HRM in Supporting the Adoption of New Technology in Organizations - Essay Example

College: 21/4 HRM in Supporting the Adoption of New Technology in Organizations The effect of technology in the workplace and workforce has been very significant with numerous challenges cropping up whenever there are upgrades in technology in any given organization. Among the variety of challenges faced by a company in introducing any form of new technology to its employees, training plays an important role in ensuring success in implementation. For any process to run smoothly, employees need to have the expertise and knowledge of operating certain programs hence the weight training carries. It is thus important to ensure an organization has the ability to provide the necessary training before implementing any new programs and processes to their employees. Issue The 1990s saw several forces shaping HRM’s broad field. New technologies- information technology in particular, led to communications’ decentralization and the shaking up of on hand paradigms of organizational theory and human interaction. Computers, fax machines, satellite communications, as well as networking systems were the earlier changes experienced by the business world in terms of technology. Today, systems have become more sophisticated, aimed at the efficiency and productivity of a particular organization. As the sophistication heightens, the challenges faced by these organizations when introducing these systems to employees are also on the rise. Introducing any form of technology in any organization faces many challenges, some of which include: Lacking executive support Project resources which are minimal Little employee buy-in Limited company budgets Discussion and Analysis The market environment is becoming more competitive and constantly changing the role played by the Human Resource Manager hence the recognition that Human Resource Management should play a role that is more strategic for any organization’s success. As such the HR has to ensure that employees are adequately equipped for the activities of the organization to run smoothly. The HR manager roles need to be parallel to the changing organization needs. Thriving organizations are fast becoming more resilient, adaptable, customer-centered and quick in changing directions. Within an environment such as this, the HR expert must grasp how to effectively manage through organizing, planning, controlling and leading the human resource as well as being knowledgeable of up-and-coming employee development and training trends. Discussion and Analysis One critical problem companies face is going for technology with stretched budgets. This could be a potential reason for backfiring implementations. Each organization has entirely different requirements hence cannot implement systems based on what other organizations may have done. Going fully fledged technology may not be advisable unless mandatory for an organization. Since any form of technology in an organization requires huge investment in monetary terms as well as time wise, resources spent will be justifiable only if optimally utilized. Technology depends entirely on the operation’s scope, nature of business, and like details. Infusion of required and partial functions for any system still remains a challenge and thus the company may seek the advice of a consultant during the planning stages. Paul Allen of Project Management Institute explains that “80 percent of new software applications and 67 percent of reengineering efforts are abandoned or fail to meet deadlines or the projected cost benefits”. To steer clear of these statistics, there is need to understand how any technology implementation affects various areas in an organization and how much planning is needed for success. A highly crucial aspect of HRM is evaluation and measuring of program results. In addition to evaluating the internal features of programs of HRM, companies must also assess the programs’ effectiveness by the impact on business success over ally. In other terms, companies need to link their HRM methods to company performance for determining whether the methods are benefiting the business through increased quality, expanded market share, reduced costs, and so on. Training is vital to implementing any program successfully. This is important to avoid situations where employees do not know how to use or do not buy into newly implemented systems as a result of inadequate training. Planning an organization’s training tactic and using training resources fittingly may significantly decrease problems related to technology implementations. In the creation of any program, an organization needs to decide how processes of businesses may be affected. Will the company revise its current processes and match the program or will the program be modified? Answers to questions such as these, form the basis of a technology implementation plan, and is able to affect the process of training to be developed profoundly. A key component to any technology execution plan is documentation of internal procedures and processes. The training and documentation component needs to be included at the beginning of the planning process. In addition to training on the redesigned or new business processes, back of the office processes unknown to everyone, need to be included in the training program. These may include the processing of expense and time reports. These are processes usually specific to an organization hence frequently unwritten. Documenting business processes could also be beneficial in case involved members leave an organization. In such situations, training and documentation allows a company to retain the valuable knowledge and educate employees in future as well. Delays in the training program may also greatly influence employees buying into the stability and capability of the system. Implications and Recommendations Training needs to be included in the phases of project planning. Determining both the key person and department charged with training at the planning stage is vital. Training requires consideration of the training resources a company possesses. The questions to be asked include: Are trainers to be hired, or internally appointed? How will job duties be performed during the training? Should temporary personnel or current ones perform the duties? Is the company fully equipped to cover training requirements? When planning for training, you need to consider the logistics of the company’s training resources. Will trainers be hired, or will internal employees be used for training? How will the job duties be covered while employees are attending training? Should you bring in temporary personnel, or can current employees share the job duties? Does your company have the physical facilities to meet your training requirements? These questions assist in determining the company’s capacity in handling the training. Involvement of top management in the implementation or training process of newly introduced programs or technology, is highly motivational for other employees especially those who may not be willing to adopt the new systems. The support of the executive may go a long way in boosting the implementation of any program. Management also needs to give employees time to adjust to the newly introduced systems. Planning within the company’s budget and resources may also play a critical in avoiding losses resulting from over-budgeting and overstretching the company’s resources. This should be done after a thorough analysis of the technology to be implemented and the benefits expected from the implementation. References: Beer, Michael et al, (1985). Human Resource Management. New York: Free Press Bratton, J. and Gold, J., (2007), Human Resource Management: Theory and Practice, Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan Greenlaw, S., and John P. (1984). Personnel Management: Managing Human Resources. 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