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Please see the additional PowerPoint on How To Analyze a Case Study and the additional questions to be answered. These will provide you additional details on how to analyze and present the case study.Nova Southeastern University
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RUNNING HEAD: Sample HRIS Case Study Response
1
Human resource information systems (HRIS) have many benefits for the company
involved including “decreased costs, improved communication and also a decreased time to
accomplish HR related activities” (Ferdous, Chowdhury and Bhuiyan, 2015). Conversely, in a
survey about the challenges in administering HRIS that was conducted by the Institute of
Management and Administration, results “found lack of staff, lack of budget, problems with time
management; need to work with other departments and lack of information technology support”
as the main problems associated with relying on these systems (Ferdous, Chowdhury and
Bhuiyan, 2015). With so many companies owning branches that are based all over the globe,
global integration of HRIS is the logical next step in the process of building a more seamless
system. In this case study, the process of global integration of an HRIS system is put up for
evaluation.
According to the article, The Top 5 HRIS Mistakes and How to Avoid Them, the
following are the top three pitfalls to avoid: “failure to effectively manage the change, failure to
define, validate, and support data quality and failure to properly plan” (Fairchild, n.d.). There
were many different obstacles that presented themselves within the case study completion of this
HRIS integration, not limited to and including the aforementioned top three pitfalls. The main
problems that arose were based around the leadership chosen on the London team, decisions
made by that management team, the lack of communication, and the travel time it took for the
completion of the project.
The first question that arose while reading was, if the integration of the HRIS system was
from London to the U.S. and majority of the employees are based in the U.S.; why was London
allowed to take the lead on this project? According to the case study, it was not economical to
RUNNING HEAD: Sample HRIS Case Study Response
2
salvage any of the London based systems in place and their system was to be built new anyway
so, the project should have been led by the Americans; who’s system was to be mirrored in the
first place. Also, the manager on the American side had experience with these types of projects;
while, the entire London team had no prior experience with any of these types of projects.
Finding a way to work together as a team proved difficult. “Single location projects draw
on large reservoirs of shared tacit knowledge and trust, and when issues arise, senior
management is on hand to make decisions and provide direction and support” (Wilson and Doz,
2012). When integration takes place, it would seem that some type of team building should be
put into place before the project begins. “To be effective, dispersed teams have to develop a new
set of collaboration competencies and establish a collaborative mind-set. This can be done by
running small, dispersed projects involving just two or three sites before a project launch”
(Wilson and Doz, 2012).
The communication problems stem directly from the leadership complications associated
with this case study. The American lead was considered a “consultant” and his suggestions
about reporting, payroll and interfaces were not addressed as important and later proved to be
three separate issues that should have been dealt with individually; which put the project behind
by having to address these after the fact instead of in the planning phases. Also, meetings were
scheduled when the least amount of opposition would occur so, that what the London managers
wanted would be voted in automatically. This also proved to cause additional setbacks because
the oppositions proved to be critical information and caused more problems that should have
been addressed in the first place and not ignored by management. Essentially the London team
proved by their actions and decisions that they felt they knew the process better and yet, at every
RUNNING HEAD: Sample HRIS Case Study Response
3
turn had to retrace their steps and go back to address the information or objections that were
raised by the American manager in the first place.
The final major problem dealt with the physical locations of the teams. There was a
communication delay for twenty-four hours when trying to ask questions from London to the
U.S. because of the time difference. This could have been solved with the addition of a support
team that worked through the night on this specific project. Also, the Americans ended up
spending their off time working on parts of the project. Finally, when the London group had to
come to the U.S. during the testing phase, it lasted longer than anticipated and added more time
to the project completion.
Aside from these major problems, there were some minor ones that also surfaced during
this integration project. These minor problems were as follows: computer coding and language
differences, encryption software problems and outsourcing issues. Many of these issues could
have been addressed in the planning stages of this project; especially, the language differences
and the coding differences between American and European computer coding. Also, meetings
with and including in the actual project a representative from the company(ies) that are doing
outsourcing should have been an integral part of a seamless integration. “Projects should include
generous travel budgets (for these outsourcing representatives) for face-to-face site visits, team
meetings, and temporary transfers for key team members” (Wilson and Doz, 2012).
In single location changes all the employees “share the same language, culture, and
norms, enabling flexibility and iterative learning as the project unfolds” (Wilson and Doz, 2012).
These cultural understandings make it easier for cohesiveness. In a global integration, different
cultures and norms can cause problems. In this case study, this was evident in the difference in
RUNNING HEAD: Sample HRIS Case Study Response
4
language used for the same meaning within the HRIS system. Another example was how
changes in employee’s addresses or insurance was handled by the programs in place for each
individual country. Also, there was the difference in laws and the legality of some decisions
based upon the different culture.
The initial hierarchy of how the company set up different branches was also a factor. In
the American branch of the company everything was reported to IT with a backup reporting to
HR, if necessary. In the London based branch everything ran directly through HR and not IT at
all. This hierarchy initially sets up different branches in charge of the same things in different
locations. If the key players in these organizations are not asked for input in this project then,
some important issues will not be known and addressed and the wrong department could
potentially be speaking for another without really knowing what is going on. Continuity of
reporting should happen within the same organization.
Clearly this integration project case study lacked sufficiently experienced leadership and
did not have the correct checks and balances in place to complete the task on time. “When the
knowledge base underlying a project is fragmented and project teams are scattered over multiple
locations, miscommunication, conflict, and stalemates over crucial decision making are much
more likely” (Wilson and Doz, 2012). Having a senior manager(s) in place to handle decisions
and look objectively can be helpful. Also a strong management team needs to be in place across
all locations so that daily tasks can be completed on time. These teams need to be rigorous in
their work ethic and specific in their shared goals (Wilson and Doz, 2012).
In the planning stages of this process, time needs to be spent addressing the goals of the
project and a time table needs to be set up with all the goals broken down into small chunks with
RUNNING HEAD: Sample HRIS Case Study Response
5
specific due dates to help facilitate completion on time. Because of distance and the sheer
number of people working on this project,
…everything must be defined up front: the product or service architecture, the
functionality of individual modules, and the interdependencies and interfaces between
modules. In addition, process flows, timelines, and knowledge requirements need to be
thoroughly understood so that everyone working on the project has the same
understanding of the goals and their individual contributions to them. (Wilson and Doz,
2012).
Having an actual time table that everyone involved has seen and is aware of is paramount.
According to the article, International Assignments: Who’s Going Where and Why?,
definitely points to two main motivating factors for employees that include career development
and advancement. Qualifying Criteria that companies/organizations are looking for include:
leadership potential (80 percent), technical skills (75 percent), and criterion based decisions
according to the assignment abroad. Other specifications that managers seek are individuals that
are flexible and can easily adapt to new cultures, circumstances, and people. In addition,
behavior traits and the desire for career advancement were a close second and third for
consideration (Maurer, 2013). “When considering someone for an international assignment, 68
percent of respondents said family status was not considered, while 25 percent said family
criteria depended on the project” (Maurer, 2013).
According to the article, 10 Rules for Managing Global Innovation, start small, provide a
stable organizational context, assign oversight and support responsibility to a senior manager,
RUNNING HEAD: Sample HRIS Case Study Response
6
use rigorous project management and seasoned project leaders, appoint a lead site, invest time
defining the innovation, allocate resources on the basis of capability, not availability, build
enough knowledge overlap for collaboration, limit the number of subcontractors and partners,
and don’t rely solely on technology for communication (Wilson and Doz 2012).
My biggest recommendation to change the dynamics of this case study would’ve been to
ensure a productive, communicative, and qualitative virtual team from the beginning. According
to the article, Getting Virtual Teams Right, recommends establishing the “rights”- team, leader,
touchpoints, and technology. With these in place companies can use the best and lowest-cost
global talent and significantly reduce their real estate costs (Ferrazzi, 2014). The right team must
include people with excellent communication skills, the ideal group size, and individual roles
and responsibilities. The right leadership should exhibit the following attributes: foster trust
between managers and employees, encourage open dialogue, and clarify goals and guidelines set
up by the team. Virtual teams should come together in person at certain times/touchpoints to
ensure that people are on the same page and feel comfortable. These times should include the
kickoff phase when initial communication occurs through video or in person, onboarding phase
when new members are added to the team, and during milestones. Managers need to continue to
keep the team updated regularly and praise individuals and group goals being met. Finally,
technology should include: conference calls, direct calling/text messaging which takes place in
real time, and discussion forums or virtual team rooms (Ferrazzi, 2014).
In conclusion, fortunately as a society we are well more diverse and need to work in
teams globally and internationally. If London and the U.S. would’ve incorporated the power of
virtual teams then I do believe they could’ve reached most, if not, all of their goals in a timely
RUNNING HEAD: Sample HRIS Case Study Response
7
fashion yielding great output. Communication is key in any facet of life, but especially in HR
and it was apparent from paragraph one of the case study that it wasn’t present. I would
personally like to reevaluate this same case study by changing two things – implementation of a
virtual team from the beginning and requiring experience within the leadership of this project.
The outcome, I feel, would yield inordinately different results.
RUNNING HEAD: Sample HRIS Case Study Response
8
References
Fairchild, M. (n.d.). The Top 5 HRIS Mistakes and How to Avoid Them. Retrieved February 21,
2016, from http://www.hrlab.com/hris-mistakes.php
Ferdous, F., Chowdhury, M. M., & Bhuiyan, F. (2015). Barriers to the Implementation of Human
Resource Information Systems. Asian Journal of Management Sciences & Education,
4(1), 33-42. Retrieved February 21, 2016, from http://www.ajmse.leenaluna.co.jp/AJMSEPDFs/Vol.4(1)/AJMSE2015(4.1-04).pdf
Ferrazzi, K. (2014, December 01). Getting Virtual Teams Right. Retrieved February 23, 2016,
from https://hbr.org/2014/12/getting-virtual-teams-right
Maurer, R. (2013, August 22). International Assignments: Who’s Going Where and Why? .
Retrieved February 22, 2016, from
http://www.shrm.org/hrdisciplines/global/articles/pages/international-assignmentssurvey.aspx
Wilson, K., & Doz, Y. (2012, October 01). 10 Rules for Managing Global Innovation. Retrieved
February 22, 2016, from https://hbr.org/2012/10/10-rules-for-managing-globalinnovation/ar/1
CASE STUDIES
HOW TO TACKLE A CASE STUDY SUCCESSFULLY
Skills for Studying a Case
• Two distinct sets of skills
• Ability to analyze a case; give the case meaning in relation to its key issues or questions
with the goal to come to conclusions congruent with the reality of the case
• Communicate thinking effectively
What is a Case?
• An imitation or simulation of a real problem
• Verbal representations of reality that put the reader in the role of a participant in
the situation
• Unit of analysis may be:
•
•
•
•
The Individual
The Corporation
The Nation, or
The World
Characteristics of a Case Study
• Three characteristics
• A significant business issue or issues
• Sufficient information on which to base conclusions
• No stated conclusions
Characteristics of a Case Study
• Complicating properties
• Noise – irrelevant information, dead ends; false, biased or limited testimony by
characters in the case
• Unstated information; inferences must be made
• Nonlinear structure; related evidence may be scattered through the text or disguised
Case Studies
• Case studies are a self guided learning opportunity
• Types of case studies:
• Problems
• Decisions
• Evaluations
• Rules
Problems
• A problem case study is a situation in which:
• There is a significant outcome or performance
• There is no explicit explanation of the outcome or performance
• A situation which as happened, but we don’t know why it happened
Decisions
• A situation in which an explicit decision must be made
• Decisions vary in scope, consequence, and available data
• Analyzing decisions requires:
• Decision Options
• Decision Criteria
• Relevant Evidence
Evaluations
• Evaluations express a judgment about the worth, value, or effectivenss of a
performance, act, or outcome
• Unit of analysis
• Individual
• Group
• Department
• Entire organization
• Country
• Global region
Rules
• Rules analysis exists in almost every area of business
• Rules require:
• The type of information needed
• The appropriate rule
• The correct way to apply the rule
• The data necessary to execute the rule
SIX STEPS
•
•
•
•
•
•
Read the entire case
Identify the key players
Identify the key issues
Define the problem to be solved
Analyze data
Report results
WHAT TYPE OF CASE IS IT?
• Decision
• The case protagonist must make some type of a decision
• Problem
• The case requires you to diagnose a problem
• Evaluation
• Illustrates a business success or failure; you must analyze the underlying reasons for the
success or failure
READING A CASE STUDY
• Begin with the questions, if any questions are supplied with the case
• Skim the case
• Read the Introduction
• What type of case is it?
• Look at the headings, exhibits, tables – anything that catches your eye
• What is the place? Time?
READING A CASE STUDY
• Go back and read the case
• Make notes as you read the case
• Who – who are the key players? Are there any other individuals who play a role but may not
be key to the decision(s) that have to be made? What roles do these individuals play in the
case? Who is/are the decision-makers?
• What – what are the key issues? Are there other relevant issues that will assist you in the
analysis?
• Where – Think in terms of geographic location; does the “where” contribute any important
information to assist in the decision(s) to be made?
READING A CASE STUDY
• Read the entire case (con’t)
• When – What is the timeframe for the decision? When does the decision have to be made?
Are there other time constraints to the case?
• How – How will the decision be made?
• Why – Why is there a decision to be made?
• Match exhibits, tables and other content to specific text within the case
ORGANIZE YOUR NOTES
• Re-read the Case, paying attention to your notes
• Organize and prioritize your notes
• Identify primary, secondary, tertiary
• Who is the primary decision-maker? Secondary?
• What is the major decision? Are there any secondary decisions?
• Strikethrough any non-important information you may have jotted down
DEFINE THE PROBLEM
• Create a preliminary draft of the main problems or
issues
• Just a sentence or two; this may change as you continue
your analysis!
DEEP DIVE
• Next, conduct a deep dive, re-reading the case thoroughly
• What is the focus of the assignment?
• What are the problems/subproblems?
• What major patterns of themes have emerged from your reading of the case?
• What is happening?
• What does what is occurring mean for the company?
• Are additional problems potentially on the horizon?
DEEP DIVE
• Circle, highlight or in some way identify information of particular
significance
• Beware of false leads!
APPLY CONCEPTS
• Identify any concepts from the course that may be applied to the case
• Principles
• Frameworks
• Theories
APPLY CONCEPTS
• Ask yourself:
• What kind of course is this?
• Has the instructor provided any clues?
• Check the Syllabus
• Course Module description
• Supplemental Readings
• Where in the course are we?
BACK TO THE BEGINNING
• Look at your initial problem statement and revise as necessary
• Identify your key concerns:
• Decisions
• Problems
• Challenges
• Missing Data
• Prioritize your key concerns to understand what you may want to tackle first
ANALYSIS
• Any data analysis you perform may not supply your with definitive answers
• Qualitative data
• Quantitative data
QUALITATIVE DATA
• Qualitative data may include:
• Statements made by individuals within case
• Quotes from interviews
• Any categorical measurement not expressed in terms of numbers but rather through
natural language description
• Facts/opinions, especially those central to the problem
• Can be objective and subjective
• External Reports
QUANTITATIVE DATA
•The numbers!
• Crunching numbers does not always lead to a solution
• Read between the lines
DATA INTERPRETATION
• When analyzing the data, make sure you include evidence you may have
accumulated which supports one interpretation over another.
DEVELOP FRAMEWORK
• Revisit, reflect, revise, refine
ACTION PLAN
• Identify goals and objectives
• These may be short-term, medium-term, or long-term
• Ask: What’s best for this company given the company’s goals, it’s mission,
vision, values?
SCHEMES
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
S – Space
C – Cash
H – Helpers/People
E – Equipment
M – Materials
E – Expertise
S – Systems
ACTION PLAN
• Tasks
• Recommendations
• Concerns – Assumptions, Missing Data, Additional Problems, Risks, etc.
Written Case Analysis
• Follow instructions from Case, or
• Follow instructions provided by instructor
• Eliminate opinions:
• Do not say “I believe” or “I feel”
• If you believe something to be true, valid or important, provide evidence as to why you
believe something
• “The Board of Directors were unaware of the details of this situation, as evidenced by…”
• NOT: “I believe the Board was unaware of the details”
Following Instructions!
• What role are you playing in the case?
• A consultant?
• A member of the executive committee?
• Other?
• Think about how the role you are playing in the case would complete the
written analysis.
Class Discussion
• If the case will be discussed in class, prepare ahead of class.
• Brief synopsis/background
• Do not rehash all of the details
• What are the issues?
• There may be primary and secondary issues
• Try to categorize the issues in terms of importance
DEVELOP OUTLINE
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Introduction
Executive Summary
Background
Stakeholders
Data Analysis
Recommendations
Next Steps
Etc.
Issues
Concerns, Risks, Assumptions
Adapted from Case Analysis Coach, Harvard Business Publishing, © 2015
References
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