Bauer, Human Resource Management
SAGE Publishing, 2020
Answers to In-Text Questions
CHAPTER 3: DATA MANAGEMENT AND HUMAN RESOURCE
INFORMATION SYSTEMS
OPENING CASE:
Shifting to a Data-Driven Organization With HRIS: The Case Of Nissan
Case Discussion Questions:
1. Nissan underwent a great deal of change in a short period of time. How do you think the
employees who were asked to make these changes reacted along the way?
If employees found that HR was now spending time on things that were more important to
Bauer, Human Resource Management
SAGE Publishing, 2020
2. Díez David shared four recommendations for those considering a major HRIS project.
Can you think of other recommendations that might make sense to help the process go
smoothly?
Other recommendations for a similar HRIS project might be focused on communication
3. What role do you think HRIS played in Nissan’s turnaround story?
The HRIS system was an important process in the turnaround story. The cloud-based HR
4. Do you think there are any downsides to having a global HRIS in place? If so, what could
be done to help mitigate those problems in the design and implementation phases?
Each country where Nissan does business has laws and hiring practices unique to that
Bauer, Human Resource Management
SAGE Publishing, 2020
Spotlight on Ethics: Fitness Trackers and Data Privacy
Questions:
1. How does the use of a third-party vendor like Virgin Pulse make it more ethical to have
employees wear monitoring devices than it would be if the employer did so directly?
If an organization decided to provide employees with wearable devices instead of working
2. Do you think the use of monitoring devices should be optional for employees? As an HR
professional, how would you ensure that employees who opted out of using the device
would not be penalized for nonparticipation?
Responses will vary by students, but one way to avoid penalizing an employee for
Bauer, Human Resource Management
SAGE Publishing, 2020
Mini-Case Analysis Exercise: Determining Whether to Continue HRIS Consulting
Share your approach to how the team might best respond to this request from the VP of HR.
What specifically would you tell John to say to justify the continued investment in understanding
the organization’s HRIS needs? Be specific and outline your recommendations for John being
sure to include key points from this chapter.
There are several thoughts to share with John. John needs to be able to articulate the value of
people data, and the types of data being collected with an HRIS system. Advantages of an HRIS
HR Decision Analysis Exercise: Issues With Addressing a Skills Gap?
Please provide the rationale for your answer to each of the questions below:
Is this suggestion legal, ethical, and fair?
Bauer, Human Resource Management
SAGE Publishing, 2020
The suggestion made by your manager may or may not be legal, ethical, or fair. This is really
dependent on the skill sets of the employees, potential violation of laws such as ADA, age
Is it evidence based/evidence informed?
The HRIS system would provide evidence-based information. If the right data is collected, the
Does it foster healthy employee–employer relationships?
Student answers will vary here. Some might find the opportunity to learn new skills and advance
in their careers to be a benefit. Others might look at this from the view point of those who might
Bauer, Human Resource Management
SAGE Publishing, 2020
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Is it timely and cost-effective?
The timing is probably rights, and the process should be cost-effective. However, based on the
Does it take a systematic stakeholder perspective?
This could take a systematic stakeholder perspective, depending on what the company does with
the information. External stakeholders might appreciate a better prepared workforce. Current
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Bauer, Human Resource Management
SAGE Publishing, 2020
Considering your analysis above, overall, do you think this would be an effective decision?
Why, or why not?
This could be a very effective decision only if it is implemented after careful planning has been
done. The communication process must be in place, and a plan of action should be developed
What, if anything, do you think should be done differently or considered to help make this
decision more effective?
If anything, maybe more time to be better prepared. Some time to research the right type of
HR Decision-Making Exercise: Organizational Attractiveness Audit
1. Develop a plan to examine why employees are hesitant to join the organization and
Bauer, Human Resource Management
SAGE Publishing, 2020
always seem to be leaving. How can you assess why employees turn down job offers?
How might you assess why employees are leaving? After you choose your method of
measurement (i.e., focus groups, survey, interviews) develop an instrument, including the
questions to be included. How would you analyze the data to identify the top reasons for
employee departures?
Answers will vary by students. This might be a good group exercise, using a local
2. Let’s assume that you found out the top three reasons for low job acceptance to your
company are as follows:
a) Management is very authoritarian and not supportive of employees. When
3. What would be your proposed action plan to deal with these issues? Be specific, and
make sure that your recommendations focus on recruitment, selection, training,
compensation, and any other stages of employment cycle.
Answers will vary based on how students view the problem. However, to impliment any real