1.4 Flashcards
On the job training
Coaching/mentoring while working. Assistance/advise provided from more experienced to less so
+ Output may continue
+ Less expensive/easy to organise
+ Trainies can see relevance of job
- Efficiency reduction
- Pass on bad habits
- May not pick up skills
- Expensive mistakes
- Can be disruptive for other workers
Off the job training
Working at home or sources learning through demonstration talks/lectures
+ Focus on environment/less distractions
+ Feel valued by company
+ Mistakes are reduced
+ Less stressful
+ Training = higher quality
+ Chance to gather specialist skills
- Expensive
- Miss link between training/workplace
- Lose of money, employees taken from production
Types of flexible workers
Part-time:
- Work less than full time hours (35 hours weekly)
- No specific set out hours
- Beneficial to fit around other commitments
- Entitled to sick/holiday pay
- Permanent or temporary
Temporary:
- Fuller part-time
- Time limit or seasonal
Outsourcing:
- Specialists from another business
- Complete specific tasks/functions
Tall structure
- Many layers
- Narrow span of control
- Opportunities for promotion
- Longer to pass information
- More layers = More staff = More cost
Flat structure
- Fewer layer of hierarchy
- Wide span of control
- Fewer promotion opportunities
- Staff have more responsibility
- Fewer layers = Less staff = Less cost
Matrix structure
Individuals working across teams and projects as well as within their own department of structure
Delayering/Delegation
Delayering: Removing layers of management from hierarchy
+ Lower labour costs/innovation/teamwork
Delegation: Assignment of authority for particular functions and decisions
+ Reduces managers stress
+ Motivation
+ Form of on the job training
- Depends of quality of subordinates
- Harder for small firms
- May increase subordinates stress
Outsourcing
Getting other people or businesses to undertake work that was originally done in-house
Span of control
Number of employees that a manager is directly responsible for
Narrow:
- Closer supervision of employees
- Effective communication
Wide:
- Gives more independence
- More appropriate if labour costs are high as it requires less managers
Chain of command
- Lines of authority
- Flow of information
- Power and authority through the business
Centralised decision making
Centralised: Keeps the decision making at top of the hierarchy amongst senior management
+ Prevents too much independence
+Easier to coordinate/control
+ Good for low skilled workers
- Less motivation at the bottom
- Lower in hierarchy are likely to know more about customer needs - interact with them more
Decentralised decision making
Decentralised: Spread out to include junior managers and individual trading units
+ Able to respond to circumstances
+ More motivation
+ Develops junior management
- Can be ‘less strategic”
- Harder to ensure consistence practises
- Harder to achieve financial control
Piece rates and profit sharing
Piece rates: A payment system where employees are paid an agreed rate for each item produced
Profit sharing: Where workers are given a share of the profits, usually as part of their pay
Types of leadership
Autocratic: A leadership style where a manager makes all the decisions without consultation
Democratic: A leadership style where managers allow others to participate in decision making
Laissez-faire: A leadership style where employees are encouraged to make their own decisions within certain limits
Paternalistic: A leadership style where the leader makes decisions but taken into account the welfare of employees
Induction training
Training given to new employees when they first start a job
Empowerment
Giving official authority to employees to make decisions and control their own work activities
Job enrichment
ttempts to give employees greater responsibility by increasing the range and complexity of tasks they are called upon to complete and giving them the necessary authority
Job enlargement
Adding additional activities within the same level to an existing role
Job rotation
Movement of employees through a range of jobs in order to increase interest and motivation
Commission
Payment made to employees based on the value of sales achieved
Methods of motivation
Financial methods:
- Piecework: On number units/per finished item
- Commission: Bonus paid when sales target reached
- Bonus schemes: Lump sum on top of wage
- Profit sharing: + annual dividend (business’ profits)
- Performance related: Criteria for year
Non-financial:
- Delegation: Giving authority/power
- Team working: Benefit from social aspect
- Flexible working: Achieve good life-work ratio
- Job rotation: Work across range of roles
Herzburg (2 factor theory)
Workers are motivated by motivators
Can become demotivated if hygiene factors aren’t met
Hygiene:
- Poor pay/compensation
- Poor working conditions
- Lack of promotions
- Lack of job security
Motivators:
- Good leadership
- Good manager relationship
- Clear direction/support
- Recognition/growth
Maslow (Heirachey of needs)
- Self actualisation
- Esteem/self respect
- Social - feeling wanted
- Safety - job security
- Psychological- basic needs
Motivate people by giving them the chance to satisfy these needs. As their needs are met they move up
Mayo (Human relations)
Paternalistic (see workers as extended family)
Workers are best motivated by:
- Quality of communication - managers/workers
- Managers having involvement in workers lives
- Working in groups/teams
Taylor (Scientific management)
- Workers are given one repetitive task to do
- They learn to master it
- Managers give orders to staff and control closely
- Should be paid per item produced ‘piece-rate’
Flexible workforce
Degree of flexibility on how long/time/where they work
- Part-time
- Contemporary
- Outsourcing
+ Respond short term changes in demand
+ Easier to manage staffing costs
+ Better work/life balance
- May not feel committed to company
- Communication (hard)
- Lower quality work
Staff as a cost/asset
Cost:
- Minimum wage
- Minimum holiday/sick pay
- Basic working conditions
- Little thought for motivation
- Maximise output/minimise staff costs
Asset:
- Good salaries
- Reasonable holiday/sick pay
- Invest in working conditions
- Job security
- Training/developing role
Recruitment process
- Identify vacancy
- Write job description
- Write person specification (person details)
- Advertise vacancy
- Candidates apply
- Candidates are shortlisted (cut down)
- These are interviewed
- Job offer/acceptance/contract signing
Industrial action
Disruptive measures taken by workers to apply pressure on employers when disagreement cannot be resolved
Trade unions
Organisations of workers that exist to promote the interests of their members
Hierarchy
The order of levels of responsibility in an organisation, from the lowest to the highest
