1.4 Flashcards
how are staff seen as a cost
don’t add value
wages, sickness, holidays need to be budgeted for
recruitment costs
training to improve productivity
how are staff seen as an asset
benefit to the business
training & experience
participate in decision making
more autonomy over work
what is multi-skilling and its advantages
workforce can be moved around from one job to another
fewer staff needed
more interesting for employees
increased efficiency
what is part time work and its advantages
> 35 hours a week of work
+/ flexible hours
often used on extended hours or weekends
what is temporary work and its advantages
employed for a fixed time such as 6 months
+/ seasonal based work fill posts that are being phased out
paid more when job is essential
what is flexible work and its advantages
flexibility in the hours workers need to be in the business
+/ scheduled for peak times increased productivity easier communication
what is home working & its advantages
work from home or in any other premise
+/ reduced office costs & overheads
attracts employees
advantages & disadvantages of flexible working
+/ expand & control workforce quickly
response to change in demand cheaper
-/ less commitment
complex communication
what is a zero hours contract
employment contracts with no guarantied hours
what is outsourcing
paying a specialist business to carry out a specific task for the business
what is redundancy
reducing the size of the workforce, could be due to mergers or closures
what is the difference between dismissal & redundancy
dismissal - gross miss conduct
redundancy - job no longer exists
state 3 changes in the labor market
decline in trade unions
ageing population
decline in manufacturing jobs
what is individual bargaining and its advantages
worker & manager sit face to face & discuss terms & conditions
+/ compromise is come to easier
what is collective bargaining and its advantages
representation of all workers meeting with manager
+/ greater power to get action
what is job analysis
identifies & determines the particular duties & requirements of the job & knowledge & skill needed
what is job description
the tasks involved in the job and employment conditions
what is the person specification
skills, knowledge & experience needed by an individual, education requirements
define chain of command
the order in which authority & power in an organization is wielded and delegated
define hierarchy
the layers in a business the ‘formal structure’ relationship between people in the business and the line of communication
advantages & disadvantages of hierarchy
+/ clear lines of authority
career paths & development
accountability for actions
-/ poor flexibility
communication barriers
expensive
advantages & disadvantages of flat organizational structure
+/ greater communication
less bureaucracy
easier decision making
-/ limit growth
small organisations
advantages & disadvantages of tall organizational structure
+/ clear promotion ladder
employees closely supervised
-/ increased management costs
slow decision making
advantages of a narrow span of control
more effective feedback from workers
close supervision
advantages of wide span of control
workers given more independence
less managers needed
define matrix
company structure in which the reporting relationships are set up as a grid or matrix rather than a traditional hierarchy
what is the difference between centralized & decentralized
centralized: all decisions & processes are handled strictly at the top
decentralized: decisions & responsibilities are delegated to lower levels
what does organized by function mean
divided into smaller groups based on specialized functional areas
what does organized by project mean
divided into teams of workers with different skills who focus on one product/project
advantages of matrix
break down traditional department barriers
improved communication
use skills in a variety of contexts
greater motivation
disadvantages of matrix
not clear lines of accountability difficult to co-ordinate takes time to get used to new structure
may neglect their functional responsibilities
advantages & disadvantages of centralized structure
+/ consistency
easier co-ordination
economies of scale
-/ less flexibility
less motivation
more paperwork
advantages & disadvantages of decentralized structure
+/ decisions made closer to customers
improved customer care
-/harder to keep financial control
less consistency
define motivation
enjoyment of work and desire to achieve
why is motivation important
better productivity = lower unit cost
lower levels of absence
less staff turnover = lower training & recruitment costs
state some financial & non-financial methods of motivation
financial: piece work
commission
profit share
non-financial: delegation
job rotation
team working
what’s Taylors scientific management motivation theory
fair days pay for fair days work
employees do minimum work if not supervised
according to Taylors scientific management motivation theory what’s the main factor in motivation
high wage = high output
in Taylors scientific management motivation theory what’s the best way for employees to work
break jobs in small repetitive tasks done the same way
minimize skill required
what are the problems with taylors scientific management motivation theory
repetitive jobs are often demotivating
what are the issues with Mayos theory of human relations
employees may feel constantly watched
according to Mayos theory of humans relations should a business maximize productivity
better communication & feedback working in groups greater manager involvement
what’s Mayos theory of human relations motivation theory
people valued working in a team over money
what are the 5 needs in Maslow’s hierarchy
staff actualization
esteem needs
belonging
safety
physiological
what are the problems with Maslows hierarchy needs
progress is often disrupted by failure to meet a lower level need
what are motivating factors
interesting work
recognition
responsibility
scope to develop
what are hygiene factors
good working conditions
good pay
good relationships with other employees
whats Herzbergs 2 factor motivation theory
hygiene factors don’t influence motivation of employees only motivating factors do
what are the problems with Herzberg’s theory
these things may be taken for granted
if not met workforce is dissatisfied
state some quality’s of a leader
self-assured
charismatic
team orientated
conscientious
what is the difference between leadership and management
leadership
- motivates & inspires people
- changes the direct business strategy
management
- official position of responsibility
- direct & monitors others
what is autocratic leadership
full control of decision making
employees have little to no input
good in crisis situation
motivation through rewards
what is democratic leadership
encourages participation in decision making
strong coaching, listening and motivating skills
teamwork and communication
prepared to make final decision
what is paternalistic leadership
decision making in ‘ father like’ style
workers best interests in mind
leader doesn’t expect decisions to be questioned
what is laissez faire leadership
gives employees as much freedom as possible
communicate goals to employees but allows them to choose how to complete these objectives, make decisions and resolve problems on their own
define chain of command
the order in which authority and power in an organization is wielded and delegated
define hierarchy
the layers in a business
the formal relationships between people in the business and the line of communication
define span of control
the amount of people under supervision of a manager
what is delegation
responsibilities and authority is handed out to other people in the business
what is delayering
reducing the amount of layers in a businesses organizational structure
what is a matrix structure
company structure in which the reporting relationships are set up as a grid or matrix rather than traditional layering
what are the advantages and disadvantages of a flat structure
+/ lower wages
employees have more responsibilities
better communication
-/ wide span of control
low promotion opportunity
limit/hinders growth
what are the advantages and disadvantages of a tall structure
+/ high opportunity for promotion so higher motivation
narrow span of control
-/ higher wages
harder to communicate
decisions take longer to make
what are the advantages of a narrow span of control
keeps employees on task
easy to ask questions
feedback from employees
what are the advantages of wide span of control
more responsibility given to workers
manager may be busy if they have too many employees to check on
reduces number of managers required
