Human Resource Information System
Course Title: INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND HUMAN RESOURCES
Essay Title:
CHALLENGES OF HRIS ADOPTION IN FIRMS IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES – A View of Small Businesses
Word Count: 3,222
INTRODUCTION
Organisations all over the world are known only to show willingness in adopting new strategies and processes that will ultimately give them an edge over their competitors or at least make their operations more efficient. Only the ones that have a swift reaction to ‘environmental threats’ by adopting new methods or processes have been deemed ‘innovative’ (Chattopadhyay et al., 2001). These threats could come inform of social and environmental pressures with the advancement in technology, giving managers no other options than to seek new innovations (Pfeffer, 1997). The Human Resource (HR) function is therefore now experiencing some fast changes, in reaction to the challenges posed by this rapid technological growth. In a bid to meet up with these challenges therefore, organisations have had to involve the use of ‘information system technology’ in the conventional HR practices (Simon & Werner, 1996). This information system is what is basically referred to as Human Resource Information System (HRIS).
The HRIS is “the composite of databases, computer applications, hardware and software necessary to collect/record, store, manage, deliver, present and manipulate data for human resources” (Broderick and Boudreau, 1992). This recent integration of Information Technology into HR has left many confused about the distinction of the concept. However, from the definition it is clear that an HRIS is not limited only to some technical components (that is the computer hardware and software application), but also includes ‘people’, ‘politics’ and ‘procedures’ as well as data required for a complete Human Resource Management function (Hendrickson, 2003). Numerous studies have suggested the potential HRIS has, in assisting HR function in
Essay Title:
CHALLENGES OF HRIS ADOPTION IN FIRMS IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES – A View of Small Businesses
Word Count: 3,222
INTRODUCTION
Organisations all over the world are known only to show willingness in adopting new strategies and processes that will ultimately give them an edge over their competitors or at least make their operations more efficient. Only the ones that have a swift reaction to ‘environmental threats’ by adopting new methods or processes have been deemed ‘innovative’ (Chattopadhyay et al., 2001). These threats could come inform of social and environmental pressures with the advancement in technology, giving managers no other options than to seek new innovations (Pfeffer, 1997). The Human Resource (HR) function is therefore now experiencing some fast changes, in reaction to the challenges posed by this rapid technological growth. In a bid to meet up with these challenges therefore, organisations have had to involve the use of ‘information system technology’ in the conventional HR practices (Simon & Werner, 1996). This information system is what is basically referred to as Human Resource Information System (HRIS).
The HRIS is “the composite of databases, computer applications, hardware and software necessary to collect/record, store, manage, deliver, present and manipulate data for human resources” (Broderick and Boudreau, 1992). This recent integration of Information Technology into HR has left many confused about the distinction of the concept. However, from the definition it is clear that an HRIS is not limited only to some technical components (that is the computer hardware and software application), but also includes ‘people’, ‘politics’ and ‘procedures’ as well as data required for a complete Human Resource Management function (Hendrickson, 2003). Numerous studies have suggested the potential HRIS has, in assisting HR function in