HRIS & COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGES

INFORMATION AND COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGES

In this new advent technological era, everything is said to be at the end of your fingertips. No more manual actions needed, no more thick-book needed to gain information, no more pencils are needed to write as you only have to type it, and all these things are invented and created to make things become much easier.

Information Technology brings a lot of advantages in human life and most importantly, it do helps organizations within their management and ensuring that the organization is able to achieve its mission and vision. This is because, Information Technology helps to increase the efficiency of organization, improves communication within the organization either diagonally or laterally and it also helps in facilitating collaboration among companies all over the world.

What is actually meant by Human Resources Information System (HRIS)? According to Kavanagh et al. (1990), it is actually a system used to acquire, store, manipulate, analyze, retrieve and distribute information regarding the human resources. He claimed that HRIS is not only about hardware and software, but it is more than that as it also takes into account the organizational forms, policies, procedures, data and most importantly, the peoples within the organization.

However, in this modern era, there are still certain organizations that are unwillingly to take any risks and decided to stick themselves to the old-fashioned of HRM system on paper. It is undeniably that the paper system showed systematic and conscientiousness of that respective organization. However, using computerized and technology system would surely be a helping hand to them in having a quick, easier organizational management. Plus, information can be scattered easily all around the organization without any issues of information distorts arises.

A strategic information system helps the organization in gaining a competitive advantage, reduce a competitive advantage or even meet other strategic enterprise objectives. Besides, there are a lot of challenges and obstacles that today’s organization have to endure and counter. According to Michael Porter, a researcher form Harvard Business School Management, the nature of competition is personified by these five following forces, which are, the rivalry of competitors within its industries, new entrants into an industry and its markets, substituting products that may capture market share, bargaining power of customers and finally, bargaining power of suppliers.

In sum, implementing Information System within the organization would in giving competitive advantage to face this tough, challenges business world.

REFERENCES:

1. Kavanagh, M. J., Gueutal, H. G., & Tannenbaum, S. I.(1990). Human resource     information systems. Boston: PWS-Kent.
2. Porter, M.E. (1979). "How Competitive Forces Shape Strategy". Harvard Business Review, March/April 1979.