Abstract: Purpose: This paper aims to provide a comprehensive empirical analysis of Human Resource Management (HRM) practices in the private education sector of Cebu City, Philippines. The study seeks to identify prevalent HRM strategies, assess the adoption and impact of Human Resource Information Systems (HRIS), and determine the relationship between these practices and key organizational outcomes such as teacher retention and school performance.

Design/methodology/approach: A mixed-methods research design was employed. Quantitative data were gathered through a structured survey administered to HR managers and administrators across [N] private schools in Cebu City. This was complemented by qualitative data from [N] in-depth, semi-structured interviews with school principals and HR heads to explore contextual nuances and lived experiences.

Findings: The study reveals a significant variance in the maturity of HRM functions among schools. While foundational practices like recruitment and payroll are well-established, strategic functions such as performance management and career development are inconsistently implemented. A key finding is that while HRIS adoption is widespread, its use is predominantly limited to administrative tasks rather than strategic decision-making, representing a major untapped potential. The results demonstrate a statistically significant positive association between investment in continuous professional development and teacher retention rates.

Practical implications: The findings provide a practical diagnostic tool for school leaders in Cebu City to benchmark their HRM practices. The paper offers actionable recommendations for leveraging HRIS more strategically, designing effective teacher retention programs, and aligning HR policies with overall school objectives to foster a high-performance culture.

Originality/value: This study addresses a significant gap in the literature by focusing on the under-researched context of private education within a major Southeast Asian urban center. It provides valuable, evidence-based insights that contribute to both HRM theory and the practical management of educational institutions.

Human Resource Management (HRM), Private Education, HRIS, Teacher Retention

__. 2000. Developments in Best-Practice Regulation: Principles, Processes, and Performance. Electricity Journal, forthcoming.

__. 1995. The Customer Bill as an Index of Performance. Electricity Journal, January/February.

_. 2000(b). The Role of Competition in Institutional Reform of Telecommunications: Lessons from Sri Lanka. Telecommunications Policy 24 (8/9).

About.com (2008), “Human Resources Information System(HRIS)”, URL: http://About.com, Accessed on December 2, 2008.

Arnold, Robert A., Successfully Selecting and Installing a New System, Trusts & Estates; Jun 1990,129, 6,ABI/INFORM Global, pg. 48.

Ashbaugh, Sam, and Miranda Rowen (2002), “Technology for human resources management: Seven questions and answers”, Public Personnel Management, 31: 7-20.

Berg, Sanford V., Ali Nawaz Memon and Rama Skelton. 2000. Designing an Independent Regulatory Commission. Public Utility Research Center Working Paper.

Bernstein, Marver H. 1955. Regulating Business by Independent Commission. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.

Blake, R.; Mouton, J. (2004). The Managerial Grid: The Key to Leadership Excellence. Houston: Gulf Publishing Co.

Blake, R.; Mouton, J. (2005). The Managerial Grid III: The Key to Leadership Excellence. Houston: Gulf Publishing Co.

Bolman, L. G., and Deal, T.E. 1984. Modern Approaches to Understanding and Managing Organizations. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Brown et al., “Organizational adoption of enterprise resource planning systems: A conceptual framework”, Journal of High Technology Management Research 18, p.73–97.

Burke, W., et aI., 1997, "What Do OD Practitioners Know About Managing Change?" On the web at http://www.mcb.co.uk/ services/articles/ docum.ents/lodj/ burke/htrn.

Cieri et al. (2005), “Human Resource Management”, 2 ed. McGraw-Hill. Australia.

Corton, Maria Luisa. 2000. Performance Efficiency in Infrastructure: The Water Sector in Peru. Master's thesis, University of Florida Department of Economics, Gainesville. Gunawardene, Palitha Silva, 2000 "Consumers" Role in Telecom Regulation: A Sri Lankan Perspective," NRRI Quarterly Bulletin, 20, 4, 311-318.

Dal Poz MR et al. (eds). Handbook on monitoring and evaluation of human resources for health, Geneva, World Health Organization, 2009 – available on http://www.who.int/ hrh/resources/ handbook/en/index.html

Dal Poz MR et al. Models and tools for health workforce planning and projections. Geneva, World Health Organization, 2010 – http://whqlibdoc.who.int/ publications/ 2010/ 9789241599016_eng.pdf

David Brown (2005), Getting the right HR system starts with getting the right consultant, Canadian HR Reporter, vol. 18,Iss. 3; pg. 5, 2 pgs.

Dreesch N et al. "An approach to estimating human resource requirements to achieve the Millennium Development Goals."Health Policy and Planning, 2005; 20(5):267–276.

E W T Ngai, F K T Wat (2006), Human resource information systems: a review and empirical analysis, Personnel Review. Farnborough, vol. 35, no. 3; pg. 297, 18 pgs.

Koch, Adrienne. 1961. Power, Morals and the Founding Fathers. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press.

Exforsys Inc, “ERP Human Resources: The Key for Success”, URL: http://www.exforsys.com/ tutorials/erp/ erp-human-resources-the-key-for-success.html, Accessed on December 2, 2008.

George Pearson. Canadian HR Reporter (2001), “HRMS does make a difference”, Toronto, vol. 14, no. 18,pg. G1, 2 pgs.

Global Hunt (2008), “Human Resource Information System”, URL: http://www.globalhunt.in, Accessed on December 2, 2008.

Grepin K, Savedoff WD. "10 Best Resources on ... health workers in developing countries."Health Policy and Planning, 2009; 24(6):479–482 http://heapol.oxfordjournals.org/ cgi/content/ full/24/6/479

Hall, J. W. (2002). A Comparison of Halpin and Croft's Organizational Climates and Likert and Likert's Organizational Systems. Administrative Science Quarterly, 17(4), 586–590.

Health Canada. Health Human Resource Strategy (HHRS). Accessed 12 April 2011.

Hill, C.W., Jones, G.R. (2004), “Strategic Management: An Integrated Approach”, Houghton, Mifflin Company, Boston, MA.

Human Capital Magazine (2008), “Keeping up with the Joneses”, URL: http://www.hcamag.com, Feature issue, Accessed on December 2, 2008.

Human Resources System (2008), HRIS, URL: http://www.humanresourcessystem.com/ index.html, Accessed on December 2, 2008.

International recruitment of health personnel: global code of practice. Resolution adopted by the Sixty-third World Health Assembly, Geneva, May 2010 – available on http://apps.who.int/ gb/e/e_wha63.html

International Council of Nurses. Health human resources planning. Geneva, 2008 – http://www.ichrn.com/ publications/ factsheets/ Health-Human-Resources-Plan_EN.pdf

J.M. Rodrı ́guez and J. Ventura (2003), “Human resource management systems and organizational performance: an analysis of the Spanish manufacturing industry”, Int. J. of Human Resource Management.

James P. Begin(1992), “Comparative human resource management (HRM): a systems perspective”, The International Journal of Human Resource Management 3:3 December 1992.

Jacques Guenette (2003), “Success begins at the beginning: Choose HR system vendors wisely”, Canadian HR Reporter, vol. 16, Iss. 2,pg. 7, 3 pgs.

Jon M. Werner & Randy L. DeSimone (2006), “Human Resource Development”, 4th ed., Thomson USA.

Kenneth A Kovach,Charles E Cathcart Jr (1999), “Human resource information systems (HRIS): Providing business with rapid”, Public Personnel Management,Summer 1999,28, 2,ABI/INFORM Global, pg. 275.

Kotler, P, Adam, S, Brown, L & Armstrong, G 2006, Principles of Marketing , 3rd edn, Prentice Hall, Frenchs Forest, NSW Russell K. Schutt, Investigating the Social World, 5th ed, Pine Forge Press.

Lee Ann Runy (2006), “HR Information Systems”,Hospitals & Health Networks, vol. 5, no. 2,pg. 24, 6 pgs.

Lewin, Kurt. 1951. Field Theory in Social Science. New York: Harper and Row.

Lori Bussler, Elaine Davis (2002),“Information systems: The quiet revolution in human resource management”, The Journal of Computer Information Systems, vol. 42, no. 2,pg. 17, 4 pgs.

Lin Grensing-Pophal (2008), “Mission: Organized HR!”, Human Resources.

Liu et al. (2007), “The value of human resource management for organizational performance”, Business Horizons, vol. 50, p. 503–511.

Marshak, Robert. 199? Lewin Meets Confucius: A Review of the OD Model of Change. Journal of Applied Behavioral Science 29 (4): 393-415.

McCraw, T. K. 1984. Prophets of Regulation: Charles Francis Adams, Louis D. Brandeis, James M Landis, and Alfred E. Kahn. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

McKee, R.; Carlson, B. (1999). The Power to Change. Austin, Texas: Grid International Inc.

Michael Bedell (2008), “Human Resource Information Systems”, California State University, Bakersfield.

Modaff, D.P., Butler, J.A., DeWine, S. (2008). Organizational Communication: Foundations, Challenges, and Misunderstandings (Third Edition). Glenview: Pearson Education, 59–62.

Mondy & Noe (2005), “Human Resource Management”, Peason Edu, Inc, USA.

Paul D. Hamerman (2008), “The Forrester Wave™: Human Resource Management Systems”, Q4 2008, Business Process & Applications Professionals.

Rensis Likert: Management Systems and Styles. (2011). Retrieved November 4, 2011, from http://www.accel-team.com/ human_relations/ hrels_04 likert.html

Samarajiva, Rohan. 2000(a). Establishing the Legitimacy of New Regulatory Agencies. Telecommunications Policy 24 (3).

Sandeep Krishnan & Manjari Singh(2006), “Strategic Human Resource Management: Three-Stage Process And Influencing Organisational Factors”, Human Resource Management.