Bauer, Human Resource Management
SAGE Publishing, 2020
Lecture Notes
Chapter 3: Data Management and Human Resource Information Systems
Learning Objectives
3.1. Describe key aspects of data management.
3.2. Apply opportunities for data management and HRIS.
3.4. Address key points of the process of HRIS implementation.
Chapter Summary
This chapter aims to familiarize readers with issues around data management and human resource
information systems (HRIS). The chapter begins with an overview on managing data, examining how the
increase in people data necessitate systems such as ERP or HRIS. Then, the opportunities that exist in
Annotated Chapter Outline
I. Managing Data: the increase of people data necessitates critical, ethical, and legal
consideration of how large volumes of data are stored and managed, and how advances in
information systems are used to facilitate this process
i. People data: data associated with various groups of individuals who might be
B. Enterprise Resource Planning Systems
i. Enterprise resource planning (ERP) system: integrated business-management
software intended to coordinate and integrate processes and data across
different functional areas of a company
a. Creates a robust data ecosystem that enables stakeholders to take a
C. Human Resource Information Systems
i. Definition: system used to acquire, store, manipulate, analyze, retrieve, and
Bauer, Human Resource Management
SAGE Publishing, 2020
iii. e-HRM: Internet-based information systems and technology that span across
organizational levels
iv. Used to integrate people data across different HR functions and to automate
transactional HR activities
II. Opportunities for Data Management and HRIS: opportunities exist in developing,
implementing, and maintaining an HRIS
A. Track the Employee Life Cycle
i. Major opportunity to manage valuable resources that are data in a manner that
helps the organization describe their employees, predict their future movements
throughout the organization, and prescribe the ideal future state of HR
a. Global HRIS and higher staff retention of global IT service providers
B. The Value of Automated, Employee-Centered HR Functionality
i. Better customer service for employees
C. Data Availability for Metrics and Analytics
i. Data quality
ii. Data structure and storage
D. Data Visualizations
i. Effective data visualizations and data storytelling facilitate interpretation and
communication of the findings
ii. Six points for effective data visualizations
a. Understand the context
b. Choose an appropriate visual display
Bauer, Human Resource Management
SAGE Publishing, 2020
iii. Cost reductions from system automation
B. Traditional HR Skill Sets
i. Increasing use of HRIS in strategic decision making
C. Data Privacy Concerns
i. HRIS is a repository for personal data, thus it is critical to safeguard data and
maintain data privacy and security
ii. Data privacy: individuals’ control over the collection, storage, access, and
websites and other electronic sources in a systematic manner
vi. Recognizability of an individual’s data: largely dependent on how data were
collected
a. Anonymous data: pieces of information that cannot be linked to any
information that might link those responses to an individual
individuals
vii. IP address as a unique online identifier
viii. Social Security Numbers
a. Valuable targets for identity theft
D. Data Security Concerns
i. Data security: protective measures taken to prevent unauthorized access to
employee data and to preserve the confidentiality and integrity of the data
iv. Approaches for maintaining data security
a. Technological security measures
a. Lack of password security
IV. Developing a Human Resource Information System: a complex and comprehensive HRIS can
be costly and time consuming, which necessitates several processes for considering,
designing, and choosing a package
A. Conducting a Needs Assessment
i. Initial Assessment
a. Key question: selection process best led by internal HR individuals or
B. Designing the System
i. Assessment of project parameters
ii. Logical design: translation of business requirements into improved business
processes
C. Selecting a Vendor
i. Create a list of what you want the HRIS to be able to accomplish
V. Implementing a Human Resource Information System: there are key points to consider to
ensure a successful project launch and ongoing implementation
A. Managing Resistance to Change
i. Three specific groups most likely to be impacted
a. Those working in HR, managers, and employees
B. Organizational Culture and Realistic Timelines for Change
i. Clan cultures: involve all affected internal stakeholders in the decision-making
process
Bauer, Human Resource Management
SAGE Publishing, 2020
v. Successful implementation depends on creating and using realistic timelines
a. Hershey’s and a failed ERP transition
vi. Refreezing and Maintaining the New System
a. Unfreezing, change, refreezing
VI. Getting Technical: Core Information System Concepts: core concepts and terms that are
integral for understanding what a generic information system is and how it operates are
defined
A. Database Management
i. Database: collection of organized data, structured to facilitate the realization of
business processes
the data themselves
iv. Relational database management system (relational DBMS): software used to
manage and maintain a relational database
v. Table: database object used to store data about cases and to add structure to
the data
a. Field, variable, record
residing in the database
B. System Users
i. HRIS should be designed with different system users in mind
ii. Employees that use HRIS to view, change, or verify personal data
iii. Employees that enter data into HRIS for other users
Bauer, Human Resource Management
SAGE Publishing, 2020
b. Outsourced HR activities to third-party partners
C. System Architecture
i. Traditional Tiered Architectures
a. Single-tier architecture
ii. Cloud-Based Architectures
a. Internet-based databases and applications that are hosted remotely
b. Organizational server needs outsourced to third-party entity