E-portfolio in Recruitment and Eventual Implications - Literature review Example

ePortfolio in recruitment and eventual implications Name of the Student: Name of the Instructor: Name of the course: Code of the course: Submission date: ePortfolio in recruitment and eventual implications According to Barker (2006, p. 2), ePortfolio is an electronic record of learning which is usually acquired from all the environments of learning. Lorenzo and Ittelson (2005, p. 1) cited that his collection can entail graphic, text-based or multi-media elements which are effectively archived on a website, or alternatively on other electronic media like DVDs or CD-ROM. It is thus an archive that is acquired and managed digitally detailing the skills and knowledge that has been acquired. This system has experienced extensive popularity in the hiring and recruitment realms among different organizations. This fact is best epitomized by Ward and Moser (2008, p. 13) who cited that a heightening emphasis and preference on curricula which is based on competency has propelled the development and growth of ePortfolios in higher education. This is best epitomized by Mahara which is an open source ePortfolio involving CQUniversity Australia. This paper is thus a profound attempt to analyze the issues related to the use of ePortfolios in recruitment and the ethical and legal implications. In addition, it will describe the implications of the increasing use of digital and social media in recruitment. Issued related to the use of ePortfolio Strohmeier (2010, p. 269) cited that the development and the utilization of ePortfolio is generally founded on information systems. It is imperative to distinguish between individual and organizational ePortfolio functions which is founded on the fact that ePortfolios are not primarily developed to be used by the creators but also by diverse organizations. Individual systems chiefly support the creator of the portfolio and thus basically refer to the planning, reflecting and the eventual process of publishing the e-portfolio. On the other hand, the organizational systems principally support different institutions in the fundamental performance of diverse processes which are related to ePortfolios. I perceive the Mahara ePortfolio as an ideal example of the latter category. This utility of organizational system is supported by Ravet (2007) who cited that particular systems play an integral role in supporting educational institutions in the management of the development and the assessment of qualifications, or similarly, the employers gain extensive benefits from these systems which are fundamental in supporting them in the recruitment of employees based on their ePortfolios. I support this inference based on the fact that Mahara ePortfolio exemplifies the utility of ePortfolio in evaluation of qualification into learning institutions, and encompasses input from diverse institutions previously mentioned. Nonetheless, it is imperative to be cognizant of the fact that the contemporary systems primarily emphasize on specific functions which are individual based, while the realization of organizational functions is only marginal (Himpsl & Baumgartner 2009, p. 18). Ethical and legal implications Just like any other new system, most notably those based on technology, ePortfolio has its own challenges. These impediments have been classified into personal, technical, personal, legal and ethical (Madden, 2007, p. 17). Nonetheless, this paper will be confined to legal and ethical implications. Three chief areas will be explored to this effect. These are data protection intellectual property right and accessibility. Data protection This is primarily founded on the Data Protection act 1998 which aims at establishing the responsibilities of the individuals and collectives who are engaged in the gathering and processing of personal on information which is personal in nature as well as those who are subject to this information. Madden (2007, p. 19) cited that certain types of ePortfolio systems in organizations don’t exercise any particular jurisdiction over the data gathering and its eventual use. Nonetheless, most institutions are obliged to inform the Information Commissioner of any divergence of personal information, indicating the purpose for which the information will be used for. McCallister, Grance and Scarfone (2010, p.3) cited that an institution which is subject to the obligation in the protection of personal identifiable information when determining the impact level of confidentiality. This is based on the ethical responsibility of the firm. Similarly, there are diverse legal provisions which include laws, regulations and other mandates which have provisions on the data protection. Therefore, the utility of ePortfolio in recruitment and selection in diverse firms ought to take into consideration the ethical and legal implications associated with data protection of the personal data acquired during these processes. From my own view, this fact is reflected in the privacy policy of Mahara site which states that this system is committed to the protection of individuals’ privacy (Mahara Website, 2012). Accessibility According toLitman (2012, p. 3) accessibility (or basically access) is the ease in reaching destinations, goods, services or activities. McCallister, Grance and Scarfone (2010, p.3) noted that majority of the organizations might opt to consider the nature of authorization in the access of personal identifiable data. This is based on the fact that when this personal information for recruitment and selection purposes is continuously accessed by more people and systems, or regularly transmitted offsite, then there is highly likelihood for the confidentiality of the information. I find this provision on accessibility in the Mahara site, where the privacy statement states that they will not at any time disclose any personal information to a third party, either an organization or individual without written consent from the owner unless authorized by law. Intellectual Property right This is more inclined to the legal implications of ePortfolio in recruitment. Madden (2007, p. 20) cited that Intellectual property or generally referred to as IP law aims at protecting the works founded on human creativity, the rudimentary rights of the creator, while at the same time permitting public access. This is mostly based on copyright. The legal implications in ePortfolio are evident whereby organizations are advised to put the implications of employees’ ePortfolios into consideration. This is mostly those which contain materials that might culminate in charges before the courts of law. This can be in in the sense of wrong personal information that actually belongs to another person which can result to defamation or legal disputes between the actual owner and the organization (McFadden and Saiki 2005, 75). From my own view, the issue of intellectual property is reflected in the Mahara site whereby there are terms and condition verifying the fact that all the files and content in this site are subject to the New Zealand copyright legislation and the owners of personal information have utmost responsibility to ensure that they have necessary consent to publish or reproduce any work that is not their own. Use of digital and social media in recruitment There has been increased use of digital and social media in recruitment processes in most organizations. Social media recruitment has been linked with swiftness, efficiency and cost-effectiveness when used as a recruitment tool. I find these merits in Twitter whereby this social media is not only fast in the dissemination of information, for instance, hiring and recruitment but also cost-effective and highly efficient. Nonetheless, there are some inherent demerits which are associated with this process. This includes but not limited to issues related to transparency, employer branding, confidentiality, discrimination in hiring as well as diversity and adoption trends of the social media. From my own view, these drawbacks are evident in Facebook whereby an individual might only disclose the information to his friends resulting to discrimination and non-transparency. On the other hand, I find there being extensive bleach of confidentiality since even people who are not supposed to be recipients of certain information can conveniently retrieve it from one’s profile, timelines or status updates. Conclusion From the above discourse, it is apparent that ePortfolio has become more embraced in the contemporary world, both at personal and organizational levels. However, this has legal and moral implications, mostly based on issues to do with data protection, accessibility and intellectual property right. On the other hand, social media has also been embraced in the recruitment process based on its efficiency, cost-effectiveness and speed. Nonetheless, issues of inadequate confidentiality and transparency are some of the issues which have been raised against this model of recruitment. References Barker, K.C., 2006, ePortfolio: Introduction, Applications and Implications Beyond the Classroom’, FuturEd Consulting Education, Retrieved 23rd July, 2004, . Himpsl, K. &Baumgartner, K., 2009, ‘Evaluation of e-Portfolio-Software’, International Journal of Emerging Technologies in Learning, Vol. 4, No. 1, pp. 16-22. Litman, T., 2012, Evaluating Accessibility for Transportation Planning, Victoria Transport Policy Institute, Victoria, British Columbia. Lorenzo, G. &Ittelson, J, 2005, ‘An overview of institutional e-portfolios’, EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative Paper, Washington. Madden, T., 2007, Supporting Student e-Portfolios, University of Hull, Scarborough. McCallister, E., Grance T., &Scarfone, K., 2010, Guide to Protecting the Confidentiality of Personally Identifiable Information (PII), National Institute of Standards and Technology Gaithersburg. Mahara Website, Retrieved 23rd July, 2004, . McFadden, J. R., & Saiki, D., 2005, ‘The electronic portfolio: Ethical considerations. Journal of Family and Consumer Sciences, vol. 97, no.3, pp. 75-77. Strohmeier, S., 2010, ‘Electronic Portfolios in Recruiting? A Conceptual Analysis of Usage’ Journal of Electronic Commerce Research, vol.11, no. 4, pp. 268-280. Ravet, S., 2007, For an e-portfolio enabled architecture”, European Institute for e-Learning Position Paper, Champlost. Ward, C., & Moser, C., 2008, ‘ePortfolios as a Hiring Tool: Do Employers Really care?’, Educause Quarterly, vol. 2, no. 4, pp. 13. Read More

 

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