Knowledge that Transforms

Human resource information systems (HRIS) have become a major MIS subfunction within the personnel areas of many large corporations. This article traces the development of HRIS as an entity independent of centralized MIS, assesses its current operation and technological base, and considers its future role in the firm, especially its relationship to the centralized MIS function. The results of a survey of HRIS professionals from 171 U.S. corporations are described in order to provide an overview of the current design, operation, and effectiveness of HRIS. The findings of the survey are discussed in terms of their implications for management of human resource information systems.

The use of information technology (IT) as a competitive weapon has become a popular cliche; but there is still a marked lack of understanding of the issues that determine the influence of information technology on a particular organization and the processes that will allow a smooth coordination of technology and corporate strategy. This article surveys the major efforts to arrive at a relevent framework, and attempts to integrate them in a more comprehensive viewpoint. The focus then turns to the major research issues in understanding the impact of information technology on competitive strategy.

In western societies more people are employed collecting, handling and distributing information than in any other occupation. Millions of computers inhabit the earth and many millions of miles of optical fiber, wire and air waves link people, their computers and the vast array of information handling devices together. There are many unique challenges we face in this age of information. They stem from the nature of information itself. Information is the means through which the mind expands and increases its capacity to achieve its goals, often as the result of an input from another mind. Two forces threaten our privacy. One is the growth of information technology, with its enhanced capacity for surveillance, communication, computation, storage, and retrieval. A second, and more insidious threat, is the increased value of information in decisionmaking. Collections of information reveal intimate details about a person and can thereby deprive the person of the opportunity to form certain professional and personal relationships.