Research approach

Evidence and structure are the keys to constructing a convincing and logical argument in support of the idea, insight, contention or recommendation you want to make. In today's business environment it is unlikely that you will be able to find the answer to your question in a single source. You may not find any articles that directly address your question. Therefore, you need to research†¦. And I do not mean being able to use Google Like a good lawyer, you have to bring together a number of different pieces of information.On their own each piece does not mean much but hen you add them all together and YOU explain to the reader how the pieces of Information Interconnect and what the combining of all this Information demonstrates – you are creating a convincing, logical argument. Students often only use the prescribed textbook as the evidence base for their argument. The information within these is generally sound. However, business people do not make decisions based on one source of Information and neither should you.There are a number of search techniques and sources of information that will make the process of generating information easier. If it a completely new topic for you start broad and move to the specific; start with easy to read, general business writing and move to more credible but technical academic writing. If you are a visual learner In the global digital age competition between the worlds best educational institutions is increasing.

The outsourcing of the Canon Europe

The outsourcing of the Canon Rupee's finance and accounting management to Accentuate Total words: 2772 Contents l. Introduction In 2006, the Canon Europe decided to outsource its finance and accounting business to the Accentuate consulting company. As a well-known imaging solution company, Canon Europe confronted with fierce competition in 2006. Although Canon Europe is a subsidiary of Canon Inc. Of Japan, the company contributes about one-third of Canon Inc. ‘s worldwide sales revenue.At the initial stage of transforming, to focus on those activities which are significant to its competitive positioning, the executive of Canon Europe determined to establish a shared-service center to centralize the company's finance operations. After a series of testing and analysis, Canon Europe found out that cooperating with the right outsourcing partner is the only way to achieve greater effectiveness. This measure not only can be used to reduce costs of their finance processes and improve the efficiency of them, but also to create powerful differentiating relationships with supplier.After the careful review of the proposals of all the candidates of vendors, Canon Europe finally decide outsource the finance and accounting business operation to Accentuate. The contract duration is seven years, and Accentuate provided Canon Europe with a range of finance processes through the management of the Accentuate Delivery Center in Prague. II. Outsourcing Project Overview By the reason of Cannon Europe was constantly confronted with increased completion and tighter, the executives of Canon Europe decided to create a powerful, differentiating relationships with suppliers by improving finance processes to reduce he costs.They also determined to improve the finance and accounting, like ordering from approved suppliers using standardized purchase orders, could increase their compliance . Initially, the executives thought that centralizing the company's finance operations would be th e right way to achieve the goals which were mentioned above. But by 2006, they found out that the only way to further savings and greater process effectiveness is through outsourcing. In the autumn of 2006, Accentuate submitted a proposal to Canon Europe that included significant details about its research on high performance.Subsequently, Canon Europe executives recognized Accentuates capabilities are relevant to their company's own strategic direction, and they also initiatives to achieve world-class finance operations, following detailed conversations with Accentuate leaders, the executives finally decided to outsource the company's European shared-services operation to Accentuate. Canon Europe signed a seven-year business process outsourcing contract with Accentuate, focusing on finance and accounting.Managed through the Accentuate Delivery Center in Prague, Accentuate provides Canon Europe with a range of finance recesses, including accounts payable, cash posting and fixed asse ts administration, as well as travel expense processing. Services are provided in 12 languages to Canon Europe businesses in 14 European countries. Ill. Client Perspective The experience of client Canon Europe had a good experience in this whole outsourcing process. Accentuate helped Canon achieve the objectives because running finance and accounting back offices is teacher business of them.Accentuate were able to deploy their economies of scale, and their expertise and process focused to help Canon achieve world-class performance. In fact, within the outsourcing activities, the Canon Europe reached the goal of improving their productivity baby percent in three years. Sourcing model The model that Canon Europe used is sole supplier model, which means Accentuate provides the entire finance accounting service to them. To the Canon Europe, the outsourcing model they chose is appropriate.Outsourcing finance and accounting presents a series of unique challenges that require deep expertis e and sophisticated toolkits. Furthermore, the vendor corporations need the right resources, innovation and talent to positively impact their business. The main benefit of this model is the sole accountability of the supplier, which makes the governance of the venture easier relative to other configuration models. Briefly speaking, it is a wise decision for Canon Europe outsourcing its whole finance and accounting process to an onshore vendor.Canon Europe selected a offspring outsourcing model to cooperate with Accentuate. According to the Decision-making matrix on outsourcing which was suggested by Hillocks (2002), the Canon Europe outsourced their â€Å"Qualifiers†, which means the organization outsourced their finance and accounting department-?the radical activity for business operations, but do not contribute to the company's competitive positioning in a major way. Strengths and weaknesses The company intended to invest more in their core competitiveness such aspirator m arketing, customer service and looking after their channel partners.Therefore they are realistic in paying vendors, and recognized back office administration as a secondary activity and do not wish to invest in back office innovations. Secondly, â€Å"thereat a number of strength that Canon has realized through the relationship with Accentuate. â€Å", said by Chris Poppa(Accentuate Senior Executive). For instance, this outsourcing activity increased visibility and transparency on the finance processes, more responsive service from the Prague Deliver Centre improved management control through the formal discipline.And finally, Canon Europe can focus on their core business and not worry about the back-office processes. The Canon Rupee's outsourcing weakness lies in that they are a large company, this fact results to the difficulties when they selected vendors. There are so many factors they need to consider, for instance, the reputation, the capability of handle massive ATA and the technology innovations of the suppliers. The organization's own characters decide that the number of vendors they can choose from is limited, and it due to the cost controlling becomes even more difficulty.Retained capabilities The capabilities that developed by Canon Europe through the outsourcing activities are as following: First, relationship building. Creating a powerful, differentiating relationship with supplier is one of the aims of Canon Europe. Actually,building a relationship involves helping users understand developmental of finance and accounting for the business ND the improvement of productivity, helping users and financialexpertscollaborate, and ensuring users' ownership and satisfactions. The second capability is informed buying.Generally, this capability related to the challenge of managing the finance and accounting outsourcing strategy in a way that meets the interests,priorities, and goals of the business. For example, the transition from a shared-services mode l to the Accentuate Delivery Center in Prague was completed in only four months, furthermore, there was no reengineering needed and all finance activities were quickly stabilized. Thirdly, to protect the current and future contractual position of the firm, Canon Europe also had the contract monitoring capability.It is important to note that the contract monitor ensures that the business position is contractually protected at all times while the contract facilitator is mainly involved in the day-to-day operational 1 . Furthermore, as a contract monitor, Canon Europe needs to ensure that their business position is contractually protected at all the timely 2. Risks in outsourcing deal The Canon Europe also met several risks. First of all, considering that Canon Europe ND Accentuate are both influenced organizations in the world, they both have the differentiations culture.Provided that during the process of outsourcing, both parts have limited opportunities for interactions, hence it w ill cause misunderstandings and poor change management controls 3. The structural risk may also exist in the process of the duration of outsourcing. Structural risk refers to the danger that the relationship between clients and suppliers may not work as expected. Whatever, transaction preprocessing insurance claims processing are happily easy to monitor using preciseness's to measure their quality 5.Therefore these activities present low structuralism. Lastly, if an organization decides to outsource some business which includes sensitive data, then a carefully managed outsourcing contract may be preferable. This is because large established clients are probably more careful about protecting their reputation. Expected value Within Canon Rupee's new finance and accounting outsourcing environment, there is now greater assurance that activities are being executed effectively with maximum efficiency, and that productivity and continuous improvement are daily priorities.Such advancements demonstrate why the goal to improve productivity within the outsourced activities by 25 percent in three years is well within reach. To sum up the foregoing, the business achieving performance continually. To keep the relationship between Canon Europe and Accentuate getting better is also the value that this outsourcing activity brought. Actually, Canon Europe paid careful attention to the levels of relationship competency of the supplier, without they wish to maintain a close long-traineeships.Whatever, they found out that Accentuate has the ability to support the future changes in their business direction, and the needs of their innovations the supplier, so the long-term relationship would be a potential value they wish to obtain. ‘V. Supplier Perspective Good pick for supplier From the perspective of Accentuate, this contract was a good pick undoubtedly. First and for most, Accentuate built the partnership with Canon through this outsourcing process, this laid the foundatio n of theorization's of strategic partner in the future. Actually, in 2010, Canon enters $9. Ban to launch in collaboration withAccentuate to deliver customized information and media management solutions for large European organizations. Given these facts, we can make a conclusion of both parts already built good relinquishment's the finance and accounting outsourcing process. Advantages and disadvantages The vendor selected in this outsourcing case possessed plenty of advantages. First of all, finance and accounting (F) was one of the first processes that Accentuate start to outsource, henceforward have more than 15 years operational experience in Finance and Accounting business process outsourcing.Secondly, Accentuate was also en of the best consultant companies in that time, which means they had better reputation and lower risk than other companies. Last but not least, Accentuate has their own R teams, which maximize the efficiency and increase the possibilities of reaching the go al successfully. While outsourcing, three technology innovations of Accentuate play an important role. For example,the first of these is an Accentuate- developed self-service portal that is updated daily to help Canon Rupee's suppliers control, access and monitor invoicing and payment activities.As for the disadvantages, one of them is the technology solutions growth in Accentuate is much slower than consultancy roles in the fierce competition of the consultant industry. Therefore, once Canon encountered some technique problems in the outsourcing process, Accentuate may not provide powerful supports to them efficiently. Risks to vendors Like most of devotedness, Accentuate also had risks in this outsourcing process. One of them is reputation loss, it would happen as the venture failed.No matter what the real reason is, the supplier always should take the responsibility for the failure first. Another risk is the security of techniques and intellectual property. Elementally repertory rights are also one of major concerns to both the client and the supplier 19. Thus, companies should be particularly careful, because the absence of suitable contractual safeguards can put at risk the firms' rights to its own intellectual property. For example, the development and the application of Accentuates technology innovations are belong to the core competence of the organization.And the Accentuate-developed self-service portal also has key function to the completeness of the whole outsourcing project. Expected value As an outstanding consulting company, Accentuate expects not only to manage the entire successfully, but also to develop the partnership with the Canon Europe. Cooperating with some well-known companies successfully, like Canon, will expand the influence of itself. Furthermore, building the partnership with those companies will also bring plenty of opportunities to the future development to Accentuate.Hillocks suggests that enterprise partnership's involves risk- reward and Joint ownership arrangements, offers promising way to leverage cost and quality gains as well as knowledgeableness and exploitation. V. Recommendations Safeguard of client's position To mitigate the risk that Canon Europe may face, the organization interacted on a daily basis with Individual Accentuate teams (one for each process such as accounts payable and cash posting).Besides, to increase the visibility of the clients, the Accentuate Planning and Control enables management and process owners to capture and track critical path activities and issues in real time. The extraction of value for supplier For the supplier, provided atone of their targets is obtaining extraction of value from the contract, then the following factors are important: firstly, Accentuate should ensure they provided the desired services according to the contract.Secondly, manage to protect the safety of the sensitive data, like ensure the data to be used in appropriate ways, and periodically check that authorized personnel are following designated procedures. Win-win situation As the contract manager of insubstantial public sector agency noted â€Å"Suppliers have to make a reasonableness's to stay in business. You don't want them to lose moneybags the worse their business gets, the worse your business gets. â€Å"Theodosius uncovers that both parts in the outsourcing process are interest- elated.Creating a win-win situation's the client receives increased value- adding services and disruptive generates better revenues and obtaining more opportunities. When Accentuate completed the outsourcing project, the Canon Rupee's employees were free from time-consuming finance transactional tasks, and they are now able to focus on strategic activities to add value to the businesses. Improvement or changes In the next five years, the organizations recognize back office administration as a secondary activity and do not wish to invest in back office innovations, whereby the equines proc ess outsourcing will overshadow IT outsourcing.The clients should invest much more in contract value due to the contract management is a major determinant of outsourcing successes. Second, to avoid the outsourcing failure, the thing that Canon Europe should considerately suppliers other than sole supplier model, as a large company, the outsourcing process of Canon Europe would be more complex than others, therefore continue with only one vendor would carry high amount of risk. In the future, selective sourcing with multiple suppliers will remain the dominant trend.

Situation Audit & TimeLine for UNILEVER FOOD SOLUTION Essay

Situation Audit & TimeLine for UNILEVER FOOD SOLUTION - Essay Example uilar (1967) was the first academician to discuss business analysis through a tool he called ETPS (Economic, Technological, Political and Social factors). According to him these external environmental factor influenced business decisions. From then onwards this has changed names to PEST, PESTEL etc and used extensively as an external analytical tool. (Aguilar 1967). Politically conditions and policies for companies dealing with food, even pre-cooked food are favourable and there are few barriers posed except for stringent health concerns. Therefore worldwide there is acceptance for Unilever foods. The economic factors are favourable too as with globalization of trade and industry more work is being created and incomes, specially of the middle class that consumes most of the pre-cooked foods, is rising. This is creating new markets for such products. Speaking of social factors it must be said that with the advent of industrial and trading activity, people of all classes, from executives to workers, are more actively engaged with work and have less time for cooking at home. This makes pre-cooked food a preferred item for its ease and ready to serve capability and is also less expensive than eating out. According to van Wylick (2007, pg. 1), Porters Five Forces model represents an ideal situational analysis of an industry. The central force is competitive rivalry that exists within the given industry. The other four forces that Unilever must deal with are the bargaining power of suppliers, the bargaining power of customers, the threat of new entrants, and the threat of substitute products. In this time of economic turmoil, suppliers can have quite a bit of bargaining power over Unilever. A good supply chain can offset this problem. The bargaining power of customers is also strong in this unstable economy and drives the pricing of the products. The threat of new entrants is unlikely since the market is fairly saturated and the economy does not favor new

Policies on Sexual Aggression Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Policies on Sexual Aggression - Essay Example Federal and state law prohibits sexual harassment, therefore, the company where he is employed is committed to maintaining a work environment that is free of all forms of intimidation or sexual harassment as legally mandated. Every employee at the company, both male and female, is covered by the sexual harassment policy. The company identifies a common form of sexual harassment, quid pro quo harassment, in the following manner: "If submission to or rejection of the conduct is used and as a basis for an employment decision affecting the person rejecting or submitting to the conduct" (Anonymous Company Sexual Harassment Policy (ACSHP), 2007). The company does not give specific examples, however, I believe the policy sufficiently explains the concept. The company also lays out its policy against a hostile work environment, as it is identified and addressed with: "If the conduct has the purpose or effect of substantially interfering with an affected person's work performance or creating an intimidating, hostile, or offensive work environment" (ACSHP, 2007). Again, no specific examples are given, which in this case may be useful as many individuals may find the language of the policy ambiguous.

Unfair distribution of resources in africa Essay

Unfair distribution of resources in africa - Essay Example The first one supports "continuing to discourage ethnic identification with a view to promoting statewide unity" (Presbey, 2003), or in other words- this approach believes in tearing down the ethnic differences that divide citizens of the same country, uniting everyone and as a result- encouraging a proper and sensible allocation of resources which does not take ethnic origins into consideration when deciding how to allocate the available resources. Contrary to this is the other approach which is extremely prevalent in African governments- taking peoples ethnic allegiances as they are and devising a federal state based on ethnic regions. When this is done, the government then chooses to allocate most resources to the regions associated with their own ethnicity. In other words, government officials allocate resources so that people from their own ethnicity will benefit much more and receive the most, whereas people from other ethnicities suffer from deprivation and an apparent lack of resources. Presbey claims that this method of allocating resources to benefic one group (or groups) at the expense of another group (or groups) started when Africa was controlled by colonial forces. They began a system in which rural farmers were underpaid for their produce, which later subsidized urban centers. That meant that the farmers who worked very hard did not receive any proper compensation for their hard work, their goods were taken away from them and then sold to everyone else, and while the rich could afford to buy this and gain access to other resources and infrastructures- the poor could not, and did not get the resources they needed. This is exactly like what is happening today, according to Presbey, because the Africans just adopted the "colonial system" of resource allocation. What is done today is very similar to what was done then- those who are in control of the country misuse

Analyzing Husband's Defense Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Analyzing Husband's Defense - Essay Example ry to note that the parts of the house were equal as they had â€Å"the same space†.2 This may mean that husbands respected their wives and treated them as equals. However, it is not clear whether it was a norm for the Greek society at that time. It is clear that women were not allowed to be in their husbands’ areas as the husband was trying to justify his wife’s presence in his part of the house. He stated that it became â€Å"quite customary† for his wife to be in his (male) part of the house.3 It is necessary to add that it was common for husbands to have a complete control over their wives’ lives. Females could not have property of their own and their husbands made sure they did not have â€Å"too much† of their own and â€Å"kept an eye† on their wives â€Å"as was proper†.4 Wives could not go out alone but they could leave the house with their husbands. Notably, maids had more freedom and could leave their households on their own. Maids could go to the market or to other places to complete tasks given. For instance, a maid of a woman approached Euphiletus to tell him about â€Å"the man who is wronging†.5 At that, maids could be severely punished or even bitten for no reason. Euphiletus’ wife noted that he â€Å"mauled† the maid when he was drunk.6 Apparently, there could hardly be any reason for such a severe physical punishment. It follows that masters could do almost anything with their maids. It is noteworthy that Euphiletus does not blame his wife for adultery as he keeps stressing that she was seduced and she was a victim of the â€Å"great crime† committed by Eratosthenes.7 This fact may have two meanings. First, the wife was seen as a passive recipient of any action undertaken by a man (even if it was a wrongdoing). It is noteworthy that Euphiletus stressed that adultery led to the situation when wives became â€Å"more attached† to their lovers and â€Å"the whole house† got â€Å"in their power†.8 Hence, it seems that wives were simply a part of

Jean Racine Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Jean Racine - Essay Example An interesting case in this point can be round in Racine's preface to Phedre. The seventeenth-century reader would likely have been surprised to find there no mention of pardon, whose parasitic rival version of the same story set off an unusually venomous battle. (Bold, 2001) According to Bold "Racine's own creation is modestly represented, as a carefully charted divergence from the Eurpidean 'Route' to which Racine remains richly indebted, serving 'Phedre' as an exemplary character". "The litotes of this opening, which might be read as a ritual gesture of authorial self-effacement, conceals in fact a far more complex irony in as much as it erases more than we at first think more, that is, than the simple vanity of a purely original creation, an inventio ex nihilo. One is, upon reflection, struck by a number of things in this apparently modest statement. This is certainly one of the very few places where one can find the character of Phedre described, at whatever level, as reasonable. It has also been fairly argued that Euripides's tragedy Hippolytus given the play's title and the stepmother's early guilt-ridden suicide is not really about Phedre anyway. More importantly, as it implies only a difference between the Latin and the French versions, Racine's dismissive reference identifies the Senecan text as the site of corruption and consequently, as an alibi for his own text's purer origins". (Bold, 2001) 'Phedre' the entire play revolves around the concept of 'monster'. To how much the statement is true can be determined from the fact that 'Phedre' represents the corruption and evil enriched in the social attitude of French culture of the then seventeenth century. Racine wanted the society to confront to the social dilemmas so it seems as if he has shown the French society, a mirror so that they might acknowledge their reality in the form of corruption and vulgarity. The main monster according to my perception is the evil that resides deep within a human, now it depends upon the person as to whether he feeds and nourishes that evil so that the evil grows up to become a 'monster' or he remains callous towards the evil, so that eventually he is alleviated. Let us see and examine every central character of 'Phedre' in the light of 'monstrous' appeal. 'Hippolytus' in other monsters Though Hippolytus is unmonstrous as compared to other characters in 'Phedre', but he fails to succeed through the rein of monstrous characters. One reason might be the strength of his inner self and conscience, which escorted him to remain aloof from participating in the devilish works of 'Phedre'. His reason for being morally ethical is the true love of 'Aricia', which lead him towards the light instead of thrusting into the darkness of horror which otherwise would have transformed him into the monster. He is the only character perceived to be 'human' as he knows the morals of relations, and unlike other characters in 'Phedre' he has trained his ego towards goodness and moral values. The reason for other

How groupthink affects the effectiveness of groups Essay

How groupthink affects the effectiveness of groups - Essay Example This essay discusses that in 1952, William H. Whyte had coined a unique term in Fortune magazine, known as â€Å"groupthink†. This term reflected conformity culture that has shaped many business organizations. Groupthink has both positive and negative impacts on group effectiveness. The major goal of groupthink is to achieve consensus through conflict eradication. This approach tends to change workplace environment by shifting focus towards minimizing conflict rather than obtaining desirable results. Groupthink influences group members to act in harmony and this adversely affects individual thought process. Innovation is not a prime concern as per the concept of groupthink. This negatively affects the formulation of the high-performance group. Group effectiveness is mainly dependent on two aspects such as working as a team and facilitating high productivity level. High productivity level can be correlated with efficiently responding to fluctuating market demand and acquiring k nowledge on technological advancements. Group effectiveness is high only when group members are capable enough to understand external conditions and accordingly formulate strategic decisions. However, there are certain positive effects of groupthink in relation to sustaining harmony within a group. Group conflict can be considered as one of the reasons behind decreased team productivity. Groupthink attempts to eliminate this cause by cultivating a common ground of interests. Performance of a new organization is positively affected by groupthink.

Network analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Network analysis - Essay Example (c) Relationship based A complex set of relationships between organizations is a basis of networking. These relationships will be strengthened and provide more cohesion within a sector during the course of the network development. Through this, there will be a provision on the basis for mutual support and the opportunity in order to recognize partnerships as well as resource-sharing protocols (Andrew, 2006). (d) Inclusive When they are non-hierarchical, networks will magnify the development of these relationships which are both inclusive and diverse in their membership, thriving when information can flow freely, providing a wide range of opportunities and platforms for both the people and organizations to meet and interact, thus learning and sharing knowledge (Chaudhuri, 2004). Differing characteristics of networks There are basically two types of networks. These are personal networks and information sharing networks which tend to spontaneously develop due to the ongoing necessities of day-to-day work within a sector. Networks can have no specific structure or management, thus being informal. Their coverage can also be irregular and limited by dependence on interpersonal relationships. Also, by virtue of having regular meetings, it is portrayed that information sharing networks can also have a more structured format. Since they are accessible, they are open to a wide membership, meaning a better coverage (Childress, 2000). Networks are proficient ways of creating connections as well as sharing and distributing information. What is required is someone taking up the responsibility for their management. However, we should be aware that relationships stand a chance of stagnating, thus the network ceases to provide ongoing benefits to participants, end result being atrophy. More formality is necessary for dialogue and influencing networks. They involve meetings, discussion and often decision making. These results due to a more conscious desire to proactively address problems, increase the capacity or create a collective voice. Those organizations with shared values will tend to attract, thus becoming more exclusive. Higher levels of trust will need to develop if a collective action is being undertaken. More than one of these purposes can be met by a combination of networks, thus being an efficient use of time and resources, therefore, attracting a broad diversity of organizations (Cisco Systems, Inc., 2003). Network analysis Basically, a combination of softwares and hardware made up of five basic parts is what is termed as a network analyzer. These parts include: Hardware A majority of network analyzers function with ordinary systems of operations (OSs) and network interface cards (NICs), thus are software-based. However, there are some specialized hardware network analyzers offering extra benefits like analyzing hardware faults including voltage problems, Cyclic Redundancy Check (CRC) errors and cable problems among others. Some network analy zers may only support wireless adapters or Ethernet while others give support to several adapters simultaneously, allowing users to sometimes customize their configuration. A hub or a cable tap may be required to connect to the accessible cable (Dyche, 2000). Capture driver The responsibility of this part is the capturing of traffic of the raw

Macroeconomics, Airline Industry Essay Example for Free

Macroeconomics, Airline Industry Essay Economical can be one of the major factors for the airline industry. Due to the rate of war and terrorist event, the growth rate of economy dramatic slowdown, capacity demand, which gains the low yield to the airline industry. Moreover, oil prices increase also affect their profits. The social sector, which are strongly from employment perspective and safety. The technology in airline industry is fast moving, however it’s very costly. Alliance gives the opportunity to the major airline to offer customer global route coverage. Ecological factor consists of recycling, the level of pollution and attitudes to the environment. For the airline industry, pollution tends to be very important. Legislation fior the airline consist of employment laws, company law, tax law and their regulation. Redundancy, landing right, health and safety, which are all the airlines, should be considered as a legal factor. Airline industry recovered and it become more attractive for investor. Economical and political factor has always been and continues to be the two major external environmental drivers influencing the airline industry. Read more:Â  Essay on Airline Industry A low cost carrier (also known as a no-frills or discount carrier) is an airline that offers generally low fares in exchange for eliminating many traditional passenger services. The model represented by the (LCC) or low cost carrier is not an innovation, some of the LCC are linked to major and traditional airlines companies, but its evolution has quickly become the dominant management model and through the development of the Internet has experienced the most growth. Though many airlines offer fares at a reduced rate on one or more of their routes at particular times, the simple act of offering cheap fares does not necessarily make them a LCC. Low cost carrier with the specific aim of operating with a lower cost structure than traditional operators in order to create lower fares. Greater efficiency and cost savings have been achieved in a variety of ways, most notably through increased aircraft and crew utilization aided by the use of aircraft operated in a single class with more seats than would be possible with business class. LCC tend to operate a single type of aircraft, a strategy that produces economies of scope in aircraft maintenance and flexibility in the use of crew. Savings is achieved by selling tickets directly to customers (often through Internet and call centre ticket sales) and therefore by-passing travel agents distribution channels, re-engineered business processes and negotiation to gain reductions in airport charges. Tourists such as business passengers with a need for frequent scheduling, inter-flight flexibility with differentiation being offered through personal space and comfort on-board, in flight entertainment and free food and alcoholic drinks, frequent flier programmes, free airport lounges and use of major city airports (typically with higher landing charges). All these features raise seat costs.

Discrimination Of Sexual Minorities In The Workplace

Discrimination Of Sexual Minorities In The Workplace Qualified, hardworking Americans are denied job opportunities, fired or otherwise discriminated against just because they are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender (LGBT) (Human Right Campaign). Even with the passing and enforcement of employment anti-discrimination laws, statistics show that persons with minority status such as people of color, persons with disabilities and women continue to experience discrimination in the workplace, particularly sexual minorities LGBT persons (Niles Harris-Bowlsbey, 2005). LGBT individuals who are also ethnic minorities are at an even greater disadvantage, with African American transgender people faring the worst (Grant, Mottet, Tanis, Harrison, Keisling, 2001). To date, no federal law exists which consistently protects LGBT individuals from discriminatory practices in the workplace. It is still legal in 29 states to discriminate against employees and job applicants based on their sexual orientation, and legal in 38 states to discriminate based on gender identity (Human Rights Campaign). Within the state of Florida, there are no provisions in place which formally address discrimination based on gender identity; however a Florida court ruled that a person with Gender Identity Disorder (gender dysphoria) is within the disability coverage under the Florida Human Rights Act, as well as sections of the act that proscribe discrimination based on perceived disability. There is no state-wide non-discrimination law that protects individuals based on sexual orientation (Human Rights Campaign). Vocational psychology researchers, practitioners, and LGBT advocates have made significant attempts to call attention to the vocational concerns and needs of both ethnic and sexual minority groups. Over the past few decades, work discrimination has become a topic of interest in the fast growing literature regarding the vocational issues and challenges of LGBT persons (Chung, 2001; Gedro, 2009; Loo Rocco, 2009; ONeil, McWhirter, Cerezo, 2008). Work Discrimination Chung (2001) defined work discrimination as, unfair and negative treatment of workers or job applicants based on personal attributes that are irrelevant to job performance (Chung, 2001,p. 34) and proposed a conceptual framework that describes work discrimination along three dimensions: a) formal versus informal, b) perceived versus real, and c) potential versus encountered. Formal discrimination refers to institutional policies or decisions that influence ones employment status, job assignment, and compensation. Informal discrimination refers to workplace behaviors or environments that are unwelcoming. Perceived discrimination refers to acts perceived to be discriminatory; whereas, real discrimination is based in actuality/reality. Potential discrimination refers to discrimination that could occur if a persons LGBT identity is either revealed or assumed. Encountered discrimination refers to discriminatory acts one experiences. Findings from Research on Work Discrimination against LGBT persons Following is a brief overview of some of the recent research findings on work discrimination of LGBT individuals. In their report entitled Bias in the Workplace, Badgett, Lau, Sears, and Ho (2007) summarized research findings about employment discrimination of LGBT persons from four different kinds of studies throughout the United States. Surveys of LGBT persons experiences with workplace discrimination (self-reports and co-worker perceptions), revealed that 16% to 68% of LGB persons reported experiencing employment discrimination, with 57% of transgender persons reporting the same. A significant number of heterosexual co-workers also reported witnessing sexual orientation discrimination in the work place against their LGBT peers. Of note, 12% to 13% of respondents in specific occupations (e.g., the legal profession) reported witnessing anti-gay discrimination in employment. An analysis of employment discrimination complaints filed with governmental agencies in states where discrimin ation based on sexual orientation is prohibited, findings revealed that LGB persons filed complaints at rates similar to women and racial minorities (e.g., people of color). An analysis of wage differentials between LGBT and heterosexual workers revealed that gay men earn 10% to 32% less than heterosexual men with similar qualifications and that transgender persons reported higher rates of unemployment (6% to 60% were unemployed) with incredibly small earnings (22% 64% of the employed earned less than $25,000 per year). Finally, findings from controlled experiments where researchers compare treatment of LGBT people and treatment of heterosexuals by presenting hypothetical scenarios in which research participants interact with the actual or hypothetical people who are coded as gay or straight also revealed significant discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation in the workplace. According to the American Psychological Association (2011), those who self-identify as LGBT are particularly vulnerable to being socioeconomically disadvantaged; this is important as socioeconomic status is inextricably linked to LGBT persons rights and overall well-being. Although LGBT persons tend to be more educated in comparison to the general population, research suggests that they make significantly less money than their heterosexual and cisgender counterparts. In 2009, the National Center for Transgender Equality and the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force published the preliminary findings of their National Transgender Discrimination Survey (NTDS). A staggering 97% of survey participants reported experiencing mistreatment, harassment, or discrimination in some form on their jobs, which included privacy invasion (48% said supervisors/coworkers shared information about me inappropriately and 41% said I was asked questions about my transgender and surgical status), verbal abuse (48% said I was referred to be the wrong pronoun, repeatedly and on purpose), and physical or sexual assault (7% said I was a victim of sexual assault at work and 6% said I was a victim of sexual assault at work). Survey respondents also reported experiencing unemployment at twice the rate of the population, with 47% having experienced an adverse job outcome being fired, not hired or denied a promotion at some point in their careers due to their gender identity. Simi lar findings were reported in the NTDS official report, Injustice at Every Turn. Other significant findings were that 57% of participants reported trying to avoid discrimination by keeping their gender or gender transition a secret, and 71% by delaying the transition. Sixteen percent reported that they had to resort to work in the underground economy to earn income (e.g., prostitution or selling drugs). Unemployed respondents reported experiencing devastating outcomes, including double the homelessness, 85% more incarceration, and increased negative health outcomes, including twice the rate of HIV infection and nearly twice the rate of current drug use to self-medicate/cope in comparison to their employed LGBT counterparts (Ramos, Badgett, Sears, 2011). Frye (2001) argued that transgender persons are regular targets of workplace discrimination even more systematically than their LGB counterparts. In an attempt to ensure professional survival and avoid discrimination, many LGB employees choose not to come out at work; however because transgender persons may possess physical and behavioral characteristics that clearly identify them as transgendered at some point in their lives (mainly during gender transition), they are more susceptible to having their sexual minority status revealed against their will (being outed). More so than LGB individuals, transgender persons are frequently targets of hate crimes because of their visibility (Frye, 2001). How/ Why Work Discrimination is related or important to career counseling. In the United States, a dominant career-related belief is that the individual controls his or her own career destiny (Niles Harris-Bowlsbey, 2005, p. 1); however, individual control is always exercised within a context that varies based on the degree to which it supports ones career goals. In the case of LGBT persons, factors such as heterosexism, socioeconomic status, and racism may restrict access to certain occupational opportunities. Work discrimination in any form can have a profound effect on ones career path and development (Neary, 2010). LGBT people face a complex set of choices that are unique to them because of their sexual minority status (Gedro, 2009, p. 54). Many of them have to confront exclusion from certain types of jobs, such as elementary school teachers and child care workers; physical assault, verbal harassment and abuse, destruction of property, ridicule, trans-phobic jokes, unfair work schedules, workplace sabotage, and restriction to their careers (Kirk Belov ics, 2008, p.32 as cited in Neary, 2010). In the case of transgender individuals, concerns about personal safety while at work preclude the focus on career interests (Neary, 2010). Because of the large amount of energy it requires to integrate a positive gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender identity, as well as cope with discrimination (within and outside of the workplace), career development for such persons to be postponed, hindered, or misdirected (Alderson, 2003 as cited in Gedro, 2009, p.56; Haley, 2004). Pepper and Lorah (2008) identified 3 major problems related to the job search process an integral part of career development which poses several challenges for transgender persons: 1) potential loss of work history, 2) navigating the job interview process (many struggle with confidence and self-esteem issues), and 3) if an employer asks about work experience under another name. Although slightly different, such challenges may be generalized to LGB job-applicants as well. Helping LGBT clients prepare for these problems is essential in assisting them in their career choice and job search efforts (Neary, 2010). Work discrimination also has a significant impact on LGBT persons mental state, with the most common psychological issues include increased levels of stress and anxiety, depression, lack of self-confidence, drug and alcohol dependency (Neary, 2010), and attempted suicide (Grant et. al., 2011). Implications Suggested Interventions for Career Counselors Like all other clients, the LGBT client may require help with career planning, self-assessment, career exploration, career or job transitions, job search strategies etcetera (Neary, 2010; ONeil et. al., 2008). Career counselors working with sexual minorities need to create a LGBT-positive/affirming counseling environment, in which clients are free to explore their personal needs, interests and values in a safe place. Such an environment includes tangible and process-related forms of support and affirmation (e.g., displaying quarterly newsletters from the America Psychological Associations Division 44 and other reading materials or paying careful attention to unique aspects of assessment interpretation) for LGBT clients. Intake forms should encourage them to note their gender presentation, and gender-neutral washrooms should be made available (ONeil et. al., 2008). Counselors and other helping professionals involved in the career development process of LGBT individuals should ensure that they develop relevant multicultural knowledge, skills and awareness for conducting culturally appropriate career discussions, realizing that more traditional approaches will likely be ineffective with this particular population. (Niles Harris-Bowlsbey, 2001). When a LGBT client presents for career counseling, counselors should assess whether they are competent to provide the services requested (ONeil, et. al., 2008). It is also imperative that career counselors assess their personal biases, stereotypes, and assumptions about the LGBT client presenting for counseling. A client-centered approach is recommended given that the issue of trust building is critical with the LGBT population. From a narrative perspective, adopting a stance of informed not knowing will allow the LGBT client the best chance to share their story about their career and life in their own wo rds. Following, the counselor and client collaborate to deconstruct the cultural narratives of gender and heterosexism that promote negative messages and replace them with a more accurate and affirming narrative (Neary, 2010). In the case of personal dislike to LGBT individuals, ONeil et. al., (2008) advised that counselors refer the client to another professional, receive continuing education and supervision, and engage in personal exploration of the topic as a means to prepare for future clients with similar concerns. The career counselors ability to provide effective services to their LGBT clients will be improved by staying current with the relevant literature (ONeil et. al., 2008). Career counselors are encouraged to help improve cultural sensitivity where their clients are concerned; this can be achieved by using appropriate names, pronouns and other terminology preferred by their LGBT clients to help validate their identity. Career counselors should also make it a point to educate themselves about the different legal issues experienced by their clients and investigate any written workplace policies that may hold relevance to LGBT individuals, such as the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ONeil et. al., 2008; Human Rights Campaign). Further, career counselors should identify and attend to all of the salient aspects of the clients identity, as clients may identify themselves with an array of sociocultural backgrounds. This is especially important for transgender clients who not only suffer discrimination in the workplace, but in almost every aspect of their lives: education, housing, public accommodations, receiving update identification documents, and health care (Ramos, Badgett, Sears, 2011). Pope (1995) as cited in Gedro (2009) outlined four useful interventions for career counselors working in their work with sexual minorities. Pope suggests a discussion about discrimination interventions (exploring the nature and extent of discrimination and any resources available to the client should he or she chose to change their job or career), dual-career couples (e.g., Do you openly reveal the relationship at work?), overcoming internalized transphobia or homophobia with the client (many sexual minority clients possess an intense self-hatred and loathing), as well as supporting LGBT role models (particularly those who do not work in safe occupation). Finally, career counselors are also strongly encouraged to serve as advocates for their LGBT clients. One author noted that a weakness in the field is the reluctance or inability to see career counselors as change agents who can help not only individuals to change but systems to change as well (Hanson, 2003 as cited in ONeil, 2008, p. 299). Neary (2010) cited Muniz and Thomas (2006) five strategies in organization settings that career counselors can use to help cultivate an affirmative LGBT work environment. They include: 1) setting up the context advocating in the workplace for anti-discrimination and harassment policies, 2) preparing for resistance taking steps to make the concerns and needs of the LGBT population more visible, 3) leadership commitment gaining commitment and support from the leadership/management of organization, 4) becoming familiar with or launching affinity and/or resource groups for LGBT persons, and 5) continued learning additional diversity training (Near y, 2010). The Human Rights Campaign Foundation provides a 5-step checklist for advocating for the rights of transgender persons, and the NCTEs list of 52 Things You Can Do for Transgender Equity, is also a useful guide for initiating social advocacy (ONeil, et. al., 2008).

Essay --

Many students from all over the globe seek to take admission in different universities of USA but unfortunately many are unable to do so due to different problems like financial need, etc. So many different foundations have started funding the international students who are meritorious, talented and due to financial need or some other problem can’t afford to take admission. Scholarships for the Indian Students at any University in USAGiven below are some of the scholarships available for admission in Masters’ degree in any university of USA for the international students. Though the list contains mainly those scholarships for the Indian students in which they are eligible. The scholarships available here are: 1. Fulbright Foreign Students Program in USA This scholarship enables graduate students and young professionals from other countries of the world to research and study in US for a year or more at US universities and institutes. Eligibility: Any international candidate who is holding bachelors’ or equivalent degree is eligible for this scholarship Scholarship Amount: Full funding for the duration of study which includes tuition fees, airfare, living stipend, health insurance, etc. How to Apply: The applications are processed by the bi – national Fulbright Commission / Foundation or US Embassies. So the candidates need to apply through the Fulbright Commission / Foundation or US Embassies of their home countries, but it must be done before the deadline. For more details visit: http://foreign.fullbrightonline.org/about/foreign-fullbright 2. OFID Scholarship Awards for International Students OFID stands for The OPEC Fund for International Development. This foundation offers scholarship to those international stu... ...ime Minister Obuchi. He actually believed in â€Å"people building the next era†. This scholarship is to support innovative and imaginative post – graduate research in the areas of development. Eligibility: Any international candidates who have completed their bachelors’ or equivalent degree and must be a person of high intellectual promises are eligible. The candidate must be within the age of 40 years. Scholarship Amount: Between $ 6,000 and $ 10,000 in two or three installments How to Apply: All the candidates need to submit the application form along with the documents mentioned in the form before the deadline to the address â€Å"Fellowship Programme Section, UNESCO, 7, Place de Fontenoy, 75352 Paris 07†. Also an advance copy may be sent by fax to 33.1.45.68.55.03. For more details visit: http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=14635&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html

The Awakening and The Yellow Wallpaper -- Chopin Awakening Essays

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Kate Chopin's story The Awakening and Charlotte Perkins Gilman's story The Yellow Wallpaper draw their power from two truths: First, each work stands as a political cry against injustice and at the socio/political genesis of the modern feminist movement. Second, each text is a gatekeeper of a new literary history. Kate Chopin and Charlotte Perkins Gilman seem to initiate a new phase in textual history where literary conventions are revised to serve an ideology representative of the "new" feminine presence. Two conventions in particular seem of central importance: "marriage" and "propriety".   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Donald Keesey, editor of the critical collection Contexts for Criticism, describes "convention" for us as, devices of structure and plot, techniques of character representation, and a vast reservoir of images and symbols are conventions that most Western literatures, at least, have in commonBut like the conventions of language, they have meaning only to those who have learned them (Keesey, 262).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Literary convention is on one side the particular tool or image; for example, "baptism" can be used as a literary a convention. It is a "convention" because it brings with it a set of inferences, i.e. rebirth, renewal, awakening, initiation, etc. This relation of the signifier to the signified is what Chopin and Gilman seek to revise in the conventions of "propriety" and "marriage". The preceding definition of "convention" leaves us with an important question, namely, "What if what the existing conventions imply is insufficient? What if, as in the case of Chopin and Gilman, the canon (as a reflection of society at large) has failed to recognize the feminine voice?" As these authors have shown us, when such is the ... ...ier." New Essays on The Awakening. Ed. Wendy Martin. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 1988. 89-106. Gilman, Charlotte Perkins, The Yellow Wallpaper, The Feminist Press, 1973. Gilmore, Michael T. "Revolt Against Nature: The Problematic Modernism of The Awakening." Martin 59-84. Giorcelli, Cristina. "Edna's Wisdom: A Transitional and Numinous Merging." Martin 109-39. Keesey, Donald, Contexts for Criticism. Mayfield Publishing Company, 1994. Martin, Wendy, ed. New Essays on the Awakening. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 1988. Papke, Mary E. Verging on the Abyss: The Social Fiction of Kate Chopin and Edith Wharton. Westport, CT: Greenwood, 1990. Seyersted, Per. Kate Chopin: A Critical Biography. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State UP, 1969. Showalter, Elaine. "Tradition and the Female Talent: The Awakening as a Solitary Book." Martin 33-55.   

Walton’s Letters in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein Essay -- Mary Shelley

Walton’s Letters in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein ‘Frankenstein’ is a gothic, science fiction novel written by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley. It was written in Switzerland in 1816 and London in 1816-1817. The novel begins with a series of letters from the explorer Robert Walton to his sister, Margaret Saville. The entirety of ‘Frankenstein’ is contained within Robert Walton’s letters, which record the narratives of both Frankenstein and the monster. Walton’s letters act like a framing device for Victor’s narrative. Shelley’s use of letters enables the shift of narrative from one character to another, while still remaining like a standard novel. Walton’s is only the first of many voices in ‘Frankenstein’. His letters set up a frame which encloses the main narrative (Frankenstein’s), and provides the context in which it’s told. The letters from Walton, a well-to-do Englishman with a passion for exploring, start when he’s in St.Petersburg. He is writing to his sister Margaret in England. He assures her that he is safe and is looking forward to his voyage which has been his dream for many years. He tells his sister of his preparations leading up to his departure, and of the desire burning in him to accomplish â€Å"some great purpose†- exploring and discovering uncharted territory in the North Pole. There are also many roles which Walton’s letters undertake in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein’. Each letter has a different role and introduces new ideas. One of the main functions of the letters is to set the scene for the telling of the stranger’s narrative. In addition to this, Walton’s letters introduce an important character, Walton himself, whose story parallels Frankenstein’s. Walton parallels Victor in ... ...ledge and wisdom, as I once did; and I ardently wish that the gratification of your wishes may not be a serpent to sting you, as mine has been.† The theme of destructive knowledge is developed and predominates throughout the novel as the tragic consequences of Frankenstein’s search for knowledge are revealed. Walton, like Frankenstein also in the pursuit of knowledge attempts to surpass previous human explorations in order to discover the secrets of the unknown. Overall the role of Walton’s letters in ‘Frankenstein’ are very important. Not only do they introduce important characters such as Robert Walton, Victor Frankenstein and the monster. But they also establish the period and place in which the novel is set, introduce important ideas and themes which prevail throughout the novel, and introduce and frame the novel in a creative and interesting way.

Human Resource Information Systems (HRIS) Essay

Human Resource Information Systems (HRIS): An Unrealised Potential* David Grant** Work and Organisational Studies The Institute Building (H03) The University of Sydney NSW 2006 Australia Email d.grant@econ.usyd.edu.au Tel: +61 (0)2 9351 7871 Fax: +61 (0)2 9351 5283 Kristine Dery Work and Organisational Studies The Institute Building (H03) The University of Sydney NSW 2006 Australia Email k.dery@econ.usyd.edu.au Tel: +61 (0)2 9036 6410 Richard Hall Work and Organisational Studies The Institute Building (H03) The University of Sydney NSW 2006 Australia Email r.hall@econ.usyd.edu.au Tel: +61 (0)2 9351 5621 Nick Wailes Work and Organisational Studies The Institute Building (H03) The University of Sydney NSW 2006 Australia Email n.wailes@econ.usyd.edu.au Tel: +61 (0)2 9351 7870 Sharna Wiblen Work and Organisational Studies The Institute Building (H03) The University of Sydney NSW 2006 Australia Email s.wiblen@econ.usyd.edu.au Tel: +61 (0)2 9036 7603 Abstract: Over the last decade there has been a considerable increase in the number of organisations gathering, storing and analysing information regarding their human resources through the use of Human Resource Information Systems (HRIS) software or other types of software which include HRIS functionality (Ball, 2001; Barron, Chhabra, Hanscome, & Henson, 2004; Hussain, Wallace, & Cornelius, 2007; Ngai & Wat, 2006). The growing adoption of HRIS by organisations combined with the increasing sophistication of this software, presents the Human Resource function with the opportunity to enhance its contribution to organisation strategy. In this study we examine the ways in which HRIS might be used in order to achieve this. Our analysis of four Australian case study organisations finds that the claimed potential of HRIS to contribute to business strategy is contingent on its overcoming one or more of three key challenges. * This research is funded by an Australian Research Council Linkage Grant (LPLP0882247) in collaboration with the Australian Senior Human Resources Roundtable (ASHRR). ** Corresponding Author. Human Resource Information Systems (HRIS): An Unrealised Potential The last decade has seen a significant increase in the number of organisations gathering, storing and analysing human resources data using Human Resource Information Systems (HRIS) (Ball, 2001; Barron et al., 2004; Hussain et al., 2007; Ngai et al., 2006). In this paper we show that the study of the impact of HRIS is of direct significance to the ongoing debate about the extent to which Human Resources (HR) can play a strategic role in the organisation (Becker, Huselid, & Ulrich, 2001; Hewitt Associates, 2007; Huselid, 1995; Lawler & Mohrman, 2003; Sheehan, Holland, & De Cieri, 2006). Specifically, we examine the argument that through its capacity to deliver accurate and timely metrics, HRIS has the potential to assist the HR function in developing business strategy and thus enhancing organisation performance (Barney & Wright, 1998; Broderick & Boudreau, 1992; Gueutal, 2003; Lawler, Levenson, & Boudreau, 2004; Lengnic k-Hall & Moritz, 2003). Our initial findings from the first phase of interviews with four organisations based in Australia, suggest that the potential of HRIS to deliver the strategic competencies promised remains largely unrealised and that instead HRIS is used to increase administrative efficiency and/or obtain compliance support. Specifically, we find that the implementation and use of HRIS is being hindered by three main challenges: maintaining organisational attention, addressing the complexities associated with people management, and managing user acceptance of the change associated with the system. The paper comprises four main sections. In the first section we review the literature on HRIS paying particular attention to previous studies which recognise challenges associated with the selection and implementation of HRIS as well as the importance of social constructionism as a theoretical lens to analyse this topic. In the second section we discuss our case study methodology a nd profile our four case study organisations. In the third section we discuss our results by identifying and discussing the three challenges which we identify as important to the study of HRIS and HR. The final section summarises the findings and provides recommendations for management. Literature Review and Theory The current generation of HRIS automate and devolve routine administrative and compliance functions traditionally performed by corporate HR departments and can facilitate the outsourcing of HR (Barron et al., 2004). In doing so, HRIS not only make it possible for organisations to significantly reduce the costs associated with HR delivery, but also to reassess the need for retaining internal HR capabilities. However, HRIS also provide HR professionals with opportunities to enhance their contribution to the strategic direction of the firm. First, by automating and devolving many routine HR tasks to line management, HRIS provide HR professionals with the time needed to direct their attention towards more business critical and strategic level tasks, such as leadership development and talent management (Lawler et al., 2003). Second HRIS provides an opportunity for HR to play a more strategic role, through their ability to generate real time reports on HR issue s, including workforce planning and skills profiles, which can be used to support strategic decision making (Hendrickson, 2003; Lawler et al., 2004; Lengnick-Hall et al., 2003). The existing literature on HRIS suggests that they have different impacts on HR across organisations, but provides little explanation for this variation. Early surveys suggested that HRIS were used predominantly to automate routine tasks and â€Å"to replace filing cabinets† (Martinsons, 1994). Ball (2001) reported similar results for small and medium sized enterprises in the UK and concluded that HR had missed the strategic opportunity provided by HRIS. More recent research shows greater use of HRIS in support of strategic decision making by HR (Hussain et al., 2007). However, the extent to which HRIS is used in a strategic fashion differs across organisations, with the vast majority of organisations continuing to use HRIS simply to replace manual processing and to reduce costs (Bee & Bee, 2002; Brow n, 2002). Recent debates about technology and organisation have highlighted the importance of social context and sought to develop frameworks which acknowledge both the material and social character of technologies including HRIS (Dery, Hall, & Wailes, 2006). Accordingly, theories which can be considered as ‘social constructivist’ can play an important role in the study of technology as they explicitly recognise that technologies, such as HRIS, can not be evaluated and analysed without having an explicit understanding of the context of individuals and groups which consequently comprehend, interpret, use and engage with the technology (Grint & Woolgar, 1997; Orlikowski & Barley, 2001; Williams & Edge, 1996). Social constructionist views offer insights into the implementation and use of HRIS in a number of ways. In this study we draw on the social construction of technology and technologiesin-practice literature. The social construction of technology (SCOT) approach challenges the idea that technologies and technological artefacts have a pre-given and fixed meaning and in its place argues that the process, design and selection of technologies are open and can be subjected to contestation (Pinch & Bijker, 1984). Thus a technology is seen to be characterised by ‘interpretative flexibility’ and various ‘relevant social groups’ who articulate and promote particular interpretations of it. This meaning, over time tends to become accepted and the interpretation of the technology stabilised (Dery et al., 2006). In similar tradition to SCOT approaches, the technologies-in-practice approach endeavours to recognise the inability to separate the technology from surrounding social relations. Orlikowski (2000) conceives of technologies-in-practice as the structure that is enacted by users of a technology as they use the technology in recurrent ways. The important implications of this idea for the purposes of this research is the realisation that it is only when individuals use the HRIS that the associated social practices will frame and determine the value that they attribute to it. Hence the process of using a technology involves users interacting with ‘facilities’ (such as the properties of the technology artefact), ‘norms’ (such as the protocols of using the technology), and ‘interpret ative schemes’ (such as the skills, knowledge and the assumptions about the technology as might be positioned by the user) (Dery et al., 2006). Both of these approaches are important and useful as they recognise that when considering relationships and experiences with technology, it is essential that social factors and previous experiences be considered. Therefore the opinions of respondents can only be understood in the context of individuals and groups comprehending, interpreting, using and engaging with the technologies (Dery et al., 2006). The study discussed in this paper was initiated after a preliminary survey of the use of HRIS in 138 Australian Listed companies (Grant, Dery, Hall, & Wailes, 2007). The survey found that although 50% (n=69) of the participant organisations were found to have an HRIS, the extent to which they were being used in a strategic manner varied and for the most part the claimed potential of the information systems was not being realised. For example, while 91% of organisations with an HRIS used the systems in order to process and record leave, only 34% used them in relation to staff planning. In order to gain further insights into these results, the present study explores the impact of HRIS on the HR function in detail over a three year period at four large Australian organisations using a multiple case study approach (Yin, 2003). Specifically, the project examines whe ther HRIS enhances the strategic contribution of HR by exploring the ways in which HR professionals might make more effective use of these systems. The project is informed by four research questions: 1. Is there evidence to suggest that HR is using opportunities provided by the HRIS to enhance its contribution to firm strategic direction? 2. Do HRIS’s which are a module of enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems have different impacts on the HR function than standalone HRIS’s? 3. How do different organisational characteristics affect the ability of HR to use the opportunities provided by HRIS to act as strategic partners? 4. What strategies can HR professionals adopt to ensure that the use of HRIS in their organisations supports the strategic contribution of HR? Methodology and Background The four case study organisations each volunteered to participate in this study which is funded by an Australian Research Council (ARC) Linkage grant. Each organisation is a member of the Australian Senior Human Resources Round-table (ASHRR) the main industry partner in the project. Each of the case studies has either a standalone HRIS (e.g. CHRIS) or an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system module of HRIS (e.g. SAP) in place and all are in the process of either replacing or upgrading their existing system. Each company views the HRIS replacement or upgrade as a commitment to further extending the strategic contribution of the system. This provides us with a unique opportunity to gather rich empirical data related to our key research questions. The nature of the research questions required that the plans and activities of each case study be studied through the gathering of an array of data (table 1). This enabled the researchers to develop greater levels of understanding about the management of HRIS in each organisation and across organisations (Yin, 2003). Table 1: Data gathering across the case studies Case Study TechOrg # Interviews 4 Additional Data Organisational information available in the public domain, press articles Annual reports, Previous organisational presentations. OHS staff brochures and posters, Annual reports and promotional material Press clippings, web sites, office observations Observation of System in Use No observation of the system due to interviewee time constra ints BuildOrg 10 ManuOrg 8 Observation of HRIS in use within HR area; observation of OHS system in use Observation of HRIS in use with differing users. No observation of the system in use due to the sensitivity of data GovtOrg 4 Over a 16 month period initiated early 2008, interview data was combined with other empirical evidence gathered through access to secondary sources and during site visits. The interview data comprised semi-structured interviews conducted with executives across a range of roles in the organisations including: HR, IT, and Operations. Each interview was between one to two hours, and was conducted by two investigators, recorded and transcribed. Interviewees were selected on the basis of their involvement in the decision to implement or upgrade the HRIS at their organisation, or their high levels of use of the HRIS. In addition, and where possible, the researchers observed the HRIS at each organisation in use, so as to understand how the system was searched, reports were run, and the availability of data. The Case Studies Each of the four case studies discussed in this paper have been allocated an assumed name. Details concerning size of the organization, its current HRIS system and whether this was being renewed or upgraded and the reasons for the renewal or upgrade are summarized in table 2. TechOrg is a private organisation involved in the Information, Communications and Technology industry. Over the last three years, TechOrg has undertaken to upgrade its SAP HRIS module as part of its overall ERP upgrade and system development. BuildOrg is a large construction company which is also privately owned. Their workforce comprises both permanent and contracted employees. The organisation was previously operating a HRIS that was considered as outdated and sought to upgrade their existing system to primarily manage past and current employees. ManuOrg manufactures building products and metals and has a food processing division. The current HRIS was implemented 21 years ago with an increasingly modified CHRIS system that is currently in the process of being replaced with SAP. Lastly, GovtOrg is a public organisation responsible for security management. The organisation first implemented a proprietary HRIS in 1998 and had undertaken an upgrade in 2000 before initiating the current move to SAP in 2008. Table 2: Summary of Case Studies Case # Current system employees TechOrg 350 SAP BuildOrg Up to 1400 (varies) Tailored Preceda 9.1 by CHRIS, Mercury for payroll. CHRIS ManuOrg 7000+ Upgrading / replacing Replace with lighter version of SAP with more local functionality Upgrade to CHRIS Preceda 11 Mercury to remain SAP Reason(s) for change Change in ownership of organisation and requirement to severe links with previous owner and associated legacy systems. Increased requirement to meet compliance standards and to minimize risk of litigation. GovtOrg 5500 Proprietary system SAP HR director retiring with knowledge of the proprietary system. Need for a system consistent with the rest of the IT platform. Desire for IT rather than HR to manage HRIS. Moving to SAP so as to integrate with the organisation’s SAP ERP system and other govt. departments Results The initial research findings support the results of studies by those such as Towers Perrin (2008) and Bussler and Davis (2001). Despite all four case studies stating that the implementation or upgrade of their HRIS has been undertaken with the aim of utilising functions that are of a strategic nature thereby enhancing the strategic contribution of the HR function (Beatty, 2001; LengnickHall et al., 2003; Ulrich, 1997; Walker, 2001), the data suggests that progress towards making these changes is being hindered by a range of technological, managerial and organisational challenges. While some of these challenges could be attributed to the management of new technologies in general, our findings demonstrate that several are in fact specific to HR and reflect the complex nature of the management of people, the role of HR in the organisation, the allocation of resources to the HRIS, and technological issues related to the management of HR practice. It was never the intention of the project to select organisations that were undergoing major organisational change, rather we sought to gain access to organisations that were endeavouring to implement or upgrade their HRIS. The associated organisational changes which are discussed in this paper added to the complexity of the stories and experiences that these organisations have been able to share. The data across all the cases indicated the following three challenges for the organisations and each of these is discussed in the following section using cross-case analysis (Yin, 2003; Youndt, Snell, Dean, & Lepak, 1996). The challenges were: †¢ An inconsistency in the importance attributed to HRIS resulting in difficulties in sustaining management commitment to the project and in obtaining the resources necessary to fully develop the new or upgraded HRIS. †¢ A tendency to underestimate the complexity of the HRIS and its impact on the behaviour and processes of the organisation. †¢ The barriers to user acceptance of the HRIS and the consequent underestimation of the importance of change management. Inconsistent Salience Attributed to the Organisation’s HRIS Project The case study organisations have variously experienced significant changes in structure, size, ownership and government (summarised table 3). This has resulted in a shift of senior management attention away from development of the HRIS to more immediately pressing organisational issues. One consequence of this is the allocation of insufficient resources to the HRIS and, in some cases, the increased delegation of responsibilities to vendors and consultants. Table 3: Changes in Case Studies Case Study Organisational Change Process TechOrg Acquired by local company and required to adopt more localised processes BuildOrg Large growth in infrastructure projects Implication for the Business Reassessment and realignment of business processes Requirement to manage large contracted workforce. Significant increase in compliance requirements Need to align systems across range of standalone businesses Implication for the HRIS Enforced selection of more localised platform which aims to address more direct organisational needs Upgrade required for existing Preceda system ManuOrg GovtOrg Knowledge Management and establishment of sustainability practices Change of government resulting in increased demands and complexity of role. Desire for efficiencies in work practices. Migration to SAP and restructuring of the management of the HRIS away from HR and under IT Increased requirements Move to SAP platform to for reporting and comply with other standardised IT government departments TechOrg, a company based in the ICT sector, is a company that has constantly faced issues in maintaining the momentum and commitment of expanding their existing SAP system. Such challenges regarding salience have continued for the past three years as financial and engineering management systems upgrades have engulfed continual attempts to progress and complete the desired upgrade. The project, run and owned by the Human Resource department, is internally recognised as having low organisational priority: However the core will always be financial management systems and the things that allow our engineers and our program managers to run the calls, take the customer complaints, send them to the technician. We will certainly come a distant third to that†¦ So if we come third then we will do something, but we don’t know whether we’re coming third yet do we? (Director of People and Culture, TechOrg). The desire for the HRIS upgrade was later impeded in 2008 because the organisation was acquired by a domestic company and consequently all existing business processes needed to be changed to ensure separation from the previous owners. As a result â€Å"†¦the project (now) has been stopped pretty much †¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Director of People and Culture, TechOrg). The experiences of this organisation demonstrates that despite the best of intentions of HR, such projects as this, which are deemed as HR centric, can lose momentum as a result of factors beyond its control. BuildOrg started to investigate HRIS more than 10 years ago. The introduction of a new senior manager with existing ERP and HRIS knowledge combined with the perceived need to replace an outdated system instigated the desire to upgrade their original Mercury system, based on Lotus Notes. During these initial stages, several HRIS were considered, however, the project was abandoned when the costs associated with any new HRIS were deemed prohibitive. The project and operational requirements of the organisation were re-examined in 2005 and the organisation again considered implementing a new payroll system, but IT did not find any of the systems that they viewed appropriate for the organisational needs. The lack of executive support also played a significant role d uring this time. â€Å"So we sort of parked it at that stage. Because the other thing was, I think in an organisational sense with a new CEO, that wasn’t really a priority for us.† (General Manager HR, Safety and Corporate Relations). Finally in 2007 the latest attempt gained traction with senior management and the approval was given for an upgrade. Nevertheless the current progress on this project for BuildOrg has been met with caution. Because there’s been an awful lot of water under the bridge to get to this point. We’ve had – this is the third go at actually having a crack at getting Preceda as the HR system and getting the organisational structure in. Now there was one completely failed attempt. One almost got there but then failed and now this is the (final) go at it. (Applications Services Manager, IT). ManuOrg introduced its first HRIS in the 1970’s. Since then the organisation has undertaken a number of upgrades driven largely by organisational change which has required an expansion of the existing systems. Progressive changes and add-ons to the legacy system, has created for ManuOrg a HRIS that is complex and inconsistent. Although the HRIS has been accorded salience and sufficient resources over the past 30 years, the HR manager acknowledged that the rationale for change and selection of the replacement HRIS has tended to emphasise financial, rather than strategic human resource issues. The retirement of the HR Director, who has been central to developing the current HRIS, together with the need to standardise IT systems across all the operating companies has resulted in a call for migration to SAP and the re-positioning of HRIS management under the IT department. GovtOrg has been using PeopleSoft as the vendor for their HRIS since 1998, with an upgrade which introduced web based self service in 2000. With the aims of establishing a ‘single source of truth’, creating uniformity, gaining efficiencies and enabling data transfer and integration with other government organisations, GovtOrg has decided to replace PeopleSoft with SAP. Despite resounding confidence in the HRIS project, GovtOrg still believes that the project can be delayed by other organisational activities which are deemed more essential to the business and its performance. Probably the only issue is that will be a timing issue, as we – and we’re still debating with our plan – get a live date for SAPs views in October. So although it looks, at this point in time, like it may be delayed. If it gets delayed, it’ll actually push back into about March next year, because we’ve got some other peak periods in respect to processing and so forth. (National Manager of Infrastructure). The experiences of the four case study organisations suggests that their HRIS projects tend to face a number of challenges in the allocation of resources and the securing of ongoing support from senior management. Often finance, marketing and other operational functions are being given greater priority. In sum, based on the empirical research to date, it could be argued that all of the organisations, and specifically the HR function within them, have faced challenges regarding their ability to maintain momentum towards the selection and implementation of an upgraded HRIS. The Complexity of HRIS Underestimated The complexity of HRIS and its associated functionality appears to have been underestimated at the four case studies (Hannon, Jelf, & Brandes, 1996) and can be attributed to both technological and managerial factors. The challenge for HR management is how to manage the tension between the need to adapt practice to meet the needs of the HRIS versus customizing the technology to fit existing practices and the unpredictability involved in the management of people. Associated with this challenge is the decision of where to locate the management of the HRIS i.e. within Information Technology or as an HR technology group within HR. Our case organisations have varied responses to this dilemma, but all suggest that management of the system has significant implications for knowledge transfer between IT and HR and thus the ability to realise value from the HRIS . Previous studies have reiterated the claims made by HRIS vendors that there are two compelling benefits arising from the implementation or upgrading of HRIS (Hendrickson, 2003; Kavanagh, Gueutal, & Tannenbaum, 1990; Kovach & Cathcart, 1999). One is an increase in efficiencies through reduced costs and increased data accuracy, and the other is the improvements in the speed at which information can be produced. Such improvements in business processes have not yet been fully realised in our case study organisations as the implementation and functionality of the HRIS has proven to be more complex than anticipated. ManuOrg has maintained a number of legacy add-ons and proprietary upgrades to their CHRIS system. The current project is attempting to simplify and standardise systems into a standard IT platform that can be more easily supported but is finding it difficult to align the needs associated with its range of operating companies within one HRIS. The organisation realises that with its selection of a new and alternative HRIS vendor (SAP), there will be considerable compatibility issues with data migration. Accordingly, the transactional and menial activities for HR will increase prior to implementation, as existing data and codes are modified, and therefore the time required for data migration is expected to be significant. The complexity associated with the new system has compelled the organisation to implement it in a ‘big bang’ manner. â€Å"There are too many interdependent processes and that we really have to make the entire change of payroll for Australia and New Zealand at the one time† (Manager HR and Payroll Services). The complexity of the new system will also affect the value that the organisation can extract from the HRIS in the short term. Although the organisation has the explicit desire to establish a single source of truth via its new HRIS, it is recognised that such goals and aspirations will take second place, at least in the short-term, to the more urgent need to address issues surrounding change management and acceptance. The project based nature of the work that BuildOrg undertakes adds complications to the selection, use and implementation of any ‘vanilla’ HRIS. As the organisational structure is based more on projects and individuals rather than positions (typical of most organisations), particular reporting functionalities associated with HRIS may be deemed less germane or even superfluous for the organisation. In addition, similar to ManuOrg, this organisation is faced with the difficulty of trying to establish one central system which can be considered as a single source of truth from legacy systems which currently do not interface well. This has resulted in significant challenges around the compatibility and integration of data. BuildOrg has also experienced challenges with some of the functionality within the new system, particularly in relation to online leave applications. The issue of leave has proven to be problematic throughout the upgrade process, to the extent that the organisation has decided not to utilize this function initially, â€Å"which is probably why we’ve decided to not go forward with the (leave submiss ions) online; that’s a little bit in the too hard basket at the moment as to how it’s going to work† (Corporate HR Advisor). Furthermore, a number of other functionalities of the HRIS have needed to be adjusted in order to meet the organisational requirements before the system goes live: â€Å"You need a lot of tweaking at that point and we won’t be spot-on when we get it there; it’ll be close. That tweaking will take a while; it’ll take months and months† (Payroll Manager). This is a process that has consumed unexpected additional time and resources. Similar levels of complexity are associated with the implementation of a new system at TechOrg. This complexity can however be attributed to the changes in ownership that the organisation has experienced over the past 2 years. The new system and its implementation has experienced additional technical difficulties which have largely been driven by established business processes that could manage differences in European and Australian legislation. Being a publicly owned organisation presents its own range of issues for GovtOrg regarding the use and implementation of a HRIS. Comprising a highly structured workforce, GovtOrg faces challenges with the management of rosters, schedules and allowances. In contrast to ManuOrg and TechOrg, GovtOrg needs an HRIS capable of processing, administering and managing a variety of employee rosters and allowances. More specifically, for this particular organisation, the activities of workforce planning, the management of staff hours, associated policy issues and ensuring that its operations are conducted in accordance with the relevant collective agreements, results in additional complexity and has led to demands for additional functionality from the HRIS. Furthermore, the National Manager of Infrastructure recognised that existing contractual arrangements with their HRIS vendor has exposed the organisation to possible â€Å"†¦potential risks that may lead to delays.† Such potential risks and possible delays are believed to stem from concerns that the vendor may be unable to address the added demands for additional functionality that GovtOrg has put forward under present contractual arrangements. These contractual concerns along with workforce planning issues, have added to the complexity of the selection, implementation and use of GovtOrg’s HRIS. Barriers to Acceptance of New or Upgraded HRIS and the Importance of Change Management The third challenge which has hindered the ability of our case study organisations to realise the potential of their HRIS arises from barriers associated with the acceptance of the new or upgraded HRIS among key end-users of the system and the importance attached to managing the change processes associated with its implementation and introduction. Further, obtaining organisational ‘buy-in’ regarding the strategic contribution of the HRIS has, in some cases, been hindered by scepticism, a lack of understanding, insufficient management commitment, and fears that existing modes of work will be changed and result in, for example, job loss or altered leave entitlements and shift arrangements (Kavanagh et al., 1990; Kinnie & Arthurs, 1996; Tansley & Watson, 2000). The lack of organisation and management buy-in has also been a significant challenge for ManuOrg. Despite the HRIS project acquiring renewed salience and again being placed on the organisation’s strategic agenda, the Manager of HR and Payroll Services recognised that the system and its importance for the organisation was yet to be acknowledged and wholly accepted: â€Å"I’m not sure that it’s got the necessary buy-in from the business leaders that we’re going to need to have.† This problem was reinforced later in the same interview: â€Å"†¦from talking with the business heads, concept-wise, no one is saying this is a load of rubbish, but I don’t think they’ve quite got their heads into the space and are saying, ‘Yes, we’re 100% behind that†¦Ã¢â‚¬  To try and counter this lack of buy-in, the HR department is working on an ongoing basis to promote the HRIS promise. ManuOrg, acknowledges that the upgrade of the existing system, that has been in place for 21 years will generate significant change for the way that information is managed. As the Manager of HR and Payroll Services observed: The biggest issue I believe is going to be the change management†¦ Most [ManuOrg] employees are going to notice that and more than notice. They’re going to see a significant change in the way that they supply information, get information, gain approvals. It’s a big challenge for us at the moment to try and get people in the business into this online environment. Some people really love it, other people really hate it. There’s like that sort of – and there’s nothing really in between at the moment – lack of und erstanding of the change needed but also an explicit concern for the need to manage change. Discussions about this challenge and concerns about the required change management process have been extensive and the wider acceptance of the system and its changes are seen to differ between those that are associated with the project, versus existing employees who are comfortable with the organisations current policy and procedures, or alternatively fearful of technology. For me it works well, but I’m very adaptable to change. So being able to move to a system where we can have everything in the one place I think is going to be a much better thing for us. (HR Manager of Corporate and Shared Services). The challenges for GovtOrg in managing change are centred on the need to re-focus expectations. With the explicit desire to establish a single source of truth, the organisation has commissioned the HRIS project The ability for the organisation to achieve this relies on the ability to manage expectations: But we’ve also got to manage the expectation that this is not the silver bullet to everything. This is simply a system. A system, in and of itself, doesn’t actually resolve issues or processes or anything else. (National Director of People and Place) This same manager further believed this process and challenge would greatly impact the overall acceptance of the system and thus was focussed on the implementation process. â€Å"If this process experiences issues and additional complications, or just ‘goes wrong’ [then] you can almost smell the end of SAP or its user acceptance within customers.† Without an effective implementation process the ability of the organisation to gain potential strategic potential from their HRIS would be significantly compromised. Barriers to acceptance, ownership and maintenance have plagued BuildOrg’s past, current and planned HRIS. The resources allocated to the maintenance of the HRIS system have waned throughout the life of the existing system and overall ownership of the system has largely been transferred back and forth from IT, HR and Payroll: â€Å"We’ve had a lot of problems actually trying to get people to take ownership of the systems and maintain them† which has resulted in the existing system and the information that it generates being inaccurate and outdated. Past experiences of systems with limited use, combined with an appreciation of the needs of the current workforce has ensured that the organisation has delayed the implementation of the new updated system in an attempt to ensure tha t all problems and barriers have been addressed before the system goes live. According to the Corporate Human Resources Manager, training and education is essential and needs to be timely: It’s about educating and marketing, I think at the induction piece, the new joiners they get some sort of training on how to use it and then when we roll out self service and I was talking to [Manager X] about this the other day and said anything we do it has to have a really good marketing push so that people take notice and then quickly follow it up with the training. This organisation and its current project manager also realises that the training needs to be hands on in order to generate an acceptance and use of the system and avoid the work-arounds that have compromised the effectiveness of the system in the past. Acceptance of the HRIS has also presented problems for TechOrg however user resistance has not been as significant as evidenced in the other cases. Employees largely work in distributed teams located in client organisations for the duration of their projects. They are working in a hightech environment and thus are comfortable with a more virtual relationship with the organisation and use the HRIS to manage their information and for most of their HR requirements. Despite the HR department struggling to ensure that the new HRIS project retains salience in the organisation, the lack of organisational buy-in tends to surround specific fu nctions rather than the system as a whole. The Director of People and Performance spoke of limited success with functionality associated with time sheeting and the need to incorporate additional flexibility to meet the increasingly complex customer requirements which have implications for their employees in different work sites. Change is a constant in this organisation so together with the technical requirements of the job, this seems to create a more accepting environment for new systems. However, despite this environment, recent changes around pay cycles generated significant resistance that was unanticipated by management signalling that changes to the HRIS that directly impact employees such as pay may require significant more attention to change management than TechCo has traditionally been used to. Discussion and Conclusions Initial findings from our four case studies suggest that although new or upgraded HRIS systems are being used to automate and devolve routine administrative and compliance functions traditionally perfo rmed by the HR function, the potential for this technology to be used in ways that contribute to the strategic direction of the organisation is not being realised. More specifically, our results suggest that the opportunity to enhance HR’s role as strategic partner as a result of the use of HRIS is being hindered by three main challenges. The first challenge relates to the ability to maintain the levels of senior management commitment and resources needed to implement and manage new or upgraded HRIS. The second concerns managing the complexity of the HRIS and its associated functionality. The third challenge stems from barriers associated with the acceptance of HRIS among key managers and employees along with the importance attached to managing the change processes associated with the implementation and introduction of the new or upgraded systems. These challenges demonstrate that the material, functional characteristics of technologies such as HRIS are complex and make them difficult to introduce and operate. At the same time, and in line with a social constructionist approach to the study of technology each of the challenges illustrates that how and when a technology is used is also determined by the agency of its users and the social context within which it is adopted (Orlikowski et al., 2001). In sum, only through an appreciation of both the material and the social can a more informed understanding of the problems that surround HRIS implementation and operation be obtained. In this respect, our findings are in contrast to the more technological deterministic view of earlier studies of HRIS that suggest that it is simply the technology itself which has implications for the changing role of HR. It can be seen then that the social context of HRIS plays an important role in shaping user perceptions and behaviour (Orlikowski, 2000). From a technologies-in-practice perspective (Dery et al, 2006) user interactions with the ‘facilities’, ‘norms’, and ‘interpretative schemes’ associated with HRIS are affected not only by its technological complexity, but also by problems concerning the management of, and commitment to, its implementation. These socio-contextual factors are compounded by the fact that each case study organisation has experienced significant change, for example in ownership and structure. Underlying the three challenges is the issue of how various social groups, or key actors involved in the implementation and use of HRIS bring to bear their own interests and thus interpretations of the system and what it does. As a result of this process, the design, selection and use of HRIS are shown in this study to be subject to contestation as a range of meanings are attached to the technology that either undermine or highlight its perceived value and significance and which impact on the extent to which it is to be used in a strategic or more administrative fashion. Significantly, the study suggests that interpretations which run counter to HRIS being used in ways that realise its strategic potential are currently winning the day. 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