MAKERERE UNIVERSITY BUSINESS SCHOOL IMPROVING HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT SERVICES DELIVERY THROUGH INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY: A CASE OF SELECTED

Transcription

1 MAKERERE UNIVERSITY BUSINESS SCHOOL IMPROVING HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT SERVICES DELIVERY THROUGH INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY: A CASE OF SELECTED ORGANISATIONS (PLAN B) BY TUMUHIRWE ORWIN 2009/HD10/17931U A RESEARCH REPORT SUBMITTED TO MAKERERE UNIVERSITY BUSINESS SCHOOL IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE AWARD OF DEGREE OF MASTERS IN HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT OF MAKERERE UNIVERSITY OCTOBER, 2011

2 DECLARATION I, Tumuhirwe Orwin declare that this research report is my own original work, and it has never been presented to any University or Institution for the award of any academic qualification. SIGN: Tumuhirwe Orwin 2009/HD10/17931U i

3 APPROVAL This is to certify that this research report has been submitted for examination with my approval as university supervisor. SUPERVISOR: MR. BBOSA RONALD ii

4 DEDICATION This piece of work is dedicated to: my Mum and Dad, Mr. and Mrs. Edward Kwatiraho for their bountiful and selfless support, constant encouragement and inspiration towards pursuing academic excellence; my beloved son Matthew who patiently endured endless evenings of my absence as I toiled on; my sisters and brothers Alex, Judith, Pamela, Edwin, Rita and Ivan for their belief in me and endless support; last but not least to my supervisor Mr. Bbosa Ronald, who greatly encouraged and supported me tirelessly during the production of this research report, not forgetting everyone who contributed in one way or another during my academic struggle. iii

5 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT The accomplishment of this thesis could only be achieved by the patience, council, guidance and collaboration of many people to whom I am indebted. I am specifically delighted to mention the following; My family who have been my rock through the times and who have patiently endured the challenging times and borne with all the times we have gone through together, with a constant cheer, I salute you; To the participating respondents, who always warmly welcomed me and made my interviews very fruitful, thank you for opening your doors to me every time I knocked and for providing information to this study in one way or another; To my supervisor, Mr. Bbosa Ronald, thank you for your encouragement, patience, good will and professional guidance. To my classmates especially my group members, I will forever hold special memories of the debates, group work and presentations which we had. These indeed helped to sharpen my interpersonal and presentation skills; to my lecturers at the University, I am grateful to all of you. Without you, Makerere University Business Graduate School would not have been the perfect place for my MA study. I am also indebted to all the other people who helped me in one way or another in my pursuit for academic excellence. I am very grateful indeed for without you this research wouldn t be complete. For all of you, your contributions will always be in my memory. iv

6 TABLE OF CONTENTS DECLARATION... i APPROVAL... ii DEDICATION... iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENT... iv LIST OF TABLES... vii ABSTRACT... viii CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION Background to the Study Statement of the Problem Purpose of the Study Objectives of the Study Research Questions Scope of the Study Significance of the Study... 6 CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW Critical Human Resource Information Systems required for Effective Human Resource Management Service Delivery Human Resource Information Systems and Human Resource Management Service Delivery Challenges of Adopting Human Resource Information Systems Strategies for Introducing, Maintenance and Effective Utilization of Human Resource Information Systems Conclusion CHAPTER THREE: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY Introduction Research design Study Population Sample Size and Design Data sources Research Instruments Measurement of Variables Validity and Reliability of research instrument Data Analysis and Presentation Limitations of the Study v

7 CHAPTER FOUR: PRESENTATION AND INTERPRETATION OF FINDINGS Introduction Sample Characteristics Respondent Category by Gender Respondent Category by Tenure as Employee of the Organisation Respondent Category by Level of Management at the Organization Respondent Category by Highest Level of Education Respondent Category by Age of respondent Objective one: Critical Human Resource Information Systems required for Effective Human Resource Management Service Delivery Objective Two: Impact of Human Resource Information Systems on Human Resource Management Service Delivery Objective Three: Challenges of Adopting Human Resource Information Systems Objective Four: Institutional Level Strategies for Introducing, Maintenance and Effective Utilization of Human Resource Management Information Systems CHAPTER FIVE: DISCUSSION, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS Introduction Discussion of the Findings Objective one: Critical Human Resource Information Systems required for Effective Human Resource Management Service Delivery Objective Two: Impact of Human Resource Information Systems on Human Resource Management Service Delivery Objective Three: Challenges of Adopting Human Resource Information Systems Objective Four: Institutional Level Strategies for Introducing, Maintenance and Effective Utilization of Human Resource Management Information Systems Conclusion Recommendations REFERENCES APPENDIX I vi

8 LIST OF TABLES Table 3.1:Sample Size Table 3.2:Validity and Reliability Table 4.1 Respondent Category by Gender Table 4.2: Tenure as Employee of the Organisation Table 4.3: Level of Management at the Organization Table 4.4: Highest Level of Education Table 4.5: Age of respondent Table 4.6: Critical Human Resource Information Systems required for Effective Human Resource Management Service Delivery Table 4.7: Impact of Human Resource Information Systems on Human Resource Management Service Delivery Table 4.8: Challenges of Adopting Human Resource Information Systems Table 4.9: Institutional Level Strategies for Introducing, Maintenance and Effective Effective Utilization of Human Resource Management Information Systems vii

9 ABSTRACT The study sought to examine the impact of human resource information systems on human resource management service delivery in public and private organisations. The study adopted a cross sectional and quantitative survey design. A sample of 92 respondents was drawn from a study population of 110. The stratified random sampling technique was employed to categorize the respondents and purposive random sampling was used during the selection of the sample. The SPSS computer package was used to analyze the data collected by use of a research administered questionnaire. Findings indicate that 75% of the staff in the HR departments did not possess the required competencies to operate the HRIS and that as a result of the combined knowledge and skills on the HRIS. In regard to the assessment of the impact of Human Resource Information Systems on Human Resource Management Service Delivery, the findings revealed that due to the availability of the HRIS, the HRIS had improved the HR functions at the organizations, HRIS improved the data maintenance process and HRIS improved the data input process. This is confirmed by a global mean of From the findings, several challenges were pointed out among which included lack of funding to acquire, update, and maintain critical HRIS, lack of expertise(s) in IT to operate the HRIS because of the reluctance of the organizations to train, educate and develop the HMIS staff, insufficient financial support, problems with time management of the HRIS implementation process and the need to work with other departments. Some of the strategies put forward to counteract the challenges were ensuring that the sources of funds to cover the costs of setting up and maintaining a HRIS, mobilization of financial resources, support from top management, training of staff on how to operate HRIS, staff attitude change towards the HRIS, sourcing for the required expertise(s) and timeliness during the implementation stage. viii

10 CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION 1.1 Background to the Study Human Resource information is key to making effective strategic decisions. Therefore, the use of Human Resource Information Systems (HRIS) has been advocated as an opportunity for human resource (HR) professionals to contribute to organizational strategy. According to Lengnick-Hall, Mark & Moritz (2003) HRIS is a system used to acquire, store, manipulate, analyze, retrieve and distribute pertinent information about an organization s human resources. It is often regarded as a service provided to an organization in the form of information. Human resources and information technology are the two elements that many firms are learning to use as strategic weapons to compete (Ball, 2001). HRIS are expected to make the HR function more efficient but the question remains whether HRIS has lived to this. HRIS are designed to support the planning, administration, decision making and control activities of human resources management (Brown, 2002). Lengnick-Hall and Moritz (2003) posit that HRIS needs to be implemented at three different levels: the publishing of information, the automation of transactions and finally a change in the way human resource management is conducted in the organization by transforming HR into a business strategic partner. In their view, the evolution of HR as promoted by HRIS evolves from information to automation and from automation to transformation. While HRIS have been widely adopted, a transformation of human resource management service delivery has occurred in relatively few organisations hence appreciation of human resource services remains a key question. 1

11 Most public and private organizations have weaknesses in human resource service delivery because of the continued use of manual human resource systems. This explains the limitations faced during acquiring, storing, manipulating, analyzing, retrieval and distribution of critical human resource information. Although HRIS helps constitute activities involved in human resource management, not all organizations consider investing in it. For some managers and or employees the response and efficiency of the HRIS would be of greatest importance, for others the security and privacy issues might be more important, and still for others what matters most may be the system design and ease of use. A source of 5 international non governmental organizations (Malaria Consortium, PACE, World Vision, Oxfam, Save the Children) indicated that these organizations still use a manual HR system which lacks capacity to provide reliable information to sustain human resource management. For example in Malaria Consortium Africa, the inexistence of an HRIS has contributed to situations where there are staff separations from the entity and there are no immediate replacements, poor aggregation of staff bio data and poor scheduling of staff for leave and staff development (Malaria Consortium Annual Report, 2008). For example, a review of the exiting interview reports for the period 2006 to 2010 showed that 11 out of 23 employees that were employed at the organisation cited insufficient consideration had been made to the HR metrics. These included the length of service in making some of the HR service decisions and recruitment of staff towards the end of the lifetime of the project. In World Vision before the introduction of the HRIS too often, personnel files were not well kept. Storage rooms were often overcrowded and security was inadequate. Indexing 2

12 procedures were not always in place and file tracking systems were often lacking. Many times the HR personnel in World Vision had no means of finding who had a file at any particular time, and files could not be retrieved without a major search being launched. This resulted in large amounts of staff time being wasted. Basing on the audit and annual reports in the public service, it was discovered that a significant proportion of the salary bill relates to non-existent 'ghost' workers; yet, at the same time, retired public servants have found it impossible to claim pension payments to which they were entitled because records could not be retrieved. The result, in some ministries is that civil servants maintain two jobs in order to prepare for retirement. In the ministry of Labour, Gender and Social Development, the reports indicated that it took months of effort to go through individual files to analyse the demographic profile of staff. Even then errors occurred because files were moved from one office to another because of reasons of day to day administration. There were delays in identifying vacant posts for promotion as this process was dependant on different tiers of the ministry. There was also no master filing system that enabled names and numerical file codes to be matched and retrieved easily which usually meant that the whole shelves or cabinet of files had to be searched on each occasion. The same reports indicated that the ministry had challenges in leave administration. But this is rarely achieved, because of the manual systems being used to manage HR information. Before the introduction of the HRIS, the NWSC annual report of , indicated that due to the poor payroll management newly recruited staff were not paid to close to 3 or 4 months; in a few extreme cases staff were not paid for a year. Some retired staff died without 3

13 receiving their pension. Also the process of identifying ghost worker- workers who remained on the payroll but were no longer active in the workforce due to termination, retirement and death- and stopping their salaries almost took an average of 6 months with some cases taking nearly two years. For some of the organisations which have taken the step to implement HRIS, they have been met with a lot of resistance and fear by both the members of staff and the HR professionals. Therefore, the use of a HRIS would reduce HR costs by automating information and reducing the need for large numbers of HR employees; by helping employees to control their own personal information; and by allowing managers to access relevant information and data, conduct analysis, make decisions, and communicate with others without consulting an HR professional (Awazu & Desouza, 2003; Ball, 2001). Ideally, with an appropriate use of HRIS, less people should be needed to perform administrative tasks such as record keeping and more time would be made available for HR managers to assist by providing data on a strategic level to make strategic decisions. 1.2 Statement of the Problem In view of the challenges confronting public and private organisations, there is increasing realization of the importance of human resource information systems in improving human resource management. Issues relating to continuous poor record keeping, delayed personal data aggregation, poor talent management and poor staff file management continue to hinder human resource service delivery in the organisations. The undependable HR manual systems may explain why significant decisions are not based on accurate and timely information which compromises performance of those organizations. 4

14 1.3 Purpose of the Study The study sought to examine how human resource information systems can improve human resource management service delivery in public and private organisations. 1.4 Objectives of the Study i) To examine the critical human resource information systems required for effective human resource management service delivery. ii) To determine impact of human resource information systems on human resource management service delivery iii) iv) To examine the challenges of adopting human resource information systems To propose institutional level strategies for introducing, maintenance and effective utilization of human resource management information systems. 1.5 Research Questions i) What critical human resource information systems are required for effective human resource management service delivery? ii) What is the impact of human resource information systems on human resource management service delivery? iii) iv) What are the challenges of adopting human resource information systems? What are the institutional level strategies for introducing, maintenance and effective utilization of human resource management information systems? 5

15 1.6 Scope of the Study Subject Scope: The study focused on examining the impact of human resource information systems on human resource management service delivery in public and private organisations. Area Scope: The study focused on selected public and private organizations which included; National Water and Sewerage Corporation, Uganda Revenue Authority, Ministry of Labour, Gender and Social Development, Civil Aviation Authority, Centaury Bottling Company Uganda Limited, World Vision, PACE Uganda, Oxfam and Malaria Consortium Africa. These were chosen on a basis of those organisations that were planning to implement the human resource management information system, those that were in the process of implementing the system and those organisations that had already implemented and were using the system in the central division of Kampala district. 1.7 Significance of the Study The findings of this study will be significant in different ways. i) The study aims at strengthening the body of knowledge on the theory about human resource management for nongovernmental organizations. ii) The findings of the study will help future researchers, as a basis for further research in the fields of human resource information systems on human resource management service delivery related issues. iii) The findings of study will help HR managers realize the importance of HR systems during records management and decision making processes given that they provide accurate and timely information. 6

16 iv) The findings of the study will help developers of the HR information systems to develop customized and dependable HR systems which address the records management and decision making concerns of public and private organisations. v) The findings of the study will help HR consultants to gain an insight about the effect of human resource information systems on human resource management service delivery which will be used in making recommendations to implementers of human resource information systems. 7

17 CHAPTER TWO LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 Introduction This chapter focused on a review of the relationship between human resource service delivery through information technology. The review was guided by the objectives that guided this study. 2.2 Critical Human Resource Information Systems required for Effective Human Resource Management Service Delivery The use of Human Resource Information Systems (HRIS) has been advocated as an opportunity for human resource (HR) professionals to become strategic partners with top management. The idea has been that HRIS would allow for the HR function to become more efficient and to provide better information for decision-making. The question remains whether HRIS has fulfilled its promise. In its most basic form HRIS is a system used to acquire, store, manipulate, analyze, retrieve and distribute pertinent information about an organization s human resources. It is often regarded as a service provided to an organization in the form of information (Awazu & Kevin, 2003). Lengnick-Hall and Moritz (2003) have postulated that HRIS will be implemented at three different levels: the publishing of information; the automation of transactions; and, finally, a change in the way human resource management is conducted in the organization by transforming HR into a strategic partner with the line business. In their view, the evolution of HR as promoted by HRIS evolves from information to automation and from automation to transformation. They note that while HRIS has been 8

18 widely deployed, a transformation of human resource management has occurred in relatively few organizations. The evolution that Lengnick-Hall and Moritz propose, along with others (Walker, 2001), revolves around the perspective that HRIS will create informational efficiencies and cost savings such that HR departments can turn their attention to providing better analysis of current data and creative uses of the HRIS to provide better and more accurate data upon which to base strategic decisions. Ultimately the goal of both is to increase human resource service delivery. HRIS efficiency and administrative effectiveness can be described by studies of administrative HRIS, but the overall efficiency and effectiveness of an organization can only be reached through strategic deployment of the information provided by an HRIS. Administrative HRIS is used in day-to-day operations and it is usually in the form of records that hold employee information. Administrative HR is much more efficient when it is used with IT because HR professionals are better able to handle large amounts of information efficiently (Kirstie, 2001). For instance, Watson Wyatt s survey report (2002) concluded that it does not take a high progression of e-hr to reach high HRIS performance on the administrative side. The results showed that a properly integrated e-hr system is the key to the evolution of the system. The survey covered all organization sizes, and the measures used included productivity improvements within the HR organization, cost reductions, return on investment, and enhanced employee communications. They concluded that by properly implementing an e- HR system an organization should be able to reduce the amount of work for which the HR department is responsible which would then leave HR professionals free to concentrate on performing more strategic roles for the organization. 9

19 2.2 Human Resource Information Systems and Human Resource Management Service Delivery Human Resource Management (HRM) has shifted its function within organizations over the last few years. Its function has grown considerably and has shifted into a more strategic role rather than providing support for administrative paperwork. There has been a shift too, in terminology, with the term Strategic Human Resource Management (SHRM) becoming more common (Florkowski, & Olivas-Luja n, 2006). Dave Ulrich, a well-known HR Guru from the University of Michigan says that the purpose of the HR function is simply twofold: firstly, to improve the organisation s capability, and secondly, to improve individual capability within the organisation. To improve Organisation performance and create competitive advantage, the HR team must focus on a new set of priorities. These new priorities are more business, and strategic oriented and less geared towards traditional HR functions such as staffing, training, appraisal and compensation. Strategic priorities include team-based job designs, flexible workforces, quality improvement practices, employee empowerment and incentive compensation. SHRM was designed to diagnose organisation strategic needs and plan the development of talent which is required to implement a competitive strategy and achieve operational goals (Kovach, Allen, Fagan & Patick, 2002). This strategic role not only adds a valuable dimension to the HR function, but also changes the competencies that define HR professional and practitioner success. In response to its new role and responsibilities, HR professionals need a system that can manage as well as handle the traditional HR work. This is where Human Resource 10

20 Information System (HRIS) starts to come in. Human Resource Information Systems (HRIS) refers to the systems and processes at the intersection between human resource management (HRM) and information technology (Kovach & Cathcart, 1999). It merges HRM as a discipline and in particular its basic HR activities and processes with the information technology field and have been used in HR Departments for many years now. It is now expected to drive Human Resource (HR) s transition from an administrative and operational role to a strategic role. Many companies now strive to become world class. The goal is to work and perform in ways that are comparable to the most successful players on the world stage. If we explore the question: What does World Class HR mean in practice we will see two descriptions consistently cited. The first is that World Class HR functions manage their strategic work through the ability to measure what they do, and how they contribute. The second is that World Class HR functions consistently utilize technology to enable them to track, analyse, and report those measures (Mayfield, Mayfield & Lunce, 2003). They also use technology, HRIS, to enable them to continue to handle the traditional transactional HR work which still has to be done! So for companies aspiring to be World Class, Human Resources Information Systems (HRIS) play an important part in an organisations HR function. Any transformation of HR, or of People Management or of Performance Management without paying attention to their HRIS capability and needs will be unable to (a) handle their strategic role and measure their contribution to the organisation, and (b) run the risk of letting the traditional transactional functions of HR administration falls behind, and drag down the transformation efforts by failing to deliver the fundamentals (Ngai & Wat, 2004). After all, we live, work and play in the information technology era. Implementing an effective HRIS keeps the HR 11

21 Department in the right path to deliver more effective and streamlined service to the Organisation. Since the rapid development of technology, software developers are continuously creating new and sophisticated softwares that can help companies execute dayto-day HR administrative tasks as well as enabling them to perform fast and effective recruitment process, performance management, compensation & benefit, etc. They do this by streamlining workflow processes through controlled processes, system interfaces and database validation. Not only should things flow more smoothly, but the big plus for top management and function management is that HRIS helps to ensure a greater control over any HR management related processes, enabling users to follow through tasks more easily (Ordónez de Pablos, 2004). It lets us set measures for task process as well as completion. We can know how far a process has gone, before its too late to speed up or correct direction. Typically, the people in the firm who interact with the HRIS are segmented into three groups: (1) HR professionals, (2) managers in functional areas (production, marketing, engineering etc.) and (3) employees (Rue l, Bondarouk & Looise, 2004).The usages of HRIS have increased quite significantly among Organisations of different sizes due to their enhancing the strategic human resource management role in the company. Despite the fact that it has become quite common amongst HR practitioners it is still uncertain whether the Organisation is using their HRIS optimally in terms of supporting the strategic role of HR. Many organisations still use HRIS as a database pool as well as to complete basic HR transactional tasks only, and have not yet optimised the actual capability of HRIS. If your company is using HRIS, let s assess the benefit of utilizing HRIS by comparing it against the above five reasons (Ruel & Bondarouk, 2008). In brief HRIS is an 12

22 enabler and empower for the HR function, and HRIS can provide line managers with a functionality to meet each of their work unit goals and objectives as well as providing data and analysis, especially for performance appraisal and performance management of their subordinates. Additionally, individual employees can also benefit from HRIS. They can interact more flexibly by having an access to the system and conduct a self-service modification process of many benefit options and administration alternative as well as updating their performance and task achievements status in real-time. 2.3 Challenges of Adopting Human Resource Information Systems Resistance by Employers and Employees: Many employers resist HRIS as they think that it increases cost of manpower as trade unions demand for employee based plans, more facilities and benefits including training and development (Strohmeier, 2006). Trade unions and employees also resist HRIS as they view that it increases the work load of employees and prepares programme for securing the human resources mostly from outside. The other reason for their resistance is that HRIS aims at controlling the employees thorough productivity maximization. Past practices: Perhaps the single greatest barrier to the effective acquisition and deployment of HRIS resources is the condition of current practices being wedded to past practices. The primary mechanism for moving to computerization has been to automate existing manual processes. Although these organisations are more alike than different, a multitude of unique manual processes have grown up at individual organmisations over time. This approach to doing business in the past has represented a major barrier to acquiring standard software packages to support primary functions. 13

23 Training: Lack of training in existing hardware/software and related technologies and inadequate education regarding new developments in MIS are critical barriers to success. Training needs to occur at two levels in these organisations: firstly is the training and development of MIS staff where they exist, and secondly training and education of user department personnel in appropriate technologies. Funding: Funding is a problem in two areas in the orgainsations. The first is lack of funding to acquire, update, and maintain critical HRIS and new technologies; and the second is the specific funding opportunities that create uneven or inappropriate investment in particular technologies especially in donor funded organizations. Because most information technology is acquired through capital grant funding, which is often dictated by particular events and timing, projects in this area do not always conform to strategic need. It is not uncommon to see a significant investment in a particular exotic advanced technology in another wise impoverished organisation. Uncertainties: Uncertainties are quite prominent in human resource practices due to absenteeism, seasonal employment, labor turnover, changing technologies, market conditions making HRIS less reliable. Inadequacies of Information System: Information system regarding human resources has not yet fully been developed due to industries giving low status to personnel department and less importance given to HRIS. ICT Infrastructure: It is expensive to build an infrastructure and to maintain the equipment update. Likewise, there is low connectivity in the third world countries where the 14

24 communication bandwidth is slow and access to the internet, the job portal and downloading application forms is a problem. The overall Network connectivity continues to pose a challenge especially in the rural areas. Information security: The challenge is to keep information protected all the time from being accessed by unauthorized persons, system hackers, web spam and document viruses. There are inadequate technical and operational skills within the Public service and levels of computer literacy of users are very low. The levels of ICT expertise and understanding of potential applications of e-hrm among specialists is low. Literature on IT implementation has shown that participation and involvement of future users of IT in the design and implementation stages affect their latter adoption of the technology. Yet, the HR professionals have not been sufficiently ambitious in the use of IT. Most information about e-hrm originated from ICT specialists leading to problems of comprehension amongst HR specialists. HR has not been proactive in its use of internet technology to provide integrated services or to communicate more effectively with its customers to elicit and fulfill their changing expectations. Resistance to change: There is general resistance and fear by both the members of staff and the applicants in embracing the new technology This is compounded by the fact that third world countries have an ageing civil service. 15

25 2.4 Strategies for Introducing, Maintenance and Effective Utilization of Human Resource Information Systems Among the strategies to improve institutional performance is what is termed as bypass an obstacle. Many institutions come to a standstill because an obstacle appears in the path toward achieving their goals. Many institutions, unfortunately, sit idle. The results can become devastating. People become frustrated, the team loses momentum, and indecisiveness eats away morale and esprit de corps (Targowski & Deshpanade, 2001). When that happens, everything becomes significant and, when an obstacle arises, all work halts. Instead, team leaders and members must distinguish between what is and is not important. This determination is best achieved by focusing on the ultimate objective, and asking how a particular situation will impact achievement of this final goal. Secondly, it is important to cause people to stretch rather than causing them to break. So many organizations set unrealistic deadlines that it is amazing any of them get done at all. These deadlines are not based on work to do, but by the whim of individuals having little knowledge about the effort required to meet the deadline. Naturally, there are many consequences (Walker, 2001). The psychological effects often manifest themselves as burnout, turnover, and conflict. Additionally, the team is set up to fail because constraints are not considered when setting the deadline. When making unrealistic demands, management and leadership must realize the impact of their decisions on individual and group performance (Watson, 2002). Promulgating an unrealistic date or goal may provide a nice exhibition of dominance and decisiveness; however, it can also cause dysfunctional behavior. It is imperative to take time to recognize the talents, knowledge, and skills of people 16

26 performing the tasks; to identify the cost, schedule, and qualitative constraints; and to apply sound estimating techniques to complete the project. Likewise, is important to focus on the goal. It is easy to overlook the purpose of an organisation when administering its details. Team leaders and team members become so wrapped up in details that they lose sight of the entire purpose of their organisation. Keeping focus on the goal offers several advantages (Kirstie, 2001). First, it enables people to be proactive rather than reactive. People can choose what to respond to, rather than jumping at each situation like one of Pavlov s dogs. Second, it helps in distinguishing between what is and is not significant. Obviously, not everything is equally important, although some team members might think so. Third, focusing on the goal provides an objective standard of evaluation (Lengnick-Hall & Moritz, 2003). The significance of a particular effort is determined by the degree to which it helps to achieve a final goal. It is important, therefore, to perform three actions. The first is to constantly query about progress, asking if what people are doing is furthering goal achievement. The second is to establish a consistent, standard yardstick for measuring progress, keeping in mind, of course, that the importance of the yardstick is to measure the right factors in order to determine the value of the current work. Following a standardized process does a lot in improving the HRIS. A common set of tools, procedures, and jargon can help an organisation progress efficiently and effectively toward its goal. Unfortunately, people often strongly resist following a standardized process. They fear that it stifles creativity and the empowerment of people. As a result, many organisations become a cacophony of tools, procedures, and techniques, requiring extensive effort to make 17

27 them compatible. Naturally, this wastes time and effort, and actually hinders progress toward a goal. Contrary to popular belief, a standardized process actually encourages creativity and furthers empowerment, rather than impeding both. Standardization, therefore, offers several benefits from organisational management and technical perspective (Ngai & Wat, 2004). First, it enables the efficient and effective execution of project activities through consistency. Second, it enables better integration of activities because team members can see the interrelationships of their work with that of others. Third, it reduces rework because it enables the use of output developed on earlier projects. Finally, it improves communications because team members are playing from the same sheet of music. Organisations have probably failed effectiveness and efficiency due to poor communications than from any other factor. Ironically, while everyone recognizes the contribution of good communications to success, it still remains in a dismal state. One reason is that people confuse the medium with communication (Ruel & Bondarouk, 2008). A medium is the vehicle for communicating, acting as an enabler of communication, rather than a substitute for it. With the growing presence of , videoconferencing, and World Wide Web technologies, many people assume that they will be good communicators. All too often, the medium simply gives a poor communicator a louder voice. At least from a project management perspective, the medium is not the message. The other reason for poor communications is the lack of team members distinction between data and information (TargowskI & Deshpanade, 2001). While data is unprocessed, information is data that is converted into something meaningful. By contrast, good communication is providing the right information at the right time in the right amount to the right person. 18

28 In most organisations, team members perform considerable work in management and development. Unfortunately, the work often goes unrecorded, and the knowledge and expertise is lost due to turnover and time constraints. This is a tremendous loss to companies that could have saved this knowledge and expertise, applying it on future, similar projects. If companies made an effort to record the knowledge and expertise of what went well on a project, they would gain several benefits for future projects (Walker, 2001). Such a history improves performance among team members, because people can focus on issues not dealt with previously, which may not be showstoppers. It also forces people to think about their actions, and determine where and when to spend their effort and time. In addition, a recorded history tells people what has worked in the past, enabling them to predict with reasonable accuracy the impact of their actions on the current project. While it is good for team members to feel creative, unfortunately, their desire for creativity often leads to reinventing the wheel. There are major consequences when that occurs, including wasted effort due to repeating work, slowing of the organisation s momentum, a failure to capitalize on the success of the past, and extension of the project s life cycle. In other words, it is non-productive (Watson, 2002). Reuse enables organizations to use what was done before again, in a similar situation. The benefits include expediting the project life cycle, allowing team members to focus on more important issues, increasing the product s reliability, and enabling team members to make modifications quickly. Finally, it allows more accurate planning. Perhaps the most powerful way to get the organisation to progress rapidly is through commitment by the people doing the work. Because buy-in provides people with ownership 19

29 and a sense of empowerment, it generates a greater sense of responsibility and accountability. In turn, less effort is required to follow up on tasks. Buy-in also encourages initiative. Unfortunately, because many organisations become one- man shows, there is little commitment (Strohmeier, 2006). As a result, estimates are often unrealistic, representing scientific wildly assumed guesses (swags), rather than being based on reliable, statistical calculations. 2.5 Conclusion According to the reviewed literature on human resource information systems and human resource management service delivery, human resource information systems are considered safety nets that are targeted to human resource management service delivery. More specifically, these human resource information systems are conditioned on providing accurate and timely information to decision makers. The typical requirement is to ensure that effective and efficient records management which will enhance decision making. 20

30 CHAPTER THREE RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 3.1 Introduction This chapter provides the description of how the study was conducted. It highlights the research design, target population, sampling design and size, data collection instruments, data analysis, interpretation and limitations of the study. 3.2 Research design The study adopted a cross-sectional survey approach which was descriptive and analytical in nature. 3.3 Study Population The study population comprised of 20 Human Resource Managers and 95 Human Resource Officers. These respondents were from National Water and Sewerage Corporation, Uganda Revenue Authority, Ministry of Labour gender and Social development, Civil Aviation Authority, Centaury Bottling Company Uganda Limited, Oxfam, World Vision, Pace Uganda and Malaria Consortium Africa. The population of the study was 110 respondents. Table 3.1: Study Population Category Frequency Percentage Human Resource Managers Human Resource Officers Total

31 According to the information revealed in Table 3.1 above, 110 people formed the study population. This comprised the Human Resource Managers and Human Resource Officers. These were considered relevant because they are the ones who are acquainted with the information needed on the topic under discussion. 3.4 Sample Size and Design A total sample of 91 was used in this study in line with Krejcie and Morgan (1970) table guide for sample selection. A non-probability sampling technique was adopted as only firms with the required information were be selected for the study. Purposive sampling was used to select the HR managers and officers. Table 3.2: Sample Size Category Population Sample Human Resource Managers Human Resource Officers Total Data sources The researcher mainly used primary data and this was obtained using a questionnaire. Some secondary data was obtained from organizational human resource reports documents such as annual reports, strategic plans and financial reports available. 3.6 Research Instruments Primary data was collected using a structured questionnaire that was self administered survey. The questionnaires were delivered physically to the respondents participating in the 22

32 study so as to ensure an acceptable response rate for the study. The questionnaire was administered at the workplace setting to diminish the effect of bias among the respondents. Responses to the questions were anchored on a 5 point Likert scale ranging from; 5- strongly agree, 4- agree, 3 not sure, 2 disagree and 1- strongly disagree. 3.7 Measurement of Variables Scales/items from previous studies were adapted and used to measure the study variables. The scales were anchored on a 5-point Likert Scale ranging from 1=Strongly Disagree to 5=Strongly Agree. 3.8 Validity and Reliability of research instrument Validity of the instrument was obtained by talking to experts both academicians and practitioners, consultants in the field of human resource management. These were required to comment on the relevance of the questions/items in the instrument using the Content Validity Index (CVI). The reliability of the questionnaires was improved through pre-testing of pilot samples from the HR managers and Officers. This enabled the re-phrasing of some questions. Furthermore, reliability of the scales was done with the application of the Cronbach Coefficient Alpha for the computations so as to check for the internal consistency of the scales. 23

33 Table 3.3: Validity and Reliability Objective Cronbach Alpha Value Critical human resource information systems.7262 Impact of human resource information systems on human resource management service delivery.7002 Challenges of adopting human resource information systems.7109 Institutional level strategies for introducing, maintenance and effective utilization of human resource management information systems. Source: primary data.6872 The table above displays the reliability coefficients for all constructs used in the study. All alpha reliabilities (α) for all scales were above 0.6, ranging from.6872 to.7262 therefore meeting acceptance standards for research (Nunnally, 1978). 3.9 Data Analysis and Presentation The questionnaires were edited for accuracy and completeness. Data from the structured questionnaire items was entered in a computer and analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Scientists (SPSS) software Limitations of the Study a) Bias from the respondents. However, the researcher tried to encourage the respondents to be as objective as possible. b) There is little research done on human resource information systems in public Uganda, therefore obtaining local literature was quite difficult. However, the researcher endeavored to use the little literature available and supplement it with the one from developed countries to obtain the measures. c) The researcher anticipated limited response especially from the respondents because these operate in a competitive business environment and by virtual of the sensitivity 24

34 of the information. However the researcher convinced the respondents by showing them the letter of introduction from the business school. Besides that she tried to convince them that the research is meant for academic purposes only. 25

35 CHAPTER FOUR PRESENTATION AND INTERPRETATION OF FINDINGS 4.1 Introduction This chapter presents the results of the study and interpretation of findings. The chapter comprised of four sections. Section one presents the sample characteristics showing, gender, tenure of service, level of management, level of education and age of respondent. The presentation begins with a description of the sample characteristics using cross tabulation. The second section of the chapter presents statistics that explain the study variables under study using the item means. The presentation was guided by the following research questions; i) What critical human resource information systems are required for effective human resource management service delivery? ii) What is the impact of human resource information systems on human resource management service delivery? iii) iv) What are the challenges of adopting human resource information systems? What are the institutional level strategies for introducing, maintenance and effective utilization of human resource management information systems? 4.2 Sample Characteristics To present sample characteristics, frequency tabulations were used. These characteristics included gender, tenure of service, level of management, level of education and age of 26

36 respondent. The sample characteristics were presented basing on the responses from the respondents Respondent Category by Gender Frequency tabulation was used by the researcher to present the gender distribution categories of the respondents. Table 4.1 below presented the results: Table 4.1 Respondent Category by Gender Frequency Valid Percent Cumulative Percent Valid Male Female Total Source: primary data According to the results in table 4.1 above, the majority of the respondents were male accounting for 52.7% whereas, their female counterparts accounted for 47.3%. This is indication that the male were more responsive compared to the female Respondent Category by Tenure as Employee of the Organisation Frequency tabulation was used by the researcher to present the tenure of respondent distribution as an employee at the organisation. Table 4.2 below presented the results: 27

37 Table 4.2: Tenure as Employee of the Organisation Frequency Valid Percent Cumulative Percent Valid Less than 1 year yrs yrs yrs Above 10 yrs Total Source: primary data. According to the results in table 4.2 above, 1.1% of the respondents revealed that they hand worked for their organizations for a period of less than 1 year, 51.6% had spent with their organizations a period of 2-3 years, 16.5% had served for 4-5 years, 23.1% had worked for their organizations for a period of 6-10 years and 7.7% revealed that they had spent over 10 years. From the results, the majority of the respondents had spent 2-3 years at their organizations Respondent Category by Level of Management at the Organization Frequency tabulation was used by the researcher to present the level of management of the respondent distribution at the organisation. Table 4.3 below presented the results: 28

38 Table 4.3: Level of Management at the Organization Frequency Valid Percent Cumulative Percent Valid Senior HR Managers Middle HR Managers Senior HR Officers HR Officers Below Officer Total Source: primary data From the results in table 4.2 above, 6.6% of the respondents were senior managers, 16.5% were middle managers, 19.8% were supervisors, 54.9% were officers and 2.2% were below the rank of officers Respondent Category by Highest Level of Education Frequency tabulation was used by the researcher to present the highest level of respondent distribution categories of the respondents. Table 4.4 below presented the results: Table 4.4: Highest Level of Education Frequency Valid Percent Cumulative Percent Valid Certificate Diploma Degree Masters Professional Other Total Source: primary data 29

39 The results in table 4.3 above show that 1.1% of the respondents were certificate holders, 2.2% were diploma holders, 53.8% held degrees, 26.4% possessed masters degrees and 13.2% were professional holders and 3.3% had qualifications in other levels. From the results it is clear that over 70% of the respondents were either degree holder or masters holder which is indication that the respondents who comprised of the study were qualified to provide the required responses for the study Respondent Category by Age of respondent Frequency tabulation was used by the researcher to present the age of respondent distribution categories of the respondents. Table 4.5 below presented the results: Table 4.5: Age of respondent Frequency Valid Percent Cumulative Percent Valid yrs yrs yrs Total Source: primary data From the results in table 4.5 above, the majority of the respondents belonged to the years age group (54.9%), 38.5% belonged to the years age group and 6.6% belonged to the years age group. 30

40 4.3 Objective one: Critical Human Resource Information Systems required for Effective Human Resource Management Service Delivery The results in the section below were generated so as to asses the critical Human Resource Information Systems required for effective Human Resource Management Service Delivery. Item mean tabulation was used to present the results as presented in table 4.6 below. Table 4.6: Critical Human Resource Information Systems required for Effective Human Resource Management Service Delivery Min Max Mean SD The staff in HR department possess the required competencies to operate the 1 5 HRIS The quality of services offered by our staff has improved as a result of the use 1 5 of the HRIS with the availability of the HRIS, our senior management team is effective in 1 5 decision making As a result of the combined knowledge and skills on the HRIS, HR staff s 1 5 performance is good At our organisation, management identifies the critical management and 1 5 specialist competencies required to operate the HRIS so as to meet the demands of the clients To be effective, the management of our organization has reverted to the use 1 5 of the HRIS to ensure efficient service delivery At our organization, the core competencies of the HRIS are clearly defined The management of our organisation ensures that the competencies required 1 5 by HR staff are adequate and appropriate At our organization, competent HR staff are the key to the future success of 1 5 the HRIS At our organization, competent HR staff offer the HRIS its only sustainable 1 5 competitive advantage The ability to create, apply and extend knowledge at our organization has 1 5 promoted the success of the organization Global Mean 3.50 Source: primary data According to the results in table 4.6 above, the staff in HR department did not possess the required competencies to operate the HRIS (Mean=2.06), much as the quality of services offered by our staff had improved as a result of the use of the HRIS (Mean=3.70), that as a result of the combined knowledge and skills on the HRIS, the performance of HR staff had 31

41 improved (Mean=3.74), the core competencies of the HRIS were clearly defined (Mean=3.80), competent HR staff were the key to the future success of the HRIS (Mean=4.11) and the ability to create, apply and extend knowledge promoted the success of the organization (Mean=3.66). The global mean result of 3.50 is confirmation that the Human Resource Information System was critical for effective human resource management service delivery at the agencies. This implies that for effective delivery of HR services to be realized, HRIS was critical in the delivery of the services. This implies that Human Resource Information Systems were of importance to the effectiveness of the Human Resource Management service delivery. 4.4 Objective Two: Impact of Human Resource Information Systems on Human Resource Management Service Delivery The results in the section below were generated so as to asses the impact of Human Resource Information Systems on Human Resource Management Service Delivery. Item mean tabulation was used to present the results as presented in table 4.7 below. 32

42 Table 4.7: Impact of Human Resource Information Systems on Human Resource Management Service Delivery Min Max Mean SD As a result of the availability of the HRIS, the staff are satisfied with HR 1 5 services delivered to them by the HR department Due to the availability of the HRIS, staff and management expectations 1 5 were met Our HRIS has improved the HR functions at our organisations Our HRIS has helped with forecasting staffing needs Our HRIS has improved the data maintenance process Our HRIS has improved the data input process Our HRIS has improved the training process Our HRIS has eliminated procrastination of HR functions Our HRIS has decreased the time spent on communicating information 1 5 within our institution As a result of our HRIS, there is timeliness in the processing of HR 1 5 services As a result of our HRIS, there is cost saving on the HR functions Our HRIS has improved our ability to disseminate information Our HRIS has provided increased levels of useful information The information generated from our HRIS has increased coordination 1 5 between HR department and top administrators Our HRIS has made our HR decision-making more effective Our HRIS has made the HR department more important to the institution Overall our administration thinks that HRIS is effective in meeting 1 5 strategic goals The information generated from our HRIS has improved the strategic 1 5 decision making of top administrators The information generated from our HRIS has made HR a more strategic 1 5 partner in the institution Our HRIS has promoted our institution s competitive advantage Global Mean Source: primary data The results on the assessment of the impact of Human Resource Information Systems on Human Resource Management Service Delivery in table 4.7 above revealed that due to the availability of the HRIS, staff and management expectations were beginning to be realized (Mean=3.68), the HRIS had improved the HR functions at the organizations (Mean=3.78), the HRIS helped with forecasting staffing needs (mean=3.53), HRIS improved the data maintenance process (Mean=3.50) and HRIS improved the data input process (Mean=3.76). 33

43 Likewise, the HRIS improved the training process (Mean=3.65), eliminated procrastination of HR functions (Mean=3.63), there was there was cost saving on the HR functions (Mean=3.60), HRIS improved the ability to disseminate information (Mean=3.93), provided increased levels of useful information (Mean=3.53) and the information generated from the HRIS increased coordination between the HR department and top administrators (Mean=4.11). On the contrary, the results revealed that the HRIS had not decreased the time spent on communicating information within our institution (Mean=2.03) and timeliness in the processing of HR services had not been realized (Mean=2.18). The results revealed a global mean of 3.70 which was proved that Human Resource Information System had a great impact on Human Resource Management service delivery at the different agencies. This implies that the availability and absence of Human Resource Information Systems affected the effectiveness of Human Resource Management service delivery. 4.5 Objective Three: Challenges of Adopting Human Resource Information Systems The results in the section below were generated so as to examine the challenges of adopting Human Resource Information Systems. Item mean tabulation was used to present the results as presented in table 4.8 below. 34

44 Table 4.8: Challenges of Adopting Human Resource Information Systems Item Min Max Mean SD The high cost of setting up and maintaining a HRIS hinders the 1 5 adoption of a HRIS Inadequate funds is a barrier to HRIS adoption Lack of support from top management is a barrier to achieving 1 5 the full potential of HRIS Inadequate knowledge in implementing the system hinders HRIS 1 5 adoption The lack of applications/solutions for HR users undermines HRIS 1 5 adoption Lack of expertise(s) in IT to operate the HRIS undermines 1 5 achieving the full potential of HRIS Insufficient financial support for the HRIS hinders effective HRIS 1 5 adoption Problems with time management of the HRIS implementation 1 5 process undermines HRIS adoption The need to work with other departments constrains adoption of 1 5 HRIS adoption The lack of information technology (IT) support undermines 1 5 HRIS adoption No suitable HRIS or software may hinder HRIS adoption Difficulty in changing the organization s culture hinders 1 5 achieving the full potential of HRIS The fear of changing the way staff do things, hinders HRIS 1 5 adoption The HRIS not being perceived as an advantage at all hinders 1 5 achieving the full potential of HRIS Lack of commitment and involvement by all employees hinders 1 5 achieving the full potential of HRIS As a result of a lot of paper work that is difficult to computerize, 1 5 achieving the full potential of HRIS is undermined Source: primary data From the results in table 4.8 above, the results revealed that among the challenges of adopting HRIS included; inadequate funds (Mean=4.00), inadequate knowledge (Mean=3.69), lack of applications/solutions for HR users (Mean=3.88), lack of expertise(s) in IT to operate the HRIS (Mean=3.69), insufficient financial support (Mean=3.72), problems with time management of the HRIS implementation process (Mean=3.90) and the need to work with other departments (mean=3.65). Likewise, lack of information technology (IT) 35

45 support (Mean=3.95), unavailability of suitable HRIS or software (Mean=3.72), difficulty in changing the organization s culture (Mean=4.13), fear of changing the way staff do things (Mean=4.86), the HRIS not being perceived as an advantage (Mean=4.87), lack of commitment and involvement by all employees (Mean=4.89) and lot of paper work that is difficult to computerize (Mean=4.83) undermined the achievement of the full potential of HRIS. This implies that the existence of gaps in the HRIS hindered the effective delivery of HR services. 4.6 Objective Four: Institutional Level Strategies for Introducing, Maintenance and Effective Utilization of Human Resource Management Information Systems The results in the section below were generated so as to identify institutional level strategies for introducing, maintenance and effective utilization of Human Resource Management Information Systems. Item mean tabulation was used to present the results as presented in table 4.9 below. 36

46 Table 4.9: Institutional Level Strategies for Introducing, Maintenance and Effective Utilization of Human Resource Management Information Systems Item Min Max Mean SD In order to ensure effective implementation of the HRIS, the sources of funds to cover the costs of setting up and maintaining a HRIS should be identifies There should be mobilization of financial resources required to setup the 1 5 HRIS Support from top management is important in achieving the full potential 1 5 of HRIS There should be training of staff on how to operate and appreciate the 1 5 HRIS There should be attitude change among staff as a means of embracing the 1 5 HRIS Sourcing for the required expertise(s) in IT to operate the HRIS enhances 1 5 the effectiveness of the HRIS Time management should be observed at the implementation stage of the 1 5 HRIS Stakeholder involvement at different stages of the implementation process 1 5 improves the efficiency of the HRIS There should be adequate information technology (IT) support for 1 5 effective HRIS performance The suitable HRIS or software should availed in order to achieve the full 1 5 potential of HRIS Efforts to align staff perceptions about the advantages of the HRIS 1 5 enhances the acceptance of the HRIS In order to realized the benefits of the HRIS, there should be commitment 1 5 and involvement by all employees To ensure successful performance at the HRIS, the management should 1 5 set realistic deadlines In order to enhance the performance of the HRIS, there is focus on set 1 5 goals Following a standardized process has done a lot in improving the 1 5 effectiveness of the HRIS Management should enable better integration of the HRIS activities in 1 5 order to improve the effectiveness of the organization In order to strengthen the effectiveness of the HRIS, there should be an 1 5 effort to ensure proper record keeping As a result of seeking simplicity and not complexity in goal and path, the 1 5 HRIS has progressed rapidly Source: primary data From the results in table 4.9 above, among the institutional level strategies for introducing, maintenance and effective utilization of HRIS included; ensuring that the sources of funds to 37

47 cover the costs of setting up and maintaining a HRIS should be identifies (Mean=3.90), There should be mobilization of financial resources required to setup the HRIS (Mean=4.03), support from top management was important in achieving the full potential of HRIS (Mean=4.01), There need to train staff on how to operate and appreciate the HRIS (Mean=3.84), the need to cause change of attitude among staff so as embrace the HRIS (Mean=3.93), sourcing for the required expertise(s) in IT to operate the HRIS (Mean=3.94) and time management should be observed at the implementation stage (Mean=3.79), Likewise, stakeholder involvement at different stages of the implementation process was important (Mean=4.27), adequate information technology (IT) support was paramount (Mean=3.91), suitable HRIS or software needed to be availed in order to achieve the full potential of HRIS (Mean=3.75) and efforts to align staff perceptions about the advantages was important (Mean=3.87). the results further revealed that in order to realize the benefits of the HRIS, there was need for commitment and involvement by all stakeholders (Mean=4.85), the management needed set realistic deadlines (Mean=4.70), focus on set goals was important (Mean=4.70), following a standardized process was paramount in the improvement of the HRIS (Mean=4.52), better integration of the HRIS activities (Mean=4.92), there should be an effort to ensure proper record keeping (Mean=4.63) and seeking simplicity and not complexity in goal and path (Mean=4.80). 38

48 CHAPTER FIVE DISCUSSION, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS 5.1 Introduction This chapter presents the discussion, conclusions, and recommendations arising out of the research findings and research objectives in chapter four and suggests areas for further study. The study has generated several findings most of which are in line with existing literature and previous research findings. 5.2 Discussion of the Findings Objective one: Critical Human Resource Information Systems required for Effective Human Resource Management Service Delivery The findings on the critical human resources information systems required for effective human resource management service delivery for the organisations that had and were in the process of implementing the use of HRIS revealed that the quality of services offered by staff had improved as a result of the use of the HRIS. This is in agreement with the assertions of Anderson (1997), who postulates that in organisations which implemented the use of HRIS, they were able to meet the needs of the different stakeholders. Further more, the findings disclosed that as a result of the combined knowledge and skills on the HRIS, the performance of HR staff had improved although, this was dependent on the competences of HR staff. Ulrich (1997) and Brockbank (1999) posit that HR professionals both provide value to the organization and improve their own standing in the organization by using HRIS. Ulrich and 39

49 Brockbank support the need for HR to become a strategic partner. Anderson (1997) also established that HRIS relied on HR professionals to fulfilling job. HRIS are medium that helps HR professionals perform their job roles more effectively and to support strategic decision-making. As human capital plays a larger role in competitive advantage, functional managers expect the HRIS to provide functionality to meet the unit s goals and objectives. This is in line with the findings of the study which revealed that it was importance that the core competencies of the HRIS are clearly defined, and the ability to create, apply and extend knowledge of the HRIS promoted the success of the organization. Fein (2001) asserts that managers rely on the HRIS s capabilities to provide superior data collection and analysis, especially for performance appraisal and performance management. Additionally, it also includes skill testing, assessment and development, résumé processing, recruitment and retention, team and project management, and management development. Gardner et al., (2003) are optimistic that increased use of human resource information systems (HRIS) allows professionals to achieve improved performance and thus facilitate participation in internal consultancy activities. 4.4 Objective Two: Impact of Human Resource Information Systems on Human Resource Management Service Delivery The findings on the assessment of the impact of Human Resource Information Systems on Human Resource Management Service Delivery revealed that due to the availability of the HRIS, staff and management expectations were beginning to be realized, HRIS improved HR functions, helped with forecasting staffing needs, improved the data maintenance process, the 40

50 data input process, improved the training process, eliminated procrastination of HR functions and improved the ability to disseminate information. According to a study carried out by Hussain et al., (2006), to improve service delivery and create competitive advantage through, the HR team must focus on a new set of priorities. These new priorities are more business, and strategic oriented and less geared towards traditional HR functions such as staffing, training, appraisal and compensation. Strategic priorities include team-based job designs, flexible workforces, quality improvement practices, employee empowerment and incentive compensation. This strategic role not only adds a valuable dimension to the HR function, but also enhances service delivery. On the other hand, Ordónez (2004) suggests that implementing an effective HRIS keeps the HR Department in the right path to deliver more effective and streamlined service to the Organisation. This done through streamlining workflow processes through controlled processes, system interfaces and database validation. Not only should things flow more smoothly, but the big plus for top management and function management is that HRIS helps to ensure a greater control over any HR management related processes, enabling users to follow through tasks more easily. 4.5 Objective Three: Challenges of Adopting Human Resource Information Systems From the findings, among the challenges of adopting HRIS included; inadequate funds, inadequate knowledge, lack of applications/solutions for HR users, lack of expertise(s) in IT to operate the HRIS, insufficient financial support, problems with time management of the HRIS implementation process and the need to work with other departments. The findings are supported by Beckers and Bsat (2002), who assert that the cost of setting up and maintaining 41

51 a HRIS can be high, which is the major obstacle in the implementation of a HRIS. Similarly, Kovach and Cathcart (1999) pointed out that a lack of money and support from top management were the biggest barriers to achieving the full potential of HRIS. They further indicated that other challenges were a lack of HR knowledge by system designers and the lack of applications/solutions for HR users. According to the findings of the study carried out by the Institute of Management and Administration (2002), the biggest problems or obstacles to managing a HRIS were lack of staff, lack of a budget, problems with time management, the need to work with other departments and the lack of information technology (IT) support. This is in line with the findings which further revealed lack of information technology (IT) support, unavailability of suitable HRIS or software, difficulty in changing the organization s culture, fear of changing the way staff do things, the HRIS not being perceived as an advantage and lack of commitment and involvement by all employees as challenges affecting HRIS. According to Strohmeier (2006), many employers resist HRIS as they think that it increases cost of manpower as trade unions demand for employee based plans, more facilities and benefits including training and development. Likewise, uncertainties are quite prominent in human resource practices due to absenteeism, seasonal employment, labor turnover, changing technologies, market conditions making HRIS less reliable. Likewise, the challenge is to keep information protected all the time from being accessed by unauthorized persons, system hackers, web spam and document viruses. 42

52 4.6 Objective Four: Institutional Level Strategies for Introducing, Maintenance and Effective Utilization of Human Resource Management Information Systems According to the findings, among the institutional level strategies for introducing, maintenance and effective utilization of HRIS proposed by the respondents were ensuring that the sources of funds to cover the costs of setting up and maintaining a HRIS, mobilization of financial resources, support from top management, training of staff on how to operate HRIS, staff attitude change towards the HRIS, sourcing for the required expertise(s) and timeliness during the implementation stage. The findings are given credence by Beukes- Amiss & Chiware (2006) who suggest that many organisations come to a standstill because an obstacle appears in the HRIS path towards achieving their goals. That is, when that happens, everything becomes significant and, when an obstacle arises, all work halts. Instead, team leaders and members must distinguish between what is and is not important. This determination is best achieved by focusing on the ultimate objective, and asking how a particular situation will impact achievement of this final goal (Tella, Tella, Toyobo, Adika & Adeyinka, 2007). Ironically, while everyone recognizes the contribution of good communications to the success of the HRIS, it still remains in a dismal state. One reason is that people confuse the medium with communication (Aginam, 2006). All too often, the medium simply gives a poor communicator a louder voice. At least from a project management perspective, the medium is not the message. The other reason for poor communications is the lack of team members distinction between data and information (Kaku, 2005). While data is unprocessed, information is data that is converted into something meaningful. By contrast, good 43

53 communication is providing the right information at the right time in the right amount to the right person. On the other hand, in most organisations, during the implementation of HRIS, team leaders perform considerable work in management and development. Unfortunately, the work often goes unrecorded, the knowledge and expertise is lost due to turnover and time constraints. This is a tremendous loss to companies that could have saved this knowledge and expertise, applying it on future, similar projects. If companies made an effort to record the knowledge and expertise of what went well on a project, they would gain several benefits for future projects (Wima & Lawler, 2007). Such a history improves performance among team members, because people can focus on issues not dealt with previously, which may not be showstoppers. It also forces people to think about their actions, and determine where and when to spend their effort and time. In addition, a recorded history tells people what has worked in the past, enabling them to predict with reasonable accuracy the impact of their actions on the current project. 5.3 Conclusion When assessing the critical human resources information systems required for effective human resource management service delivery, it was revealed that the staff in HR department did not possess the required competencies to operate the HRIS, much as the quality of services offered by our staff had improved as a result of the use of the HRIS, that as a result of the combined knowledge and skills on the HRIS, the performance of HR staff had improved, the core competencies of the HRIS were clearly defined, competent HR staff were 44

54 the key to the future success of the HRIS and the ability to create, apply and extend knowledge promoted the success of the organization. In regard to the assessment of the impact of Human Resource Information Systems on Human Resource Management Service Delivery, the findings revealed that due to the availability of the HRIS, staff and management expectations were beginning to be realized, the HRIS had improved the HR functions at the organizations, the HRIS helped with forecasting staffing needs, HRIS improved the data maintenance process and HRIS improved the data input process. Likewise, the HRIS improved the training process, eliminated procrastination of HR functions, there was there was cost saving on the HR functions, HRIS improved the ability to disseminate information, provided increased levels of useful information and the information generated from the HRIS increased coordination between the HR department and top administrators. From the findings several challenges were pointed out among which included inadequate funds, inadequate knowledge, lack of applications/solutions for HR users, lack of expertise(s) in IT to operate the HRIS, insufficient financial support, problems with time management of the HRIS implementation process and the need to work with other departments. Likewise, lack of information technology (IT) support, unavailability of suitable HRIS or software, difficulty in changing the organization s culture, fear of changing the way staff do things, the HRIS not being perceived as an advantage, lack of commitment and involvement by all employees and lot of paper work that is difficult to computerize undermined the achievement of the full potential of HRIS. 45

55 Some of the strategies put forward to counteract the challenges were ensuring that the sources of funds to cover the costs of setting up and maintaining a HRIS, mobilization of financial resources, support from top management, training of staff on how to operate HRIS, staff attitude change towards the HRIS, sourcing for the required expertise(s) and timeliness during the implementation stage 5.4 Recommendations In light of the research findings, the following recommendations were proposed: i) From the results it was clear that strengthening Human Resource Information Systems helped improve Human Resource Management Service Delivery, therefore the Fund should draw much emphasis on strengthening Human Resource Information System implementation and use as a means of achieving efficiency and effectiveness in the in service delivery. It is therefore pertinent that Managerial staff are given the much needed competence skills in staff care and service, change management, decision making, diversity management and leadership and teamwork. ii) From the findings it was revealed that inadequate funds/insufficient financial support undermined the adoption to the HRIS by the organizations. Therefore, the managements of the different organizations to ensure proper HRIS implementation and achieving the benefits of HRIS, should carry out a lot of benchmarking from organizations that are already operating the HRIS and seek advise on how to effectively carry cost effective HRIS implementation. 46

56 iii) Likewise, adoption of HRIS can be hindered through inadequate knowledge and expertise(s) in IT to operate the HRIS. Here, the organizations should identify the right staff and undertake them through HRIS development training as a means of imparting knowledge and skills that are desirable for the operation of the HRIS. iv) From the finds, it was revealed that problems with time management of the HRIS implementation process undermined the adoption of the HRIS. Therefore, managements of the organizations should set feasible timelines during HRIS implementation and stick to implementation schedule as a means of ensuring time management. Where setbacks are encountered, reviews should be make to streamline the process other bringing the implementation process to a halt. v) The finding also revealed that lack of information technology (IT) support and unavailability of suitable HRIS or software posed as hindrances to HRIS adoption and implementation. Therefore, identification of the required ICT hardware and software in important as this will provide easier means of HRIS implementation and functioning. vi) There is also need to cause attitude change according to the incoming changes in the organization as a means of gaining acceptance from staff and also enhancing commitment and involvement of staff. This could be achieved through effective communication, where the change message is communicated consistently and provision of feedback is made for the users. vii) The findings revealed the lack of effective and integrated communication and adequate support from top management. This calls for management to ensure that well integrated communication system that provides for feedback from both the 47

57 internal and external customers is up and operational as this will provide a channel within which to assess the performance of the organization through internal customer responses. 5.5 Areas for further study i) This study concentrated on improving Human Resource Management services delivery through information technology in selected organisations. Future research should attempt to collect data from all the organisations in the sector. ii) To study the true nature of the association between Human Resource Management services delivery and Human Resource Information Systems, a longitudinal study is more appropriate. iii) Other variables other than Human Resource Management services delivery should be used to predict Human Resource Information Systems. 48

58 REFERENCES Awazu, Yukika & Desouza, Kevin C. (2003). Knowledge Management. HRMagazine. 48(11), 107. Ball, Kirstie S. (2001). The Use of Human Resource Information Systems: a Survey. Personnel Review. 30(6), Florkowski, G. and Olivas-Luja n, M.R. (2006), Diffusion of information technology innovations in human resource service delivery: a cross-country comparison, Personnel Review, Vol. 35 No. 6, pp Inspector of Government Audit Report ( ) Kovach, Kenneth A, Hughes, Allen A., Fagan, Paul, & Maggitti, Patick. (2002). Administrative and Strategic Advantages of HRIS. Employment Relations Today. 29( 2) Kovach, Kenneth A. & Cathcart, Jr., Charles E. (1999). Human Resource Information Systems (HRIS): Providing Business with Rapid Data Access, Information Exchange and Strategic Advantage. Public Personnel Management. 28( 2), Lengnick-Hall, M.L. and Moritz, S. (2003), The impact of e-hr on the human resource management function, Journal of Labor Research, Vol. 24, pp Lengnick-Hall, Mark L. & Moritz, Steve. (2003). The Impact of e-hr on the Human Resource Management Function. Journal of Labor Research. 24( 3), Malaria Consortium Annual Report, 2008 Mayfield, J., Mayfield, M., & Lunce, S. (2003). Human Resource Information Systems: A Review and Model Development. Advances in Competitiveness Research. 11( 1), Ngai E. W. T. and Wat F. K. T (2004) Human resource information systems a review and empirical analysis Mayfield M., Mayfield J., Lunce S., Human resource information systems: a review and model development, Advances in Competitiveness Research 11, 2003,

59 NWSC, the annual report of Ordónez de Pablos Patricia (2004) Human resource management systems and their role in the development of strategic resources: empirical evidence PPDA Annual Report (2008) Public service report of Rue l, H.J.M., Bondarouk, T.V. and Looise, J.C. (2004), E-HRM: Innovation or Irritation? An Exploration of Web-Based Human Resource Management in Large Companies, Purdue University Press/Lemma Publishers, Utrecht. Ruel, H.J.M. and Bondarouk, T.V. (2008), Exploring the relationship between e-hrm and HRM effectiveness: lessons learned from three companies, in Martin, G., Reddington, Strohmeier, S. (2006), Coping with contradictory consequences of e-hrm, Proceedings of the First European Academic Workshop on Electronic Human Resource Management, Enschede, The Netherlands, October Targowski, Andrew S & Deshpanade, Satish P. (2001). The Utility and Selection of an HRIS. Advances in Competitive Research. 9 (1) Walker, Alfred J. (2001). How the Web and Other Trends are Changing Human Resources. In Alfred J. Walker, ed., Web-Based Human Resources. New York: McGraw-Hill, Watson Wyatt. (2002). e-hr: Getting Results Along the Journey 2002 Survey Report. Watson Wyatt Worldwide. 50

60 APPENDIX I MAKERERE UNIVERSITY BUSINESS SCHOOL QUESTIONNAIRE This is a research on the topic Improving Human Resource Management Services Delivery through Information Technology: A Case of Selected Organizations. You have been carefully selected as a respondent to this questionnaire because I believe the information that you will provide will be very useful in enabling me realize the objectives of my study. The information you avail in this questionnaire will be used for strictly academic purposes and confidentiality will be ensured. I highly appreciate the fact that you have taken time to fill in this questionnaire. Thank you very much. PARTA: GENERAL INFORMATION 1. What is your gender? Male (1) Female (2) 2. How long have you been an employee of the organisation? Less than 1 year 2 3 yrs 4 5 yrs 6 10 yrs Above 10 yrs 3. What is the level of management at the Organization? Senior Manager Middle Manager Supervisor Officer Below Officer 4. Highest level of education you have attained? Certificate Diploma Degree Masters Professional PhD Other 5. Age of Respondent 51

61 25-30 yrs yrs yrs Above 51 yrs Section A: Please indicate the extent to which you agree with the statements below regarding the critical human resource information systems required for effective human resource management service delivery (SD- Strongly Disagree, D- Disagree, N- Not Sure, A- Agree and SA- Strongly Agree) Statement SD D N A SA The staff in HR department possess the required competencies to operate the HRIS The quality of services offered by our staff has improved as a result of the use of the HRIS with the availability of the HRIS, our senior management team is effective in decision making As a result of the combined knowledge and skills on the HRIS, HR staff s performance is good At our organisation, management identifies the critical management and specialist competencies required to operate the HRIS so as to meet the demands of the clients To be effective, the management of our organisation has reverted to the use of the HRIS to ensure efficient service delivery At our organization, the core competencies of the HRIS are clearly defined The management of our organisation ensures that the competencies required by HR staff are adequate and appropriate At our organization, competent HR staff are the key to the future success of the HRIS At our organization, competent HR staff offer the HRIS its only sustainable competitive advantage The ability to create, apply and extend knowledge at our organization has promoted the success of the organization Section B: Please indicate the extent to which you agree with the statements below regarding the human resource information systems on human resource management service delivery (SD- Strongly Disagree, D- Disagree, N- Not Sure, A- Agree and SA- Strongly Agree) Statement SD D N A SA As a result of the availability of the HRIS, the staff are satisfied with HR services delivered to them by the HR department Due to the availability of the HRIS, staff and management expectations were met Our HRIS has improved the HR functions at our organisations Our HRIS has helped with forecasting staffing needs Our HRIS has improved the data maintenance process Our HRIS has improved the data input process Our HRIS has improved the training process Our HRIS has eliminated procrastination of HR functions Our HRIS has decreased the time spent on communicating information within our institution As a result of our HRIS, there is timeliness in the processing of HR services As a result of our HRIS, there is cost saving on the HR functions

62 Our HRIS has improved our ability to disseminate information Our HRIS has provided increased levels of useful information The information generated from our HRIS has increased coordination between HR department and top administrators Our HRIS has made our HR decision-making more effective Our HRIS has made the HR department more important to the institution Overall our administration thinks that HRIS is effective in meeting strategic goals The information generated from our HRIS has improved the strategic decision making of top administrators The information generated from our HRIS has made HR a more strategic partner in the institution Our HRIS has promoted our institution s competitive advantage Section C: Please indicate the extent to which you agree with the statements below regarding the challenges of adopting human resource information systems (SD- Strongly Disagree, D- Disagree, N- Not Sure, A- Agree and SA- Strongly Agree) Statement SD D N A SA The high cost of setting up and maintaining a HRIS hinders the adoption of a HRIS Inadequate funds is a barrier to HRIS adoption Lack of support from top management is a barrier to achieving the full potential of HRIS Inadequate knowledge in implementing the system hinders HRIS adoption The lack of applications/solutions for HR users undermines HRIS adoption Lack of expertise(s) in IT to operate the HRIS undermines achieving the full potential of HRIS Insufficient financial support for the HRIS hinders effective HRIS adoption Problems with time management of the HRIS implementation process undermines HRIS adoption The need to work with other departments constrains adoption of HRIS adoption The lack of information technology (IT) support undermines HRIS adoption No suitable HRIS or software may hinder HRIS adoption Difficulty in changing the organization s culture hinders achieving the full potential of HRIS The fear of changing the way staff do things, hinders HRIS adoption The HRIS not being perceived as an advantage at all hinders achieving the full potential of HRIS Lack of commitment and involvement by all employees hinders achieving the full potential of HRIS As a result of a lot of paper work that is difficult to computerize, achieving the full potential of HRIS is undermined Section D: Please indicate the extent to which you agree with the statements below regarding the strategies to introduce, maintain and effective utilization of HRIS (SD- Strongly Disagree, D- Disagree, N- Not Sure, A- Agree and SA- Strongly Agree) Statement SD D N A SA In order to ensure effective implementation of the HRIS, the sources of funds to cover the costs of setting up and maintaining a HRIS should be identifies

63 There should be mobilization of financial resources required to setup the HRIS Support from top management is important in achieving the full potential of HRIS There should be training of staff on how to operate and appreciate the HRIS There should be attitude change among staff as a means of embracing the HRIS Sourcing for the required expertise(s) in IT to operate the HRIS enhances the effectiveness of the HRIS Time management should be observed at the implementation stage of the HRIS Stakeholder involvement at different stages of the implementation process improves the efficiency of the HRIS There should be adequate information technology (IT) support for effective HRIS performance The suitable HRIS or software should availed in order to achieve the full potential of HRIS Efforts to align staff perceptions about the advantages of the HRIS enhances the acceptance of the HRIS In order to realized the benefits of the HRIS, there should be commitment and involvement by all employees To ensure successful performance at the HRIS, the management should set realistic deadlines In order to enhance the performance of the HRIS, there is focus on set goals Following a standardized process has done a lot in improving the effectiveness of the HRIS Management should enable better integration of the HRIS activities in order to improve the effectiveness of the organization In order to strengthen the effectiveness of the HRIS, there should be an effort to ensure proper record keeping As a result of seeking simplicity and not complexity in goal and path, the HRIS has progressed rapidly