Title: Social media recruitment as a blue ocean strategy for recruitment outcomes in South Indian manufacturing companies - the moderating role of HR investment

Authors: V. Sathya Moorthi; S.B. Inayath Ahamed; G. Delina

Addresses: Department of Business Administration, Kalasalingam Business School (KBS), Kalasalingam Academy of Research and Education (Deemed to be University), Tamil Nadu – 626126, India ' Department of Business Administration, Kalasalingam Business School (KBS), Kalasalingam Academy of Research and Education (Deemed to be University), Tamil Nadu – 626126, India ' Department of Business Administration, Kalasalingam Business School (KBS), Kalasalingam Academy of Research and Education (Deemed to be University), Tamil Nadu – 626126, India

Abstract: Social media has gained popularity in recruitment owing to its numerous benefits for effective recruitment process. This study considers social media recruitment as a blue ocean strategy that curbs competition and attracts talents since it is not much prevalent in the Indian manufacturing industry. This research examines the moderating role of HR investment in the relationship between social media recruitment and recruitment outcomes. Data has been collected from HR recruitment consultancies using a questionnaire. SmartPLS 3.3 has been used for model validation. The findings of the study show that social media recruitment has a significant positive influence on recruitment outcomes. HR investment was found to have a moderating effect on the relationship between social media recruitment and recruitment outcomes. This study's findings will be relevant to HR practitioners to develop the right strategies for social media recruitment, invest rightly in the recruitment function and eventually achieve desirable recruitment outcomes.

Keywords: social media recruitment; SMR; blue ocean strategy; BOS; human resource investment; recruitment methods; recruitment outcomes.

DOI: 10.1504/IJBIR.2025.149646

International Journal of Business Innovation and Research, 2025 Vol.38 No.3, pp.332 - 355

Received: 07 Mar 2022
Accepted: 06 Aug 2022
Published online: 10 Nov 2025 *

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