How ICT Tools Can Enhance Human Resources Management Essays

How ICT Tools Can Enhance Human Resources Management Essays How ICT Tools Can Enhance Human Resources Management Essay How ICT Tools Can Enhance Human Resources Management Essay The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate that Human Resource Management can be enhanced through Information Communication Technology. Research has shown that when companies adopt CT, it provided many positive benefits to the organization, such as improvement in communication, sharing of information, linking different arms of an organization and reduces the burden place on the Human Resources Department Businesses today are face with significant challenges, and as society develop, technology will develop. We live in an information age, no longer personnel data are store manually, but are inventories in software system and cloud technology. Therefore, technology provides the opportunity for enormous potential for business to grow and manage human resources effectively and efficiency thought Information Communication Technology (Sits). Sits have enhanced the way how business are run and thus have provided significant returns, through managing of human resources in organization. However develop countries have manage to integrate Sits in all area of business, while develop countries are still lagging behind. In Guyana, which is a developing country, the Ministry of Natural Resources Environment, has not attain that level of integration. Though, every employee has a desktop computer to send correspondences to peer and management, the Ministry is yet to catch up with the Information Communication Technology (Sits) tools that is used in develop country to enhance it human resource. The paper offers an opinion to the following questions: How can a human resources information system (HAIR) support HER managers in the Ministry of Natural Resources the Environment and the agencies under it purview. Information communication technology (SITS) Information and Communication technology generally refers to permanent the networks, which link them, (Magnusson and Martini 2008). Literature has traditionally suggested different perspectives or aspects of Sits that must be considered in their study (Brady et al. , 2002). From an economic and management view- point, Sits have been regarded as: (1) a social construction; (2) an information provider; (3) an infrastructure hardware and software; and (4) a business process and system Today, Sits must be conceived broadly to encompass the information that businesses create and use, as well as the wide spectrum of increasingly convergent and linked technologies that process that information. Therefore, Sits an be viewed as a collective term for a wide range of software, hardware, al. , 2002). Information Communication and Technology has changed the way how business conduct, no longer do companies have to allocate a lot of resources being human resources, accounting and payroll, cause all are working in harmony and integrated. It has resulted has an effective tool that can be incorporated in organizations in ensuring rationalization and transformation of human resource development. In this case, CIT in human resource department ensures that the resources of the organizations are readily accessible by the managers and employees f the organization. Government entities are an important and strategic environment, which are usually plagued with traditional management style, rigid Human Resource policies and bureaucratic organizational models, which are usually hesitant to fully integrate CIT in its day-to-day affairs. Therefore it is imperative to understand how the Human Resource systems can be enhanced through the use of Information and Communication Technologies (Sits). 1. HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT According to Armstrong (2009), Human resources management was recently defined s a strategic, integrated and coherent approach to the employment, development and well-being of the people working in organizations T covers activities such as strategic human resources management, human capital management, corporate social responsibility, organization development, human resource planning, recruitment and selection, performance management. Modern businesses have incorporated Information and communication technologies (ACT) in their operations, an incentive which is performed to see the business improve on such aspects including performance, efficiency, effectiveness and customer satisfaction. Nevertheless, CIT is not only incorporated in business organizations but also in public organizations as well as non-governmental organizations. The Ministry of Natural Resources Environment for instance comprises of several agencies, which need to be connected in order for efficiency to take place, lack of integrated information technology system will result in the HER department being burden with software solution, which enables HER activities to be processed electronically. Initially, an organization needs to determine the cost benefit analysis of the CIT project before implementing such software. Cost Benefit Analysis (CAB) entails a systematic approach that organizations incorporate to calculate and compare the benefits as well as the costs of a certain project. Cost benefit analysis is generally carried out for two major reasons, which include ensuring that the project to be implemented is feasible and the other reason is for comparing projects. Implementation of CIT in organizations has not only covered a particular department but it has been accomplished in all departments including the human resource, accounting and sales departments. This aims in helping the departments to accomplish the operations involved in these departments in a more effective and efficient manner since CIT incorporates automation, which proves cost and time effective as compared to manual systems. Human Resource Management (HARM) entails a department that has been under focus in terms of improving the operations or activities involved in the department through incorporating CT. Therefore, the paper addresses on how CIT has been incorporated in human resource department to improve efficiency and effectiveness especially in the MONROE, which is a new government ministry. 2. Departments of the MERE (Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment) The Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment (MONROE) was established on the 17th of December, 2011. This represented a significant change in Iguanas natural resource management sector. Many of the challenges facing natural resources and environmental management today stem from weak linkages between key sector agencies and a somewhat fragmented governance approach. It was therefore necessary that the Government, for a Ministrys, who primary focus would be harmonize policy and management in the Forestry, Mining and other natural sources-based sectors. . 0 Organizational Structure The Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment currently has a Staff complement of 28 and has several agencies that fall under the purview of the Ministry of Natural Resources Environment are listed below: 1. Guyana Forest Commission 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. Guyana Geology and Mines Commission Environmental Protection Age ncy Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission Environmental Protected Agency Guyana Wildlife Division National Parks Commission Protected Areas Commission 2. CIT Facilitates effective decision making and solving problems CIT in workplace imbibes various technologies including microelectronics, computer systems, and telecommunications, thus affecting not only the information gathering or transfer but also affecting the decision making process in the organization (Scott Davis, 2007). Information Communication Technology in businesses supports problem and opportunity identification in a more swift and accurate manner thus enhancing or organization. 2. CIT incorporates automation CIT in the 21st century has changed the operations in businesses and offices including the introduction of paperless offices, time attendance, databanks, and automating work practices. Balboa Truman (2003) in addition support the fact that CIT has also introduced tell-working, transaction processing, reporting and tracking applications and in human resource departments, CIT has also introduced modernized operations such as e-recruitment, staffing through the internet as well as employee development through interconnected networks and internet. An organization makes a decision on incorporating information technology in its operations following the need for change, or following other successful organizations that have followed the same trend in the market. Initially, incorporating information communication technology in human resource was initiated by the developed countries but nowadays; this remains a goal for every business in the entire world regardless of whether the country is developed or developing (Peasant et al. 2005). The MONROE for instance is a new ministry, which is aiming in establishing and maintaining effectiveness and efficiency in its operations as well as ensuring that they serve their clients to the best satisfaction level. Therefore, it is obvious that the organization needs to consider incorporating CT, which will play the role of interconnecting the individuals in the organization as well as facilitating speed of operations through automation. E-HARM is even common in organizations nowadays whereby human resource personnel are connected through a network where they share activities involving human resource (Collins Smith, 2006). 2. 3 CIT improves efficiency and effectiveness If the MONROE is to consider integrating CIT in the human resource department, this will help in increasing efficiency since activities involving management can now be carried out online. In this case, employees are able to hand over their work online thou physically submitting which would result in increased productivity of both employees and management. In terms of efficiency, CIT incorporates a combination of computerizing and micro-electrics thus introducing automation, which is more efficient as compared to the manual methods. CIT has revolutionized all the professionals worldwide and that the human resource sector has not been left behind and now managers can now carry on with their duties through the network (Papa and Meme 2012). One of the underlying principles of the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment is free sharing of information and collaboration between itself and the Agencies, which is displayed in Figure 2. In the human resource department for instance, the application of information communication technology can changed the manner in which people interact, the organization culture, how operations in the department are executed as well as management in the human resource. Incorporating CIT in human resource can lead to increased competitiveness in the department whereby the HER professionals do not have to meet face-to -face to discuss relevant issues but can communicate from any location due to interlinked immunization networks facilitated by incorporating CIT in the organization (Doran, Communication being an important aspect in any organization, with the integration of CIT in human resource department, communication can be taken to another level whereby the social media, which is supported by CT, can now become a central concentration and a major tool in facilitating consistent communication amongst the agencies stakeholders not forgetting that it can also be used as a marketing tool (Wall, 2010). Delays which were experienced in communication can now can cleared hen CIT has been incorporated in the organization since employees in the different agencies can now communicate via video calls through the internet facilitated by such applications as Kee p, Faceable calls and Gamma hangouts. Propose diagram in Figure 1: indicate how Coordination among Agencies and the Ministry is possible with adoption of CIT in the Ministry. Fig 2. This label should be below the figure, the arrows showing the connection with the ministry is missing CIT can incorporate communication networks, which link various sectors of the human resource department. Nowadays, all the apartments in the human resource are now interconnected by CIT and communications as well as monitoring of organization activities are some of the aspects, which have been well addressed whereby managers and employees can now execute their roles without physically moving from their location. For instance, the employee recruitment and training department can communicate effectively with the employee remuneration department. As earlier addressed, certain activities such as employee recruitment and interviews, which were conducted manually, are now being conducted through the Internet as facilitated by CT. E-recruitment is modern and being practiced by the organizations, which has fully incorporated CIT in their functions (Crooning et al. , 2006). The human resource can now share information effectively following the role that CIT has played in clearing the delays, which were experienced in transferring information. For instance, considering a situation whereby an organization has a human resource department which comprises of different sections or units, therefore CIT can be applied in this case to ensure that all the units are liked to one another using networking and that each is able to informally and equally share the resources available in the organization. Recruitment and Selection (R) are major activities of the human resource that need Therefore, the sectors of the human resource need to share information and data in order to work closely. Collins Smith, 2006) explains that human resource is a department that influences mechanisms, which include development as well as exploitation of intellectual capital. 3. How CIT can help in employee empowerment in MERE Employee empowerment refers to the various ways that an organ ization uses in order to encourage the employee to become more involved in the decision making recess. The employee empowerment helps in ensuring that the employees are provided with the opportunity to show that their ideas can be converted to into practice and actions. The presence of self-directed team in the ministry is a clear indication that the ministry is committed toward facilitating the employee empowerment. Sharing of the information in the ministry has also helped to ensure that the entire workforce in the ministry is committed toward ensuring that they implement its goals and objectives. With the application of CIT the ministry play a critical role in promoting the employee empowerment. First, application of the CIT elapse in improving the employee trust toward the leadership in the ministry. In this case the presence of a clear and open communication platform provided by the CIT helps to ensure that the employee builds trust. Most importantly use of CIT in an organization help to ensure that the feel valued by the management and hence become empowered to continue working for the government. Use of CIT in the ministry can helped to facilitate building of the relationship between the management and other staff members. This is mainly because it helps to provide an avenue for open communication hence making it safe for the employee o express ideas regarding certain issues. This therefore implies that it can help to ensure that the employee feel empowered to come up with different innovate ideas. In relation to this application of CIT helps to prevent employee from feeling isolated and hence ensuring that the entire members of the staff work as team toward ensuring that they achieve the set objectives. In addition the application of the CIT in an organization helps in promoting collaboration, which helps to make the overall teamwork more productive since it help to support the streamlining of the entire process. According Salary (2007) information sharing is one of the essential parts of high performing organizations. This is because the process of communications is one of the means that help the employee of organization share knowledge in an organization. In addition the use of CIT in an organization promotes motivation by ensuring that the employee are informed about their task and the manner in which it needs to be done in order to improve the performance of an organization. Application of CIT can also help to alter the attitude of the employee and promote positive attitude in the workplace. This can in turn help to ensure that the employees re informed on the various policies that the ministry needs to implement. Information communication technology has also been known to play a role in support knowledge management in organization. With the use of CIT the ministry of natural resource and environment has also been able to organism the performance workshop review that have helped to equip important to note that the use of CIT in the ministry has also helped to empower the various stakeholders in the ministry. For instance the use of CIT in the ministry has helped to ensure that the ministry is able to provide the Nation Task Force with information regarding the human trafficking. 4. Recommendation to the MERE MERE in this case is a newly developed ministry that encompasses different departments. It functions are similar as those facilitated by the human resource. The ministry therefore requires incorporating information communication technology in order to ensure that all the departments, which concern the ministry, are connected and work coordinative. The management of MERE need to understand that operations would be more effective once CIT has been incorporated in the organization to facilitate improved communication as well as ensure that apartments of the ministry can access data and information without delays. Through incorporating CIT in the ministry, the organization will not only have facilitated and enhanced innovation but will have also ensured that the quality of employee working life is also enhanced (Coors et al. , 2003). As None et al. (2006) argues, the organization culture is also perceived by such aspects which include the workplace setting, motivation, performance, individual satisfaction as well as personal development whereby CIT has guaranteed to ensure that some of these aspects are fully achieved in the organization. CI T in the MERE will ensure an organization model, which facilitates openness and innovation achieved through vital elements, which include collaboration, communication as well as empowerment (Coors et al. , 2008). Administrative and management roles are well fulfilled through incorporating CIT in the human resource department. Technology in business is considered as the aspect or agent of initiating change towards improving the performance of the business or organization. In this case, if MERE incorporates CIT in its functions, then this will ensure that the ministry will reach for the anticipated change. In addition, as the human resource is initially the department which is concerned with proposing and implementing strategic changes in the organization, through incorporating CT, MERE will have the privilege of having the appropriate fundamentals to support valid strategic options. Therefore, through CT, MERE will have all its functions and operations connected to the organization goals and individual perceptions through improved communication. 5. Conclusion In general, human resource is the vital department in the organization which implements and fosters great change towards achieving the set goals. This is because the department controls the employees who are the powerhouse and initiates the right input to facilitate for quality products and services. Therefore, incorporating CIT in the organization ensures that all the departments that involve human resource are connected appropriately through communication and resources are readily accessible without any delays. Through incorporating CIT in MERE ministry for instance will ensure that the human resource management can carry out its administrative and managerial duties in the required manner, not forgetting that t is through CIT that effectiveness and efficiency will be achieved in the human resource department. CIT in MERE will ensure that the different departments in this organization are appropriately linked thus ensuring that the employees can access introduction of CIT to MERE will ease the problems in communication and feedback will be facilitated in advance thus aiding in an effective process of decision-making and problem solving.