Re-architecting global talent strategies in the age of ai and digital globalisation: implications for skills, work design, and hr value creation in emerging economies

The rapid convergence of artificial intelligence (AI) and digital globalisation is profoundly transforming how organisations design work, manage talent, and generate value across borders. This study explores how global talent strategies are being re-architected in the context of emerging economies, where digital acceleration is reshaping competitive advantage and workforce capability. Drawing upon qualitative data from semi-structured interviews with HR leaders and policy experts in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East, the research investigates how digital globalisation and AI integration are influencing strategic HRM practices, skill formation, and organisational capability development. The methodological approach is interpretivist, focusing on meaning-making within global and institutional contexts. The study identifies two central findings: first, that AI-driven work design and talent analytics are creating hybrid, skill-fluid ecosystems where traditional hierarchical roles are giving way to projectbased global teams; and second, that HR professionals in emerging economies are constrained by infrastructural, educational, and policy barriers that limit their capacity to leverage digital talent strategies. The research contributes to global HRM theory by proposing an integrative model of AIenabled global talent strategy that aligns digital capability building, inclusive workforce development, and HR’s strategic value creation role. The findings have important implications for policymakers and HR leaders seeking to balance automation and employability, address digital skill inequities, and sustain talent competitiveness in rapidly transforming economies.