Human Resources and Information Technology

AN IHONY M. TOWNSEND Iowa Slate University, Ames. lA 500/1 JAMES T. BENNETT Mason Univer.siiy. l-airfax. VA 22030
1 luman RL'SOLUCC Management (HRM) is often charaelcri/ed. both by some of its practitioiicrs as well as by outsiders, as a "soft" oi- nonlechnical profession. Since most orguni/atinnal members intcracl with HRM throttgli training programs, policy semirutrs, etc.. their sense of ihc profession is sliaped by this limited exposttrc to what the profession truly enlails. The parts of Ihe profession thai the organi/aiional members do na\ see. sueh as seleetion systetn devclopnienl and eompensalion administration, ate qtiantitati\ely complex aetivities ihal require substantial comptilatioiial rcsotnee support. The citiantitative complexity ofthe prolessioii, cotipled with Its responsibility lor etiormous record-keeping, has made (he HRM titnction an early and aggressive adoplei' of information technologies. Indeed, sotne oi' the earliest installations of niaiii-fraine computers were dedicated to HRM. often to the exclusion of "pront-generalitig" areas ofthe enterprise. HRM (along with accotinling) frequently has ihc lotigesl history of ittlorinalion technology (IT) experience in an oigani/alion and eonlinties to be a leader in the implenientatioii and use of IT. Otii' goal in ihis symposiiuii is to provide iiisighi Into the current state of HRM/lf with a series of ait ides ihat piovide elear dcscriplions of coiileniporary HF<M/iT implementations and that diseuss ftiture challenges and opportunities that HR professionals will confront. Mark l-engnick-Iiall and Steve Morit/ offer a eompi'ehensive overview- of how technology affects HRM in their study, "fhe Impact of e-HR on the Human Resotiree Management Funetiou." In addition to giving au excellent sense of the pervasive presence of IT in the HRM ftuiciioii, they articulate a patleiu of increasing [H)n-HF<M employees' iiivolvcmeut wilh HRM systems. Alter pnn'itliug some histoiical backgtound, I.eugnick-Hall and Morilz then foctis on the impact of the web interface ou coutemporary HRM/IT piaetiees. 'fhey theu describe three key phases in the use of web-based HRM: ftrst, a period when the web iuterface was used to provide iuformation (a oue-way dissemination of poliey guideliues, benefits program iuforitiati()u, ele.): seeond. a continuing evolution of HR/I'f loward the automatiou of HRM proccdtuvs, where bcHh non-HRM mauagers aud employees generate sysleni Inputs aud iiitei-ael wilh it; and flually, a eoutiuuing trausformatiou of the HRM futiction. whereby the iuereasiug pervasiveness of HRM (thi'otigh ils web-enabled technology) creates new opportunities for the HRM function U > provide greater \altie to the ot'gaui/ation.
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JOURNAL OK LABOR RLSLARCH

y I lendrickson discusses the ctitreiit state of f(}riital HuinaEi Resoiuve Inforin;ition Systems (HRIS) in ""IlLmutn Resotirec Information Systems: Baekhoiie TeehiKilogy of Conteiiiptiriiiy Human Resources." In addition (o reviewing contempoiaiy capabilities of HRIS systems yenerally. Heiidnckson also addresses the dilfering HKIS needs t>l" tlitferent sized Digani/ations and creates a fiantevvoik for elTeetive sysieiii development for these ditferenl HRM enviit)nmenls. In addition lo prodticing a taxonomy of HRIS. Hendrickson discusses s(Mne ofthe tcehnical ehallenges for HRIS as II is tasked to enahle self-serviee HRM. Along with Lengnick-Hall and Morit/. Hendrickson Linderscores the importance ol' providing individual employees with significantly moie [leisonali/ed service, while simiiltiineonsly plaeing the responsibility l\ir record maintenance on individual employees, HeiiJrickson also highlights an important tippoiitinity lor HR.M: The human resources funclion. by dint of its hroad organizational presenee and its sophistieated IT. is unit|tiely positioned to become the enabler oC knowledge-management systems throtighout the organi/ittioti. In an era when so much ofthe HRM function is being outsiiureetl, leadeislti|5 in knowledge management may prove to be an important role for in-house HRM iirolessionals. many oj' whom are bt)tb n-sav\y and well-trained in the organi/ational ilevelopntcitt processes neeessary lor suceessful knowledge-managemeni systent operatioTis. While Ihese first two artieles address H R M / l f in terms of the entire HRM function, the next two artieles examine specific HRM [iractices and the technologies that stipport iheTu. In "The RiTects of Information Technology on Reeruitmeni." Pailnidyal Singh and Dale Finn examine how new inltirmation leeltnologies have affeeted effective personnel recruiiment and ihe recruiling fnnction generally. Chief among iheir observations are the piofotind impaci that web technologies have had on organi/alions" etficiency in successfully tecruiting employees. Interestingly. Singh and Finn noie ihe eontinuing importance of traditional sourees of lecruiting (i.e.. Joh fairs, elassitled ads. ele.) in s|iite ol' the burgeoning ini|)ortance oi a vaiiciy of web-based leeruilment loi ums. Wbile the v\eh-hase<.l technologies ctintinue to co-exisi with seveial tiadiliiinal reeruliing tools. Singh and Finn nole their pronotinccd impact on the organi/ational struetures and processes that utilize them. In particular. Singh and Finn observe bow (bese tecbnologies ex[)and tbe relevant labor market and |iotentially shift ntucit of the recruiting function "out of house." While reciuiting may be evolving towanl yet anolber outsourced HRM fuiiclioii. performance appraisal inallerably remains an in-honse funetion. In "High Tech and I ligh Performance: Managing Appraisal in the Information Age." .lanice Miller examines the inipaet of W on performanee management. Miller develops a eomprehensive argument for a syslemic change in performance management as a result of IT. v\ herein I f nol only facilitates the athiiinisttation ofthe performance appraisal process, but also provides tools and inloiniation I'or tbe daily managemeni and development of em|iloyoe resources. Historically. HRM practice has recommeiuled thai performance appraisal be a part ofthe day-lo-tlay management of perl'ormanee. hut practical limitations of |ia[K'r-hased systems have always inhibited Ihe reali/atioTi of ihat goal. Because II systems can be designed to pr<icess |>erlomiance infoimation on a real-time basis, they

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ean also provide managers and employees with virtually immediate perfonnance feedback, both by rapidly processing traditional perfonnance information, as well as through computer monitoring of work processes. In addition lo providing perf<.>rmance information, newer systems also integrate perforttiance development processes into the performanee management system, creating exeeptional opportunities for individual performance improvement. Onr own pieee on the changing eontext of employment law underseores the rapid organizational evolntion that has occurred as a result of ihe introduction ol' these and other technologies in the woi'kplace. In "Information 'leehnology and Etiiployitient Law: Challettges in an Evolving Workplace." we advance the central thesis that information technologies have irrevocably changed the natnre of work, the structure of orgaitizations. and the relationship between employee and employer, .luxtaposed against this eontinuing transformation, we see a body (.)f empkiyment law predicated (*n organizational foi'tns prevalent at the beginning ofthe hist centnry. Consequently, we examine the inadequacy ofthe lit between employment law and contemporary t)rganizati(>ns by examitting the definitiotts that undergird etnployment law (speeilleally the detlnition of the bargaining unit and of tbe employee/employer relationship) and then build on this critique to examine the policy goals of employment law given Ihe modern employment context. As we developed our analysis, it beeame elear that the poor lit between the law and contemporary organizational reality creates not only problems of enforeeability, bul also codifies an industrial-age set of employee/employer relationships that is inappropriate for contemporary, post-industrial organizational realities. Taken together, these ftve article.s paini a picture of HRM that is very different from our earlier-noted stereotype; what we see instead is a teehno-eentric profession that is both an early adopter of technology, as well as a leader in new technology development. While it is always interesting to debunk a .stereotype attd challenge conventional wisdom, what is more significant about ihis seiies of articles is how they underscore the importance of effective Fl-enabled HRM to organizatitiiial success. Well-trained and motivated lumian resources confer a key strategic advantage to knowledge-based organizations, and good HRM makes these resources possible. Fortunately for both HRM professionals, as well as the organi/ations thai they serve, new generations of informati(ni technologies provide the tools to deliver HRM commensurate with organizational needs.