Human Resource Analytics (HRA) is expected to improve workforce decision-making, yet many organisations struggle to translate people analytics into strategic and governance value. This article draws on a focused qualitative re-analysis of 13 semi-structured interviews from a broader exploratory mixed-method study of HRA in Portugal’s commercial airline sector. The analysis shows that strategic misalignment emerged inductively as a central explanation for limited HRA adoption. Three barriers were identified: HR’s marginal role in strategic decision-making, fragmented data and cross-functional silos, and inconsistent executive sponsorship for analytics-driven people management. These conditions restrict HRA to descriptive reporting, weaken evidence-based governance of workforce decisions, and limit its contribution to organisational sustainability. The study contributes to the HRA literature by positioning strategic alignment as an emergent antecedent of analytics impact in operationally complex and highly regulated sectors. It shows that HRA creates organisational value only when workforce capability, operational resilience, and business priorities are connected through governance arrangements and executive commitment.

The authors sincerely thank all the professionals who generously participated in this study, sharing their time, expertise, and valuable insights. Their contributions were fundamental to the development of this research. The authors also wish to express

Human resource analytics,Strategic alignment,Corporate governance,Sustainable organisations,People analytics,Digital transformation,Airline industry,Qualitative research