Introduction
My name is Hong Boon Seng. I am from Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia. Currently, I am studying Bachelor Human Resource Development at University Technology Malaysia. The reason I continue my study is because I believe I can gain more knowledge and skills in the future use.
I’m taking the subject of Human Resource Information System (SHP 3423) in semester 5. This subject is all about the application of using technology in dealing with human resource matter. Since technology had become more advance, most of the people prefer using technology system to replace bookkeeping or hardcopy in recording the employees information. The reason is because they believed that technology in HR can handle and manage the data or information more effectively.
In my opinion, HRIS can help me to learn more about the technology system that can apply into the workplace in future. If I get the job in my area of studies, I can easily understand the use of HRIS in handle human resource matter in more effectively ways. HRIS can help the organization to operate in more efficient ways and allow the organization to gain more profit. Furthermore, the organization that using HRIS can compete with other organization in this competitive business market.
Content
Chapter 1 - The Web and Key Trends Changing Human Resources
In the first week and second week, I had learned the key trends that changing human resource and the historical evolution of HRM and HRIS. Basically, the historical evolution of HRM is highly related to the key trends that changing the human resource which changing from caretaker to strategic partner. Let us see the stages of it evolution.
In the stages of Pre-world War II, personnel of HR only involved in clerical record keeping of employee information. In this time, there is no computer technology to record keeping the information.
The second stage is Post-World War II, employees is believed are motivated by social and psychological factors. The data of job analysis and classification data were inserted to the computer. However, record keeping was still done manually.
The next stage is social Issue era, the terms of personnel department start change to human resource department. Follow by the born of field on human resource management. Computer technology also starts used by HR department to process employees’ information.
Next is Cost-effectiveness era which force HR department to created technology that more powerful and cheaper. One of the systems that are cheaper is computer-based HR system that changes the transactional activities to transformational activities.
At the last stage are Technological Advancement Era and the Emergence of Strategic HRM. In this stage, the increase use of technology had added value to the organization. Furthermore, it had led to emergence of the HR department as strategic partner.
Why HRIS is needed? Nowadays, markets become more complex and more dynamic. Human cannot control the entire operation of the business effectively due to the complexity and changeability of the markets. According to Aaronson (2010), HRIS is very important to organization because is provide many benefits to the organization. The main application of HRIS is it can store the information or data of the each employee’s. HRIS allow employee to view the information of their sick leave, attendance and so no. Furthermore, employer also can effectively keep track of their employees’ needs, and fulfill their employees’ needs.
Chapter 2 - Using Information System for Gaining Competitive Advantage
In week 3, I had learned the role of information technology. According to Michael (2008), the competitive forces are explains in below:
1) Rivalry among existing competitors
The existing of competitors is increase day by day. Most of these competitors have equal size and power in the markets. The exits of the competitors force the organization to do activities such as discount of products introduce of new product and improve their services.
2) The power of buyers
If the buyers in the markets have the power, they can demand the high quality product in low price. If the prices are low in other markets, then the organization has to decrease the price because the customer has the power of negotiation of the price.
3) The Power of suppliers
If the power of suppliers is high, then they can increase the price higher. If the organization does not want to get supplier from the supplier, they may change to other supplier, but the price offer by other supplier may more high because the organization have no choice in choosing the supplier.
4) The threat of substitutes
When the substitute product is high in market, then the organization with the same product with suffer the profit lost. It is because the customer may switch to the substitute product if the price is low.
5) The threat of new entries
The new entry in the markets may make the existing company suffer from profits lost because the customer has more choice in the markets. The new entries may lower the price to catches customer and it will led to lost of the company in the markets.
Due to the five competitive force that influence the organization. There are five main competitive strategies that commonly used by organization to encounter these forces. The five strategies are shown as below:
1) Cost leadership
In this strategy, the organization can sell their product by change their product into low-cost product. One of the ways to decrease the price of the product is using online to sell the product.
2) Differentiation strategy
This is the strategy where the organization sells the different product from other. Most of the customer will more interest in buying different product that produce rather than the product that their always saw in the market.
3) Innovation strategy
This strategy is where the organization make innovation on the existing product to become more advance or better that the original product. The innovation on service such as online service also can increase the profit of the organization.
4) Growth strategy
In this strategy, organization may expand their organization such as open new division or expand into global markets. By using this way, the productivity will increase due to the diversity of the people in the markets.
5) Alliance strategy
Alliance strategy allows the organization to merges with other organization to produce better product. In the markets, if one product cannot survive, it must using merging product or organization to produce better service and product.
Chapter 3 - On Globalizing HRIS: Part 1
In week 4, I had learned few HRIS models from this topic. The models that I had learned from Lecturer are Multinational Model, Global Model, International Model and Transnational HRIS.
The first model that I would like to share is Multinational Model. The organizations that use this model are concern about the local and religion difference when they are managing the HRIS. It is because people around this world have different cultural; therefore, they understanding toward certain organization operation will be different. This model is highly decentralized and independent local business (Beaman, 2004).
The second model is Global Model. The organizations that use this model are managing the HRIS by using a standard system of the organization. It is mean that the organization have their own independent system to manage their organization that are standard in all the division around the whole place in this world. It is highly standardized to minimize the needs of business (Beaman, 2004).
The next model is International Model. In this model, the organization is concern about the knowledge sharing to local organization. According to Bartlett (1987), information sharing is in high demand in the reality world. The examples of knowledge that adapt by the organization to local organization are such as expertise, product, service, and knowledge.
The last model is Transnational Model which are the combinations of three models from above. The organization that used this model is flexible to local needs, competitive in business world, and sharing knowledge across local business (Beaman, 2004).
Summary
In conclusion, HRIS had changing from caretaker to strategic partner of the organization. The used of information system is become important to the organization to help and support the business to function more effectively. Besides that, employees also can access their information easily to gain their performance in the job or workplace. Furthermore, using the five main competitive strategies such cost leadership, differentiation strategy; Innovative strategy, growth strategy and alliance strategy overcome the competitive force in the markets. The competitive forces in the market are rivalry among existing competitors, the power of buyers, the Power of suppliers, the threat of substitutes, and the threat of new entries. HRIS also can increase process of business more efficiently, improve the communication among the employees and worker, and increase the facilities collaboration within the organization. In addition, there is a lot of HRIS issue that occur in all the time, therefore, the organization have to use four types of HRIS model to manage the HRIS issues. The four models are multinational model that emphasize on global needs, global model that emphasize on efficient needs, international model that emphasize the knowledge sharing expertise to local organization and transnational model that have the combination on the three model.
(1496 Words)
Reference:
Aaronson, J. A. J. (2010). What is HRIS and Why is it Important?
Bartlett,C.A. (1987). Managing across Borders: New Organizational Responses.
http://www.carlospitta.com/Courses/Negocios%20Internacionales%20y%20E-Business/Readings%20and%20Papers/Parte%207/Managing%20Across%20Borders.pdf
Beaman, K.V. (2000). On Globalizing HRIS: Moving To a Transnational Solution.
Beaman, K. V. (2004). Sourcing Strategies for the Transnational Organization.
http://72.249.20.152/resources/karen_beaman/OutsourcingandTransnationals.pdf
Porter, M. E. (2008). The Five Competitive Forces That Shape Strategy.
