It In Human Resource Development: an Empirical Analysis

The HRM function in organizations has gained increasing strategic emphasis, and the importance of its alignment HRM and business strategies is well-acknowledged. In fact, effective HRM is vital in order to be able to meet the market demands with well-qualified employees at all times. Technology and HRM have a broad range of influences upon each other, and HR professionals should be able to adopt technologies that allow the reengineering of the HR function, be prepared to support organizational and work-design changes caused by technology, and be able to support a proper managerial climate for innovative and knowledge-based organizations. These technological advances are being driven primarily by strong demands from human resource professionals for enhancement in speed, effectiveness, and cost containment. Snell, Stueber, and Lepak observe that HRMSs can meet the challenge of simultaneously becoming more strategic, flexible, cost-efficient, and customer-oriented by leveraging information technology [3]. Many experts forecast that the PC will become the central tool for all HR professionals. Virtual HR is emerging due to the growing sophistication of IT and increased external structural options. IT is beginning to enable organizations to deliver state-of-the-art HR services, and reduced costs have enabled companies, regardless of the firm size-to purchase HR technologies. One of the impacts of IT is that it enables the creation of an IT- based workplace, which leads to what should be a manager‟s top priority-namely, strategic competence management [4]. Advances in IT hold the promise of meeting many of the challenges of HRM, such as attracting, retaining, and motivating employees, meeting the demands for a more strategic HR function, and managing the “human element” of technological change in the future.

HRM could support the efforts of technological innovation‟s to achieve high performance while such innovation; itself could serve as an approach to enable the HR function to focus more on value-added activities in order to realize the full potential of technology and organizational strategy [5]. The biggest benefit of using IT in HRM to organizations is the freeing of HR staff from intermediary roles, thus enabling them to concentrate on strategic planning in human resource organization and development. Cauldron has also observed that IT can automate other routine tasks such as payroll processing, benefits administration, and transactional activities, so that HR professionals are free to focus on more strategic matters such as boosting productivity. In the present context of increasing globalization, employing workforces that may be spread across a variety of countries, cultures and political systems. Given such trends, IT has considerable potential as a tool that managers can utilize, both generally and in human resourcing functions in particular to increase the capabilities of the organization. Human Resource Information System (HRIS) is an integrated system acquiring and storing data used to make analysis, make decisions in the field of HR [7]. Functionally the Human Resource Information System (HRIS) is a software or online solution for the data entry, data tracking, and data information needs of the Human Resources, payroll, management and accounting functions within a business. Normally packaged as a data base, every HRIS has different capabilities. Companies are to choose HRIS carefully based on their capabilities and need. Typically, the better The Human Resource Information Systems (HRIS) provide overall: a) Management of all employee information. b) Reporting and analysis of employee information. c) Company-related documents such as employee hand book, emergency evacuation procedures and safety guidelines. d) Benefits administration including enrollment, status changes and personal information updating. e) Complete integration with payroll and other company financial software and accounting systems. f) Application tracking and resume management [1].

The Toolkit realities and plans for expansion give some notion of the great opportunities that lie ahead for facilitating the exchange of information about HRD. However, in its present form the Toolkit, like all its predecessors such as books and manuals, is a passive instrument for knowledge transfer, totally dependent on the interest, initiative and persistence of the user. To supplement this passive exchange of information WHO has sought ways to facilitate the active exchange of ideas, information and experiences among both those who are already involved in HRD as well as newcomers to the field [8]. At a WHO sponsored workshop of HRD consultants and activists held in Modra, Slovakia, in October, 1998, the participants urged the creation of a managed list serve website that could accomplish this purpose, and these same views are frequently expressed at training workshops. Such a list serve would require a host serve might be created, as precursor to a more comprehensive capability. Based on the experience of numerous other list serves, if a HRD list serve eventually becomes available, the ability to promote and strengthen all aspects of human resources development – planning, training and management of the health workforce – will be greatly enhanced.

Given the scope of human resource management functions, an effective HRMS must address a range of administrative, statutory, functional and technological requirements in order to enable the HRMS to support the partnership between HR professionals, program managers, finance staff, executives and employees; while also providing accurate, reliable information for organization-wide planning and decision-making. Companies are also advised to establish long-term relationships with technology vendors [9]. Surveys have shown that more than 90 percent of HR departments operate with some form of computerized HRMS. In a survey undertaken by the Institute of Manpower Studies, a number of key changes were found to have an impact on the use of HRMSs. These changes included the development of the HR function itself, which resulted in the closure of many centralized IT functions, and today, the majority of HR applications are networked.

The Human Resources (HR from now on) function currently finds itself in an unprecedented situation. According to some authors, this function has already experienced numerous changes and has gone a long way. This is obviously true and so far, it has been adapting to the changes occurring in its environment, mainly because those changes were slow and, to some extent, foreseeable. However, the opposite happens now; the speed at which changes are occurring is increasingly high and the course the business world is taking is also more and more unforeseeable. This is why HR managers will not only have to make mere adaptations, but face true organizational transformations. In order to achieve this employability level for collaborators, HR management policies must be designed that focus on changing attitudes and accepting change, making employees responsible for their own achievements.

Information technology (IT) is recognized as a critical infrastructure in many organizations. IT is also emerging as an effective contributor to organizational performance. It is often argued that success of the IT induction is attributed to strategy, consistent delivery, systems usability. This finding suggests that human resources (HR) in the organization play a vital role.

staged process, and the stress is on HR contributions. Further a framework is discussed and structural equation modeling (SEM) is used to understand the organizational readiness. Organization of the study is as follows. Stages of IT acquisition process and stratification of HR are discussed along with an examination on the role of appropriate layer of HR involved in these stages. Scope of alignment process is discussed with specific reference to the organization, IS and IT.

It is emphasized in this study that human resource plays an important role in the acquisition process and performs different roles in all the defined stages. The role of the human resource, their capability and their possible contribution as envisaged in this study are discussed in table below. As stated in table above, stratified human resource assumes different viewpoints, role and look at IT with different perspective. It is therefore, essential that human resource across the organization contribute to the process early in tandem.

recognized and use of IT has gone beyond mere supporting the process to strategically integrate to the organization‟s long term aspirations [2]. The issue of alignment is well defined through strategic alignment model (SAM).

The study shows that the system is sometimes complicated and difficult to work, but it has helped to align the HR practices with the organizational strategy, identify improvement areas, and keep abreast with the current practices. It allows an organization to assess and evaluate any gaps or potential risks and increase the commitment of HR professionals to continuous improvement. On the whole, HRIS, increases the efficiency of HR function, has helped to contribute the potentials of HR Department towards the organization, developed the structure, payroll, time, and attendance, appraisal performance, recruiting, learning management, training system, performance record, employee self-service, scheduling, absence management, systems, styles, reduced HR cost, increased motivation of the HR personnel, analyzed the problems and solved them smoothly, provided and developed sound performance appraisal systems, systematic job analysis, and smooth adoption of the changing mind-set. A follow-up study can be done to see if more organizations have adopted HRIS, if the extent of HRIS adoption is greater or if the HRIS is used for more strategic purposes. By making the HRIS a part of the organization, the HR Department can transform itself to be a strategic business partner.

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9. Mujtaba, B. G., Afza, T., and Habib, N. (2011). Leadership Tendencies of Pakistanis: Exploring Similarities and Differences based on Age and Gender. Journal of Economics and Behavioral Studies, 2(5), 199-212.