Int. J. Business Excellence, Vol. 10, No. 1, 2016 1 Copyright © 2016 Inderscience Enterprises Ltd. Impact of Islamic values on HRM practices: an empirical study of Jordanian universities Hayel T. Ababneh* Department of Business Administration, Al Al-Bayt University, Jordan Email: hayelababneh@aabu.edu.jo *Corresponding author Alex Avramenko Dundee Business School, Aberaty University, Scotland Email: a.avramenko@abertay.ac.uk Abstract: This study aims to present an in-depth theoretical and practical analysis of HRM practice in light of Islamic values and principles. Besides establishing a theoretical base for the influence of Islam on HRM, it analyses the key characteristics of HRM practices in Islam and investigates the extent to which Islamic values are embedded in that practice. The paper draws on a structured questionnaire distributed to 500 respondents working in four Jordanian universities which sought to elicit the respondents’ views. The findings indicate that diffusion of Islamic values into HRM practice varies between the participating organisations and that Islamic values are being practiced explicitly, albeit to a limited extent. Due to insufficient literature addressing the role of spirituality and/or religion in shaping the working of contemporary organisations, this paper assesses the extent of the absorption of religious values into the management of human resources. Keywords: Islam; human resource management; Jordan. Reference to this paper should be made as follows: Ababneh, H.T. and Avramenko, A. (2016) ‘Impact of Islamic values on HRM practices: an empirical study of Jordanian universities’, Int. J. Business Excellence, Vol. 10, No. 1, pp.1–19. Biographical notes: Hayel T. Ababneh is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Business Management at Al-albayt University, Jordan. He obtained his PhD in Human Resource Information System from Salford University, Manchester, UK in 2012. He is co-editor of the International Journal of Management and Applied Research, an open-access, peer-reviewed journal. His research interests focus on the domains of human resource management, culture and IT diffusion, and contemporary information systems. Alex Avramenko is a Lecturer in Management in Dundee Business School at Abertay University. His research interests include inspirational appeals, as a major factor in harnessing employee’s creative energy towards instituting particular behavioural patterns, employee engagement and entrepreneurship.