BENCHMARKING HUMAN-RESOURCE INFORMATION-SYSTEMS IN CANADA AND HONG-KONG

As local and regional economies become more competitive and interdependent, organizations can benefit from benchmarking their use of information technology (IT) on a global basis. A recent study compared the degree and sophistication of information systems (IS) in a fast developing economy, Hongkong, with that in a more developed one, Canada. Research of nine human resource management (HRM) activities found that while Canada had established a lead over the newly industrialized Asian economy in routine applications, this was narrowing. However, Hong Kong still significantly trailed its North American counterpart in IS sophistication. Management vision and support, skilled developers and a business-driven approach were critical for successful computer-based human resource information systems (CHRIS). Regulatory requirements as well as organizational and cultural factors accounted for many of the differences in IT applications between Canada and Hong Kong. The results provide a basis for management to review their own CHRIS and help to identify directions for further research on this topic.