Global human resources (HR) information systems

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to advance information systems, research and strategies to manage global human resources. The influx of diversity candidates into the marketplace is driving the wheels of change. With an increase in minorities and international workforce in advanced education and professional positions, employers are choosing to embrace diversity. Those that successfully make this transition will prosper in this new century and beyond. A culturally diverse workforce provides an enriched environment for the development of new ideas, fresh perspectives and innovative methodologies.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper discusses the fact that the increasing prevalence of globalization is driven by a number of factors, including shortage of talent in developed countries, availability of low‐cost labor, growing consumers in developing countries, technological progress and worldwide workforce diversity. Human Resources (HR) departments of global companies must assemble global databases that obtain information such as employee's attrition and hiring, compensation and benefits, ethnic, gender, cultural, and nationality distributions. By applying advanced analytical techniques on the global database, HR professionals will get intelligent business insight, predict changes and make informed decisions at operational and strategic levels.

Findings

The global supply of talent is short of its long‐term demand, and the gap is a challenge for employers everywhere. The shortage between the demand and supply of talent is likely to continue to increase notably for high skilled workers and for the next generation of business executives.

Practical implications

Only those multinational enterprises willing to adapt their HR practices to the changing global labor market conditions will be able to attract and retain high performing employees. Organizations need to place greater emphasis on attracting human capital in addition to financial capital. Global staffing and management of a workforce diverse in culture and language skills and dispersed in different countries are the key goals of global human resources.

Originality/value

The paper tackles one of the most critical problems of educating multinational enterprises to adapt their HR practices to the changing global labor market conditions. In so doing multinational enterprises will attract, develop and retain high performing employees in order to survive and succeed in the global competition. Management of culturally diverse and geographically dispersed workforce is a key goal of global human resources. It is also critical that businesses not only familiarize with local ways of doing business and understand needs of the local consumers, but also to develop a global mindset, global HR information systems and global HR databases. Global HR will play roles and responsibilities in leading organizations towards openness to cultural diversity.

Citation

Kapoor, B. and Sherif, J. (2012), "Global human resources (HR) information systems", Kybernetes, Vol. 41 No. 1/2, pp. 229-238. https://doi.org/10.1108/03684921211213052