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Business > 1.4 - Managing People > Flashcards

1.4 - Managing People Flashcards

1
Q

What is the hard HRM approach to staffing?

A

Staff as a cost - staff are treated as a resource that must be managed in order for the business to control its costs and output

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2
Q

What is the soft HRM approach to staffing?

A

Staff as an asset - staff are treated as an asset to the business that can contribute and help the business achieve its objectives.

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3
Q

Why is it important to have a flexible workforce?

A

A flexible workforce is necessary for a business to run smoothly and match supply to demand:
- enabling all aspects of the business to function
- meet new challenges to the business
- meet seasonal fluctuations
- respond to changes in the workforce e.g. people leaving, maternity/ paternity leave

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4
Q

What is multi-skilling?

A
  • Having a workforce that can be moved around from one job to another, increasing motivation
  • This can increase efficiency, quality and productivity while reducing costs
  • However, it does require more staff training
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5
Q

Part-time workers

A
  • a part-time worker is a worker that works less than 35 hours a week
  • they have no specific set amount of hours
  • hours can be increased if demand increases
  • offer more flexibility, can work when needed
  • firms can retain valued workers who no longer wish to work full-time by offering part-time work.
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6
Q

Temporary workers

A
  • can be full-time or part-time and help meet short-term needs of a business.
  • can be employed on a contract basis which has a time limit = do not have the security as a permanent worker
  • can be employed on a seasonal basis
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7
Q

What are the advantages and disadvantages of temporary workers?

A
  • offers a flexible workforce
  • help to match supply to demand
    BUT
  • recruitment and training costs may be high and not seen as value for money
  • may lack commitment
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8
Q

What is home working?

A

The ability to work from home rather than travelling into the workplace.

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9
Q

What are the benefits of home working for the employer?

A
  • reduced overheads and office running costs, may reduce the need for office space
  • reduced travel related issues
  • may tempt better staff to work for the business
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10
Q

What are the benefits of home working for the employee?

A
  • working from the comfort of your own home increases flexibility
  • no time wasted travelling/ no travel costs
  • employees can work around the needs of their family = more convenient
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11
Q

What are the drawbacks of home working?

A
  • less opportunity to meet people, making teamwork harder
  • more temptation to work on non-work related activities
  • people often work longer hours than they should
  • employer have to trust staff and they have less direct control over them.
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12
Q

What is outsourcing?

A
  • delegating a business process to an external provider who manages the selected process to an agreed standard. E.g. marketing/research/ product development
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13
Q

What is dismissal?

A

When an employees contract is terminated due to a breach of the terms of that contract by the employee. This can be due to:
- abstanteeism
- gross misconduct
- theft

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14
Q

What is redundancy?

A

When an employee loses their job because it is no longer required by the business. It can sometimes be voluntary and can be caused by a change in business needs such as:
- closure
- restructuring
- relocation
- new technology

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15
Q

What is the individual approach to staffing?

A
  • When the worker and the manager sit face to face to discuss terms and conditions of their own contract/ interest.
  • advantages: no compromise as it is just the views of one worker, decisions made on a one-on-one basis
  • disadvantages: managers may not take action following the discussion as it is only one worker
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16
Q

What is collective bargaining?

A
  • involves a representative (often called a union rep) of all the workers meeting with the manager to discuss terms and conditions of employment.
  • this person will negotiate/protects on behalf of their members
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17
Q

What is the difference between internal and external recruitment?

A

Internal - hiring employees from within the business
External - hiring employees from outside the business

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18
Q

What are the advantages of internal recruitment?

A
  • internal candidates are already familiar with the business so may not need as much training and may be more productive
  • internal candidates are already loyal to the business
  • internal candidates already fit in with the business so it less likely that they will leave, making it cost effective
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19
Q

What are the disadvantages of internal recruitment?

A
  • can limit the number of potential applicants
  • no new ideas can be introduced from outside
  • may cause resentment amongst candidates not appointed
  • creates another vacancy that needs to be filled
  • internal candidates may not have the skills set required for a new position - might not be trained in
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20
Q

What are the advantages of external recruitment?

A
  • vacancy will be advertised therefore could attract a large field of candidates to chose from
  • fresh candidates bring their experiences, new ideas and enthusiasm to the business
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21
Q

What are the disadvantages of external recruitment?

A
  • external candidates may need a longer induction period which could lower productivity
  • external candidates may need training which can be expensive
  • time consuming to find the appropriate candidate for the job
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22
Q

What is on-the-job training?

A

Coaching or mentoring while doing the job. E.g. demonstration/ coaching

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23
Q

What are the advantages and disadvantages of on-the-job training?

A
  • less expensive
  • learning can be put into practice immediately
  • specific training needed for the job
    BUT
  • takes time away from employees job to be trained
  • reduces efficiency of both teaching worker and employee
  • workers may pass on bad habits
  • new workers may not pick up the skills straight away
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24
Q

What is off-the-job training?

A

Training new employees by work home or courses at company training centres/ colleges. E.g. day release, sandwich courses, self study

25
Q

What are the advantages and disadvantages of off-the-job training?

A
  • more focused environment with less distractions
  • increases workers motivation as they feel valued
  • employees are trained by experts
    BUT
  • more expensive
  • not tailored to the business so employees may fail to see the link between training and workplace
  • may not be the right course for that member of staff
26
Q

What is meant by chain of command?

A
  • the way authority and power is passed down the hierarchy, will be from the top of the organisation structure downwards
27
Q

What is meant by span of control?

A

The number of subordinates of whom a line manager is in charge of

28
Q

What is a centralised structure?

A

Authority is maintained by a few at the centre of the organisation.

29
Q

What is a decentralised structure?

A

Authority is spread across the organisation.

30
Q

What is meant by hierarchy?

A

The number of layers of management or supervision in the organisation structure.

31
Q

What is a tall/ hierarchical organisational structure?

A

An organisational structure with many layers of management.

32
Q

What are the advantages and disadvantages of a tall organisational structure?

A
  • motivation via promotion
  • clear accountability/ responsibility
  • clear target setting
    BUT
  • slower communication dueto long chain of command
  • higher cost due ti different salaries
33
Q

What is a flat organisational structure?

A

An organisational structure with few layers of management.

34
Q

What are the advantages and disadvantages of a flat organisational structure?

A
  • faster communication due to short chain of command
  • engagement, employees are more involved in day-to-day decisions
  • increase in staff motivation
  • lower costs due to less salaries
    BUT
  • no opportunity for promotion = lower motivation
  • no clear accountability
  • hard to implement
35
Q

What is a matrix organisational structure?

A

Individuals work across teams and projects, as well as within their own department or function.

36
Q

What are the advantages and disadvantages of a matrix organisational structure?

A
  • helps to break down traditional department barriers, improving communication
  • individuals get to use their skills within a variety of contexts
  • likely to result in greater motivation amongst team members
    BUT
  • members of project teams may have divided loyalty as they report to two line managers
  • may not be a clear line of accountability for project teams
  • difficult to coordinate
37
Q

What are the impacts of structure on a business motivation and efficiency?

A
  • speed of decision making
  • flow of communication
  • degree of supervision
  • opportunities for promotion
  • employee motivation
38
Q

What is Taylor’s Scientific Management theory of motivation?

A

It states…
- motivated by pay
- science could increase efficiency
- workers given one task to master
Advantages: increased productivity, fewer employees needed
Disadvantages: created unemployment & strike action, robotic structure is dehumanising

39
Q

What is Mayo’s Human Relations theory of motivation?

A
  • motivated by Taylorism but felt employees were motivated by factors other than money
  • carried out the Hawthorne Experiment and came to conclusion that physical factors, such as lighting, did not affect employee motivation
  • found that it was rather social factors helped increase productivity, as well as making employees feel valued and appreciated.
40
Q

What are the advantages and disadvantages of Mayo’s theory?

A
  • encourages positive workplace relations
  • considers the individuals needs and well being of employees
  • social factors help to increase employees morale, motivation and productivity
    BUT
  • unscientific approach, lack of supportive evidence
  • ignores potential impact of conflict
41
Q

What is Maslow’s hierarchy of needs?

A

1st = self actualisation - intellectual needs, fulfilling potential
2nd = esteem - self respect, level of status
3rd = social - feeling wanted, part of a team
4th = safety - safe working environment
5th = psychological - basic needs e.g. food, shelter

42
Q

What is Herzberg’s 2 factor theory?

A
  • concluded that employees have motivating factors, such as interesting work, recognition and personal achievement
  • ensuring hygiene factors are met
  • use job enrichment and empowerment (delegating more power to employees to make their own decisions)
43
Q

What is piecework?

A
  • when employees are paid per finished item or per unit
  • advantages: experienced workers earn more, incentive to complete work.
  • disadvantages: workers may cut orders when they speed up leading to lower quality
44
Q

What is commission?

A
  • when employees are paid a basic rate PLUS a % of a unit price or per unit
  • advantages: motivates employees to sell more, employer is not paying for downtime
  • disadvantages: sales people on commission only may not make anything, not a steady income
45
Q

What is a bonus?

A
  • a lump sum paid on top of a salary or wages.
  • this can be for:
    • sales: for meeting targets
    • performance: for meeting output or quality targets
    • Christmas: as a yearly bonus
46
Q

What is profit share?

A
  • employees may be paid an annual dividend based on the level of profits made by the firm
  • advantages: encourages teamwork, employees keep costs down to keep profits high, loyal employees
  • disadvantages: may make staff too competitive
47
Q

What is performance related pay?

A
  • a line manager site with a worker in appraisal and decides a set of criteria or objectives that the employee must fulfil. From this, personal targets are set.
  • a further appraisal will then determine how well the employee has done. E.g. excellent = 10%, satisfactory = no bonus
  • advantages: directly links an employees performance with how much they are paid
  • disadvantages: may cause jealousy and unrest
48
Q

What is delegation?

A
  • involves a authoritative manager allocating tasks to employees
  • advantages: gives managers self confidence, empowers managers to make decisions and allocate tasks to appropriate staff, motivates staff
  • disadvantages: managers sometimes delegate tasks a when overloaded with work or may not chose the most suitable employee for the task.
49
Q

What is consultation?

A
  • involves employees in discussions with management on topics such as how to improve productivity, cut costs or problem solve
50
Q

What is empowerment?

A
  • involves allowing employees more authority to delegate tasks to others
  • advantages: staff are recognised for their ability, trusted and given control over decisions = less frustrated with the business and increased productivity
  • disadvantages: see as cost cutting, a way of delayering, making management redundancies, makes managers insecure
51
Q

What is team working?

A
  • involves grouping employees to work in teams
  • advantages: pooled talents, individuals can specialise, shared responsibility
  • disadvantages: tensions can occur, a team may not be a solution to every problem - sometimes an individual approach is better
52
Q

What is job rotation?

A
  • involves moving employees from one task to another
  • advantages: multi-skilled work force, less boring so may motivate staff more
  • disadvantages: uncertainty over job changes may demotivate employees, worker may have to be trained in a new skill
53
Q

What is job enrichment?

A
  • involves giving the employee a greater variety of tasks of a higher responsibility
  • advantages: can motivate employees by giving them a challenge
  • disadvantages: may be beyond the skills of the employee, may be seen as more work = demotivating
54
Q

What is job enlargement?

A
  • involves giving an employee a variety of tasks on the same level of responsibility
  • advantages: less boring, less repetitive, more efficient
  • disadvantages: seen as ‘more of the same’, may be seen as more work
55
Q

What is the difference between a leader and a manager?

A
  • To lead - to be in charge of, show direction or be a superior to others
  • To manage - to supervise, to be in charge of, to maintain control over resources
56
Q

What is an autocratic leader?

A
  • leaders tell their employees what they want done and how they want it accomplished, without getting the advice of they followers.
  • advantages: quick decision making
  • disadvantages: may demotivate employees as they may not feel valued
57
Q

What is a paternalistic leader?

A
  • this is when a leader decide what is better for their employees, based on a parent and child relationship.
  • employees are consulted but leader makes the final decision
58
Q

What is a democratic leader?

A
  • This is a leader that offers guidance to group members but they also participate in the group and allow input from other group members
  • democratic persuasive - leader has made decisions and then persuades subordinates into the best option
  • democratic consultive - the leader consults with subordinates then makes a decision.
59
Q

What is the laissez faire leadership style?

A
  • this is where employees can carry out activities and make decision freely. The leader has little input into day-to-day decision making
  • advantages: works well in creative environments
  • disadvantages: lack of supervision may lead to poor productivity

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