatisfaction and conflict avoidance. These findings demonstrate that TM practices may simultaneously support organizational performance while reinforcing subtle forms of inequality and commodification. The study contributes to the development of a more inclusive, culturally sensitive, and socially just Talent Management framework by emphasizing employee dignity, equitable development opportunities, and organizational justice. The findings also provide practical implications for organizations in designing fairer TM policies that balance business objectives with employee well-being.