Human resources information systems

Cristian Alejandro Gonzales Tejada, Tania Lizeth Pino Villegas

Human resources information systems

The management information system (MIS) is planned to gather, process, store and disseminate
information so that it allows the managers involved to make effective decisions. To be
appropriate and effective, any decision requires full knowledge of the situation. The management
information needs in an organization are broad and varied; they also require the actions of
accountants, auditors, market researchers, analysts and a huge number of staff specialists, to
analyze, investigate and define the necessary strategies and actions.

Data and information concept

From the point of view of decision theory, it can be said that the organization is a structured
series of information networks that link data sources with the information needs of each decision
process. If we have a misinterpretation it can be deadly for the company, are: To understand how
they work, it is necessary to define the meaning of the terms “data”, “information” and
“communication”.

1. Data: are the elements that lay the foundations for forming judgments or solving
problems. A data is only an index, a record, an objective manifestation, which can be
subject to subjective analysis; That is, its manipulation requires the person to interpret it.
The data has little value.

2. Information: it has meaning and intentionality, aspects that differentiate it from the
concept of data. The means through which data is stored for later use is known as a data
bank.

3. Communication: is the process of transmitting data or information to another person or

entity. At its core, communication shares meaning.

Human resources database

The data bank is a system to store and accumulate data that is duly coded and available for
processing and obtaining information. In reality, the data bank is a set of logically related files,
organized in a way that facilitates access to the data and eliminates redundancy.

 Personal data about each employee to form a personnel inventory.

 Data on the occupants of each position to form a position register.

 Data on the employees of each area, department or division, to form a registry of areas.

 Data on salaries and salary incentives to form a remuneration record.

 Data on benefits and social security to form a record of benefits.

 Data about candidates (candidate registry), courses and training activities (training
record), among others.

Data processing

The term “data processing” designates the various activities that occur in organizations, in social
groups and between people; That is, there is a certain volume of initial data or information (in
files, in expectations or in memory) that is constantly added to other subsequent data or
information (greater volume of data, alterations, modifications), which results in resulting in a
greater volume of data (or information).

 Manual: when it is done manually, with tokens, stubs, cards, maps, etc., with or without
the help of typewriters or calculators.

 Semi-automatic: when it has characteristics of manual processing and also automatic

processing; that is, when accounting machines or microcomputers are used, in which the
operator inserts tokens, stubs or cards, one by one.

 Automatic: when a machine programmed for a specific and complex set of operations
executes the entire sequence, without the need for human intervention between one cycle
and the next.

Management information system (GIS)

The data processing system has specific objectives that vary from one organization to another.
The information can come from the external environment (outside the organization, such as the
labor market, competitors, suppliers, government organizations, other organizations, etc.) or
from the internal environment (within the organization, such as the organizational chart and
salaries corresponding to the employees. positions, people who work in it, man-hours worked,
production and sales volume, productivity achieved, etc.).

Human resources information systems

The information system is a set of interdependent elements (subsystems) logically linked, so that
their interaction generates the information necessary for decision making. As Human Resources
administration is a line responsibility and a staff function, the department in charge of HRM
must delimit and provide the line departments with relevant personnel information, in the form
of batches for each department so that the respective managers manage their subordinates.

Planning a human resources information system

The data sources of a human resources information system are the elements provided by:

• Human resources data bank.

• Recruitment and staff selection.

• Training and staff development.

• Performance evaluation.

• Administration of wages and salaries.

• Records and personnel controls (absences, delays and discipline, among others).

• Personnel statistics.

• Hygiene and safety.

• Respective leadership, etc.

Main applications of human resources information system

Work hours and discipline are two of the many traditional applications of the human resources
information system.

Workday

It refers to the number of daily, weekly or monthly hours that each worker must cover to comply
with their individual work contract and the collective work contract.

Annual calendar

In many organizations there is an annual calendar that marks the so-called bridges (working days
that fall between holidays, Saturdays and Sundays, in which work is not done). On those days,
absenteeism is very high and, to avoid it, the idea of not working on the bridges is applied, but to
compensate for the hours corresponding to those days, work is done on some Saturdays or the
day is extended for several weeks, with some extra minutes throughout the year.

We saw that the context of work undergoes great changes. However, the organizational structure
and job design are not the only things that are changing. Some of the most significant changes
relate to various means for people to schedule their work schedules at their convenience and
which are a means to attract and retain the best workforce, especially when workers have an
enormous variety of needs. and interests. This situation allows for flexible work schedules, such
as:

1. Compressed work week: the 40 hours of work per week are completed in just four days. The
most common shape is 4-40; that is, 40 hours completed in four 10-hour days.

2. Flexible work schedule: In English it is known as flextime, and is sometimes called mobile
schedule. It involves scheduling work, allowing the employee to choose a portion of their
schedule pattern per day. There is a core schedule; that is, a central block of hours in which all
employees must be present at work. Outside of this core schedule, employees choose the hours
of the day they will work. Within these we find:

1. Shared work: two or more people share or perform a position. The same full-time position is
divided between two people and each one works half a day per day.
2. Remote work: the work is performed at home by an external employee. This is the so-called
home office, working at home frees the person from the need to travel to the organization every
day and face traffic, dress appropriately and occupy a certain room with all the infrastructure
(secretary, telephones, etc.). ).

3. Part-time work: work is normal, but not full-time. With this system, the weekly work is
performed in less than 40 hours. It includes so-called contingent workers (part-time, temporary
and self-employed).

Discipline

The term “discipline” refers to the condition that leads people to behave in accordance with the
rules and procedures that frame acceptable behavior for the organization. In other words, it is the
control exercised by the people themselves, without the need for external surveillance.

Factors related to discipline

In the case of discipline, the main factors considered are:

1. Seriousness of the problem: that is, dishonesty, aggression, etc.

2. Duration of the problem: the time the offense or violation persists.

3. Frequency and nature of the problem: whether it is something isolated that begins or a
repeat pattern of violation of discipline. A continuous and frequent infraction requires a different
type of discipline than an isolated and discontinuous infraction.

4. Conditioning factors: they are the conditions or circumstances related to the problem. The
death of a close relative can be a mitigating element or one that allows tolerance.

5. Degree of socialization: is the extent to which the offender knows the rules and procedures of
the organization, as well as the degree of formalization of the written and disclosed rules and
procedures, as opposed to little knowledge and informal rules and vague

6. History of the organization's disciplinary practices: what are the similar infractions
committed by other workers that the organization has sanctioned and what is the equitable
treatment that should be considered.
7. Management support: managers must support the Disciplinary measure and take it into
account when directing their subordinates.

Discipline guidelines

A disciplinary measure must follow three fundamental guidelines:

1. A corrective action is preferable to a punitive one: the objective of the disciplinary measure
must be to correct the worker's undesirable behavior and not just punish him. The sanction must
be the last action of any disciplinary measure.

2. Disciplinary action must be progressive: It must begin with a verbal warning, followed by a
written warning, a suspension and, only in the most serious and incorrigible cases, by the
dismissal of the worker.

3 Disciplinary action must be immediate: consistent, impersonal and informative. The

response must be quick, consistent with the infraction committed, in impersonal terms.
And have a direct effect.

Knowledge management, information and behavior

In general, there are two positions regarding knowledge management, and both relate to two
categories of professionals: one considers knowledge management to be managing information,
and the other considers it to be about managing people.

1. In the first category , professionals have extensive experience in computer science or systems
theory.

2. In the second category , there are professionals in the field of administration, psychology,
sociology or organizational theory. They think that knowledge is equivalent to processes
composed of dynamic and complex human capabilities, individual competencies and behaviors
that constantly change. To influence learning you need to manage people.

References
Chiavenato, I. (2011). Capitulo 16. Sistemas de informacion de recursos humanos. En I.
Chiavenato, Administración de recursos humanos. el capital humano de las
organizaciones (págs. 375-386). Mexico: Mc Graw-Hill.