1.4 Managing people

Question 1

a1=Staff as an Asset

Answer 1

employers recognise the input of employees as an important business resource, they contribute to value of output- by doing this they can attract and retain top talent

Question 2

Staff as an Asset Examples

Answer 2

Investment in development: investing in training & development
Recognition & Motivation: recognition,+ve work culture, engaged workforce, loyal
Empowerment & Involvement: involving them in decisions, fosters responsibility
Work-life Balance: commitment to staff, promotes wellbeing

Question 3

Staff as a Cost

Answer 3

the employee is a cost to the business in terms of recruitment, training, welfare and severance- by doing this the workforce is unmotivated and staff turnover is higher

Question 4

Staff as a Cost Examples

Answer 4

-Paying the minimum legally allowed
-providing unsecure contracts (0 hr)
-Limited trainig
-Ignoring human needs and social aspects of work

Question 5

Flexible Workforce

Answer 5

can help a business better meet the needs of its customers as they have the flexibility as a buness to respond to changes in demand

Question 6

Multi-Skilling (fwf)

Answer 6

-employers are trained in variety of roles
Benefits: increased productivity as employees can handle variety, cost efficiency due to versatile workforce, opportunities for varied work, broadens career path
Challenges: training programmes can be time consuming, can be demanding

Question 7

Part time work (fwf)

Answer 7

-employee works fewer hours than standard full time- typically less than 35hrs per week
Benefits: provides income but still free time, opportunities for individuals who can’t commit to full time
Challenges: limited career progression, potential difficulties accessing benefits

Question 8

Temporary contracts (fwf)

Answer 8

-employment agreement with predetermined end date
Benefits: opportunity for diverse work experiences, potential for quicker entry into workforce
Challenges: job insecurity, limited access to employment benefits

Question 9

Flexible hrs & home working (fwf)

Answer 9

-structure offers variation from traditional office hours and location
Benefits: independence, improved work life balance, reduced stress, job satisfaction
Challenges: communication challenges, work life boundary blurring (overworking), lace of face to face

Question 10

Outsourcing (fwf)

Answer 10

-practice of contracting out certain business functions or tasks to external third-party services providers rather than handing them in house
Benefits: cost efficiency- enables access to resources at lower costs, focus, access to talent
Challenges: loss of control- challenge in managing/overseeing, communication barriers

Question 11

Dismissal

Answer 11

• referred to informally as firing, termination of employment by employer against will of employee
  -must adhere to fair procedures inc warnings, employers must provide notice or pay in lieu of notice
  eg. Gross Misconduct- things like theft, physical violence, gross negligence. You can dismiss employee immediately as long as fair procedure followed

Question 12

Redundancy

Answer 12

-occurs when an employer eliminates a job role or reduces the workforce, leading to termination of employment
-commonly due to economic facts, restructuring or tech changes
-redundancy should be fair with notice

Question 13

Employeer/Employee Relationship

Individual Approach

Answer 13

-Developing relationships with employees at an individual level, recognises uniqueness, fosters collaborative effort to achieve a balance between
individual preferences and organisational objectives.

Question 14

Employeer/Employee Relationship

Collective Bargaining

Answer 14

-negotiation of wages/
conditions of employment between employee representatives/ trade
unions and the employer
-parties work mutually as collective

Question 15

Recruitment & Selection

Answer 15

Recruitment - process of finding and selecting worker, encompasses strategies to attract pool of qualified applicants

Selection- involves evaluating and choosing the most suitable candidates through interviews, assessments etc

Question 16

Internal Recruitment

Answer 16

-refers to select employees who already work within the business to fill the vacancies
-often seen as a way to retain and reward existing talent while minimising the cost and time with external hiring
-reduced risk

Question 17

External recruitment

Answer 17

-the process if filling job vacancies by seeking candidates from outside the organisation
-often necessary when specific skills or expertise aren’t readily available within the current workforce or when organisation is seeking to diversify talent base

Question 18

Recruitment & Selection Costs

Answer 18

-Advertising and expenses related to the posting of job opening on various platforms
-work conducted by HR is also another cost to be considered
-Fees paid to agency’s for outsourcing the hiring process

Question 19

Training Costs

Answer 19

-Salary & Wages (time spent by existing employees & trainers in providing training)
-Training materials
-Tech and equipment- expenses for computer, software etc
-Trainer costs (external)
-Productivity loss (reduced productivity of new and existing staff during training)

Question 20

Types of Training

Induction

Answer 20

-Systematic process designed to introduce newly hired employees to organisation, its cukture, policies and specific roles+responsibilities
-Provides essential info about company’s values, expectations, safety protocols, administrative procedures
-Welcomes new hires, contributes to retention rates

Question 21

Types of Training

On-the-job

Answer 21

Coaching & Mentoring- experienced employees guide new hires, providing one on one support, sharing knowledge
Job Rotation- exposed to different roles in organisation, gaining diverse
skills+experience
Apprenticeships-new employees work alongside skilled professionals, learning through hands-on experience
Internships-work in temporary position,gaining practical experience, exposure to industry
Simulation&RolePlaying- mimic real work situations to practise+develop skills
Job Shadowing-new hires observe experienced to gain insight and understand practical aspects

Question 22

On-the-Job
advantages&disadvantages

Answer 22

Advantages: cheaper ,relevant(learning while doing job), easy to organise

Disadvantages:slower productivity, existing may not like training new hires (esp if unpaid), possible health and safety hazards by letting unskilled train on the job

Question 23

Types of Training

Off-the-Job

Answer 23

Classroom/lecture based-conducted by instructors
Workshops/conferences-led by experts, enagage in discussions/activities to enhance skills
Online-participants can work at own pace
Distance learning- not being physically present,tpically through online platforms
External programmes-participate in specialised courses etc

Question 24

Off-the-Job
advantages&disadvantages

Answer 24

Advantages:output of other employees not affected, done outside of working hrs, no risk on employees or customers

Disadvantages:expensive, difficult to organise, output for new hire may be lower due to being offsite

Question 25

Benefits of well structured training

Answer 25

-Enhanced employee performance- gained skills to excel -Employee satisfaction- reeduces turnover -Adaptability to change and innovation- employees stay up to date

Question 26

Hierarchy

Answer 26

-levels of authority within organisation -establishes structure where individuals/groups are ranked one above the other based on power,responsibility and accountability

Question 27

Chain of Command

Answer 27

-Formal line of authority & communication withing organisation -Outlines who reports to whom, ensuring instructions and info flows downwards, accountability flows upwards

Question 28

Span of control

Answer 28

-Denotes no. of subordinates or employees that a manager or supervisor can effectively oversee and manage

Question 29

Centralised & Decentralised

Answer 29

Centralised-decision making authority concentrated on top levels of management, major decisions formulated by select group of individual at highest level Decentralised- decision making authority distributed across various levels, allows greater autonomy and empowerment, enables quicker response to localised issues

Question 30

Subordinates

Answer 30

-Employees who report to higher-ranking individuals -Responsible for carrying out tasks and directives assigned by superiors

Question 31

Tall Structure

Answer 31

-a talk organisational structure is a **hierarchical** arrangement with **many layers** and a **narrow span of control** for each manager -**clear chain of demand**, pyramid like hierarchy leads to well-defined roles,detailed specialised and distinct levels of authority -close supervision, clear communication

Question 32

Flat Structure

Answer 32

-**few layers** and a **wider span of control** for each manager -often with a focus on decentralisation and a more horizontal distribution of authority -allows for quicker decision making, more direct line of communication between top management and front line employees

Question 33

Matrix Structure

Answer 33

-organises employees from different disciplines or divisions into **projects/teams** -typically used in complex environments, utilises skills within organisation, effective communication -however it may take time to gel as a team

Question 34

Impact of Tall Structure

Answer 34

**Efficiency:**provides clear chain of demand but numerous layers can lead to slower decisions & communication **Motivation:**employees may experience autonomy potentially affecting motivation. Clear career paths and structured role can offer motivation through advancement opportunities

Question 35

Impact of Flat Structure

Answer 35

**Efficiency:**often promotes faster decision making & streamlined communication due to reduced no of management layers **Motivation:**increased motivation due to greater sense of autonomy, closer interaction with decision makers opportunities for promotion=limited

Question 36

Impact on Matrix Structure

Answer 36

**Efficiency**: can enhance efficiency by fostering collaboration + specialised expertise, however dual reporting lines may lead to potential conflicts **Motivation**: may find motivation through exposure to diverse projects, skill development opportunities & collaborative environment. managing may be difficult

Question 37

Importance of employee motivation to business

Answer 37

crucial as it directly influences productivity, performance and overall organisational success

Question 38

Financial incentives to improve employee performance

Answer 38

**Bonuses**- sum of £ added to employees wages/salary as reward for performance **Commission**- payment to worker based on % of value of sales **Profit sharing**- part of profit of business is shared amongst **Piece Rate**- employees paid on agreed rate for every item produced **Performance Related**- to ones who's work is considered to reached a certain standard

Question 39

# Non Financial Motivators Job Rotation

Answer 39

changes are made to employee's role on regular basis +job less repetitive +creates multi skilled & flexible workforce -demotivated and disengaged over time, could be overwhelming

Question 40

# Non Financial Motivators Job Enrichment

Answer 40

giving employee greater responsibility & recognition by extending work role +can elad to increased productivity & loyalty -not everyone wants extra responsibilities

Question 41

# Non Finanical Motivators Empowerment

Answer 41

over time providing more freedom and control over decisions etc +increases sense of worth and value +more productive, focused, loyal -not as effective on new hire

Question 42

# Non Finanical Motivators Consultation

Answer 42

involvement in decision making, urged to provide opinions +feeling more valued and more open to change +increased motivation & commitment -may start to doubt consultation if their views are implemented

Question 43

# Non Finanical Motivators Job Enlargement

Answer 43

workload increases with more complex tasks, seen as reward and recognition of skills +motivation may increase due to greater level of challenge/variety -short term solution, can desatisfy, overwhelm

Question 44

# Non Finanical Motivators Team Working

Answer 44

placed in teams with targets/projects, shared goal, links with Mayo +can increase productivity, quality, satisfaction -risk of conflict between team members which can have impact on satisfaction

Question 45

# Non Finanical Motivators Flexible Working

Answer 45

can relate to working patterns or location +feeling valued & appreciated with flexibility -business can't micro manage employees as easily or monitor performance closely, if trust broken= less satisfaction

Question 46

# Non Finanical Motivators Extras

Answer 46

Training- employees feel valued, increased knowledge, could become over qualified Management style- direct impact on employee motivation Employee benefits-feel valued, decreases stress, more productive, isnt alays available, cost implications

Question 47

Distinction between management and leadership

Answer 47

**Management**- involves day to day organistaion of business, task orientated, emphasises order,problem solving, 'how' **Leadership**- inspiring and influencing individuals to achieve a shared vision/goal, ppl-orienated, long term direction, emphasises adaptability, inspiration and strategic thinking, 'what'

Question 48

Autocratic Leadership e.g. Gordan Ramsey

Answer 48

-decision making is best kept with managers, little consultation -provide clear & specific instructions, expects prompt compliance-(CB)could stifle crativity, collaboration Characteristics: centralised & quick decision making, authoritative, clear direction,

Question 49

Paternalistic Leadership e.g. Jack Ma

Answer 49

-leaders are in control but take the welfare of employees into account when decision making -consider needs, concerns, wellbeing of team & offer guidance/support- (CB)may limit individual autonomy Characteristics: caring, supportive, guidance, decisive decision making, clear expectations

Question 50

Democratic Leadership e.g. Sara Blakely

Answer 50

-members of group take a participative role in decision makin, group members encouraged to share ideas -promotes communication, equality and taking ownership of their work Characteristics: collaborative, fairness, inclusive decision making, empowerment

Question 51

Laissez-Faire Leadership e.g Richard Branson

Answer 51

-employees encouraged to make their own decisions within certain limits -employees have high degree of autonomy, avoids micro managing- (CB)lack of structure, unclear expectations, difficulty in coordination Characteristics: hands off approach, limited direction, resource supports, individual responsibility