Johnson, Human Resource Information Systems, 5e
SAGE
Case Notes For
Human Resource Information Systems Basics, Applications, and Future
Directions 5th Edition Johnson
Chapter 1: The Evolution of HRM and HRIS
Position Description and Specification for an HRIS Administrator
Case Summary
This case examines an actual job description for an HRIS Administrator. The job description
highlights the essential duties of the role as well as the requirements and qualification of the role.
Examining this job description allows the student to draw connections between the role of HRIS
and strategy and success of the organization. The job description showcases traditional,
transitional, and transformational HR activities, and it depicts the alignment of the HRIS role
with the system and the model of the organization.
Case Analysis
One way to assess the nature and importance of a particular function or position in an
organization is to examine the job description and job specifications for this position, as they tell
us what activities, duties, and tasks are involved in the job as well as what knowledge, skills, and
abilities (KSA) are required to perform the job. This is an actual job description that can be
analyzed to show the alignment between the strategy of an organization and the important role
that HRIS plays within organizations. Reviewing an actual job description in the field benefits
the students by giving them real-world sightlines into how the HRIS function is deployed and
how the role fits into the broader context of an organization.
Sample Answers to Case Questions
1. How does this position help the HR function become a strategic partner of the organization?
There are multiple aspects of this position description that help the HR function become a
strategic partner. You can pick almost any one of the responsibilities from the list and
, Johnson, Human Resource Information Systems, 5e
SAGE
indicate that this responsibility would not be part of the job description for HR in a
“caretaker” passive role, whereas a strategic partner is a much more active role. For
example, consider the following:
● Ensures data integrity in both personnel files and the online human resource
information system. Without data integrity, there would be no way to measure the
contribution of the firm’s human capital to the “bottom line,” which is a critical
part of strategic planning.
● Organizes and manages personnel file audits to ensure compliance with all
regulations, policies, procedures, and guidelines for records management. Lack of
compliance with governmental rules and regulations can be very costly for a firm
in terms of class action suits for unlawful discrimination or unfair dismissals. You
can point to any number of court cases where companies had to pay major
damages in such litigation.
● Works with end users and business managers to understand business processes
and determine how to use the system to meet those needs. These activities are
closely linked to the idea of a partnership between HR and the operationalization
of the strategic plan of the company. Feedback from these partnerships could have
major effects on the strategic planning process.
2. From the position description, identify the traditional, transactional, and transformational HR
activities that this position is involved with.
Transactional
● Ensures data integrity in both personnel files and the online human resource
information system
● Updates and administers enhancements to the human resource information system
● Updates and maintains system tables
Traditional
● Supervises the human resources information management team
● Organizes and manages personnel file audits to ensure compliance with all
regulations, policies, procedures, and guidelines for records management
● Ensures security of the HRIS and time and attendance system
● Works in collaboration with payroll and finance to maintain the online interactive
position control, personnel, and payroll database systems
● Develops HR dashboards and develops and runs reports, both scheduled and ad
hoc
● Provides detail and aggregate information for salary surveys and regulatory
reporting (i.e., CUPA, EEO, OSHA, and IPEDS)
, Johnson, Human Resource Information Systems, 5e
SAGE
Transformational
● Works with end users and business managers to understand business processes
and determine how to use the system to meet those needs
● Partners with technology systems resources to support upgrades, testing, and other
technical projects
● Collaborates with the human resource technical consultant and other human
resource staff on operational issues and special projects
● Maintains current knowledge of best practices, vendor offerings, and market
trends
3. Using the key responsibilities identified for this position, explain why and how the HRIS
function plays a pivotal role in the organizational model as described in this chapter.
Actually, all of the responsibilities can be related to the parts of the organizational model,
although some students may disagree with other students’ allocations. This could be a
good class project by having students work in groups for 10–15 min to allocate all of the
responsibilities to a part of the organizational model. Then, have each group report and
have open discussion on what are the correct allocations. Of course, a number of these
responsibilities can be assigned or allocated to multiple parts of the organizational model,
and thus, there is no “right” answer.
Case Notes
Chapter 2: Systems Considerations in the Design of an HRIS
Vignette Revisited
Case Summary
This case focuses on a billion-dollar retailer with 4,000+ stores that cannot move fast enough to
beat out the competition. There are a number of aspects of the case that showcase the needs for a
strong human resource information system or ERP, and the student is invited to design the
planning and implementation process for the system.
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