1.4 Flashcards
What is Hard HRM?
Where staff are treated as a resource that has to be managed in order for the business to control costs and output. (staff are a cost)
What is Soft HRM?
Where staff are treated as an asset, to a business that can contribute and help the business achieve its objectives
Components of a flexible workforce
- Multi skilled
- Part time and temporary
- Flexible hours and home working
- Outsourcing (getting someone to do the job)
Strengths of Soft HRM
- More motivated therefore productivity rises
- Flexible hours
- Relaxed environment - increases creativity
- More likely to work well in a team
Strength for Hard HRM
- No distractions
- Efficient workload that has to be completed
- Fixed term contracts
- Less costs
Weaknesses for Soft HRM
- More potential distractions in the workplace
- More costs
- Hard to monitor progress
Weaknesses for hard HRM
- Bad reputation
- High labour turnover therefore less experienced staff
- Recruitment costs
- Stressful atmosphere
What is redundancy?
Form of dismissal when an employee’s contract of employment is terminated due to the job no longer existing
Potential factors causing redundancies
- Closure
- Restructuring
- Relocation
- New technology
- Rationalisation
What are the benefits of a trade union?
- Enhances business performance
- Improves international competitiveness
- Implements change
- Lower labour turnover
- Increases motivation
What is primary and secondary picketing?
Primary
- Demonstrating outside of YOUR place of work
Secondary
- Demonstrate outside of ANOTHER place of work
What is a work council?
A group of managers and representative employees who meet regularly to discuss issues relating to the workforce and business
What is Arbitration?
When a neutral third party makes a decision on a dispute between the employer and employee (s)
What is conciliation?
When there is a disagreement between an employer and a group of employees, a conciliator helps both parties find a solution however doesn’t make the final decision.
What are the benefits of internal recruitment?
- Lower recruitment costs
- Improved promotion prospects
- Known abilities of candidates
- Quicker process
- Shorter induction period
Disadvantages of internal recruitment
- Reduces talent available
- Limits the number of applicants
- Can cause friction between internal candidates
What are the benefits of external recruitment
- Increases the talent available
- Can provide new sources of ideas to the firm
- Increases the number of applicants
- Increases potential creativity and authenticity
Disadvantages of external recruitment
- Higher recruitment costs
- May upset the internal candidates that have been overlooked
- Unable to see candidates at work over a period of time
- Potential productivity risk
What are the costs of recruitment?
- Time it takes to draw up job descriptions and person specifications
- Advertising costs in newspapers, journals, online etc.
- Fees paid to a recruitment consultancy
What are the costs during selection?
- Managers time shortlisting and interviewing
- Candidate expenses if reimbursed for interviews
- Fees paid to assessment centres
What are the features of ON the job training?
- At the place of work +
- Can focus on specific skills +
- Potential distractions -
- Teacher may teach the new employee incorrectly -
What are the features of OFF the job training?
- Away from the work environment
- Lectures / Seminars
- Theoretical training
- Less pressure / distractions +
- Expensive -
What are the costs of training?
- Productivity time lost by employee receiving training
- Productivity time lost by a second employee if training is provided on site
- Fees paid to an external training provider plus employees travel costs
What is organisational structure?
Is the way in which the workforce within a firm is organised, including job roles and communication flows
What is hierarchy?
Is the structure of the workforce within an organisation showing who is accountable to whom
Features of the levels of hierarchy
Tall and Thin
Wide and Flat
Tall and Thin - Where each superior is responsible for a few subordinates, which allows for closer supervision and communication between the two levels
Wide and Flat - Each superior is responsible for a larger number of subordinates. Therefore requires greater delegation but fewer levels allowing for quicker communication through the firm
Define chain of command?
Chain of command is the way authority and power is passed down the levels of hierarchy
Define span of control?
Span of control shows the number of subordinates that a manager or supervisor is directly responsible for
Define Delegation
Delegation means passing on tasks to other workers, for example people with higher responsibilities can pass on part of their job to workers lower than them
Define Authority
Is the power of an employee to instruct subordinates, make decisions and control the use of resources
What is a matrix structure?
Getting teams of people from different department to communicate and mix expertise with each other therefore objectives are more likely to be met
