Johnson, Human Resource Information Systems, 5e
SAGE Publishing, 2021
Answers to Questions in the Text
Chapter 5: Change Management and System Implementation
1. Discuss each of the theoretical change models introduced in this chapter. How can
we use them when planning an HRIS implementation to increase our chances of
success?
This discussion question presents a good opportunity to have the students form
groups. All groups can be handed the same HRIS change case. Each group is
2. Analyze the main reasons for HRIS implementation failure. How can we prevent
these from happening to us?
While technical challenges will always remain in implementing complex HRIS
systems, the major challenge to successful implementation is more behavioral
than technical. Lack of employee and user involvement has been one of the
central problems with the reported failures. Increasingly, the failure to
successfully implement information systems has less to do with the hardware or
software aspects of the new system and more to do with the skills of the change
leader and the people and organizational issues related to the change.
In order to overcome these reasons for failure, employees such as informal
ambassadors and power users should be involved in the change. The change
team should include representatives from departments that will be impacted by
the change. Communication and training need to be included in the change plan
to help communicate the vision, create a sense of urgency, unfreeze mindsets
and behaviors, and reduce resistance to change.
Johnson, Human Resource Information Systems, 5e
SAGE Publishing, 2021
3. Discuss the importance of communication in managing a technology change. What
roadblocks might an organization face if it fails to create a good communication plan?
Communication plays a vital role in the success of change programs. If an
organization fails to create a good communication plan, there are several
roadblocks that may be faced, including the following:
4. If you were asked to develop a training plan for an HRIS implementation, what kinds
of things would you include? Why?
The kinds of things to include in a training plan would be as follows:
• A complete assessment of the current skills and future requirements for all
who will be affected by the change
Johnson, Human Resource Information Systems, 5e
SAGE Publishing, 2021
5. Discuss the role of culture in HRIS implementation. How might two different
organizations with very different cultures approach the same HRIS implementation
differently?
Successful implementation of the HRIS often requires a change in the
organization’s culture.
Culture can be a great help or hindrance to the HRIS implementation. Culture
can be defined as a complex set of shared beliefs, guiding values, behavioral
6. Create recommendations for an organization that is facing resistance to change from
their own HR department. What are some of the likely causes of this resistance? How
can they be overcome?
Johnson, Human Resource Information Systems, 5e
SAGE Publishing, 2021
Fear and resistance from HR staff is common. HR staff may be concerned about
job loss due to the more efficient processes, or they may fear the new roles,
responsibilities, and uncertainty that will result from the change.
Communication can be used as a way to overcome resistance to change being
7. Discuss how informal leaders within the organization might be used to increase user
acceptance.
Informal ambassadors or change agents can help influence the rest of the
organization and can make or break the acceptance of the new system. Informal
ambassadors can explain the reasons for the change and the change process to