Progression of Human Resource Information System

Progression of Human Resource Information System EXECUTIVE SUMMARY : Human Resource Information System has become one of the core software for each and every company. The companies policies are now monitored by the HRIS system.   Bank Dhofar strives to provide efficient service to its employees. They are in disadvantage in meeting these objective because they are having an out dated and inflexible human resource system.   In response to these challenges the company has   come to a conclusion that a proper human resource information system will be a major improvement for them by providing an efficient human resource system. Various potential alternatives for replacing the current human resource system has been analysed in the document. The recommendations and the strategy for going with the replacement of the HR system has been studied. The existing human resource application lack the needed functionality and flexibility which can allow the Bank Dhofar to deliver the HR services as effectively as possible. Human resources information systems have functioning right from the 1980s. In the initial days it was a simple computer application. It went on expanding from a simple application to a complex one where the whole organization details are being entered within the system. HRIS also is the name of the human resources discipline for HRIS specialists and other human resources professionals involved in the technology for employment and personnel matters. (Alan Price, 2004) INTRODUCTION In this modern world, the technology is changing day by day. Without the use of proper and latest technologies, the business cannot survive long. In order to make the human resource department more efficient there are many new technologies which are been introduced in the market. HRIS ( Human Resource Information System ) is one of these technologies which has been introduced. It is an integrated system which is designed to help the human resource management in decision making. It clubs the human resource management with information technology to reduce the time for decision making process, but also helps in complex consultations that come under the human resource work.  Ã‚   The main purpose of any HRIS system is to computerize employee records and to maintain upto date account of the decisions that need to be made or that has been made as part of the human resource management preparation. There are some defined principal areas of human resource that are affected by the Human resource information system. It includes Payroll, Employee benefits, Time and employee management and HR management.   Once these four areas of regularly updated, the system allows the user to see online the history of the employee details right from being appointed till the payroll and perks received by him. All the personal data of the employees can be viewed in flash (Bratton John and Gold Jeffrey (2003). The role of human resource is changing day by day with the introduction of rapid technologies, with the result of globalization and with the changes in the stake holders. The current issue of the human resource now a days is to manage the global human resources. The workers are migrating from one place to another, the expatriate employees issue are some of the common. The another issue is the increase presence of the female employees. The female employees are now competing in the job race which were mostly the male dominated one. The another issue is the employee behavior. The employer cannot terminate or dismiss an under performing employees as easily as they used to do earlier.(Heuring, Linda 2003). The existing human resource application lack the flexibility to allow the company to deliver the human resource services as effectively as possible. There were issues and challenges that directly impacted the company.   The challenges were as follows. The inability for job applicants to apply online The risk of shadowing the sensitive employee information Difficulty in obtaining the timely information for the management. Lack of flexibility of the current system to meet the changing business. (Cornelius N.E., Human). BANK DHOFAR Bank Dhofar was first started in the year 1990 in the name of Bank Dhofar Al Omani. It started its operations with two branches, one in Muscat and the other branch in Salalah. For the corporate growth of the bank Bank dhofar has assured   Effective Human Resource planning and management. In 2008 Bank dhofar had included a new organisational structure for the bank. A strategic five plan was launched. The introduction of new products, services and the investments made in upgrading the banks technological platform makes it clear that Bank Dhofar is scaling up its business to meet increased customer demands. The bank is committed to its ‘Customer First philosophy to build a strong relationship with customers. Technology plays a vital role in how a bank conducts business. Bank Dhofar is making significant investments in technology, giving customers convenient banking access, better service and greater value for money. Bank Dhofar is committed to continuously upgrading systems to enhance our customers experience. For employing the   people it has implemented the HRIS system within their database. This is helping them a lot for maintenance of employee records. The problem bank Dhofar faced with the old way of HR management was that they were keeping all their   employee records manual. The HR manager left for a new job and a other employee who joined has to figure out that system. The other weakness was that the manual workforce administration system was creating inefficiency and it was resulting in strain relation between the employees and the manager. Many companies have seen a need to transform the way Human Resource operations are performed in order to keep up with new technology and increasing numbers of employees. In the past recording keeping was done on paper and with spreadsheets. Mangers at Bank Dhofar realized that there was a need to change to a more computerized system and looked into different HRIS vendors. By making the move to a HRIS system, Bank Dhofar is able to keep more accurate records as well as better prepare for future growth. To meet the challenge of handling 800 new employees, Bank Dhofar acquired Web-based technology programs from an international company, like electronic pay stub, electronic timesheet software, time-off system, and human resource information system. By adapting these new programs, Bank Dhofar was able to reduce waste and cost. LITERATURE REVIEW (Tannenbaum, 1990) defined Human Resource Information system as a technology which is used to collect, store the information, analyse the collected information, and distribute the information to the human resource.   It is basically a online solution which is used for data entry. It can tackle many issues within the organization. It is used to manage all the employee information, to analysis and report the employee information, and to store the applicant tracking and resume management. HRIS is a systematic procedure for collecting, storing, retrieving and analyzing the data which is needed by the organization about its employees, their personnel activities and organization unit characteristics. HRIS is an integration between human resource management and the information technology (Kovach et al., 1999). Human Resource Information system is not limited to the computer hardware, software application which has a technical part of the system, it includes the employees, the procedures, policies and the data which is required to manage the human resource functions (Hendrickson, 2003). Human Resource information system merges the human resource management as a discipline and in a particular basic human resource activities and processes with the information technology (Gerardine DeSanctis, 1986). The core business functions of the HRIS system are Employee information, Payroll management and the benefits.   The system helps in streamlining the processes which frees up the Human resource staff to do the project work and solving the issues of employees. Before the implementation of the HRIS the resumes were handed over to the companies physically. The HR management staff has to physically handle it and then forward those applications to the specified department. But with the implementation of the HRIS system, the applications applying for job can straight away email their resumes through internet.   (De Cenzo David A. and Robbins Stephen P. 1996). The whole   employee information because of HR basic process are automated and stored in the connected database. HRIS simplifies the reporting and management decision support activities.   The system can be allowed for data sharing and integration with each department within the organization. The finance department and the supply chain department can be shared. An HRIS is used for employment actions such as applicant tracking, performance management, attendance, compensation and benefits management, work force analyses, and scheduling.   A very popular use of HRIS is employee self-service. Many employers are utilizing their HRIS to addition the human resources department staff by enabling employees for find answers to common questions they would have asked a human resources rmanagement people. Components of HRIS There are three major components of an Human Resource Information System (Kovach et al., 1999). Input   - > Maintenance of Data > Output. Input :   The user enters the employees information into the system. The input can be in the form of data entry or through scanning of the related documents. Maintenance :   The user updates the records which were entered in the input stage. The new employee records are also added in this component. Output : This is the most visible function in an HRIS system. According to Kovach et al., (1999) output is to generate valuable information for the user, the system has to process the output then do the necessary calculations and then that output has to presented in the form in which the management can understand it. The companies have realized the many of the cost reductions and efficiency gains very soon after implementing the human resource information system.   The pay back period or the time it takes to pay back the investment will be any where between one to three years .   HRIS contributes to cost reduction, customer satisfaction and innovation (Broderick and Boudreu, 1992). The disadvantages of the human resource information system are the human error during feeding the data within the system. The other disadvantage of this system is it is a costly technology to update the system and malfunction or insufficient application to support the human resources need. (Fombrun C. J., Tichy, 1984) One of the most significant challenges facing human resource managers today is the justification of the costs associated with the purchase and implementation of a Human Resource Information System. Most organizations already have a policy of cost justifying any new technology, and todays tight economy dictates that this be done for every new investment of this nature. The cost justification of an HRIS has always been a challenge as methods for quantifying the costs of personnel systems have only recently received much attention by executives and human resource practitioners. In comparison to financial and operational information systems, cost benefit analysis for HRIS are recent and still quite rare. (Scarborough, 2001) There is a growing realization that human resources cost money and that their inefficient use may lead to red ink on the corporate ledger. For many companies, as much as 90% of the corporate budget is spent on salaries and benefits. However, few are able to make the link between their people costs and the corporate bottom line. Although there was difficulty adapting to a new way of recordkeeping, Bank Dhofar was able to find a system that will help support the current and future growth of the company. Fortunately, some of the HR staff had experience working with an HRIS and were able to help their colleagues imagine new processes, as aided by a system. In order to help Bank Dhofar ease the HR burden of implementing a new HR system, the management of Bank Dhofar was convinced to look for a vendor to help implement and maintain a HRIS system. This system has helped Bank Dhofar better prepare for current and future growth. (Dessler Gary, 1999) The Internet is an increasingly popular way to recruit applicants, research technologies and perform other essential functions in business. Delivering human resource services online (eHR) supports more efficient collection, storage, distribution, and exchange of data (Friesen, 2003). An intranet is a type of network used by companies to share information to people within the organization. An intranet connects people to people and people to information and knowledge within the organization; it serves as an â€Å"information hub† for the entire organization. Most organizations set up intranets primarily for employees, but they can extend to business partners and even customers with appropriate security clearance (Byars Rue, 2004). The human resource department is the group formally established by an organization to help manage the organizations people as effectively as possible for the good of the employees, the company, and society. HR professionals include external consultants and service providers with HR expertise. At the end of the day, however, the managing of human resources gets done through a working partnership of HR professionals, line managers, and employees. At times, this partnership extends outside the organizationfor example, as the firm strives to forge better working relationships with its suppliers (Schuler and MacMillian, 1984). It may also venture into local education facilities as the HR staff works with schools to prepare students for internships in the firm. And, increasingly, companies use HR consultants to help with activities such as compensation, benefits, training, recruiting and selection, and implementing large-scale organizational change. RECOMMENDATION The weekness which has been identified as the contemporary issues in the human resource can be solved by implementing the Human Resource Information System in the company.  Ã‚   The organization has to strictly implement the system so that the employee record can be maintained in the sequence order. The performance of the employee can be analysed and proper justification can be given while appraisal of the salaries. The under performing employee can be notified.   The following are the recommendation for implementing the system. * A good human resource management team has to be set up Every company should have a proper human resource management system. The employees are the asset to the organization. If the employees with a high caliber are selected for the company, the company can gain their experience and run in making profits. * Selecting of the proper HRIS system after examining the need of the organization. The management has to select a proper HRIS system for the organization.   The organization has to first set up a team to manage the selection process of the HRIS system. The next step must be the team has to set a goal for the project. Once the goals are developed, The vendor who will be supplying the system has to be selected precisely. The actual need of what the organization is looking has to be identified. Demonstration for the new product has to be checked by the team members. Once the demonstrations are finished and all the questions have been answered, the selection has to be done. After selecting the vendor, the technical environment of the company and whether the new application will be suited for the same technical environment has to be verified.   After doing the budgeting and proper research the system has to be selected and implementation has to started. * Carefully entering the employee information within the system The next important part of the system will be to enter the employee information from starch. All the personal data of each and every employee has to be entered properly. Because this data will be base for the system. * All the new recruits resumes must be posted within the system The team has to see to it that all the resumes of the new recruited employees has to be entered in the system. This will help the management to clearly understand the strength of the employee. * Any employee appraisal / memos has to be entered within the system. Any memo issued to the employee either it might be in the form of appraisal / warning letters those has to be entered in to the system. * The automated attendance system should be linked to the system CONCLUSION Bank Dhofar is a good examples of facing issues similar to human resources information technology and human resources information systems. It know the importance of new technology, human resources information systems, and data security. Because of the increasing complexity of human resource management, nearly all medium to large size companies employ human resource professionals as full time employees, as vendors with long term contracts, and/or as consultants who work on short term projects. The ways organizations allocate responsibility for HR activities are many. Regardless of how HR activities are structured, however, companies that are most concerned with HR management seek professionals who effectively perform as the roles of business partner, enabler, monitor, innovator, and adapter. When this occurs, HR professionals can help organizations link their HR activities to the business. The three major groups that uses the advantages of HRIS are the human resource professionals, th e managers and the employees. The human resource professionals depends on the system for fulfilling their job functions, the managers rely on the system to provide the data collection and for analyzing the data especially for the salary increments of their employees. The employees are the end users of the system.   The usage of HRIS depends upon the size of the organization and the modules which the organization adopts. The study which has been done shows that the human resource professionals agree that the use of HRIS system leads to long professional standing within the organization.   The HR professions has to improve their IT skills and has to use this system inorder to remain competitive in the market. The role of integrating human resource management and information technology has lead to competitive advantage and has attracted many human resource personnels and managers. The usages of this system has increased remarkly well among organization of different sizes mostly bec ause of their increasing role in human resource management.

Comparing the Loss of Innocence in Cullens Incident and Naylor’s Mommy

Loss of Innocence in Cullen's Incident and Naylor’s Mommy, What Does "Nigger" Mean?    Unfortunately, a question that many African Americans have to ask in childhood is "Mommy, what does nigger mean?," and the answer to this question depicts the racism that still thrives in America (345). Both Gloria Naylor’s "'Mommy, What Does "Nigger" Mean?'" and Countee Cullen's "Incident" demonstrate how a word like "nigger" destroys a child’s innocence and initiates the child into a world of racism.   Though the situations provoking the racial slur differ, the word "nigger" has the same effect on the young Naylor and the child in Cullen’s poem. A racist society devours the white children’s innocence, and, consequently, the white children embody the concept of racism as they consume the innocence of the black children by stereotyping them as "niggers."   The word "nigger" causes the young Naylor and the child in Cullen's poem to begin viewing the world in terms of â€Å"black and white†, and the racial epithet establishes an invisible barrier between the black and the white worlds. Neither child ever indicates the color of the people he/she speaks of. Naylor gives her most in-depth physical description of the child that calls her "nigger" when she recalls that she handed the papers to a little boy in back of me" (344). Naylor’s vague description gives the appearance that the young Naylor sees no important distinctions between the boy and herself. However, the fact that the â€Å"little boy† calls her â€Å"nigger† proves not only that the boy sees a major distinction between himself and Naylor, but also that the boy is white (344).   The child in Countee Cullen’s poem gives a similarly â€Å"color†-less description of the â€Å"Baltimorean† boy as he/she say... ...my grandmother’s living room took a word that whites used to signify worthlessness or degradation and rendered it impotent" (346). In this response to the derogatory term, Naylor’s essay offers a tool to fight racism and a message of hope for the innocent minority children which Cullen’s "Incident" lacks: In the process of socialization in a racist society, a child may lose innocence, but a child may also gain strength and character by rising above any racist stereotypes society applies to him/her. Works Cited Cullen, Countee. "Incident." African-American Literature: A Brief Introduction and Anthology. Ed. Al Young. New York: Harper Collins, 1996. 398. Naylor, Gloria. "Mommy, What Does "Nigger" Mean?" New Worlds of Literature: Writings from America’s Many Cultures, second edition. Eds. Jerome Beatty and J. Paul Hunter. New York: Norton, 1994. 344-47.

A Personal Nature – The poet Robert Frost

The poet Robert Frost has been described as â€Å"the gentle New England poet†. This is because of his eloquent and subtle use of New England nature scenes as a metaphor for the human condition. In his poems Robert Frost manipulates nature, humanizing and exaggerating it with the purpose of creating a fictional world for his characters. This use of nature as the active driving force for the poems is vital to Robert Frost's subtle implication of deeper meanings in his poems. Frank Lentricchia noted that in â€Å"Birches† nature â€Å"performs the potter's art† and molds ice onto the speaker's figurative birch tree which becomes â€Å"bracken by the load† (line 14). Such a vivid description of the natural process of winter storms leaving behind loads of ice to weigh down trees speaks volumes to the weight the speaker must feel on his life. The poem goes on to allow the speaker to re-live his fantasy and become a â€Å"swinger of the birches† (line 58). In this metaphor, swinging in the birches -nature- is compared to leaving your cares behind and being happy again, in this way according to Frank Lentricchia, Frost â€Å"grants (the speaker's) wish. † These acts of nature give an â€Å"original and distinctive vision to the poem† says John C. Kemp. This is obvious in Frank Lentricchia's allusion to Mother Nature in his analysis of the speaker's descent from heaven in which â€Å"the blessed pull of the earth is felt again† (Kemp). Because Mother Nature is nature herself the speaker feels that nature has a warm pull on man, further emphasizing and humanizing Frost's consistent use of nature. Robert Frost goes even further than creating a metaphor of nature to human condition. The brilliance of the poet brings nature to a humanized level so he can manipulate nature itself to fit his motivation. The purpose of this is to rid the poem of contaminating â€Å"matter-of-fact† (line 22) verbiage. According to Frank Lentricchia the emotive power of the poem rises uncontaminated from the â€Å"morass of philosophical problems† that harm the poem if the poet decides to turn to knowledge of facts to influence a point (Lentricchia). This theme of a humanized nature is evident in â€Å"Design† in which nature's design â€Å"steere[s] the white moth thither in the night,† (line 12) giving nature an active, driving role in the poem's message of the design of nature. Frank Lentricchia also notes that this â€Å"humanized nature† indicates a â€Å"human will riding roughshod over a pliable external world,† giving Robert Frost's characters a sense of separation from the â€Å"external† world and a feeling of security in nature. In â€Å"Birches† nature stands humanized as the poet allows the speaker to transcend the scientific universe and, at the same time, the poet allows the fictive world to be penetrated by imagination (Lentricchia). This secure world in which Robert Frost's characters live in is not a realistic nature but rather an â€Å"unsanctioned vision of the world† (Lentricchia). An immediate example of this is Frost's â€Å"Design† in which the abnormal â€Å"dimpled and white† (line 1) spider sits atop the mutant â€Å"white heal-all† (line 2). These two extremely rare albino obscurities are likely to never meet each other in the real world; however Robert Frost has idyllically introduced them as companions in nature's supreme design. The pleasant swinging of a boy in a birch tree in â€Å"Birches† is also obviously fabricated because of the perfect, linear oscillations of the boy's swing. This lie is very effective, however because the smooth, downward swing of the speaker back to earth's â€Å"love† (line 51) is a redemptive personality inhabited by Robert Frost's Nature, giving man and Nature an intimate connection. The ice on the trees in â€Å"Birches† is also very idyllic. Because of the weight of the ice, the branches may never â€Å"right themselves,† (line 16) however the beauty of the ice makes one believe that the â€Å"inner dome of heaven† had fallen. Although nature in the form of ice represents life's burdens, it redeems its relationship with man through its manifestation of a birch tree in which it grants the speaker his wish by launching him into heaven and back again. Ralph Waldo Emerson describes man's relationship with nature so deeply that he felt man was â€Å"no better acquainted with his limbs† than he is â€Å"with the air, the mountains, the tides, the moon, and the sun† (Montiero). Richard Gray comments that in â€Å"Design,† Robert Frost's imaginary Nature â€Å"whisper[s] secret, sympathetic messages to us. † Because of this perfect relationship established between nature and the characters, caused by the humanization of nature and the exaggerated fantasy world, Frost effectively portrays all of the character's emotions. Robert Frost's â€Å"resource as a poet† is effective enough to use nature not for â€Å"shock's and changes† to keep the reader interested, but rather as a useful tool to deliver the best message (Lentricchia). Because of Frost's great manipulative talents he is able to do what most poets can't. For instance, Frank Lentricchia believes that in â€Å"Birches† Frost's use of the â€Å"pathless woods† would appear â€Å"trite† if any other poets were using it, but for Frost it only adds to the overall feeling of the poem. In â€Å"Birches,† nature manifests itself in three beings- the ice on the tree, the fanciful birch which lifts men up into the heavens, and the â€Å"pathless woods† (line 43) which represents life's considerations. As a result, the poem's passionate concluding lines, its closing pronouncements on life, death, and human aspiration, do not give the reader a sense of finality. Instead, â€Å"they are presented as doctrines that we must accept or reject on the basis of our belief in the speaker as a wise countryman whose familiarity with birch trees, ice storms, and pathless woods gives him authority as a philosopher† (Kemp) . Therefore, the â€Å"the natural order – tree, ice crystal, pathless wood† functions as proof of the wisdom of Robert Frost (Kemp). The manipulation of nature in Robert Frost's poetry turns it into a character rather than a withdrawn force; this character shares human emotion and fantasy and creates a very inviting fiction for the poem's characters to live in. Not only does this characterization emphasize Frost's emotions, but it gives meaning to them. Robert Frost's intention with poetry was to express his feelings in an uplifting way, not to pour out his personal struggles in a form of self-pity, and through such an exact setting of a personal nature, he accomplished just that.

Social Mobility A Definition

Social mobility is the moving of individuals, families, or groups up or down the social ladder in a society, such as moving from low-income to middle class. Social mobility is often used to describe changes in wealth, but it can also be used to describe general social standing or education. Social mobility describes a rising or falling social transition of status or means, and varies between cultures. In some places, social mobility is recognized and celebrated. In others, social mobility is discouraged, if not completely forbidden.   Generational Mobility Social mobility can take place over a few years, or span decades or generations:Intragenerational: The movement of an individuals social class within their lifetime, like a child born in the projects who goes to college and lands a high-paying job would be an example of intragenerational social mobility. This is more difficult and less common than intergenerational mobility.  Intergenerational: A family group moving up or down the social ladder across the span of generations, like a wealthy grandparent with impoverished grandchildren, is a case of (downward) intergenerational social mobility. Caste Systems While social mobility is evident all over the world, social mobility may be taboo or even strictly forbidden in some areas.  One of the most well-known examples is in India, which has a complex and fixed caste system: Brahmins: highest caste, priests who lead religious ritualsKshatriyas: warriors, military, and political eliteVaishyas: merchants and landownersShudras: labor workforceUntouchables: largely tribal people, outcast and discriminated against The caste system is designed so that there is almost no social mobility. People are born, live, and die within the same caste. Families hardly ever change castes, and intermarrying or crossing into a new caste is forbidden. Where Social Mobility Is Permitted While some cultures prohibit social mobility, the ability to do better than ones parents is central to U.S. idealism and part of the American Dream. While it is difficult to cross into a new social group, the narrative of someone growing up poor and ascending to financial success is celebrated. Successful people are admired and promoted as role models. While some groups may frown against new money, those who achieve success can transcend social groups and interact without fear. However, the American Dream is limited to a select few. The system in place makes it difficult for people born into poverty to get an education and get well-paying jobs. In practice, while social mobility is possible, people who overcome the odds are the exception, not the norm.