The Effect of Human Resource Information System on Strategic Human Resource Management in Organizations; A Case of University of Dar es Salaam Computing Center.
Abstract
Description
UDCC Ltd is an IT company wholly owned by UDSM. The company has been using available data from HRIS to
formulate its short-term and long term strategies. But for the past three financial years 2008/2009, 2009/2010
and 2010/2011 the company failed to achieve its goals consecutively by reporting loses from its business lines.
Considering this situation for the company not achieving its goals that might be associated with other factors,
the study was an endeavor to assess the “effect of using Human Resource Information Systems (HRIS) in
Strategic Human Resource Management (SHRM) in organizations. The study was guided by three specific
objectives. The first specific objective was to determine the degree to which HRIS contribute in formulating
Strategic HR activities. The second specific objective was to assess the degree to which HRIS contribute
towards the achievement of organizational goals, and the third specific objective was to establish the degree
to which HRIS can be used in supporting Strategic HR activities in organizations. The study used descriptive
and diagnostic design approach, were all 50 management staff was selected purposively out of 196 staff at
UDCC Ltd. A structured questionnaire was used as the principal data collection instrument. It was found that
96% of the respondents reported that HRIS can be used to support, Organizational design, Staffing, Rewards,
benefits and compliances and performance management, this was followed by 94% of the respondents who
reported that HRIS can be used to support Human Resource Planning, while 92% of the respondents reported
that HRIS can be used in supporting Training and development, Communication and public Relations in
organizations. 100% of respondents agreed HRIS to be used in organizations in managing Human Resource
strategically. Also the findings indicated 94% of the respondents reported that HRIS contribute to productivity
as HR-based Strategy, while 92% of the respondents reported that HRIS contribute in organizational strategies,
quality and services, based on HRM, and 90% reported that HRIS contribute in linking HR-Planning strategy for
competitive advantage. The findings did not indicate if HRIS was the factor that made UDCC Ltd not to achieve
its goals for three years consecutively. Furthermore, It was noted the study that, most of the Managers (74%)
at UDCC Ltd are not trained in HRM, and an average of 30 % of managers do not participate in HR Functions.
The researcher recommended that the Management of the UDCC Ltd should realize that HRIS was not a factor
that made it not to achieve its goals for three years consecutively; instead it has to consider other factors of
production. Also it was recommended that the management of the UDCC Ltd, should develop a policy for
training those managers promoted or recruited without HR skills in HRM so as to equip them with necessary
skills on managing people within the organization., and the Management of UDCC Ltd should apply
participatory management were all managers should be involved in human resource functions
Keywords
Human Resource Information System: Organizations