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Impact of information technology on human resource management
Impact of Information Technology on HR
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Introduction: "The e-revolution has finally freed HR to focus on strategies to support the company business - the acquisition, retention, and the growth of the company's most important assets: its people and their collective knowledge" - Watson Wyatt, HR Consulting Firm. Today’s business environment along with the increasing importance of technology requires smart thinking, quick action and rapid adaptation to constantly changing conditions. The marketplace increasingly rewards those who respond to the demand for innovation driven by the Web and Internet, technology advances, globalization, skills shortages, and shifting demographics. This new business landscape means leaving behind old ways of thinking and doing. Consequently, HR practitioners are adding a new, technology focused dimension to their more traditional roles as HR experts, business partners, employee advocates, change agents and human resources management leaders. What Efects has IT Brought on Human Resources Profession in General? The advancement in using the internet and technology in organizations has its important implications not only on the organizations in general but also for human resources in particular. How to effectively manage the human resources in the organizations can provide them with a competitive advantage to face the challenges of the 21stcentury. Information Technology has played an essential role in saving time and cost for the organizations. It also helps in the transformation of HR role from administrative experts only to play more critical roles as employee champions, change agents and above all strategic partners who carry out and align strategies with business. Information technology helps HR contribute to management team's d... ... middle of paper ... ...n numerous configurations (e.g. telecommuting, flexible work hours, etc.), blurring of boundaries between work life and personal life has increased levels of stress. HR executives now are concerned with the study of ergonomics and the physical problems associated with the extensive use of computers. They inform employees about the importance of taking breaks and moving during the day. The increased use of technology has created specific stressors that are important to be addressed. For example, high-tech stressors may include concern with technological breakdowns and slowdowns, performance monitoring and human computer interactions. Technology has also led to a change in the tempo of work because quick responses and immediate feedback are expected. All these technological changes in the work environment have led to higher levels of fatigue, stress and overload.
As jobs are becoming more technical every year and innovations are arising with new job opportunities, finding employees that meet a business’ requirement is becoming more difficult (Nickels (290-346). This is why it is important to have a career that arises and evolves that meets this innovating world: Human Resources. Human resources plays a big part into a business’ success from hiring new employees, to employee retainment, and ensuring employees are trained to meet the evolving businesses requirements (Nickels (290-346). Human Resources is quickly evolving to become one of firm’s most critical professions in the industries market business.
Noe, Raymond A., et al. Human Resource Management: Gaining a Competitive Advantage. 7th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill/Irwin, 2010. Print.
Whether an organization consists of five or 25,000 employees, human resources management is vital to the success of the organization. HR is important to all managers because it provides managers with the resources – the employees – necessary to produce the work for the managers and the organization. Beyond this role, HR is capable of becoming a strong strategic partner when it comes to “establishing the overall direction and objectives of key areas of human resource management in order to ensure that they not only are consistent with but also support the achievement of business goals.” (Massey, 1994, p. 27)
Greengard, Samuel. "Technology Finally Advances HR." Workforce 79.1 (2000): 38. Academic Search Elite. Web. 6 Apr. 2012.
Organizations’ other resources can be hired, retained and discarded at any time but human resources needs special treatment. It needs to be carefully hired, deserve an extra effort to retain it and requires training & development to upgrade and improve its capabilities. Other resources depreciate with the passage of time but when the human resource gains more and more experience, it becomes more beneficial for the organizations. These characteristics have brought human resources to be the central element for the success of an organization. (Mohammed, Bhatti, Jariko, and Zehri, 2013, pg. 129, para. 2)
The potential ramifications for the employer can be costly when employees succumb to internal and external stressors. To effectively combat job stress and develop a comprehensive stress management program, organizations must be cognizant of several areas that may be contributing factors to an employee’s stress level. Internally, organizations should review the employee’s workload and ensure that they have the necessary skills to complete the tasks they are expected to complete (Ornelas & Kleiner, 2003). They must also work to “motivate, challenge and take full advantage of the employee’s skills and abilities” (Ornelas & Kleiner, 2003). Employee’s job stress can also be decreased by allowing them take an active part in decisions, creating an atmosphere that facilitates a support network, and offering flexibility in their schedules that allows them to address responsibilities outside the workplace (Ornelas & Kleiner, 2003).
“Hr is shifting from focusing on the organisation of the business to focusing on the business of the organisation” (Zulmohd 2011). David Ulrich points out four distinctive roles of HR which makes the organisation most effective and produce competitive advantage. He planned to change the structure of HR function and build HR around roles. The four key HR roles identified by Ulrich, one HR business partner/strategic partner – aligning HR and business strategy which plays an important role in setting strategic direction. It builds strategic relationship with clients and strategically manages the development of the workforce. The second key role is administrative expert which creates and must deliver effective HR processes made to tailor business needs. It also involves managing people and HR related costs. To continue to the third key role, change agent which understands the organisations culture, and takes the responsibility to communicate those changes internally and gain its employees trust. The final key role identified by Ulrich is employee advocate which is a core in HR role represents employees and helps to improve their experience, protect employees’ interests and confirm strategic initiatives are well balanced. Employee advocates must also “ensure fair, ethical and equitable people processes and practices.” “David Ulrich’s HR Model is about defining the HR roles and
Knouse, S. B. (2005). The Future of Human Resource Management: 64 Leaders Explore the Critical HR Issues of Today and Tomorrow. 58(4), 1089-1092.
Human Resource Department must be a leader in the implementation of emerging technologies. HR departments are harnessing technology to meet their goals to enhance efficiency and reduce cost, but most importantly, they are providing better service to their employees ("HR Logical").
Organizational success or failure is dependent on a myriad of variables that can be challenging to measure and interpret. Success or failure can simply be luck and timing or an orchestrated and deliberate effort. As new technologies allow organizations the ability to rapidly measure and assess its internal and external environmental factors, more efficient strategies can be quickly implemented. The focus of this literature review is specifically on one of these mentioned variables. The paper will detail the relationship that Human Resources (HR) practices have with an organization’s strategic goals and vision.
Business in the 21st century is highly competitive. The rise of Internet has made the world more connected, allowing fast exchange of knowledge, making it easier for businesses to understand and enter new markets across the globe. The Internet has also provided a open-knowledge framework and creative landscape that have contributed to numerous significant technological breakthroughs in the recent years, making it extremely challenging to generate the next big idea in the marketplace. Thus, it has become essential for business leaders to build organisational capabilities that support the innovation, collaboration and continuous learning imperative for success in a complex, fast-changing world (Serino, 2013), that is to effectively leverage human resource as human capital. As stated by Bolton (1996):
" This global London-based mining and mineral company was severely impacted by the global recession in 2008. Such an impact forced unprecedented workforce reductions worldwide and decentralized HR management had to be brought in under a single umbrella to ensure an orderly and efficient system that would support the organization’s future productivity."( Case Study OneRedesigning HR HRMG 5000 - Student Simple). Human resources have a strategic significance if managed efficiently and productively. The company revamped and managed its HR functions in a manner so as to achieve the strategic goals of the
Today, we are experiencing the trends such as globalization, indebtedness and technology overcoming the problems faced by the employers, such as increased profits from operating. Employers needs there human resource managers to have what it needs to arise from these challenges.
Late 1980's: work stress received increasing attention in I/O research, theory, and practice Balancing work and family lives received increasing attention.
Since people are always dealing with certain changes in their lives, they are always dealing with some type of stress. One of the biggest growing issues with stress is stress in the workplace. According to Northwestern National Life, one-fourth of employees view their jobs as the number one stressor in their lives (“Stress at Work,” 1999).... ... middle of paper ...