HRM3703
Assignment 2 Semester 2 2026
Unique number:
Due date: 26 August 2026
1. INTRODUCTION
Human Resource Information Systems have become important tools for organisations that need
accurate employee information, efficient HR processes and better support for management decisions.
The value of an HRIS, however, depends on more than the technology itself because people,
processes, data and the way the system is introduced influence whether the investment succeeds.
The sixth edition of the prescribed book places strong emphasis on structured preparation,
stakeholder involvement, system design, implementation and benefit-cost analysis before an
organisation commits itself to a major HR technology change (Johnson, Carlson & Kavanagh 2026).
This assessment applies those principles to four practical situations involving HRIS selection,
implementation, HR administration and investment justification. The discussion pays particular
attention to needs analysis and change management at Ubuntu Healthcare Group, the successful
Dentsu implementation, the suitability of employee and manager self-service for a growing retail
group, and weaknesses in the Benefit-Cost Analysis prepared for Mzanzi AgriFoods. The answers
,1. INTRODUCTION
Human Resource Information Systems have become important tools for
organisations that need accurate employee information, efficient HR processes and
better support for management decisions. The value of an HRIS, however, depends
on more than the technology itself because people, processes, data and the way the
system is introduced influence whether the investment succeeds. The sixth edition of
the prescribed book places strong emphasis on structured preparation, stakeholder
involvement, system design, implementation and benefit-cost analysis before an
organisation commits itself to a major HR technology change (Johnson, Carlson &
Kavanagh 2026). This assessment applies those principles to four practical
situations involving HRIS selection, implementation, HR administration and
investment justification. The discussion pays particular attention to needs analysis
and change management at Ubuntu Healthcare Group, the successful Dentsu
implementation, the suitability of employee and manager self-service for a growing
retail group, and weaknesses in the Benefit-Cost Analysis prepared for Mzanzi
AgriFoods. The answers are based mainly on the prescribed sixth edition, while the
attached UNISA study material is used where a South African privacy perspective is
needed.
QUESTION 1
Question 1.1: Two risks arising from Ubuntu Healthcare Group’s approach
Risk 1: The selected HRIS may not fit the organisation’s actual requirements
and may require costly rework after implementation. Ubuntu Healthcare Group
approved a cloud-based HRIS immediately after seeing a conference demonstration,
even though no formal needs analysis or review of existing HR processes had been
completed. This creates a serious risk because a needs analysis should gather,
prioritise and document the organisation‟s information requirements before system
design and implementation. Failure to do so can result in a vendor package being
chosen on incomplete criteria, users rejecting missing functionality, expensive post-
implementation changes and uncontrolled growth in project scope (Plantamura &
Johnson 2026:75–87). The risk is already visible in the scenario because employee
information is captured differently across provinces and there are concerns that the
, selected system will not support all Ubuntu Healthcare Group‟s requirements. A four-
month deadline may make this worse because the team could configure technology
before agreeing on common data definitions and HR processes.
Risk 2: Employee resistance and poor user adoption may prevent the HRIS
from delivering the expected benefits. The organisation has concentrated on
technical configuration while managers and employees have received limited
explanation about the change. Managers were not consulted, rumours about job
losses are spreading, and many long-serving employees are uncomfortable with
technology and concerned about personal information. The prescribed book stresses
that successful implementation is often more behavioural than technical and that
employees need preparation for changes in both technology and work processes
(Plantamura & Johnson 2026:64–69). Poor communication and low user involvement
increase room for rumours, misunderstanding and rejection of the system, while
inadequate training can lead to incorrect use and reduced productivity (Johnson,
Dulebohn & Bedell 2026:115–118). Ubuntu Healthcare Group could therefore
purchase a technically capable system that employees avoid, misuse or continue to
operate alongside manual processes.
Question 1.2: Two immediate change management actions
Action 1: Start structured, two-way communication and stakeholder
involvement immediately. Management should explain why the HRIS is being
introduced, what will and will not change, how jobs will be affected, how personal
information will be protected and what employees can expect during implementation.
Managers, HR administrators and representatives of long-serving employees should
also be included in demonstrations, process reviews and user feedback sessions.
Regular communication reduces rumours and misunderstanding, while user
involvement improves the likelihood that the system will reflect real work
requirements and be accepted (Johnson, Dulebohn & Bedell 2026:118). This action
directly addresses the complaints about non-consultation, the job-loss rumours and
the lack of understanding about the purpose of the HRIS.
Assignment 2 Semester 2 2026
Unique number:
Due date: 26 August 2026
1. INTRODUCTION
Human Resource Information Systems have become important tools for organisations that need
accurate employee information, efficient HR processes and better support for management decisions.
The value of an HRIS, however, depends on more than the technology itself because people,
processes, data and the way the system is introduced influence whether the investment succeeds.
The sixth edition of the prescribed book places strong emphasis on structured preparation,
stakeholder involvement, system design, implementation and benefit-cost analysis before an
organisation commits itself to a major HR technology change (Johnson, Carlson & Kavanagh 2026).
This assessment applies those principles to four practical situations involving HRIS selection,
implementation, HR administration and investment justification. The discussion pays particular
attention to needs analysis and change management at Ubuntu Healthcare Group, the successful
Dentsu implementation, the suitability of employee and manager self-service for a growing retail
group, and weaknesses in the Benefit-Cost Analysis prepared for Mzanzi AgriFoods. The answers
,1. INTRODUCTION
Human Resource Information Systems have become important tools for
organisations that need accurate employee information, efficient HR processes and
better support for management decisions. The value of an HRIS, however, depends
on more than the technology itself because people, processes, data and the way the
system is introduced influence whether the investment succeeds. The sixth edition of
the prescribed book places strong emphasis on structured preparation, stakeholder
involvement, system design, implementation and benefit-cost analysis before an
organisation commits itself to a major HR technology change (Johnson, Carlson &
Kavanagh 2026). This assessment applies those principles to four practical
situations involving HRIS selection, implementation, HR administration and
investment justification. The discussion pays particular attention to needs analysis
and change management at Ubuntu Healthcare Group, the successful Dentsu
implementation, the suitability of employee and manager self-service for a growing
retail group, and weaknesses in the Benefit-Cost Analysis prepared for Mzanzi
AgriFoods. The answers are based mainly on the prescribed sixth edition, while the
attached UNISA study material is used where a South African privacy perspective is
needed.
QUESTION 1
Question 1.1: Two risks arising from Ubuntu Healthcare Group’s approach
Risk 1: The selected HRIS may not fit the organisation’s actual requirements
and may require costly rework after implementation. Ubuntu Healthcare Group
approved a cloud-based HRIS immediately after seeing a conference demonstration,
even though no formal needs analysis or review of existing HR processes had been
completed. This creates a serious risk because a needs analysis should gather,
prioritise and document the organisation‟s information requirements before system
design and implementation. Failure to do so can result in a vendor package being
chosen on incomplete criteria, users rejecting missing functionality, expensive post-
implementation changes and uncontrolled growth in project scope (Plantamura &
Johnson 2026:75–87). The risk is already visible in the scenario because employee
information is captured differently across provinces and there are concerns that the
, selected system will not support all Ubuntu Healthcare Group‟s requirements. A four-
month deadline may make this worse because the team could configure technology
before agreeing on common data definitions and HR processes.
Risk 2: Employee resistance and poor user adoption may prevent the HRIS
from delivering the expected benefits. The organisation has concentrated on
technical configuration while managers and employees have received limited
explanation about the change. Managers were not consulted, rumours about job
losses are spreading, and many long-serving employees are uncomfortable with
technology and concerned about personal information. The prescribed book stresses
that successful implementation is often more behavioural than technical and that
employees need preparation for changes in both technology and work processes
(Plantamura & Johnson 2026:64–69). Poor communication and low user involvement
increase room for rumours, misunderstanding and rejection of the system, while
inadequate training can lead to incorrect use and reduced productivity (Johnson,
Dulebohn & Bedell 2026:115–118). Ubuntu Healthcare Group could therefore
purchase a technically capable system that employees avoid, misuse or continue to
operate alongside manual processes.
Question 1.2: Two immediate change management actions
Action 1: Start structured, two-way communication and stakeholder
involvement immediately. Management should explain why the HRIS is being
introduced, what will and will not change, how jobs will be affected, how personal
information will be protected and what employees can expect during implementation.
Managers, HR administrators and representatives of long-serving employees should
also be included in demonstrations, process reviews and user feedback sessions.
Regular communication reduces rumours and misunderstanding, while user
involvement improves the likelihood that the system will reflect real work
requirements and be accepted (Johnson, Dulebohn & Bedell 2026:118). This action
directly addresses the complaints about non-consultation, the job-loss rumours and
the lack of understanding about the purpose of the HRIS.
