Pros and Cons of Electronic Human Resource Management - Term Paper Example

Management Student’s Name: Instructor: Course Code and Name: Institution: Date the Assignment is due: Introduction One of the most important areas in organizations where technology is being used today is the Human Resources function. Within the Human Resource section, the earliest manifestation of technology at work was automation of the payroll operations departments. Later, many new technological applications have been merged with existing processes. Some of these technological changes involve use of e-HRM and Closed Circuit TV (CCTV). The main aim of e-HRM is to increase efficiency in administration through improvement in provision of human resource services. On the other hand, CCTV is a cheap and important technological tool for monitoring behavior as well as maintaining proper control over employees. Electronic Human Resource Management (e-HRM) refers to a technological system that makes it easy for real-time communication to take place. The communication process made possible by e-HRM and CCTV can be very beneficial to a company if handled well. It can facilitate transmission of information in an environment of self-service and interactivity. The term e-HRM started being used in the 1990’s when e-commerce was beginning to be embraced by business players all over the world. Although e-HRM can be very beneficial to an organization, it can have negative effects too. There are many theoretical considerations that need to be analyzed and assessed in order for the potential benefits of e-HRM to be identified. Benefits of an e-HRM and CCTV system 1. Transformative effect Some organizations have successfully adopted the e-HRM and CCTV technology in recent times. They are using the technology as a platform for improving the manner in which HR processes are conducted. This allows access to employees by managers to be easier, leading to better decision support. However, many organizations are yet to realize that if put to proper use, e-HRM can facilitate the process of transforming existing HR processes in order to make them more effective (Lengnick-Hall 2003 p. 47). Once the transformation process into e-HRM and CCTV systems has been facilitated, an organization benefits from reduced costs as well as improvement in the quality of services offered ((Ashton 2001 p. 112). 2. Enhancement effect Enhancement is the process of introducing new functionality into existing systems. Examples of areas of enhancement include improved integration, self-service and reporting. However, this approach is often intended to bring about an evolutionary effect to the entire HRM model. It is best applied in organizations whose HRM functions are operating in a transitory mode. Concerning the use of CCTV, organizations benefit from accuracy in the HR process of appraising employees. CCTV technology often requires to be enhanced in order to go with the changing times in terms of improvement in technology and social concerns. 3. Replication effect In replication, the content and functions of the HRM system that already exists are simply recreated in a manner that resembles an overhaul of the information technology operations of the company. This is normally done when the existing technology has become outdated and obsolete. For instance, it does not make sense to restructure the payroll services of a company. All that is required is to replicate the functions and implement them using the latest technology. The greatest benefits of e-HRM can be achieved if transformational processes are pursued. However, problems arise when the term ‘transformation’ is being defined. This leads to misuse of the term. Weick, Sutcliffe, & Obstfeld, (2005 p. 411) define transformation as “ the process of reinventing and recreating HR functions, much in the same way in which restructuring and re-engineering tasks are done, leading to implementation of new systems or new models of HR service delivery such as co-sourcing and outsourcing, in order to enhance the contribution of HR to business”. Negative effects of e-HRM 1. Lack of synchrony between an understanding of core domains of technology vs. power relations Transforming the HR function is not just about understanding the core domains of new e-HRM systems, it is also about maintaining sustainable power relations between different stakeholders in the ‘people management’ process. When attitudes towards new technologies is not properly moderated, nothing much can be achieved in the human resource department. Unfortunately, this is the main problem that many organizations are facing today. A sudden introduction of CCTV camera may make workers become suspicious that the management is interfering with their privacy. If the company is not having problems with drug abuse, improper heavier or smoking among some employees, the level of resistance to installation of these cameras might be high. In this case, workers may oppose any decision by the management to appraise them through information gathered using CCTV. 2. Software capability vs. organizational ability In almost all cases, the capability of software is always ahead of the ability by managers to take advantage of this capability. For this reason, the operators of the technology become overwhelmed by it. When they are overwhelmed, they cannot use it objectively. Although time is needed in order for organizations to understand that capability of software, few managers are willing to spend much time on intricate details of how the transformation process will take place. This way, the organization fails in its effort to effectively use the new and emerging e-HRM technologies. 3. Lack of a frame of reference among line managers and HR managers In most cases, discussions about technology between HR managers and line managers in many organizations end up in failure because there is not frame of reference or language for both groups to discuss the capabilities of e-HRM products. This happens mostly in companies with a weak HR capability, in which case enhancement and replication strategies are likely to be adopted at the expense of transformational ones. If such confusion arises midway in the process of implementing an e-HRM strategy, morale of workers may be lowered. Workers may not understand why the company has backtracked on a noble objective of embracing new technology. Ways of managing different aspects of e-HRM E-recruitment is one of the ways of executing an e-HRM strategy. If properly managed, it can lead to reduction in the size and number of job adverts that an organization places in the print media. Online job advertisements become a better alternative such that applicants only need to visit the company’s website and apply through an effective online process. According to a recent research, seven out of ten employers are advertizing their vacancies through their own corporate websites today, while four in ten organizations are using job boards. Additionally, 73% of these companies claimed to have reduced costs significantly through e-recruitment. In E-selection online tests are prepared and given to applicants in order to determine those who will be shortlisted for the final interview. The screening process saves the recruiters a lot of time such that they do not have to read through thousands of application letters. The best way of understanding both e-selection and e-learning is to consider process technology and human capital technology. In process technology, the most important thing is enhancement on the way operations are carried out. In human capital technology, emphasis is on cost-reduction, succession planning, skill profiling, reward planning and performance management. In e-performance management, there is need for the best strategies to be put in place for the transformation process to take place smoothly. E-performance lies at the heart of two core elements of an e-HRM landscape namely, strategic and operational elements (Attewell 1987 p. 331). The manager has to keep watch over the precarious balance that exists between information and automation, especially in companies with weak e-HRM structures. For these companies, information is needed for the best strategies to be drawn. On the other hand, automation is necessary for the company to continue overseeing continuity and efficiency of operations. Companies that have successfully put e-HRM systems in place face the risk of accumulating a wealth of information that is not being used for transformational purposes. This can happen if HR managers and line managers lack the understanding of the transformative effects of the enormous information that the company amasses. In this case, the greatest challenge for HRM manager and the chief executive officer is to ensure that technology is not relegated to the position of merely an’ electronic filing cabinet’(Foster 2005 p. 88). Matters of e-compensation require managers of a company to refer to the compensation strategies that have been laid down by the HR department before the process is automated. In this case, a transformational process is not needed. What is needed is replication, just like in the case of payroll services. In case the company in question already has an existing automated compensation program, it may require some enhancement for it to meet the latest e-HRM standards. The main underpinning for this change should be reduction of cost and increase in operational efficiency. Theoretical approaches in e-HRM Deskilling Deskilling is one of the theoretical implications of 20th century technological development in an increasingly capitalistic world. Deskilling refers to the process through which technological developments and division of labor leads to a drastic reduction of a worker’s scope of work, limiting it to only one or several highly specialized tasks. Attewell, 1987, p. 425, presents an argument that was propounded by Harry Braveman, where he argued that capitalism has been degrading and deskilling manpower throughout the 20th century. According to Braveman’s thesis, it was this continued deskilling that has led to the making of a big unskilled proletariat. Alienation Few researchers have focused on the e-HRM and the emerging problem of alienation among workforce. Like all other matters involving people management, alienation may be brought about by different factors, and e-HRM could only be one of them. However, e-HRM strategies have been on the spotlight in recent years because of the way in which they emphasize increased human performance. It is worth noting again here that e-HRM software have capabilities that by far surpass human ability, and ignorant HR managers may insist that the software’s capabilities be used to the fullest. Such use would not necessarily lead to increased productivity and when employees fail to realize their goals after putting in a lot of effort, the feeling of alienation becomes inevitable. Theories of surveillance New perspectives continue to emerge relating to theoretical approaches to surveillance and use of CCTV to monitor the behavior of employees. Different theoretical approaches provide different answers on whether surveillance is necessary in a corporate environment and the purposes it serves in an e-HRM setting. Zimmer (2006 p. 34), refers to the “Surveillance Summer Seminars” that were held in the summer of 2007 in order to assess different theories relating to surveillance, and their impact on organizations and businesses. During these seminars, researchers from different interests and academic backgrounds agreed that there was need for lexicon to be developed in different disciplines in order for the surveillance phenomenon to be defined from as many aspects as possible before a unifying theory was conceptualized. Therefore, managers who are contemplating setting up Closed Circuit TV have to dig through tones of information in areas such as consumer surveillance, criminology, lateral surveillance and counter surveillance, to name but a few areas. The variances in the definition of rights of employees depend on whether one is looking at surveillance technology from a consumer, philosophical, historical, or a sociological theorist’s point of view. In each of these perspectives, a manager will find different reasons for installing CCTVs or not installing them. Change management Transformation from traditional HRM practices to e-HRM must involve some form of change management. Change management theories describe the behaviors of workers in the face of an impending transformation, how the behavior should be managed and more importantly, the best approach to take during e-HRM transformation process. Effective change management entails use of simple principles that ensure that personal attributes of employees receive as much attention as the motivating merits of the new e-HRM strategies that are about to be implemented. The reasons for the change must be communicated to and understood by all stakeholders. This function should be served by the HR department. Change can only be justified if it is measurable, justified and achievable. Justifying a transformation through e-HRM is a challenging thing to do considering the risks of failure that exist as a result of over-emphasis on information at the expense of strategy. It is the responsibility for the manager and not the employees to oversee the implementation of the process of change. John, 1995 p. 45, comes up with an eight-step theoretical model of ensuring that change takes place smoothly. They are: increasing urgency, building a guiding team, getting the vision right communicating for a buy-in, empowering action, creating short-term wins, avoiding let-up and making change stick. Conclusion The process of spearheading the transformation process into the use of e-HRM and CCTV is an exciting one for managers but it is also a task that comes with unique challenges. In order for e-HRM to work best for every company or organization, managers should focus on reduction of cost, saving time and increase in productivity Recommendations 1. Companies should use e-HRM in order to increase efficiency, productivity and generally, improve the way in which people management functions are carried out. 2. The impact of CCTV on employee morale and attitude towards the management of a company should be assessed before these cameras are installed. If employees’ reactions to their installation are positive, their benefits in the HR department will be far-reaching. These benefits include proper resolution of indiscipline cases among employees, ease of employee appraisal and a better understanding of employees’ problems. References Ashton, C. (2001). e-HR: Transforming the HR function. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Attewell, P. 1987. “The Deskilling Controversy”, Work and Occupations, Vol. 14, No. 3, pp. 323-346 Foster, S. 2005. Making Sense of e-HRM: Transformation, Technology and Power Relations. NorthgateArinso: University of Hertfordshire Press. John, K. 1996. Leading Change New York: Harvard Business School Press. Lengnick-Hall, M. 2003. “The impact of e-HR on the human resource management function”, Journal of Labor Research vol 24, no 3. pp. 45-67 Lyon, D. (ed.) 2006. Theorizing Surveillance: The Panopticon and Beyond. Devon: Willan Publishing. Weick, K., Sutcliffe, K. M., & Obstfeld, D. 2005. “Organising and the process of Sense-making”. Organization Science, vol. 16 no.4 pp. 409-421. Read More