1.

0 Introduction
This chapter provides the situation overview of HRM and IT
convergence in UAE. Along with this situation discussed above, are the
problems that lead to the rationale of this study. Furthermore, this
chapter presents the real world target, intended project outcome and
actors, significance, ethical reviews and other introductory
mechanisms for the study.

1.1 Situation Overview

The use of Internet and its influence have changed aspects of human
life and living itself. For more than decades of fostering and widened
use, it is now applied from the simplest to most complex human
affairs. Along with increased Internet connectivity all around the world
is the application of Information Technology (IT) in a wide array of
human activities. One of these is business management.

Business management is one of the human ventures that flourished

along with information technology perfection. In the early 1990’s, only
few were convinced that information technology can have direct and
positive impact on achieving competitive advantage which is the main
goal of business management. Later on, as the countdown to the new
millennium has ended, Information Technology started to be well-
accepted and applied to more specified activities of business
management. One of which is in Human Resource Management.

Human resource management (HRM) is the strategic and coherent

approach towards the management of the people working individually
and collectively to achieve a set of goals and objectives for the
organization. It puts particular emphasis on the strategic management
of the human capital to integrate the business and the HR strategy. It
should provide comprehensive and coherent approach to support
employment policies and practices. While it is separate department,
its affairs concern all other human resources, employees, and staff in a
firm. Some of the activities of HRM may include: salary administration,
personnel data administration, Recruiting and selection of new
personnel, Human resource training and skills building, performance
management and appraisal and rewards, organizational change
processes, strategic re-orientation, strategic competence
management, and strategic knowledge management (Armstrong,
2003).

Human resource is considered as the most important resource that a

business venture can have. Without a competitive and skillful human
resource, financial, technological and other resources will be useless.
Hence, apart from the different functional departments, as separate
human resource department was established. The strategy of HRM is a
critical factor or determinant of important outcomes such as employee
turnover, job performance, job satisfaction and firm performance
(Ferratt, 2005). Recently, information technology started to assist
human resource management functions. Through the years,
information technology’s use in human resource management grew
and widened until to the point that human resource managers thought
to converge information technology and human resource management.
Although the expectations towards this convergence are positive, the
knowledge, attitude, and practices of the HR managers and their staff
should be considered in the decision making.

Knowledge is the internalized learning that can be based on scientific

facts, experiences and traditional beliefs. On the other hand, attitudes
refer to feelings, opinions, or values of an individual regarding an
issue, problem or concern at hand. Lastly, practice, in this regard,
refers to the application or activities which reflects the knowledge and
attitudes of the individual about the issue or problem (Servaes, 2007).
These internal factors are often measured to determine the
appropriateness of the program and the stakeholders’ readiness to
adapt the program. Hence, we borrow this concept to the field of
communication development to apply to the concept of IT and HRM
convergence.

1.2 Presenting Problem Definition

As of initial review of the literature, only few attempted to describe the

knowledge, attitude, and practices of HR managers and their staff.
Bondarouk et al (2004) attempted to describe the attitudes of HR
managers on e-HRM by determining their goals in adhering to IT-based
human resource management. Although the HR managers have
positive outlook towards IT and human resource management
convergence, only few believes that IT itself can assure that HRM will
contribute to the firm’s competitive advantage. This study was
conducted in the Netherlands. This will be related to the present study
that will be conducted in UAE and will cover other critical aspects of
the planned change, knowledge and practices

Formal study about this issue is essential to determine the

preparedness of HRM managers and their staff to converge HRM
operations with that of Information Technology. Lack of study on this
matter poses a problem of unheard opinions, views, skills, and values
of the stakeholders (HR managers and staff). These can b considered
as internal factors of the stakeholders’ preparedness and the idea’s
appropriateness.
1.3 Real World Target

The target is to determine whether IT and HRM convergence is

appropriate and feasible based on the perspective of HR managers and
staff. If the knowledge, attitude, and practices of these end users
provide positive results, then we can also have a positive outlook on
HRM and IT convergence. Otherwise, the convergence is not
appropriate and feasible based on these internal factors. In the case of
negative results, this study can suggest strategies to improve IT use in
HRM based on the result yielded from the study.

1.4 Intended Project Outcome and Actors

This study aims to come up with a description of the knowledge,

attitude and practices of HR managers and staff. This can be used as
indicators of the preparedness of HR managers and staff for the likely
convergence of IT and HRM. The actors involved in this study are
selected HR managers and staff. While it is acknowledged that there
are other end users, this study will focus on the HR department.

1.5 Significance of the Study

The significance of the study is to explore and present the perspective

of HR managers and their staff on the convergence of IT and HRM. This
acknowledges the importance of their role that will contribute the
success of fusing the two disciplines under one goal which differ from
one firm to another.

By identifying their knowledge, attitudes and practices, we can

determine if they are prepared for the likely convergence of HRM and
IT. Likewise, this may also reflect skills and training needs of the HR
managers and staff. This may advocate improving the skills of end
users to maximize efficiency and effectiveness of IT and HRM. By
targeting the knowledge, attitude and practices of the end users, they
can largely adopt on the new HRM environment. Hence, the success of
this program will have higher chances of gaining success.

Moreover, this can also initiate a new line of research— identifying

knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) of the end users to further
explore the effects of converging IT in HRM and perhaps other
operations of the firm. Another KAP may be conducted to take note of
the progress of the program as it pushes though.

1.6 Scope and Limitations of the Study

Since the method used is a one shot survey, this may only provide a
brief description and not an exhaustive account of KAP. Since this is an
initiating study, it may be considered as an attempt to explore KAP as
indicators for the preparedness of the HR managers and their staff in
converging HRM and IT. Likewise, for this method to provide more
thorough results, a post test should be conducted again some time
after the formal convergence of IT and HRM. Hence, this study may act
only as a pre test. It can only suggest that a post test be conducted to
determine changes in the KAP of the end users.

Furthermore, another limitation of the study is that it only focuses on

the HR mangers and staff. Other end users and stakeholders such as
the administration and other departments are not included in the
study. The study will only focus on the operations of the HR
department itself although some of its affairs may involve other
departments.

1.7 Timescale

This study is expected to be completed within nine weeks. The division

o tasks will be on a weekly basis. Conceptualization of the study and
problem definition, and gathering of initial data were completed in one
week. Chapter 1 and scouting of secondary sources of the study were
completed in the following week. Literature review will be done in one
week. Chapter 3, conduct of the survey, and analysis will be done in
two weeks. As the study continues, the remaining chapters, final
revisions, and presentations will be done in the next three to four
weeks. Table 1 gives the detailed timescale for this study.

Table 1. Timescale of the Study

 Tasks Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 Week 5 Week 6 Week 7 Week 8 Week 9
Conceptualization
Problem Definition
Formulation and writing Chapter 1
Scouting of Literary Sources
Formulation and writing Chapter 2
Formulation and writing Chapter 3
Completion of Survey
Analysis of results
Formulation and writing remaining chapters
Final revision and presentation

1.8 Ethical Overview

No major ethical concern is perceived in this study. Minor ethical

concerns such as requesting for the free time of the respondents to
answer the questionnaires will be observed. Hence, to address this, the
researcher has made the questionnaire as simple, comprehensive and
concise as possible to save the time of the respondents. Moreover,
privacy and confidentiality of the data that will be gathered should be
assured by the researcher.

1.9 Research Question

This study aims to answer this general problem: what are the
knowledge, attitude, and practices of HR managers and their staff
towards IT and HRM convergence?
The specific problems are:
1. How knowledgeable are the HR managers and their staff
about IT and HRM convergence?
2. What are the attitudes of HR managers towards IT and HRM
convergence?
3. What are the practices of HR managers towards IT and HRM
convergence?

1. 10 Project Aims and Objectives

Based on initial literature review and secondary data gathering and in

accordance to the research question formulated, this study shall
pursue the following aims and objectives:

1.10.1. Aims
The aim of this study is to determine and describe the knowledge,
attitude, and practice (KAP) of HR managers and their staff towards the
convergence of IT and HRM.
1.10.2. Objectives
According to the aim of this study, the following objectives shall be
pursued:

1. determine how knowledgeable are the HR managers and staff

about IT usage in HRM;
2. describe the attitudes of HR managers towards HRM and IT
convergence; and
3. to identify the practices of HR managers towards using IT in
HRM.

1.11 Chapter Summary

In the advent of Internet and Information Technology application in

various management operations including Human Resource
Management, ideas of converging HRM and IT are welcomed in the
ideas of management and IT practitioners. Nevertheless, before
pursuing this convergence, there is a need to determine the
preparedness of the HR managers and their staff. Hence, this study
utilizes knowledge, attitude, and practices (KAP) test. This presents the
views, values, and perception of HR mangers and staff on the IT and
HRM convergence. In a wider perspective, this can also suggest if
pursuing the project is appropriate and feasible given the present
skills, learning, views and values, and practices of the respondents.

3.0 Research Methodology

This chapter describes how the researcher plans to conduct the study.
The setting, research design, research method, instrument design and
validity test, ethical review and primary data pre and post processing
will be explained in detail.
3.1 Introduction
This study is an initiative to identify the knowledge, attitude, and
practices (KAP) of HR managers and their staff. Only a few studies
have used this method on IT and HRM concepts. Identifying their KAP
can provide a brief overview of their views, opinions and preparedness
for the IT and HRM convergence. Moreover, through their KAP, we can
also attempts to describe the appropriateness and feasibility of the
program based on the perceptions of the respondents.

The primary data that this study aims to come up with are knowledge,
attitude and practices of the respondents. After carefully analyzing the
primary results, the researcher can process secondary data including
the views and preparedness of the HR managers and staff will be
derived based on the perspective of the respondents.

3.2 Setting Description

The United Arab Emirates is among the top countries in terms of IT

usage and Internet connectivity
Many of its small to large enterprises are connected to the Internet and
use Information Technology in most of its business operations. With
the advent of the incorporation of Information Technology to many
management operations, it was rather expected to fuse it to other
management functions. In this case, it is now being proposed that
Information technology be converged with that of Human Resource
Management functions.

There are only few studies in the literature about the use of
information technology as applied in HRM. Thus, this poses a problem
because this can hinder the progressive application of the program.
Moreover, the United Arab Emirates, being among the top countries in
terms of Internet penetration among its business ventures, has a great
advantage. Nevertheless, the opportunity will be lost if these resource
may not be used strategically.

3.3 Research Design

This study shall apply quantitative research design. The results
gathered will be analyzed and presented in statistical methods (mean,
frequency counts and percentages). Hence, the study will yield to
results with exact figures. Nevertheless, to make this data more
relevant, the researcher will also use qualitative research design to
analyze the figures to give meanings and interpretations to the data
gathered.

3.4 Research Method

The researcher will use a one shot survey method. This method is
found to be the most suitable method in determining needs, opinions,
and values and KAP of respondents. While this may not yield to
exhaustive results, this can be used to predict consensus among the
group of people observed under the same issue. This survey will be
carried out using self- administered questionnaires which will be
distributed to selected HR managers and staff.

3.5 Sample Selection and Discussion

The researcher plans to use a purposive random sampling. The
respondents will HR managers and selected staff from small to medium
companies. Large companies will not be included in the study because
it is expected that their IT tools will be a lot more complex and
massive. Hence, the balance and coherence among the results may
not be obtained. The selected area will be Dubai because it is the
center of many business ventures under wide array of industries.

First, an official list of small to medium firms will be obtained from the
Ministry of Economy and Commerce. From the list, the researcher will
randomly select 40 firms using either chips in a box method or lottery
method. One HR manager and at most two HR staff will be asked to be
respondents of the study.

3.6 The Instrument Design

The instrument for this research is a self administered questionnaire. It

shall have three parts corresponding to the three objectives of the
study. the first part of the questionnaire will deal on the knowledge
and skills of the respondents in using IT tools for the HRM
responsibilities. The second part are questions bout the attitude
(values, opinions, goals) of the respondents about HRM and IT
convergence. The last part will contain questions about the present
practices of the HR department in using IT tools to perform their tasks
regarding people management.

3.7 Consideration of Instrument’s Reliability and Validity Tests

To check the reliability and validity of the questionnaire, the researcher

plans to pretest the questionnaires by asking three to four HR
managers included in the study to answer the questionnaires on their
own. If the questionnaire will generate the relevant results that the
researcher needs, the answers will be counted as valid results.
Otherwise, the researcher will revise the questionnaires and will ask
the HR managers or staff to answer again.

3. 9 Ethical Review

The ethical consideration this study focuses on confidentiality of the

information that logistics managers will provide. The questions should
be open ended but generic in nature. All information will be treated
equally and generally and not specific to the company. Likewise, one
important adjustment for the researcher is to adapt to the schedule of
the logistics managers. The interview should be conducted at the most
convenient time for the logistics managers.

3.10 Primary Data Pre-processing

The primary data will be processed using simple statistical methods

( frequency counts, mean and percentages). This will result to brief
account of the participants’ KAP regarding IT and HRM convergence.
Results from the first part of the survey will be processed using
frequency counts and percentages. The second part will be processed
and analyzed using frequency counts and mean.

3.11 Primary Post-processing

The data should then be analyzed through qualitative means. These
will be analyzed to describe the preparedness of the respondents
about HRM and IT convergence. Moreover, this will be further used to
predict the appropriateness and feasibility of the program based on
KAP of the likely end users.