Leadership decision-making in the utilization of E-HRM system in selected tertiary institutions in South Africa

Abstract

This study was conducted to establish the benefits of utilizing electronic human resource management (E-HRM) system as a decision-making tool by the human resource (HR) leaders in selected South African tertiary institutions. Leaders in the human resource management (HRM) departments include the human resource (HR) directors and managers, HR professionals, and HR specialists. They are responsible for maintaining order, seeing to the day-to-day running of the organization and helping in achieving the organization’s goal (Ukandu and Allen-lle, 2013:1). This article explores the leadership decision-making process in the utilization of E-HRM system in selected tertiary institutions in South Africa. The objective of this study is to find out how the utilization of E-HRM system has enabled the HR leaders in decision-making in the HR functions of the South African tertiary institutions. The purpose is to explore leadership decision-making in the utilization of Electronic Human Resource Management (E-HRM) systems in selected South African tertiary institutions in order to discover the benefits of using E-HRM system in the human resource management functions of the South African tertiary institutions. The population consisted of 450 employees from different South African tertiary institutions, out of which 306 responded. A triangulation research method was utilized to find information from the different tertiary institutions. The Human resource (HR) directors and managers, HR professionals, HR specialists and other HR staff members of the various South African tertiary institutions form part of the sample. A closedended questionnaire was used. The results obtained indicate that majority of HR leaders use E-HRM system in their decision-making in their human resource functions in the South African tertiary institutions; however, some leaders noted that they are yet to implement the system as a decisionmaking tool in their institutions.