CONCLUSION

CONCLUSION

            In conclusion, I realise that there are many types of human resources information systems and these systems have contribute success to many organizations in the world. Information systems can help the organization to save time, cost, and energy in their operations and managements. These systems have provided a large database inventory for the organizations to store and maintain all the information.

            Based on the examples that I used for the three topics, I have deeper understanding on how the systems have transformed the way a company manages its human resource functions. However, not every organization turns out to be successful after implementing the information systems in their operations; it is all depend on how well the organization can utilize it. Therefore, in order to fully utilize these systems, it is important that the management of the organizations to deeply understand how the systems work and how the systems match with the organizations’ objectives.

(Total 153 words).

Performance Management System

Blog 3: Performance Management System

            Performance management (PM) system is an internal organization system which the organization used to manage its employees’ work performance. The system usually will link to the rewards, compensation, payroll, staffing, training and development, and career development processes. In order to get deeper understanding on how the system impacts the company, I have decided to use McDonalds as my example.

            According to McDonalds, PM is the process the managers ensure that their employees’ activities and outputs are consistent with the organization’s goals. It is a continuous process of identifying, measuring, and developing the performance of individuals and teams and aligning performance with the strategic goals of the organization.

            In order to drive high performance culture, McDonalds has designed the Performance Development System (PDS). This system helps to align individual performance goals with the business. Performance evaluations are based on ‘what gets done’ and ‘how it gets done’. The distribution of rewards is based on the employees’ individual performance. The process of performance management in McDonalds starts from developing Individual Performance Plan (IPP). During this stage, the managers will work with the employees to create a IPP to line up their objectives with the business objective for the coming year. The objective should be ‘SMART’ and the employees are responsible for meeting their objectives and documenting their achievements. Next is Individual Development Plan (IDP). IDP focuses on the employee’s job scopes and leadership competencies so that they can success in their current position and future positions. The IDP also recognizes the employees’ career aspirations. After IDP, a midyear review will take place at the end of July each year for the employees and managers to review their year to date performance. Besides, the employees and managers will revise their annual goals based on shifting business priorities.

            The next stage is Year-End Review. The employees submit their accomplishments to their managers during a face-to-face discussion around what the employee has done (75% weighting) and how the employee has done it (25% weighting). Then, the manager will present the employee’s accomplishments at the calibration roundtable and rewards are distributed. Based on the employee’s overall performance, the manager will assess the employee’s readiness for promotion.

            With PDS, in 2007, McDonalds is delivering its strongest business results in the last 30 years. PDS has enabled this success by ensuring individual performance goals are congruent with the business strategy. In 2007, McDonalds’s sales have increased by 40%, and they also experienced an increase of $6 billion in revenues.

(Total 411 words)

References:

1.      Levensaler, L. (October 2007). Driving a High-Performance Culture. McDonald’s Leverages Its Global Performance Management Practices. Bersin and Associates.

2.      Aguinis, K. (2007). Performance Management. Performance Management and Reward Systems in Context, Pearson Prentice Hall.

3.      Kramar, Bartam, et al. (2010). Performance Management. Human Resource Management in Australia, Ed 4, McGraw Hill.

4.      Charles H.F and Renato E.N. (2012). Performance Management, Compensation, Benefits , Payroll, and the Human Resource Information System. Human Resource Information Systems, Second edition, Chapter 14, pp 447.

5.      McDonalds corporate website 2011, http://mcdonalds.com.au/about-us/responsibility

Human Resource Recruiting and Staffing

Blog 2: Human Resource Recruiting and Staffing

            Recruitment is the process to get the right person at the right position in an organization. As compared to those days where people search through newspapers, magazines, or mass media for job vacancies, nowadays, people usually just browse through the internet for it. We can directly search the portal website of a company that we want to work in or search the online job vacancies websites like JobStreet or AsiaPartTime and all the qualifications and job specifications are listed there. Therefore, many organizations started to use online recruiting and staffing tools to help them to hire the best quality employees. These web-based recruitment systems can help the organization to reduce the cost of filling the job opening, increase the speed of filling job vacancies, and also to hire diversity of potential applicants.

            For example, Maybank uses myCareer e-recruitment as its online resource tool for potential candidates to apply for career opportunitis in Maybank group or to maintain their CVs in the Talent Pool. This e-recruitment module has made the job opportunities within the Maybank Group visible to all external candidates. HR Managers within the Maybank Group will access to the personal data of the applicants. Short-listed profiles will then be forwarded to the relevant Line Managers for further consideration and then an automatic online reply will be sent to the chosen candidates for face-to-face interview.

            Moreover, this system enables Maybank to collect and retain the applicants’ information and also to secure their personal data for the purposes of administering and managing applicants’ registration, operating and improving the web site. The myCareer system of Maybank not only allow the management to store data, applicants can keep their CV in Maybank e-Recruitment database too. They can keep their CVs in 2 ways: allow it to be searchable by the managers or not. If the applicants are not yet ready for the job application, they can just keep their CVs in the database which is not accessible by the managers. The applicants can always update or delete their information in the system.

            Another example of HRIS in recruitment and selection tools is Applicant Tracking System which helps to screen for candidates according to the qualifications set by the companies. This system can reduce the screening cycle period when there are too many job applicants in one session. However, in order to well utilize the information systems in the recruitment process, managers have to fully understand how the information systems work and ensure that it congruent to companies’ objectives.

(Total 415 words)

References:

1.      1. Kimberly, M.L., et al. (2012). Recruitment and Selection in an Internet Context. Human Resource Information Systems, 2^nd edition, Chapter 12, pp 370-385.

2.      2. Simon, S.D. (2010). Picking the Best Apple: Selection Tools for Recruitment. 

3.      3. Braddy, P.W. , Meade, A.W., and Kroustalis, C.M. (2008). Online recruiting: The effects of organizational familiarity, website usability, and website attractiveness on viewers’ impressions of organizations. Computers in Human Behavior, 24, 2992-3001.

4.      4. Maybank Data Privacy Statement for myCareer e-Recruitment website:
http://mycareer.maybank.com.my/sap(bD1lbiZjPTgxMA==)/bc/bsp/sap/z_bsp_erc_l dpg/zPrivacy_Statement.htm

5. Maybank myCareer FAQs website: http://mycareer.maybank.com.my/sap(bD1lbiZjPTgxMA==)/bc/bsp/sap/z_bsp_erc_lndpg/zfaqs.htm 

Information and Competitive Advantages

Blog 1 : Information and Competitive Advantages

Organizations always seek for competitive advantages in an industry in order to take over competitors in some measures such as cost, quality, or speed as it can determine the success or failure of a company (Porter and Millar, 1985 and Porter, 1996). Hence, a strategic information system can help the organizations to gain competitive advantage through its contribution to the organizations’ strategic goals and its ability to significantly increase the organizations’ performances and productivities.

            Cost leadership, differentiation strategy, innovation strategy, and alliance strategy are the five competitive strategies commonly practice by the organization to gain competitive advantages. I will take Air Asia as my example. Cost leadership means produce products or services at the lowest price in the industry by increasing the prices of competitors and helping customers or suppliers to reduce their costs. Air Asia has been known as the low cost carrier airline in the world. It has less management level, effective, focused, and aggressive management. It also uses single type fleet to minimize its maintenance fee and easy for pilot dispatch.

            Secondly, differentiation strategy means the firm differentiates its products or services from its competitors. It usually focuses on a particular segment of its market. For example, Air Asia differentiates its business from the traditional Low Cost Carrier model by adding customer services or operation as full service airline with low fare.

            Next, innovative strategy means that the firm produces unique products or services which bring radical changes to the business processes. For example, Air Asia offering a wide and innovative range of distribution channels to make booking and travelling easier. Customers can book their air tickets through Air Asia official websites, during Matta Fair, or at any Air Asia kiosk in the shopping complexes.

            Furthermore, growth strategy helps o obtain competitive advantages too. It enables the companies to expand their capacity to produce, expand their business into global markets and diversify into new products or services. For example, Air Asia is using the Computer Reservation System (CRS) suit powered by Navitaire’s Open Skies technology to facilitate its reservation and inventory system. This has satisfied the needs of AirAsia in implementing a low-cost business model to transform the business process to efficiently streamline its operations and helped AirAsia to grow from 2 million passengers to 7.7 millionpassengers in less than two years (Tony Fernandes, CEO, AirAsia).

            Lastly, AirAsia also uses alliance strategy to gain its competitive advantages. I found a news article reported in Singapore on Business Times, titled: AirAsia-Expedia alliance to tap Asia travel mart (Monday, October 22, 2012). Under the alliance, passengers can also book AirAsia and AirAsia X flights on the Expedia website. This partnership will give Expedia exclusive third-party distribution rights for AirAsia and AirAsiaX flights and travel packages, giving the carrier a wider distribution reach.

(Total 463 words)

References:

1.     1. Mahmood Hemmatfar, Mahdi Salehi, and Marziyeh Bayat. (2010). Competitive Advantages and Strategic Information Systems. International Journal of Business and Management, Vol. 5, No. 7, pp. 162.

2.      2. Strategic Information Systems for Competitive Advantage. IT in the Organization, Part 1, Chapter 3, pp. 92.

3.      3. Pui Man, W. (2009). Project Studies – Enabling Technology in Airline Industry. Professional Diploma Program in Logistics and Supply Chain Management. AirAsia.com, pp. 4, 7, 8, and 10.

4.      4. Sandy, H.A. (10 April, 2005). Might of Air Asia: Internal Analysis perspective. Strategic Management Individual Assignment. Melbourne, Faculty of Economics and Commerce, University of Melbourne.

5. News at Btimes website: http://www.btimes.com.my/Current_News/BTIMES/articles/aaexpedia/Article/index_html  

Introduction

INTRODUCTION

            Optimistic, calm, confident, stubborn, and indecisive are best describing me. I usually spend my time listening to music, movies, and sports. I dream to travel to Europe, Taiwan and Hong Kong. I am still ambiguous in choosing my career path for my future but I would like to specialize in one field. I chose Human Resource Development as my undergraduate course because there is not much choice offered by the local universities for art courses. I am not really interested to work in company. However, when time comes, I’ll just suit myself with the trend. 

            I am very glad that throughout the past 2 years, I have learnt a lot of knowledge and skills including how to conduct a training session in this course. I am looking forward to learn more new things before I step into the world of working. This can help me to become more competitive in the job market.

(Total 152 words)