Chapter 2

Database Concepts and

Applications in HRIS
 Chapter Outlines
 Concept of Data, Information and Knowledge

 Database and Database Management System(DBMS)

 Relational DBMS, Data Sharing

 Key Relational Database Terminology

 Introduction to MS Access

 Data Warehouses, BI and Data Mining

2
Database Concepts and Applications in HRIS
 DATA, INFORMATION AND
KNOWLEDGE
 Data represents the facts of transection (event of
Consequences) that occur on a daily basis. Its is the
lifeblood of an organization.

 Information is the Interpretation of Data. Addition

work is needed to turn data into information.

 Knowledge is Information that has been given

Meaning. Consists of procedure to use data and
information to make decision and conduct business.
More than what and why , knowledge is about how.
3
Database Concepts and Applications in HRIS
 DATA, INFORMATION AND
KNOWLEDGE

Data Information Knowledge

 HR Professionals use Data and Information about

Employees and Jobs to Make Strategic HR
Recommendations and Decisions.
 In the HR function, data about employees and jobs are the
foundation of most of the information that is critical to
analyzing and making HR decisions. Kowledge constitutes
knowing what information is needed from a database and
how to use it to achieve HR objectives.
4
Database Concepts and Applications in HRIS
 DATABASE
 A database is a set of organized, permanent, self-
descriptive store of interrelated data items that can be
processed by one or more business process.
 An assortment of data that is organized to be easily
accessed, managed and updated, and range from
relational databases to cloud databases.
 a comprehensive collection of related data organized for
convenient access, generally in a computer.
 also called electronic database, any collection of data,
or information, that is specially organized for rapid
search and retrieval by a computer.
 It consists of table(s).
5
Database Concepts and Applications in HRIS
 DATABASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS
(DBMS)
 Set of Software Applications Combined with a
Database
 Enables Effective Management of Data
Electronically
 Identifying the Data necessary to make HR Decisions
 Defining the Characteristics of that Data (e.g.,
Number Data vs. Character Data),
 Organizing those Data to promote data quality and
accessibility
 Restricting Access to the Data
6
Database Concepts and Applications in HRIS
 DATABASE, DBMS, AND BUSINESS
APPLICATIONS
Payroll
program

Recruitment
Payroll
data
program
Database
Recruitment management
data system Workplace
Workplace program
profiles
data

Performance Performance
data Program

Application Users
Database Interface
Programs

Database Concepts and Applications in HRIS 7

 EARLY FILE STRUCTURES
 File-oriented Data Structures
 Record structure matches manual forms and procedures.

 Separate files are created, stored and maintained for

each particular problem or application

 Problems with File-Oriented Data Structures
 Multiple files result in data redundancy and inconsistency

 Poor data control: Access to file gives a person access to

all data in the file

 Inadequate data manipulation

 Excessive programming effort

Database Concepts and Applications in HRIS 8

 HIERARCHICAL AND NETWORK
DBMS Figure 2.2
Hierarchical Structure Network Structure

Dept Dept
Dept 1
1 2

Project Project Project Project Project

1 2 1 2 3

Employee Employee
1 2 employee 1 employee 2

Database Concepts and Applications in HRIS 9

 RELATIONAL DATABASE MODEL

 Relational Model - the overall purpose of the

relational model is to describe data using a
standard tabular format.
 All data elements are placed in two-
dimensional tables, called relations.

Database Concepts and Applications in HRIS 10

 RELATIONAL DBMS
 Retrieval of data from different tables based on Logical
Relationship built into table structures for sharing purpose
 Hierarchical Database Model
 A database model which the data is organized in a top-
down or inverted tree-like structure.
 Network Database Model
 An extension of the hierarchical model or tree model.
Instead of having only levels of one-to-many
relationships, the network model is an owner-member
relationship in which a member may have many
owners.
Database Concepts and Applications in HRIS 11
RELATIONAL DBMS: DATA SHARING

 Data sharing between Different Functions

 Data sharing between Different Levels
 Data sharing between Different Locations

Database Concepts and Applications in HRIS 12

RELATIONAL DBMS: DATA SHARING
 Data Sharing Between Different Functions
 Relational database technology increased the feasibility
and popularity of integrated business application.
Because,
 They facilitate data integration across different functions and
this fuctions can help own data as well as other data.
 It helps HR department to maintain its database and also get
access to the cost information from the accounting departments
database.
These integrated applications used in large organizations
are reffered to as Enterprise Resource Planning(ERP)
business applications.
Database Concepts and Applications in HRIS 13
RELATIONAL DBMS: DATA SHARING

 ERP modules are integrated, primarily through a

common set of definitions and a common database.

 ERP modules carry out the most common business

functions. This function includes:
 HR functions
 General ledger
 Accounts payable,
 Accounts receivable,
 Order management
 Inventory control and

Customer relationship management.

Database Concepts and Applications in HRIS 14

 RELATIONAL DBMS: DATA SHARING
 Data Sharing between Different Levels
 Three Levels: Operational Employees, Managers,
Executives
 Three Types of Software Systems:
 Transaction Processing System (TPS)
Transformational
 Management Reporting System(MRS)
Traditional
 Decision Support System (DSS)

(Hansen & Hansen, 1996)

Transactional

Database Concepts and Applications in HRIS 15

 RELATIONAL DBMS: DATA SHARING
 Main Activities of 3 Different Levels:
1. Transaction processing systems update employees work,
history, attendance and work hours.
2. Summary data generated from daily operational data helps to
evaluate employees work.
3. Executives rely on aggregated level data to evaluate trends and
to develop business strategies.
For this three different types of activities three types
software system are being used.

Database Concepts and Applications in HRIS 16

 RELATIONAL DBMS: DATA SHARING

 Data Sharing between Different Locations

 Two issues arise when data are shared across wide
geographic locations.
 These are (1) managing the day/time of a
transaction (but , DBMS like Oracle, MS SQL Server and IBM
DB2 addressed the issue)
 (2) determining where to store the various
components of the business application, DBMS, and
database.
 In today’s global environment with high-speed data
networks, N-tier architectures exist with
databases and applications being distributed among
many different computers around the world.
Database Concepts and Applications in HRIS 17
 KEY RELATIONAL DATABASE
TERMINOLOGY
 Entities are things such as employees, jobs,
promotion transactions, positions in a company, and
so on.
 They include both physical things such as desks and
conceptual things such as bank accounts.
 A company must analyze its business operations and
identify all the entities that it believes are important.
 A attribute is a characteristic of an entity. For
example, an employee has a name, address,
phone number, education, and so on. Attributes
also have characteristics such as the type of data
(e.g., date, number, or character) and size (e.g.,
number of characters or the largest number that
can be stored).
Database Concepts and Applications in HRIS 18
 KEY RELATIONAL DATABASE
TERMINOLOGY
 Tables are used to store information about entities. One
table is created for each entity. Attributes are stored as
the columns (also called fields) in the table. Each table in
a database contains rows. A row in a table is referred to
as a record and represents an ‘instance’ of the entity.

 Relationships are created by having same attribute in

each table with the value of the attribute being the same
in each table.

Database Concepts and Applications in HRIS 19

RELATIONAL DATABASE STRUCTURE
Figure 2.3

Database Concepts and Applications in HRIS 20

 KEY RELATIONAL DATABASE
TERMINOLOGY (Cont..)
 A primary key uniquely identifies the record. A primary
key is a special relational database table column (or
combination of columns) designated to uniquely
identify all table records. 
 It must contain a unique value for each row of data.
 It cannot contain null values.
 A primary key is either an existing table column or a
column that is specifically generated by the database
according to a defined sequence

 A foreign key is a primary key from one table stored as an

attribute of another table.

Database Concepts and Applications in HRIS 21

 KEY RELATIONAL DATABASE
TERMINOLOGY(Cont..)
 Query - a question you ask about the data stored in a
database.
 A select query allows you to ask a question based
on one or more tables in a database.
 An action query performs an action on the table
on which it is based.
 A cross-tab query performs calculations on the
values in a field and displays the results in a
datasheet.

Database Concepts and Applications in HRIS 22

 KEY RELATIONAL DATABASE
TERMINOLOGY(Cont..)
The typical capabilities of queries (Bast,
Cygman, Flynn, & Tidwell, 2006): 
 Display selected fields and records from a table
 Sort records on one or multiple fields
 Perform calculations
 Generate data for forms, reports, and other queries
 Update data in the tables of a database
 Find and display data from two or more tables
 Create new tables
 Delete records in a table based on one or more criteria

Database Concepts and Applications in HRIS 23

 KEY RELATIONAL DATABASE
TERMINOLOGY(Cont..)
 A form is an object in a database that you
can use to enter, maintain, view, and print
records in a database in a more structured
manner.
 A report is a formatted presentations of data
from a table, multiple tables or queries that is
created as a printout or to be viewed on
screen.

Database Concepts and Applications in HRIS 24

 REVIEW –
COMPARISON OF DATABASE MODELS
 Hierarchical Model
 Primary Advantage: Processing Efficiency

 Network Model
 More Flexible than Hierarchical Models in

terms of Organizing Data

 Relational Database Model
 Easier to Control, More Flexible, and More

Intuitive; By Far the Most Widely Used

Database Concepts and Applications in HRIS 25

MS ACCESS
 A relational DBMS

 Differs from other commercial Database Management

Software such as Oracle, DB2, MySQL and
Microsoft SQL

 Integrates both Database Application and DBMS

software into one

 Handles substantially more Data than Spreadsheet

Software Programs

Database Concepts and Applications in HRIS 26

MS ACCESS(Cont..)
 Can Model Relationships

 Designed for relatively small database and assume

limited knowledge on database programming (up to 2GB
size and 32,768 objects and fewer than 1000 employee)

 Having following functions:

 Allow to create database
 Easily add/change/delete records
 Built-in Query language and Report generator
 Security, control and recovery facilities

 Data can be exported to other database application and Spreadsheet

program ( Excel, Lotus 123)
Database Concepts and Applications in HRIS 27
 DESIGNING AN MS ACCESS
DATABASE
 Determine User Needs
 Identify Data Fields
 Group Related Fields
into Tables
 Determine each Table’s
Primary Key
 Normalize the Data
 Determine Relationships
Database Concepts and Applications in HRIS
 Create Relationships
 Create Forms
 Create Queries
 Create Reports
 Enter Test Data
 Test the System
 Enter or Populate the
Database
28
 Benefits of HR database application
 Both software products offer wide breadth of functionality
and flexibility to import and export from excel to integrate it
with other database application, particularly payroll.

 They provide a centralized relational database with basic

transection processing and management reporting system.

 They have familiar MS access forms as user interfaces.

 They allow users to create customize quarries and reports.

Database Concepts and Applications in HRIS 29

 Others HR database applications
According to TechTarget, the top 10 HR database software
applications are: HR SourceTM (from MS Access)
1.MySAP ERP HCM(SAP America, Inc.)

2.PeopleSoft Enterprise Human Management (Oracle)

3.Microsoft Dynamics GP Enterprise-Human Resource Management.

4.Lawson Human Capital Management(Lawson)

5. e-Synergy HR Management(Exact Software).

6.Microsoft Dynamics AX Human Resources Management.

7.UltiPro HR(Ultimate Software).

8.Sage Abra HRMS (Sage Abra)

9.Sage MAS 500 Human Resource-Abra HR, Alerts, Attendance &

Payroll (Sage)
10.ESP 21 Human Resources (Enterprise Software)
 DATA WAREHOUSES, BUSINESS
INTELLIGENCE AND DATA MINING
 An Organization’s ability to generate
Meaningful Information to make Good
Decisions is only as good as Its Underlying
Database.
 HR Metrics are derived from the Organization’s
Data Warehouse
 Business Intelligence aids in the Creation of Data
Warehouses
 Data Mining Identifies Underlying Relationships

Database Concepts and Applications in HRIS 31

 DATA WAREHOUSES, BUSINESS
INTELLIGENCE AND DATA MINING (Cont..)
Data Warehouse: is a special type of database that is
optimized for reporting and analysis and is the raw material for
management's decision supports system.

Business Intelligence(BI):is a broad category of business

applications and technologies for creating data warehouse and
for analyzing and providing access to these specialized data to
help enterprise users make better business decision.

Data Mining: is a process which involves statistical analyze of

large data sets to identify recurring relationships.
Database Concepts and Applications in HRIS 32
 Chapter Summery

Concept of, and difference between, Data, Information and Knowledge


Database, early DBMS, Database Structure and relational DBMS


Three types of Data Sharing : between functional units, mgt levels and
dispersed location


Key Relational Database Terminology( Entity, attributes, table, fields, records,
Form, reports, query)


Designing MS Access


Data Warehouses, BI and Data Mining 33
Database Concepts and Applications in HRIS