Chapter- 1

INTRODUCTION

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CONCEPT OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY:

Information science is “the science that investigates the properties and behaviors of

information, the forces governing the flow of information, and the means of processing

information for optimum accessibility and usability. The field is derived from those related

sto mathematics, logic, linguistic, psychology, computer technology, graphic arts,

management and other fields".

IT implies telecommunications involving a combination of computers, networks, satellites,

telephones, radio, television and the like. IT resources involve not only hardware

(equipment) but also software (programmes), people, education, government and

association/collaboration resources. Application of IT to education involves many

disciplines related to computers in handling, processing, management, automation and

communication of information in the broader cultural and economic context of a society.

IT with reference to "technology in education” encompasses one or more of the following:

 Media and AV communication, e.g. alternative instructional delivery systems such as

Radio, ETV, etc.

 Vocational training tools, such as CBT (Computer Based Training), CAD (computer-

aided design), etc.;

 Computers and computer-based systems for instructional delivery and management,

e.g. CAI (Computer Assisted Instruction) etc.

 Internet/web based education e.g. not only educational information with text, graphics,

and video but also courses are offered by various web sites.

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While IT refers primarily to the components of media, computer tools and instructional

uses of computer based systems, Instructional Technology lies at the core and in the

starting point.

At the moment, technology in many places means computer technology. In the recent past

technology meant television or language laboratories. From today’s perspective, it appears

that new information technology systems, i.e. multimedia, telecommunication,

videoconferencing, computer conferencing and the like are becoming more pervasive and

providing. These new technology systems are likely to require new kinds of skills on the

part of students seeking to use them, and in turn will require new skills on the part of

teachers to manage the technologies as important components of teaching and learning

environments.

Computer network:researcher need sophisticated communications tools such as electronic

mail and file transfer facilities to ensure rapid and timely information sharing and

collaboration.

In general IT has a profound impact on research activities. Moreover, the pace of change in

IT is accelerating with new and improved Technologies available almost every day, and

thus information technology will continue to increase in importance for all research

activities. A few examples of the impact of IT on research activities in institutions and

universities will help to make the point:

 Experimental analysis and campus networks: many experimental research groups now

conduct the analysis of large number of experimental measurements, each of which

may involve substantial computation on a large number of data points, using

combination of the various computing resources available on a campus network.

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 International Collaboration: electronic mail and file transfer services on national and

international research networks have greatly facilitated international collaboration. In

particular, such networks have ended the isolation of many researchers in the smaller

and more remote institutions.

IT is important for institution and university research, and will gain importance over the

next decade. However, sufficient central and state funding must be provided to ensure that

an IT services infrastructure is established, maintained and developed, to meet the research

and teaching need of the institution.

Teacher education institution or universities meet the challenge. It would require a

significant commitment to provide training for faculty staff, to provide resources. Unless

substantial effort is made on the part of universities, teacher educators and trainees alike

will be deprived of the joy of using IT.

The process of globalization, privatization and corporatization of research changed the

dynamics of creation of knowledge. Issues of intellectual property rights (IPRs) and

proprietary information and knowledge have begun to give rise to new debates on public

good versus private profit. New models of the innovation chain and new paradigms of the

science-economy and science-society contracts have begun to emerge.

Some of these difficulties may be overcome by suitable safeguards in the domestic IPR

laws of developing countries. In addition, the transfer and dissemination needs of the

developing countries have to be seen from the point of view of the capacity of those in

need of accessing technologies, particularly where the cost of technology may be

prohibitive due to economies of scale and other reasons.

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The denial of dual-use technologies, even on a commercial basis, to developing countries is

another aspect that leads to widening of the technology gap between developed and

developing countries. Under this guise a variety of technologies and products are being

denied, which could otherwise have helped to accelerate their growth process. This issue

also needs to be carefully examined and seriously dealt with as a trade distorting and

restrictive measure.

HR PRACTICES WHICH ARE AFFECTED BY

TECHNOLOGY IMPLIMENTATION

Technology has changed the business world many times over. In the Information Age, the

advent of computers and the Internet has increased that impact significantly. Many

businesses cannot even function without the use of computer technology. This impact is

seen in nearly all areas of business, including human resources, where technology

continues to have a significant impact on HR practices.

RECRUITING

One way in which human resources has been significantly impacted by technology is in the

area of recruiting. Before the Internet, HR recruiters had to rely on print publications, such

as newspapers, to post jobs and get prospects for open positions. Other methods such as

networking also were used, but HR recruiters did not have the ability to post a job in one or

more locations and have millions of people see it all at once. Technology has made

recruiting more efficient and, in the hands of the right recruiter, more effective as well.

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TRAINING

Information technology makes it possible for human resources professionals to train new

staff members in a more efficient manner as well. The ability to access company

information and training programs from remote locations eliminates the need for trainers to

work directly with new hires on all training. Some interaction will always be necessary on

some level, of course, but training in virtual classrooms makes it possible for the HR

professionals to train a large number of employees quickly and to assess their progress

through computerized testing programs.

DATA STORAGE AND RETRIEVAL

Human resources professionals generally process a considerable amount of paperwork and

also have to keep much of that paperwork on file for a considerable period of time. The use

of electronic imaging has made it possible for companies to store and retrieve files in an

electronic format. Technology also makes it possible for human resources professionals to

simply print the forms that are needed for employees. Printing on demand eliminates the

need to dig through an endless number of files in the file cabinet to find what is needed.

PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT

Enhanced performance management is another byproduct of technological improvement.

Human resources professionals can use computer technology to assess employee

performance and also to get employee feedback to be used for the betterment of the

organization. Various software programs make it possible for human resources

professionals to examine employee performance using metrics to ensure that employees are

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meeting performance standards. Employees that don't measure up can be subjected to

additional training or let go in favor a replacement who can come in and do the job.

HUMAN RESOURCE INFORMATION SYSTEM (HRIS)

HRM generally uses IT as HRIS. HRIS is an integrated system acquiring and storing data

used to make analysis, make decisions in the field of HR.

A contemporary HRIS is a dynamic data base about employees’ performance and

demographic information. HRIS provides information about employees’ data, employment,

application requirement, job characteristics, selection and staffing, procedures of

employment, corporate structure, professional and individual improvement, education

costs, performance appraisal, personnel planning, organizing ect. And these data are used

for many purposes simple or complex.

ELECTRONIC HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT (EHRM)

eHRM is an IT application for supporting or connecting at least two people or collective

actors in participating HR activities. Today, HRIS is accessible (distance access

applications, system intervention, upgrading) for users trough internet. In other word,

eHRM is a HRIS which HR personnel, managers and other employees access via internet

or intranet.

BENEFITS OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

Technology affects organizations and work relations in organizations by enabling to access

information and to join people electronically. With new processes and providing some

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benefits HRIS changes traditional HR processes and it is expected that HRIS will provide

functionality for realization of units’ objectives and goals.

1. Cost decrease: Effects of IT on HR costs appear in several ways. First, IT reduces

costs of processes and works. For example, transforming from traditional HR to eHR

reduces costs of some HR applications, such as, postal cost, announcement cost and

data processing cost. Using self service technology reduces the processing costs of HR

up to 75%. E-selections and e-recruiting decrease costs of staffing and selections due to

reduced employee turnover, reduced staffing costs, and increased hiring efficiency.

Second, using self service HR allows employees to perform their own work themselves

directly. Thus, HR professionals spend less time on routine tasks.

2. SavingTime: IT allows HR professionals to spent less time on routine tasksand make

easier to acquire and analyze information. For example, researches show that recruiting

process shortens twelve days.

3. Increase in Efficiency: Intense use of IT aromatizes and standardizes routines. HR

professionals may focus less on administrative activities and more on interpreting

information. HR professionals may spend more time on other aspects of their jobs.

Thus, HR professional can access more information, respond the problems in a timely

major from managers and employees and evaluate the complex information more

effectively. Comparing with manual processes, reducing data errors, simplifying and

fastening processes of HR practices make HRIS more advantageous.

4. Enabling communication and collaboration: IT is a tool for effective communication

and collaboration. E-mail, messaging, discussion lists, videoconferencing, virtual

teams, electronic workgroups, and tele-working have changed the nature of workplace

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 communication and collaboration. These make workplace interactions possible for

employees even they are not physically present in the workplace.

IT improves the skills of workers for collaborating, accessing information and decision

making. Participative decision making becomes an organization-wide activity. Internet

and web based technologies facilitate sharing of decision making responsibility through

the organization hierarchy and structure. HRIS as an integrated system also increases

the capacity of reporting in the organization.

5. Competency Management: IT tools enable HR professionals both to reach larger

candidate pool and make decision making more objective and effective to employ more

relevant and competent candidates by means of decision making techniques in the

selection and recruiting process. Improving and shortening the recruiting process

increases competencies of incumbents and as a result quality of works. At the same

time, because of distance access e-HR can be used to develop human capital of the

organization effectively.

6. Knowledge Management: Knowledge management is a systematic process of

acquiring, creating, capturing, synthesizing, learning, and using information, insights,

and experiences to enhance decision making. Knowledge management system is a

natural extension of HRIS and HR development activities.

HR professionals should integrate traditional HR functions into knowledge

management. Because organizations should acquire and manage organizational

knowledge to prevent knowledge looses when employees leave the job.

Using IT tools such as intranet, virtual collaborations, data storage and data mining can

improve skills for knowledge acquisition and distributions.Knowledge Management

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 tools also facilitate knowledge participation and empower the specific task areas. IT

assists HR professionals to access and disseminate information more efficiently.

7. Structuring Strategic HR:Strategic role of HR focuses on aligning HR activities with

HR strategies so HR should work with managers and line managers in collaborations.

IT is accepted as an important impetus for strategic HR. IT builds stronger HR units

and allows HR to engage in more significant strategic roles. IT solutions free HR from

the burden of routine administrative tasks. If HR professionals rely on IT, they hold a

more strategic role. Because they will have time to interpret information, develop

strategies and think about corporal transformation.

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 Chapter- 2

REVIEW OF

LITERATURE

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A number of studies have been made and many books have been written regarding the role

of IT on Human Resource Management. The use of information technology in HR has

grown considerably in recent years.

A review of literature reveals that:The role of IT in HRM can be traced back in the last

decade of 20th century. Ruel et al. (2008) have explored that the term e-HRM was first

used in the late 1990’s when e-commerce was sweeping the business world and e-HRM is

internal application of e-business techniques. It helps the management in more effective

and efficient flow of information and method of doing HRM. Organizations could manage

an increasing number of HRM processes in an effective manner with the improved

information technology, thereby contributing to the availability of information and

knowledge. This in turn helped HRM professionals to play a strategic role in attaining

improved competitive advantage.

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 has

been enabled by advancements in IT to meet the challenges of HRM. HRMSs can meet the

challenge of simultaneously becoming more strategic, flexible, cost-efficient, and

customer-oriented by leveraging information technology.

Walker (1982) states that an HRIS is a systematic procedure for collecting, storing,

maintaining, retrieving and validating the data needed by an organization for its human

resources, personnel activities and organization unit characteristics. It can support long-

term planning in relation to manpower including supply and demand forecasts, staffing,

separations and development with information on training program costs and work

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performance of trainee. It can also support compensation programs, salary forecasts, pay

budgets, employee relations, contract negotiations etc. Communication and information

technologies have added value to HR applications which helped in developing a human

resource information system (HRIS).

Pinsonneault, 1993 observed that the use of IT in HRM to organizations has helped to free

the HR staff from routine roles and enable them to concentrate on strategic planning in

human resource development.

Tansley and Watson (2000) observed that the organizational environments have become

increasingly complex. Managers in these organizations face growing difficulties in coping

with workforces as they are spread across a variety of countries, cultures and political

systems. Managers can utilize IT as a tool in general as well as in human resourcing

functions in particular to increase the capabilities of the organization.

From the above mentioned studies, it can be concluded that HR is now being considered as an

integral part of the organization. It is not limited to procuring and utilizing manpower only. It is

equally significant in cutting costs by keeping record of employee data, their potentials and

performance as well. New software is being developed for strategic planning, manpower forecasts,

managing training and manpower budget, compensation system management, bettering employer-

employee relations etc. Information Technology has made a great impact on the increasing the

effectiveness and widening therole of HR function. HRIS system helps employees to add and

modify information relating to them and view their reports. However, little research has been made

to explore the impact of IT on HRM.

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TRADITIONAL VSNEW HR FUNCTIONS

TRADITIONAL HR

Storey (1995) has stated that – “The traditional personnel managers paid attention to labor

management, but did not participate into a company’s planning and strategy decision. They

paid great attention to control their employees, including carefully designing the contracts

and rules for monitoring the employees.”

Till the last two decades of the 20th century, HR function was designated as the personnel

management performing the functions of personnel administration and industrial relations

including recruitment, selection, training and development, performance appraisal, rewards

and industrial relations. HR was not given due importance in the organizations. The role of

HR manager in the organization was limited frame rules and regulations for employee

management. Actual decisions were implemented by the line managers as they were

responsible for building employee relations and maintaining peace.

During this period, there was a shift in the role of HR professionals as they were being

considered for strategic business issues. Scope of HR was widened to some extent with

new HR functions relating to strategic business issue. Besides, performing the routine HR

issues at the operational level and procurement and maintenance of workforce at

managerial level, he was involved to higher level in policy formulation to get talented and

qualified people and analyze long-term manpower demand. Thus, HR professionals began

to be included in organizational policy framework. However, it was still mainly involved

with routine administrative matters only in most of the organizations.

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It can be inferred from the above discussion that HR in its traditional role was concerned

with administration of HR function, making decisions on issues of industrial relations and

forwarding them to line managers. Later a new role was added i.e. to participate in policy

framework for forecasting long-term manpower demand.

New HR

There was considerable change in the role of HR professionals in the last decade of the

20th century. Ultrich (1997) defined four roles of HR professionals including - role of

strategic business partner, change agent, administrative expert and that of employee

champion. As strategic business partners, HR professionals work with top executives to

develop, implement and appraise competitive business strategies, HR strategies, policies

and practices and supportive business strategies. In their role as change agents, they

manage the Organizational changes and create new culture where its employees are

motivated to participate in the new situation. As administrative experts, they help in

designing organizational processes, building organizational capacity to gain competitive

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advantage, reducing cost, adding value and better HR services to make HRM works more

effective and efficient. In the role of employee champions, the HR professional plays a

significant role of motivating the employees and provides them training to enhance their

competencies. He represents the voice of the employees and is responsible for enhancing

their commitment, skills, knowledge and capabilities of the employees.

The first decade of 20th century started with new role of HR in the organizations. The old

roles of HR were widened and some new functions and responsibilities for HR

professionals were assigned. HR which initially had lesser significance as compared to

other functions like finance and marketing was now gaining significance similar to its

counterparts.

The role of HR professional as strategic business partner has been confirmed by other

studies also (Svoboda & Schroder, 2001). Kraut (2005) opined that HR department sets

closer relationship with the whole organization. He viewed the role of Line managers as

executors and proponents of HR policies and strategies. Besides, the line managers are the

policy-makers and executors of own department. HR professionals should assist the line

managers to connect the aim of department with whole business objective, and help line

managers on HR related tasks.

The changing role of HR professionals in the present scenario made Ulrich and Brock bank

(2005) to develop a new model. The model explains five functions of HR professional

which replaced their earlier model with four roles developed in 1997 as explained earlier.

These five roles were: strategy partner, functional expert, employee advocate, human

capital developer and HR leader. They also specified the responsibilities with each role.

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These roles are briefly explained below:

The strategy partner has multiple roles including business expert, change agent, and

knowledge manager. The change agent which was designated as separate role in the

previous model now becomes part of the strategy partner. The role of strategy partner is to

help line managers to reach their goals.

Functional expert in this model is an extension of the traditional function of administrative

expert. Its scope now includes the use of technologies for administrative efficiency and is

responsible for the HR practices delivery.

Employee advocate is concerned with the employees. The employee advocate focuses on

current employees to ensure friendly relationship between employees and employers.

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ROLE OF IT IN HR

The globalization and liberalization on the one hand and technological advancements on

the other require the business organizations to rethink the role of their HR function. The

HR professionals should effectively utilize the information technology for developing

competencies of the people to face these challenges and for the growth of the business as

well. The application of information technology can make value-addition and raise the

status of the HR professionals as a whole.

The business world is becoming more and more competitive and faced with new challenges

each day including business environmental change, technological change, customer

satisfaction, growing competition and issues relating to reduction in cost and increase in

productivity. It is the ‘people’ who can meet the challenges of the present day market.

The technological advancement has been driving force for creating new roles for the HR

function to improve their business competence. Human Resource Information technology

has made it easier for the HR department to integrate their databases, and provide

information on the policies, news, and publications etc. It is the simplest form of

implementation of the HRIT which could be accessible by anyone, anytime and anywhere

within the organization. It has also enabled the employees to update the information and

thus, relieved the HR professionals of the burden of maintaining and storing records.

They can now focus on other important tasks including interpretation of the data, strategic

planning, career planning and development, employee training, appraisal and feedback.

Long, Yu (2009) has mentioned that a survey of HR executives by SHRM (Society for

Human Resource Management) indicates that extensive use of HRIT which requires HR

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processionals to focus on developing IT-based HR applications. The finding suggests that

IT can reduce routine work and allow better information communication and autonomy,

which leads to fundamental change in the nature of HR professionals’ work. He also

explained different roles of HR are mentioned in the form of diagram which is presented in

modified form below:

HRIT has caused significant impact on HR functions. The application of HRIT can change

the information flows significantly, due to the fact that the system enables users more

efficiently to collect, disseminate and access the information.

A number of tools have been developed such as e-recruiting system, e-selection system e-

performance system, and e-compensation system. For example, in the recruitment, without

the face-to-face interview and inquiry HRIT can make the applicants easier to collect

information about jobs and to access to the HR professionals. Similarly, information about

employee skills, qualities, appraisal data etc. can help in making decisions about their

promotions, information on employee feedback can be used for improving their qualities.

Further, the modern techniques like internet, email, sms etc. are quite useful in sending and

updating information and executing tasks and can reduce the constraints of place and time.

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Figure: An Overview of HR Roles

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THE FORCES OF CHANGE

The Organizational events of the last ten years – out-sourcing, downsizing, re-engineering,

reduced Organizational levels, acquisitions and joint ventures, high management turnover,

broadened spans of managerial control, rapid technological change and globalization – are

challenging traditional HR and executive development practices established since the mid-

1970s.

The impact can be seen in many ways:

 There are fewer levels and broadened spans of Organizational control which means

that Organizations are finding it harder to retain talented people;

 Radically changing Organizational structures have effectively abolished career

paths and middle management in both the private and public sectors;

 External recruitment of talent has risen dramatically as many HR departments and

their Organizations have opted for this soft option rather than developing talent

from within;

 Reduced budgets and more demanding shareholders and other investors have forced

companies to focus developmental resources for optimum return in the short-term

and invest less time to more resource-intensive and long-term approaches to HR

development;

 Rapid technological change and the growth of e-business and the Internet which,

combined with globalization has altered the way work is performed.

 Top executives are increasingly looking to their HR functions to improve company

performance if Australian Organizations are to improve their bottom line

performance and be sustainable in the long-term. The traditional HR functions

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 ofstaffing, recruiting, compensation, and benefits are being replaced by a new

generation of value-added core HR functions that include progressive HR measures

such as high-involvement work practices, training, strategic work force planning,

and organizational continuous improvement programs.

In contrast to its traditional emphasis on personnel administration, HR’s future role will be

supporting a company’s competitive advantage by providing high quality people and by

helping business managers to strategically plan the functions of those people within the

Organization. HR must shift from being an administrative support function to becoming a

business partner in charting business strategy. This requires transforming the HR function

into a strategic business partner that will positively affect a company’s earnings in a

climate which will become more fiercely competitive for intellectual capital required for

corporate sustainability.

WHAT IS “BEST PRACTICE” IN HR?

There is no single best practice to which all Organizations should aspire. Rather, the

literature shows that each firm has a distinctive HR system that represents a core

competencies required for the survival and sustainability for that particular Organization

“Best practices” in HR are subjective and transitory . What is best for one company may

not be best for another. What was best last month may not be best for today. The concept

of “best” is highly subjective and non-specific. “Best practice” is not a set of discrete

actions but rather a cohesive and holistic approach to Organizational management.

However some factors which constitute best practices in HR are:

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 Communications: The “best practice” companies have the most intense

communications which are broad-based, continuous and involve multi-directional

employee contact. Communications with employees is “a given” and is a formal,

focused and on-going responsibility. Communications are not done as an “extra”.

 Continuous Improvement: The best companies are never satisfied. They focus not

only getting it right but doing it better. They are intensely dependent on feedback

from all sources as the prime basis of their continuous improvement philosophy.

 Culture Consciousness: The best companies are all sharply focused on their

culture and are conscious of how culture shapes systems and behaviour.

 Customer Focus & Partnering: In the best companies, customer focus is proactive

and not reactive. They are out in the market-place to anticipate changing customer

needs and to build on relationships on a face-to-face basis. They get totally focused

on the customer and think and talk business rather than HR.

 Interdependence: Many Organizations are a conglomeration of fiefdoms with each

department “protecting its own turf”. Commonly, these Organizations have a “silo

mentality”. By contrast, the best companies make a conscious and deliberate effort

to add to and reinforce each other’s contribution. This encourages openness and

trust that are essential for effective teamwork. There is constant cross-functional

cooperation and communication.

 Risk Taking: The best companies have leaders who possess courage to make the

hard decisions and carry them out. People like Jack Welch, CEO of General

Electric is known as “Neutron Jack” for his massive shake-ups at GE. These people

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 are not afraid to go face-to-face with people – internal customers included – to

discuss issues they feel need to be addressed. This involves taking risks.

 Strategy and commitment: Leading companies have a long-term commitment to a

strategic direction. They have strategic plans that work. This requires a dedication

to constant analysis, modification and review. It also requires commitment to

strategic vision and direction rather than chasing the latest management fad or

flavor of the month. It is not TQM this month and “Benchmarking” the next month

and “Re-engineering” the month after that.

 Value Focus: Focus on values must be looked at from two perspectives: Value-

Added and Values-Driven.Value-Added means a sharp and constant effort on

adding to the bottom line. When changing a HR policy, practice or process the

companies should ask questions such as “What difference does this make,

ultimately, to the customer? Will it mean that the company can get a product out,

or provide a service, better, cheaper and faster? Will it serve our customers better?

How will our customers benefit?” If it’s not ultimately valuable to the customer,

then it is not valuable to the company.

Values-Driven means that everything the company does is motivated by a set of values and

qualities that asks questions such as “What are we here for? How do we treat our

employees? How do we relate to our customers?” Companies should ask these questions

as part of their conscious operating philosophy and not assume in the subconscious that this

thinking is pervasive throughout the Organization.

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IMPLEMENTING HR PRACTICES AND POLICIES

When implementing HR practices and policies, managers should note that HR practices:

 Cannot be “copied” from one Organization to another. A set of complementary HR

practices that have produced increases in productivity, improved quality of service

and given a firm a competitive advantage, will not necessarily produce the same, or

even similar results in an Organization, or part of an Organization, operating in the

same industry.

 Must be implemented with regard to the Organizational context of a particular firm.

Priorities for implementing particular sets or bundles of HR practices will vary

between firms operating in similar markets in the same industry.

 Are more effective, and can produce a synergistic effect, if they are complementary

to each other. For example, self-managed teams being introduced at the same time

as team-based or group compensation incentives contingent on Organizational

performance.

 Must be congruent to the long-term strategic objectives and mission statement of

the Organization if they are to yield returns through increased productivity and

ultimately improved customer service. If this congruency is absent, then

Organizational dysfunctions will result and the attempt to introduce progressive HR

practices will rapidly lose credibility among the firm’s employees.

 Require significant planning, resources and effort. The participation, involvement

and commitment of all the firm’s employees and their unions have to be secured.

This requires leadership and a cohesive management team over the long-term.

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 Necessitate that people who are expected to assist with the implementation of the

new HR practices must be consulted and be a part of the planning, development and

implementation processes right from the start.

 May not be successfully implemented without significant changes in the structure

and culture if the structure of an Organization is highly hierarchical with an

accompanying bureaucratic culture. Such changes would most likely involve

significant management changes and a move to a leadership style more conducive

to participation.

 Will be of little benefit to an Organization unless the appropriate infrastructure and

supporting mechanisms are in place. There must be an effective management

system to support long-term productivity improvements. Policies and training have

to be aligned with HR practices. If the practices are not supported by appropriate

policies, then employees will become confused and disillusioned with the

implementation of HR practices.

 Must be broadly complementary to HR policies linked to “high-involvement work

practices” and are thus relevant to explaining the variation in the diffusion of such

practices. Changes in these work practices are more difficult to carry out than

changes in the complementary set of HR policies because they are more intricately

bound up with the core business processes and requirements of the Organization.

 Should be supported by the Organization’s leader(s) who have earned the respect of

the employees. If employee respect for the CEO is lacking, then his or her

endorsement will “count for little” and could even be viewed by employees in a

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 negative light if the CEO has been conspicuously absent during the important initial

development stages of new HR policies and practices.

KEY FINDINGS AND LESSONS LEARNED

The literature refers to some key findings from research and lessons learned. These

include:

 The most striking increases in high-involvement work practices are in the use

of on-line work teams and off-line problem-solving groups (e.g. Employee

Involvement groups, quality circles).

 Higher levels of managerial tenure had a positive and statistically significant

association with greater increases in the use of high-involvement work

practices.

 The introduction of high-involvement work practices requires significant

cooperation, trust, and coordination among different functional groups in each

plant, which will be more likely to be present if the managers of those groups

have greater experience of working together.

 Disruptions resulting in an “unfreezing” of the current way of doing things

facilitates change and the introduction of high-involvement work practices .

 In newly industrialized countries, investments such as increased training,

performance-based pay, the elimination of status barriers, and more selective

recruitment and hiring practices were assessed by the corporate parent as

investments which cost less than extensive capital investments.

 The adoption of high-involvement work practices tends to follow the adoption

of complementary HR practices. This supports the idea that HR practices may

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 be less difficult to adopt, given that they have less impact on how core tasks are

organized. However once adopted, HR practices provide a strong incentive for

firms to push further in the direction of high-involvement work practices.

 High-involvement work practices may represent “competence-destroying”

change, which is difficult to implement, and may lead to worsened

performance in the short-term.

 Plants that undergo a major disruption in their operations – creating

opportunity for various Organizational changes - were more likely to adopt

high-involvement work practices.

 Organizations must enhance work force support to improve productivity.

Technology without effective support produces work force frustration,

alienation and withdrawal. Without technology, ability, motivation and

support, any Organization is destined to fail. If managers are not perceived to

be credible and supportive of their employees, any attempt to implement high-

involvement HR practices will be regarded with cynicism that could lead to

frustration and even a loss in productivity. Without a focused effort to enhance

the talents of a changing work force using rapidly advancing technologies,

long-term performance will suffer.

28
Technological Tools used by HR Professionals

HR functions Technology Tools

1.Procurement: e-recruitment web portals

includes employee recruitment, selection and Social Media Sites like Facebook, LinkedIn
placement. Induction Packages

2. Employee Development: e-learning ,Training Need Analysis,

Career Development, Online Appraisal System
(e-performance)

3. Compensation: Payroll, e-compensation, Compensation

settlements,
Flexi-reward Packages ,
Facilities/ benefits Administration

4. Decision-Making: Decision Support System (DSS)

Data warehouse having data mining tools ,
Artificial Intelligence (AI) System, Online
Analytical Process (OLAP) ,Group Decision
Support System (GDSS) Groupware

5. Human Resource Information System Intranet availability of Data record of

(HRIS): Employees, Spread of information throughout
organization, employee self-service

29
NEW ROLE FOR HR PROFESSIONALS

The role of HR departments is being transformed as line managers assume greater

responsibility for a number of people management activities and as HR specialists focus

more closely on integrating HR and corporate strategy. It will become increasingly

important for HR specialists to demonstrate that they can contribute to Organizational

efficiency and effectiveness in both the short and long term. This will be essential to

maintaining credibility with the diverse stakeholders of HRM managers at various levels,

employees, contractors and government agencies. The changing role of HRM will be

critical to corporate sustainability in the long-term as HR specialists become higher profile.

HR professionals can now play a more proactive role by:

 Demonstrating that they understand these employment changes have an impact on

employees and that employees experience Organizational change in different ways

 Realigning the expectations of managers and other employees within their

Organizations. HR practitioners are responsible for communicating the need to

understand the changing nature of work and the impact of such changes on the

Organization. This communication needs to involve not only employees, but also

executive management.

 Putting in place reward systems that take into account not only individual effort and

performance, but also team effort, contribution to the long-term building of the

Organization and the development of the individual for future work assignments, either

within the Organization or elsewhere.

30
 Monitoring how well employees are coping with employment changes where many

employees do not feel that they are effectively making the transitions when

Organizational changes and flexible work practices are introduced.

 Providing advice to executive management to adopt a long-term strategic approach to

HRM that is more conducive to the development of employment relationships based on

mutuality of Organizational and individual goals and expectations.

31
 Chapter- 3

OBJECTIVE OF THE

STUDY

32
Research objective is an objective on which the survey has been conducted and on which

the whole report depends.

Here in this survey conducted there is more than one objective taken which are described

as follows:

 To study the behavior of employees towards technological innovations.

 To study the impact of technological implementation in different organizations.

 To study the impact of technological implementation on the number of personnel in

the organization.

Apart of these, the main objective of this report is to find out “The impact of IT on

Human Resource Practices”.

33
SIGNIFICANCE AND SCOPE OF THE STUDY

The significance and scope of technological innovation in any field is very wide. In the

area of human resource there is also the same case.

The growth in Industry and Human Resource Management system has resulted in a

concomitant increase in convergence applications. As countries, organizations and

individuals seek to capitalize from these advances, it becomes imperative to understand the

factors contributing to the successful growth of enterprises. Such factors include:

infrastructure development, regulatory approaches, worker skills, investment portfolios,

collaborations, cluster development, commercialization and others. And all these factors

are related to the technological innovations taking place in the area of human resource.

The scope and significance of this study is:

 To explore the opportunities and challenges arising from the emerging and converging

technologies for the industry and human resource sector;

 To identify effects on national innovation infrastructure, different areas of human

resource and business opportunities from the application development of emerging

technologies for the industry and human resource sectors.

34
 Chapter- 4

RESEARCH

METHODOLOGY

35
 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

Research methodology is used to search answer of research questions an attempt has been

made to describe the nature of people, selected for the study of samples, data collection and

technology used to analyze and present the data required.

In this research I have used exploratory research design. Exploratory research can be

defined as-

Exploratory Research Design: - It is also known as qualitative research, it seeks to

discover new relationship it aims a defining the main problem and including the

identification of the relevant variables and the possiblealternative solutions it can further be

divided into different parts.

DATA COLLECTION:

1. PRIMARY DATA: The data are collected directly from the respondents.

2. SECONDARY DATA: The data collected from the annual reports, published and

unpublished records of the company, various books and journals and internet etc.

Scale: Nominal scale is used.

TOOLS USED FOR COLLECTING DATA:

Questionnaire is the tool used for collecting data.

Questions are Close-ended.

SAMPLE SIZE: 100

36
 Chapter- 5

DATA ANALYSIS AND

INTERPRETATION

37
1. Has organization implemented any new technology during your work period?

 Yes

 No

 Can’t say

15%
20%
65%

No Can't say Yes

INFERENCE:

65% of the population said yes. 20% said can’t say and 15% said no.

So it can be said that most of the organizations are implementing new technology.

38
2. If yes then what?

 Computerization

 Others

30%

70%

Others Computerization

INFERENCE:

70% of the population said computerization and 30% said others. So, it can be interpret that

most of the technological innovations are in the form of computerization.

39
3. Has technological changes affected your work style?

 Yes

 No

 Can’t say

15%
20%
65%

No Can't say Yes

INFERENCE:

65% of the population said Yes, 15% said No and 20% Can’t say.

So, it is clear that in most of the cases technological changes affect the work style of the

employees.

40
4. If yes, has it improved your performance?

 Yes

 No

 Can’t say

50%
20%
30%

No Can't say Yes

INFERENCE:

50% of the population said Yes technological changes has improved there performance,

20% said No and 30% of the population are still Can’t say.

So, in most of the cases performance of employees has improved after implementation of

technology.

41
5.Has number of personnel changed by implementation of technology?

 Yes

 No

 Can’t say

Can't say

No
Yes

No Can't say Yes

INFERENCE:

The data distribution in the options of this question found almost equal .35% of the

population said Yes , 35% Can’t say and 30% said No.

42
6. If yes, then how?

 Decreased

 Increased

 Can’t say

65%

20%
15%

No Can't say Yes

INFERENCE:

65% said yes number of personnel has increased,15%said no there was no change in the

number of personnel and 20% said that they can’t say.

So, in many organizations after implementation of technology the number of employees is

decreased but in few organizations it has increased also.

43
 7. In what HR Practices technology is implemented?

 Recruitment and selection

 Training and development

 Wages and salaries

 Others

26% 21%

25% 28%

Recruitment and selection Training and depelopment

Wages and Salaries Others

INFERENCE:

From the sample population 21% said Recruitment and Selection,27% said Training and

Development 26% said Wages and salaries and rest 26% said others.

So, it can be said that in every department technology has been implemented.

44
 8. Is technology based training more effective?

 Yes

 No

 Can’t say

4%
20%

76%

No Can't say Yes

INFERENCE:

In collected data 75% population said Yes, 5% said No and 20% Can’t say.

So, most of the population said that technology based training is more effective.

45
9. Is job security of employees is affected by technology implementation?

 Yes

 No

 Can’t say

40% 41%

19%

No Can't say Yes

INFERENCE:

From the sample 40% said yes 19% said cant’ say and 41% said no.

So, it is clear from the data that in few organization job security of employees are

affected but in other organizations it is not so.

46
 10.Do you agree that more technological innovation should take place in the area of

HR Practices?

 Yes

 No

 Can’t say

10%
14%

76%

No Can't say Yes

INFERENCE:

In the collected data 76% said Yes ,10% said No and 14% said can’t say.

Most of the population was agree that technological innovation should take place in the

area of HR Practices.

47
11.Does technology innovation affect the welfare of employees?

 Yes

 No

 Can’t say

10%
19%
71%

No Can't say Yes

INFERENCE:

From the collected data 70% said yes, 20% said can’t say and 10% of the population No.

Most of the population was agree to the point that technological innovations affect the

welfare of employees.

48
12.Is wages and salary administration affected by technology implementation?

 Yes

 No

 Can’t say

15%
20%
65%

No Can't say Yes

INFERENCE:

From the data 65% said yes 15% no and 20% said can’t say.

So, in many organizations technology has affected wages and salary administration.

49
 13. Administration of wages and salary has become easy task?

 Strongly agree

 Agree

 Strongly disagree

 Disagree

 Neither agree nor disagree

10%
19%
10% 20%

41%

strongly disagree Agree

Strongly Agree disagree
Neither agree nor disagree

From the collected data 40% strongly agree, 20% agree, 20% neither agree nor disagree,10%

disagree and 10% strongly disagree.

Responses of this question were varying.

50
 Chapter-6
FINDINGS,

SUGGESTIONS &

RECOMMENDATION

51
The main aim of this report is to find out the impact of technology on HR Practices.

Although the technology implementation in most of the HR Practices like in recruitment

and selection, training and wages and salaries etc. has positively affected the organization.

But even though in few practices like job security of employees and the number of

employees it has shown negative impact.

So keeping in view all the points and other factors which I personally felt while conducting

the research, I would like to give following suggestions:

 Companies should come up with new technology based training program.

 Companies should keep a proper bird eye-view over the new technological

innovations.

 Companies should try to remove the obsolete technology rapidly.

 More technological innovations should take place in the area of HR Accounting.

 Company should not decrease the number of personnel while implementing

technology.

52
 Among 50 respondents 65% of the population said that most of the organizations are

implementing new technology.

 Among 50 respondents 70% of the population said computerization and 30% said

others. So, it can be interpret that most of the technological innovations are in the form

of computerization.

 Out of 50 respondents 65% of the population said that in most of the cases

technological changes affect the work style of the employees.

 Among 50 respondents 50% of the population said Yes technological changes has

improved their performance, 20% said No and 30% of the population are still Can’t say.

 From the collected data 70% of the population was agree to the point that technological

innovations affect the welfare of employees.

 In collected data 75% population said that technology based training is more effective.
 Among 50 respondents 65% said that in many organizations technology has affected
wages and salary administration.
 From the sample population 21% said Recruitment and Selection,27% said Training

and Development 26% said Wages and salaries and rest 26% said others. So , it can be

said that in every department technology has been implemented.

 Among 50 respondents 65% said that in many organizations after implementation of

technology the number of employees is decreased but in few organizations it has
increased also.
 From the sample 40% said yes 19% said cant’ say and 41% said no. so, it is clear from

the data that in few organization job security of employees are affected but in other

organizations it is not so.

 In the collected data 76% of the population was agree that technological innovation

should take place in the area of HR Practices.

53
CONCLUSION

54
The overall research shows a good impact of information technology on human

resource practices such as recruitment & selection, employee’s development,

compensation & performance appraisal.

The task of HR professionals has been simplified with new technological tools,

communication technologies and new application software have made and they can now

spend more of their time on policy framework, strategic planning and other such issues.

Various HR functions of HR can be effectively managed through the use of

computers and IT tools. For example, the functions of recruitment, employee selection,

employee management and workforce planning are managed through Internet, web portals,

video conferencing, data warehouse etc.; training, maintenance and performance

evaluation, feedback, employee turnover, tardiness and absenteeism analysis, management

and planning functions, succession planning etc. through Internet, Intranet, employee

portals, and company portals etc. It appears that the role of technology in HR management

is likely to increase in the coming years. The significance of HR function in the

organizations has increased much in the last 20 years. New roles are likely to be added with

the changing scenario. Talent acquisition, competency mapping, newer appraisal systems

like 360 degree feed forward, retention, contractual labour, compensation, employee

engagements, rewards etc. are the new roles being added. Newer software and

technological tools will certainly help the HR professional in these new assignments.

Nevertheless, the role is HR has become more challenging in the organization.

55
BIBLIOGRAPHY

56
BOOKS: -

 Human Resources Management - Dr. K. Aswathappa

 Human Resource Management T.N.Chabra
 Personnel Management- C.B. Memoria

MAGAZINE: -

 BUSINESS STANDARD

 ECONOMIC TIMES

WEB SITE: -

 https://www.google.com/
 www.comparehris.com/HRIS-overview/

QUESTIONNAIRE:-

Via Google forum-

 https://goo.gl/forms/VQ9rGizzK7VTONUg2/

57
ANNEXURE

58
 QUESTIONNAIRE

1. Has organization implemented any new technology during your work period?

 Yes

 No

 Can’t say

2. If yes then what?

 Computerization

 Others

3. Has technological changes affected your work style?

 Yes

 No

 Can’t say

4. If yes, has it improved your performance?

 Yes

 No

 Can’t say

5. Has number of personnel changed by implementation of technology?

 Yes

 No

 Can’t say

6. If yes, then how?

 Decreased

 Increased

59
  Can’t say

7. In what HR Practices technology is implemented?

 Recruitment and selection

 Training and development

 Wages and salaries

 Others

8. Is technology based training more effective?

 Yes

 No

 Can’t say

9. Is job security of employees is affected by technology implementation?

 Yes

 No

 Can’t say

10.Do you agree that more technological innovation should take place in the area of

HR Practices?

 Yes

 No

 Can’t say

11.Does technology innovation affect the welfare of employees?

 Yes

 No

 Can’t say

60
12.Is wages and salary administration affected by technology implementation?

 Yes

 No

 Can’t say

13. Administration of wages and salary has become easy task?

 Strongly agree

 Agree

 Strongly disagree

 Disagree

 Neither agree nor disagree

61