Impact of human resource management information systems on the quality of appraisal performance process

Copyright @ 2013 EMCIS.These days the recent development of information systems and their impact on human resource activities is one of the main hot debates in many large organizations. Many managers argue that adopting technology to incorporate the HR activities could help to improve the quality of management’s decision making process. Alternatively, there are big companies which are not adopting any specific type of technology in their HR activities. The purpose of this paper is to identify the impacts of HRIS on the quality of HR activities, particularly from the appraisal performance point of view. The concept of the impact of HRIS on HR activities was applied to the case of company X which is one of the leader chemical companies in UK. In that process, interviews were conducted and they were the main methods for collecting personnel feedback, opinions and experiences about their new HRIS. It could be seen that, although the result of the research showed improvement in the quality of the activities in HR department, the quality growth was not as much as expected. It was assumed that the reason behind this limited impact on some activities could be because the new system needs some more time to implement potential efficiency gains. It is too early to measure the impact of new system on part of HR activities such as employees’ satisfaction. Keywords: Human Resource Information Systems, Management Information Systems, Executive Information Systems, Strategic Information Systems, Information Systems, Human Resources

Stabilization of a Two-Coordinate [GeCl]⁺ Cation by Simultaneous σ and π Donation from a Monodentate Carbodiphosphorane

Give me four: The synthesis, structure, and reactivity of [GeCl]+ and [SnCl]+ cations bearing a carbodiphosphorane as ancillary ligand are presented. In the Ge compound, simultaneous σ and π donation from the carbodiphosphorane to Ge is observed (see HOMO (left) and HOMO−1 (right); C black, H white, P orange, Cl green, Ge purple (not visible)), whereas only the σ dative component is present in the Sn analogue

Deformable subreflector computed by geometric optics

Using a Cassegrainian geometry, the 64-meter antenna with its distorted paraboloidal reflecting surface is forced to produce a uniform phase wavefront by a pathlength-compensating subreflector. First, the computed distortion vectors at the joints or nodes of the main reflector structure supporting the surface panels are best fitted to a paraboloid. Second, the resulting residual distortion errors are used to determine a compensating subreflector surface by ray tracing using geometric optics principles. Third, the totally corrected subreflector surface is defined by the normal directions and distances to the surface of the original symmetric hyperboloid for the purpose of evaluation. Finally, contour maps of distortions of the paraboloid reflector and the compensating subreflector are presented. A field-measured check of the subreflector in focused position as computed by the described methodology is also presented for the antenna position at horizon look with the geometry at 45 degrees elevation

An optical model description of momentum transfer in heavy ion collisions

An optical model description of momentum transfer in relativistic heavy ion collisions, based upon composite particle multiple scattering theory, is presented. The imaginary component of the complex momentum transfer, which comes from the absorptive part of the optical potential, is identified as the longitudinal momentum downshift of the projectile. Predictions of fragment momentum distribution observables are made and compared with experimental data. Use of the model as a tool for estimating collision impact parameters is discussed

Short communication: Isolation and identification of bacterial pollutants from the Berg and Plankenburg Rivers in the Western Cape, South Africa

Bacterial species present in the Berg and Plankenburg Rivers (Western Cape, South Africa) were isolated from water and biofilm samples and population shifts between sampling sites were phylogenetically identified. Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) extraction of representative isolates was performed and amplified using 2 different primer sets. Various Enterobacteriaceae species were present at all of the sites, confirming faecal contamination. Phylogenetic analyses also showed that, in general, Gram-negative micro-organisms dominated at all of the sites sampled in both the Berg and Plankenburg river systems. Pathogens and opportunistic pathogens, such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus sp., and Bacillus cereus, were isolated from the Berg River. Similarly, in the Plankenburg River system, Aeromonas sp., Acinetobacter sp., Stenotrophomonas sp. and Yersinia enterocolitica were also isolated. This raises major health concerns as human population densities along both rivers are high, thus resulting in increased human exposure to these organisms

Optimising Human Mesenchymal Stem Cell Numbers for Clinical Application: A Literature Review

Adult mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are being investigated further for their use in stem cell therapies. However, as they are found in very low numbers in adult tissue, expansion in vitro is required to produce desired MSC numbers for clinical application. The need for effective cell-based therapies is increasing due to a rise in the ageing population, increasing the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders. This review investigates how factors, age and gender of donor, as well as seeding density can affect MSC expansion. Age and gender of donor have received mixed results from studies, whereas seeding density studies have produced consistent results for numerous MSC sources, favouring lower seeding densities. Further research is required to reduce the risk of infection, loss of cell characterisation in cell culture, and making cell-based therapies more cost effective through creating rapid expansion of MSCs regardless of patient factors