HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT VIA THE WEB:

OPPORTUNITIES AND THREATS

Tanya V. Bondarouk

School of Management and Governance, University of Twente, P.O. 217 Enschede, The Netherlands

Huub Ruël

Kuwait-Maastricht Business School, P.O. Box 9678 Salmiya, Kuwait

Keywords: Web-based HRM, actual use of Web-based HRM, effectiveness of Web-based HRM.

Abstract: Web-based Human Resource Management (HRM) is coming to a more full-grown stage within

organisational life. Much is assumed and expressed about its advantages, however scientific proof of these

advantages is scarce. No clarity exists about the answer to the question whether Web-based HRM

contributes to the effectiveness of HRM processes. This paper contributes to the Web Information Systems

sciences in two ways. Firstly, findings-wise, we present results from the quantitative study on the

contribution of Web-based HRM to HRM effectiveness. The data is collected in a Dutch ministry of Internal

Affairs. Results show that actual use of the Web-based HRM application correlates with HR effectiveness,

especially its content and design. Regression analysis confirms that the experienced quality of the Web-

based HRM application is the only significant explanatory factor of technical and strategic HRM

effectiveness. Secondly, in this paper we integrate two approaches, namely Web technology-oriented

approach, and organizational processes-oriented approach. An intersection of Web- and HRM- studies

reveals new possibilities both for scientific and practical implications.

1 INTRODUCTION AND

RESEARCH FOCUS

One of the popular Web-based technologies in

organizations nowadays is those that support Human

Resource Management (HRM). Known examples of

such Web-applications are Web-based recruitment,

Web-based career development, Web-based

personnel administration, to name but a few.

Notably, the use of web-based HRM is widely

discussed in the reports of consultancy firms and

professional HRM organisations (Cedar Consulting,

2003). Such reports show that first of all, HRM

professionals (and their companies) are no longer

surprised by the Web-based HRM phenomenon;

they have “grown up” and are ready for serious

discussions about it. Second, companies spot high

interests in getting more insights in the ways how to

implement Web-based HRM applications and how

Web-based HRM impacts organisational life.

Academics devote more and more attention to

examining Web-based HRM in attempts to explore

this contradiction. Within a decade of its history,

scientific knowledge about Web-based HRM had

assembled several conclusive notions about the

goals of Web-based HRM (Ruël et al, 2004), its

types (Lepak and Snell, 1998), the effectiveness of

different Web-based HRM applications, and the

implementation of Human Resource Information

Systems (Ball, 2001).

There is a sound belief that Web-based HRM

should improve HRM processes by freeing HR staff

from the burdens of administration, enabling them to

undertake critical people management activities

(Lepak and Snell, 1998). These beliefs originate in

ideas about the endless possibilities of Web-based

information technologies (IT) to facilitate HR

practices, and about the endless capacity of HRM to

adopt IT.

However, the most intriguing point, while the

beliefs and interests in Web-based HRM are

growing, the appreciation of Web-based HRM and

179

V. Bondarouk T. and Ruël H. (2007).

HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT VIA THE WEB: OPPORTUNITIES AND THREATS.

In Proceedings of the Third International Conference on Web Information Systems and Technologies - Society, e-Business and e-Government /

e-Learning, pages 179-187

DOI: 10.5220/0001290301790187

 SciTePress

the expectations from it seem to be decreasing

(Cedar Consulting, 2003; NVP, 2004).

This paper contributes to the field of Web-based

Information Technologies (IT) in two ways. First

contribution concerns development of a theory. It

considers Web-based HRM as an intersection of two

backgrounds: IT and organizational (HRM) studies.

IT-based Web-based HRM studies investigate

the usage of IT for HR purposes. Evidence suggests

that Web-based HRM projects mainly remain

technology-driven events, focusing on the growing

sophistication of technology. In this context, studies

examine the qualities of Human Resource

Information Systems necessary for its adoption by

HR departments and complete organisations (Bal,

2001; Fisher and Howel, 2004). However, these

studies remain silent about changes in HR practices

due to Web-based HRM.

HR-based Web-based HRM studies mainly

examine single Web-based HR practices, providing

evidence that almost any HR practice can be

automated. The foci of this type of research vary

widely, from analysis of the competences of HR

professionals (Hempel, 2004), to ethical issues

(Hogler et al., 1998). However, these studies tend to

avoid issues related to on-going use of Web-based

technologies. To integrate two academic

backgrounds, this paper aims first at developing a

theoretical framework as an integration of IT- and

HRM- studies.

Second contribution of this paper concerns

empirical evidence about usefulness of Web-based

HRM for the HRM processes. Theoretical

complexity has consequences for Web-based HRM

projects and their management. It is increasingly

unclear what the full advantages of Web-based

HRM are, and to what extent Web-based HRM

makes HRM effective.

Therefore, the second goal of this paper is to

answer the research question, whether Web-based

HRM contributes to the HRM effectiveness?

Our paper presents the results of a quantitative

study on the contribution of the actual use of Web-

based HRM to HRM effectiveness. The study was

conducted in the Dutch Ministry of the Interior and

Kingdom Relations.

This paper is organised as follows: first, it will

dive into the theoretical background of Web-based

HRM studies. A research model and hypotheses will

be presented after that. Then the paper will explain

the research methods used, and findings will be

presented. The final section is dedicated to

conclusions, discussion and future research

directions.

2 WEB-BASED HRM RESEARCH

UP-TO-DATE

Based on the view of HRM practices as

communications from the employer to employees

about HRM content (Guzzo and Noonan, 1994;

Bowen and Ostroff, 2004), we define Web-based

HRM as the directed and IT-networked

communications from the employer to employees

about HRM content. This definition reflects findings

from earlier research that Web-based HRM directly

involves all employees in HRM processes due to the

technological networks, and gives HR professionals

the opportunity to focus mainly on encouraging

desired employees’ behaviors (Ruël et al, 2004).

Research evidence suggests that in many

organisations, Web-based HRM has led to a radical

redistribution of what managers do. Many of the

reporting activities previously performed by HR

professionals can now be performed by managers

and employees on-line (Ruël et al, 2004; Ruta,

2005). On their desktops, managers can perform

appraisals, evaluate employee costs, generate HR

reports (turnover, absenteeism), process training

requests and competence management. Employees

have access to everything they need to change and

manage their personal files, plan their development,

process financial documents and apply for new jobs

(Roehling et al, 2005).

2.1 “Technological” Side of Web-Based

HRM

A lot has been done in the research into information

technologies for HR purposes. Beginning in the

1960s, personnel management was an early

candidate for office automation in payroll, benefits

administration, and employee records holding (Ball,

2001). Typically, this information was stored in flat

databases being interrogated via simple key words

searching. Growth in strategically focused HRM

produced demands for information and

communication developments in Human Resource

Information Systems (HRIS). Early studies into

HRIS demonstrated the “hesitant” use of HRIS by

HR practitioners who perceived IT as workhorses of

the personnel function (Hall and Torrington, 1998).

Empirical reports since then have indicated that

the use of HRIS has become more confident

although still mainly for administrative purposes,

and that HRIS projects mainly remain technology-

driven events, with the focus on the growing

sophistication of information technology (IT). In this

context, studies focus on the qualities of IT

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necessary for its use by HR departments (Kavanagh

et al, 1990; Haines and Petit, 1997; Keebler and

Rhodes, 2002; Fisher and Howel, 2004).

For example, in their survey among 152 users of

HRIS, Haines and Petit (1997) found a number of

individual/task, organisational and system conditions

that support successful HRIS. Although the

relationship with the system usage was found to be

weak, the links with user satisfaction were strong.

This was the case for many of the system conditions

like training, documentation, presence of on-line

applications, ease of use, and perceived usefulness

of the system. Another quantitative study in 115

organisations actively using HRIS conducted by Ball

(2001) has revealed that the organisation size is a

clear determinant of whether an organisation has an

HRIS at all and, second, whether it adopts certain

modules (e.g. core personnel administration) over

others (e.g. training and competence management).

The type of HRIS is also shown to be determined by

the organisational size: the smaller companies (less

than 500 employees) would go for low cost and low

risk HRIS, more flexible software or in-house

developed (Thaler-Carter, 1998; Ball, 2001).

More recent studies into the implementation of

Web-based HRM are shifting towards addressing the

dynamic nature of the HRIS implementation and use

such concepts like innovation implementation,

learning, change management, Technology

Acceptance Model (Keebler and Rhodes, 2002).

Incorporation of the Technology Acceptance

Model (Davis et al, 1989) into Web-based HRM

studies has resulted in notions that the use of Web-

based HRM by the targeted employees is highly

determined by the level of usefulness of the HR

information technology and ease of its use (Ruta,

2005; Voermans and Van Veldhoven, 2007). The

design of HRIS is considered as done but not fixed

in the traditional development stage. A recent

example is the study into the implementation of a

HR employee portal in the Italian subsidiary of

Hewlett-Packard (Ruta, 2005). The research

demonstrated that the usage of HRIS increased when

IT user acceptance principles were integrated with

change management principles; when the IT user

acceptance model focused on “what” predicted

intentions to use the HR portal, while change

management theory focused on “how” intentions to

use the HR portal could be influenced. It was shown

that by analysing the context (at both the industry

and company levels), change agents managed to

adopt the most appropriate actions to support the HR

portal implementation.

Our concluding observation at this point is that

many of the findings in the implementation of Web-

based HRM (or HRIS) substantiate the expected

relationships and dynamics of the implementation

process derived from the research into information

systems. Therefore, due to the latest developments,

implementation of Web-based HRM can be

compared to the drifting process (Ciborra, 1996) that

divides intended goals and achieved outcomes of the

Web-based HRM implementation.

2.2 “HRM” Side of Web-Based HRM

The current Web-based HRM literature considers

Web-based HRM a choice for an approach to HRM

rather than a specific stage in the development of

HRM. Wright and Dyer (2000) distinguish three

areas of HRM where organizations can choose to

‘offer’ HR services face-to-face or through an

electronic means: transactional HRM, traditional

HRM and transformational HRM. Lepak and Snell

(1998) make a similar distinction, namely

operational HRM, relational HRM and

transformational HRM. The first area, operational

HRM, concerns the basic HR activities in the

administrative area, e.g. salary administration

(payroll) and personnel data administration. The

second area, relational HRM, concerns more

advanced HRM activities. The emphasis here is not

on administering, but on HR tools that support basic

business processes such as the recruiting and

selection of new personnel, training, performance

management and appraisal, and rewards. The third

area, transformational HRM, concerns HRM

activities with a strategic character. Here we are

talking about activities regarding organizational

change processes, strategic re-orientation, strategic

competence management and strategic knowledge

management.

The areas mentioned could also be considered

the types of HRM that can be observed in practice.

In some organizations, the HRM emphasis is on

administration and registration, in others on the

application of operational HRM instruments, and in

a third group on its strategic role. Within all of these

types, choices can be made in terms of which HRM

activities will be offered face-to-face and which will

be offered through web-based HR (e-enabled). For

the operational type of HRM, this question provides

the choice between asking employees to keep their

own personal data up-to-date through an HR website

or to have an administrative force in place to do this.

For relational HRM, there is the choice between

supporting recruitment and selection through a web-

HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT VIA THE WEB: OPPORTUNITIES AND THREATS

181

based application or using a paper-based approach

(through advertisements, paper-based application

forms and letters, etc.). Finally, in terms of

transformational HRM, it is possible to create a

change-ready workforce through an integrated set of

web-based tools that enables the workforce to

develop in line with the company’s strategic choices

or to have paper-based materials.

Ruël et al (2004) have shown that although these

types are mixed in practice, it is important that

“establishing a good basis for Web-based HRM at

the operational level seems to be an essential

prerequisite for the relational and transformational

Web-based HRM; and that it requires changes in the

tasks of HR professionals (less paper-based

administration, more e-communications with

employees, skills for operating IT)". Classifying

companies according to Web-based HRM types does

not mean assessing their Web-based HRM. None of

the types can be judged as good or bad. It was

shown that there is a ‘gap’ between Web-based

HRM in a technical sense (the available

functionality) and the use and adoption of it by

employees and line managers. The actual

usage/adoption lags behind what is possible.

2.2.1 Goals of Web-Based HRM

Lepak and Snell (1998) refer to the four ‘pressures’

of virtual HRM. First of all, HRM departments are

asked to focus on strategic questions. Secondly,

these departments need to be flexible in terms of

policymaking and practices. Thirdly, HRM

departments should work efficiently and be aware of

costs. Fourthly, HRM departments should be

service-oriented towards management and

employees. In short, HRM departments must be

strategy-focused, flexible, efficient, and client

oriented; and all at the same time (Lepak and Snell,

1998). Ruël et al. (2004) highlighted an aspect that is

fairly well covered by the above but that is

nevertheless interesting to spell out, namely the

changing nature of the employment relationship.

With the supply shortage in the labor market (during

the economic upturn of the 1990s), the

individualization of society, and the increased

educational level of citizens (and thus of

employees), the power balance in the employment

relationship has shifted in the direction of the

employees: they want to steer their own career paths.

In the view of Ruël et al. (2004), a move towards

Web-based HRM can provide the tools to support

this development. This aspect fits into earlier-

mentioned drivers such as improving service

towards internal clients, but has an external societal

drive. Yet another goal of Web-based HRM was

stressed as the outcome of the case study research

conducted by Ruël et al (2004): it is necessary to

recognize that to improve a company’s global

orientation can become a strong drive to start with

Web-based HRM. Theoretical debates suggest three

goals of Web-based HRM are cost reduction,

improving of HR services, and improving strategic

orientation (Brockbank, 1997; Lepak and Snell,

1998; Stanton and Coovert, 2004). Few empirical

findings supplement these goals with globalisation

as a driving Web-based HRM force in international

large organisations, but also show that those goals

are not clearly defined in practice, and that Web-

based HRM mostly directed at cost reductions and

efficiency of HR services, and least – at strategic

orientation of HRM (Gardner et al, 2003; Ruël et al,

2004; Ruta, 2005).

Based upon the above, we conclude about the

reasons or goals of organizations making steps

towards Web-based HRM: 1. Improving the

strategic orientation of HRM; 2. Cost

reduction/efficiency gains; 3. Client service

improvement/facilitating management and

employees; 4. Globalisation.

3 RESEARCH MODEL AND

HYPOTHESIS

The Technology Acceptance Model (TAM)

developed by Davis et al (1989) states that users will

accept and therefore use a system if it has a

significant perceived usefulness and ease of use.

People tend to use (or not) an application to the

extent that they believe it will help them perform

their job better (perceived usefulness, or job

relevance). Further, even if people believe that a

given application is useful, they may believe that the

systems are too hard to work with and that the

performance benefits of usage are outweighed by the

efforts required using the application (ease-of-use).

At the same time, users will work with the

technology if the latter has proper technological

qualities (content functionality) that are shown to

have a direct and significant effect on the acceptance

and use of the technology (DeLone and McLean,

2002). Such system characteristics like information

quality, reliability, and system efficiency were

validated to determine the use of the information

technologies (Igbaria et al, 1997; DeLone and

McLean, 2002).

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It was also shown that usefulness is more

strongly linked to the behavioural intentions of users

and actual system use than ease-of-use. Across the

many empirical tests of TAM, perceived usefulness

has consistently been a strong determinant of the

usage intentions of employees (Venkatesh et al,

2003).

Assuming that the use of Web-based HRM

applications is influenced by the aforementioned

determinants, we make a step further and propose to

look at the link between the Web-based HRM use

and HRM effectiveness. Companies start with Web-

based HRM because of anticipated advantages that

are expected to result in a more effective HRM.

Thus,

Hypothesis 1: Easiness of use, quality, and job

relevance of the Web-based HRM application are

positively related with technical and strategic HRM

effectiveness.

Hypothesis 2: Quality and job relevance of the Web-

based HRM application are better explanatory

factors for strategic HRM effectiveness than its

easiness of use.

Hypothesis 3: Easiness of use of the Web-based

HRM application is a better explanatory factor for

technical HRM effectiveness than its quality and job

relevance.

These hypotheses are visualised in the research

model below (figure 1).

4 RESEARCH METHODS

The Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations

(called 'the Ministry' hereafter) is one of the thirteen

ministries of Dutch central government. The two

ministers and almost 3,000 civil servants formulate

policy, prepare legislation and regulations, and are

responsible for the coordination, supervision and

policy implementation.

The documents analysis shows that its mission is

to: uphold the Constitution; guarantee the

democratic rule of law; ensure an effective and

efficient public administration; coordinate urban

policy; promote public order and safety and provide

centralised management of the countries police

forces; promote the quality of the civil service and

coordinate management and personnel policy for all

civil servants; and coordinate cooperation with

Aruba and the Netherlands Antilles.

The Ministry has six main departments

(directorates): Directorate-General for Public

Service Management, Directorate-General for

Kingdom Relations and Governance, Directorate-

General for Public Order and Safety, Directorate-

General for the action plan ‘Different Government’,

General Intelligence and Security Service, and

Office for the Development of the Senior Public

Service. The Ministry also includes a Department

for Joint Services. This division helps the Ministry's

senior civil servants and the directorates-general in

the areas of finance, personnel, information systems

and communications, organisation, public

information, and support services.

In the 1990s there was a growth in the use of

information and communication technology at the

Dutch ministries. Almost all workspaces got

personal computers; e-mail replaced messages on

paper and memos; and there was access to the

Internet. All the ministries developed their own

intranets. Intranet became an important medium for

communication with the personnel. The personnel

department liked to use this medium to announce

news and to provide information about HR-related

issues. At first, the intranet replaced paper folders

and manuals for HRM, by putting it online. During

the mid-1990s it became clear that there were more

possibilities, like storage of data, searching for

information and handling administrative processes.

In 2001-2002, the Ministry introduced Emplaza

as an Web-based HRM tool to provide employees,

managers and HR personnel with instruments and

information to perform their personnel tasks

correctly. Anyone has access to find information,

start work processes and submit forms from their

own workspace. The system makes sure that the

coherence between information, instruments and

processes works optimally.

4.1 Measures

In our study we aim at testing the research model

based upon data collected through a written on-line

questionnaire.

Intended use of Web-

based HRM

Actual use of Web-

based HRM

Job relevance

Easiness of use

Quality

HRM effectiveness

Strategic HRM

effectiveness

Technical

HRM

effectiveness

Figure 1: Research model.

HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT VIA THE WEB: OPPORTUNITIES AND THREATS

183

Based on the extensive review of the literature,

the questionnaire included scales on five major

variables: job relevance of the Web-based HRM

application, its easiness of use, quality of the

applications, strategic HRM effectiveness, and

technical HRM effectiveness. Every item was

‘scored’ on a five-point-scale, 1 = fully disagree, 2 =

disagree, 3 = partly agree, partly disagree, 4 = agree,

5 = fully agree.

4.1.1 HRM Effectiveness

HRM effectiveness is addressed by a great number

of studies that strive to demonstrate the value of

what HR professionals do for the rest of the

organization and how HRM practices are linked to

desired organisational outcomes (Huselid, 1995;

Boxall and Purcell, 2003; Baron and Kreps, 1999,

Wright et al, 2001). We divide HRM effectiveness

into two dimensions: strategic and technical

(Huselid, 1995).

Strategic HRM effectiveness refers to

employees’ perceptions of how well the HRM

function promotes employees’ behaviors that

support organizational needs (adapted from Huselid

et al, 1997). Three dimensions are distinguished:

commitment, development and change. We turned

them into six items, with a sufficient internal

consistency (α=0.64). The technical effectiveness

refers to employees’ perceptions of how well the

HRM function performs operational HR activities

(adapted from Huselid et al, 1997). We distinguished

two dimensions: work conditions and

communication and turned them into five items with

a sufficient internal consistency (α=0.79).

4.1.2 Actual Use of Web-based HRM

Applications

The easiness of use is defined as the extent to which

a user of an Web-based HRM application finds the

application uncomplicated in its operation and

interaction. The dimensions that we turned into five

items are: input of efforts and simplicity. The

internal consistency of the five items formulated is

high (α= 0.84).

Quality of the Web-based HRM application is

defined as the extent to which a user finds the

application well designed and well set up in its

content. With this we focus on the content

functionality and leave aside – although very

important – technical software architectural

characteristics. We distinguished two dimensions:

content and design, and turned it efficiently into five

items with a high internal consistency (α= 0.83).

Job relevance is defined as the extent to which

users believe that using an Web-based HRM tool is

critical to their work situation. Job relevance

consists of two dimensions, increase of efficiency

and increase of productivity, and those are turned

into four items. Their internal consistency is high (α

= 0.81).

4.1.3 Procedure

From the total population we selected a stratified

sample, in order not to ‘exhaust’ all employees with

another invitation to fill up a questionnaire.

Therefore we selected respondents and tried to

involve all age categories, male and female, all ranks

and units. Especially, it was preserved that there

would be at least a relevant number of managers

involved. All in all, we selected 277 organisation

members, 186 employees, 47 managers and 44 HR

professionals. They received an e-mail with an

invitation to participate in our study and they could

click on a hyperlink in order to go to the

questionnaire. The response rate was 36% or in

absolute terms 100 respondents, 54 male, 46 female.

The electronic tool used for this did not allow

respondents to leave questions open, so therefore we

did not have missing values.

For the testing the hypotheses we used

correlations (hypothesis 1) and regression analysis

(hypothesis 2 en 3).

5 FINDINGS

5.1 Goals of Emplaza

The Emplaza project documents dated in October

2002 show that its goal in the first phase of the HRM

Department Store (HDS) was the realisation of three

functional clusters. They were considered as a

coherent set of information and web application that

are focused on: the increase of efficiency and quality

of administrative processes; the generating and

spreading of management information; the

development of the employee and the organisation.

The overall goal was formulated as increasing

efficiency and improvement of the quality of HRM

at the Ministry.

In January 2003 Emplaza got a new direction,

with the primary aim to improve employee self-

service. By this there was a hope to achieve

independent development of the employees, and to

support managers in HR tasks.

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November 2003 has brought yet a new

orientation for Emplaza. Increase of efficiency in the

administration (setting of a task and general

efficiency), decrease of vulnerability and mistake

percentages in administrative processes, working

with employee and manager self-service concepts,

effective support of the introduction of the new

HRM policy, and supporting the changes in the

organisation, including the decrease of the support

by decentral P&O employees, - were documented as

up-dated goals of Emplaza.

Our observations at this point are that although

the goals have changed, the overall tendency was

cost reduction and making the administrative

processes more efficient.

5.2 Functionalities of Emplaza

Users of Emplaza are HR professionals, managers,

and employees. They have possibilities to perform

the following activities via Emplaza: search and read

information about internal and national HRM

policies; store personal information for HRM

purposes (digital personnel file); rocess transactions

in the area of HRM (filling in of forms, address

changes, course enrollment); produce HRM products

(letters, reports).

The processing is digital that creates a

continuous insight in the status and the handling of

the data.

5.3 Survey Results

The data analysis showed a positive significant

relationship between easiness of use of Emplaza and

technical HR effectiveness (r = 0.22; p < 0.05; n =

100) and between quality of Emplaza and technical

HR effectiveness (r = 0.38; p < 0.01; n = 100), but

not between job relevance of Emplaza and technical

HR effectiveness (r = 0.17; p < 098; n = 100).

Analysis of the data also showed a positive

significant relationship between ease of use of

Emplaza and strategic HR effectiveness (r = 0.41; p

< 0.01; n = 100) as well as between quality of

Emplaza and strategic HR effectiveness (0.50; p <

0.01; n = 100) and between job relevance of

Emplaza and strategic HR effectiveness (0.39; p <

0.01; n = 100).

This first hypothesis therefore is confirmed

meaning a confirmation in line with the basic line of

our Web-based HRM effectiveness improvement

theory, but of course keeping in mind that it is tested

in a limited empirical setting.

The analysis showed that only quality of

Emplaza is a significant predictor of strategic HRM

effectiveness (β = 0.35; p < 0.05; n = 100). That

means that how employees and managers judge the

content and design of Emplaza explains the extent to

which employees and managers perceive HR as

strategic effective. It is surprising that job relevance

does not show to be a significant predictor for

strategic HR effectiveness. As expected, easiness of

use is not a significant predictor of strategic HR

effectiveness.

The analysis showed that surprisingly, although

already suggested by the weak correlation, easiness

of use is not a significant explanatory factor for

technical HR effectiveness. Unexpectedly, quality of

Emplaza seems to be a quite strong predictor of

technical HR effectiveness (β = 0.41; p < 0.001; n =

100).

6 CONCLUSIONS, DISCUSSION

AND FURTHER RESEARCH

Based upon, what we called, the Web-based HRM

effectiveness, we formulated four hypotheses related

to operational Web-based HRM and HR

effectiveness. Our study showed the first empirical

confirmation that in general positive use of Web-

based HRM applications facilitate an improvement

in HR effectiveness. Analysis of our data, collected

in the Dutch Ministry, showed that positive actual

use of Emplaza, got along with more positive

perceptions of HR effectiveness. Easiness of use and

the quality of Emplaza correlate significantly with

technical and strategic HR effectiveness. Job

relevance correlated only significantly with strategic

HR effectiveness.

Regression analysis made quite clear, however,

that actually only quality of Emplaza, meaning the

content and design, is a significant predictor of

technical and strategic HR effectiveness. Easiness of

use of Emplaza and, as expected from the result

from the correlations, job relevance of Emplaza do

not show to be significant predictors. These results

are partly unexpected and therefore interesting. They

confirm at least the expectation that it is the content

and the design of a web-based HRM application that

can make employees and managers more positive

about HR effectiveness. A Web-based HRM

application obviously needs to be easy in use and

relevant for the job situation of employees and

managers, but this will not result in a more positive

perception of HR effectiveness. This finding is

HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT VIA THE WEB: OPPORTUNITIES AND THREATS

185

relevant for further theory building and for the

practice of Web-based HRM implementation.

Although we have to be careful because of the

limitation of the data set used, for practitioners there

is a clear guideline: they should dominantly focus on

the quality of the Web-based HRM application, i.e.

the content and design, instead of on easiness of use

and job relevance, if to make Web-based HRM

contribute to HR effectiveness. It indicates that

HRM activities are not perceived as employees’

primary tasks. A measurement with line managers

may have led to other outcomes, if the organisation’s

HR policy would be that operational HR is basically

a line managers task.

For further theory building our findings must

lead to reconsidering how actual use of Web-based

HRM applications should be operationalised in

future research. The constructs easiness of use and

job relevance might be replaced by other, as our

study gives a first basis to assume that these two

constructs are weakly related to HR effectiveness

but do not show to be significant predictors of

technical and strategic HR effectiveness.

Earlier we referred already to limitations of our

study. First of all, our results need to be handled

with care. The dataset we could build up is relatively

small, although quite robust for applying statistical

methods. Mainly the fact that the data comes from

only one organisation is a limitation where one type

of Web-based HRM application was in use.

Second, the type of Web-based HRM in the

Dutch ministry was operational. That means that the

results can be generalized to a relational and a

transformational type of Web-based HRM.

Third, the measurement of the constructs needs a

careful reconsideration. We tested the reliability on

the same dataset as where we tested the hypotheses.

The constructs might need a stricter test including

also a factor analysis. In this study we found the

dataset too small to conduct a factor analysis, a

future study should carry this out.

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