1.4 Managing People Flashcards
What are the six functions of the HR department?
Manpower planning
Recruitment and selection
Training and development
Retention and employee motivation
Welfare and benefits
Dismissal and redundancy
How might a business approach its staff if it sees them as an asset?
Permanent contracts
Training
Salaried
Low labour turnover rates
How might a business approach its staff if it sees them as a cost?
Flexible or temporary contracts
Minimal training
Lower pay and hourly rates
Higher labour turnover rates
How can a flexible workforce be achieved?
Multi-skilling
Part-time or temporary workers
Flexible hours and home working
Outsourcing
Under what circumstances can dismissal take place?
After appropriate warnings
Gross misconduct
End of contract
Under what circumstances can redundancy take place?
New technology
Requirement to cut costs
Business closing down
How can a positive employee-employer relationship be established?
Collective bargaining (e.g. through trade unions)
An individual approach
What are the main stages of the recruitment and selection process?
Recruitment identified as necessary
Job description and specification prepared
Advertisements circulated
Applicants shortlisted
Interviews and selection test undertaken
Successful candidate offered job
What are the merits of appointing an internal candidate?
Limited choice
May have set ideas
Quicker and cheaper
Motivational
What are the merits of appointing an external candidate?
Greater choice
May bring new ideas
Slower and more costly
May de-motivate existing staff
What are the three types of training?
Induction
On the job
Off the job
What are the costs of recruitment?
Advertising
Time
Interviewing and testing
Expenses
What are the benefits of training?
More competent staff
Productivity improvements
Motivation may improve
Business reputation may improve
Reduced waste
What are the costs of training?
Financial cost
Staff may request a pay rise
Staff may leave or be poached
Work time may be lost
What four aspects of structure is depicted in an organisational design chart?
Hierarchy
Chain of command
Lines of authority
Span of control
What is a centralised structure?
Where decisions are made at the top of a hierarchy.
Restricts autonomy for local managers.
Gives customers consistency.
What is a decentralised structure?
Decisions made locally, closer to customers
More responsibility for local managers
Managers and staff more motivated
What are the three types of organisational structure?
Tall
Flat
Matrix
What is a flat structure?
Where an organisation has few (if any) levels of management between the workforce and the highest-level managers.
What is a tall structure?
Many leaders and layers of management,
Businesses with this structure often use a ‘top-down’ approach with a long chain of command.
What is a matrix structure?
One in which reporting relationships are set up as a grid rather than a traditional hierarchy.
Employees have dual reporting relationships.
How can organisational structure impact efficiency?
Communication
Duplication of tasks
Departments failing to work together
Tasks overlooked
How can organisational structure impact motivation?
Scope for initiative and promotion
Scope for responsibility
Scope for delegation
Access to all information regarding job
In what ways is employee motivation important to a business?
Productivity
Recruitment and retention
Lower absenteeism
Innovation
Profitability
What are the four motivation theories?
Taylor (scientific management)
Mayo (human relations theory)
Maslow (hierarchy of needs)
Herzberg (two factor theory)
What were the key features of Taylor’s theory on motivation?
Employees paid more for being productive would become more motivated and engaged with their job
What are the advantages of Taylor’s theory on motivation?
Improve productivity allowing a business to reduce its costs
What are the disadvantages of Taylor’s theory on motivation?
Employees may rush production leading to mistakes and errors.
Employees may become bored with completing the same task over and over again.
What were the key features of Mayo’s theory on motivation?
Workers would be more motivated if their managers were more invested in them as people.
Businesses could motivate staff by improving communication between leaders, managers and employees and offering opportunities for group and team work
What were the key features of Maslow’s theory on motivation?
The hierarchy of needs provides five categories which a business must cater to if employees are to be engaged and motivated as possible.
The needs are: self-actualisation, esteem, belongingness, safety, physiological (food, air etc.)
What are the advantages of Maslow’s theory on motivation?
Offers businesses a structured approach to try and improve employee motivation.
What are the disadvantages of Maslow’s theory on motivation?
Assumes that employees will place the same importance on each of their needs as ordered within the hierarchy. This may not apply to all staff.
What are the key features of Herzberg’s theory on motivation?
Factors influencing people to work are divided into motivators and hygiene factors.
What are some examples of Herzberg hygiene factors?
Safer working conditions
Pay
Relationships
Clear policies
What are some examples of Herzberg motivating factors?
Recognition
Achievement
Responsibility
What are the advantages of Herzberg’s theory on motivation?
Offers businesses a structured approach to try and improve employee motivation
What are the disadvantages of Herzberg’s theory on motivation?
Assumes that employees will place the same importance on each of the hygiene and motivating factors as Herzberg did. This may not apply to all staff.
What are some financial methods of motivation?
Piece-rate pay
Commission
Profit-related pay
Performance-related pay
Bonuses
What are some non-financial methods of motivation?
Delegation
Consultation
Empowerment
Team working
Flexible working
Job enrichment
Job rotation
Job enlargement
What are the responsibilities of leaders as opposed to managers?
Focus on the vision
Look outward
Create change
Sell the plan
What are the responsibilities of managers as opposed to leaders?
Focus on achieving objectives set
Look inward
Manage change
Tell how to implement a plan
What are four styles of leadership?
Autocratic
Democratic
Laissez faire
Paternalistic
What does autocratic leadership involve?
Making decisions without consulting others
What does democratic leadership involve?
Leader makes final decisions but includes others in the process
What does laissez faire leadership involve?
Team members given freedom in work and meeting deadlines
What does paternalistic leadership involve?
Leader consults and tries to make decisions in the best interest of all
