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Business Theme 1 > 1.4.1. Approaches to Staffing > Flashcards

1.4.1. Approaches to Staffing Flashcards

1
Q

What is viewing staff as an asset?

A

Believing that staff are the most valuable asset to the company, and looking to develop them in order to boost their value to the business.

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2
Q

How do employers that view staff as an asset, think that the employees can contribute to the output of an organisation?

A

By:

  • bringing added value
  • supporting manufacturing processes
  • offering high quality customer service
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3
Q

What is viewing staff as a cost?

A

When firms focus on the amount of money they are spending, rather than how much an employee might develop. Aiming to hire staff as cheaply as possible and utilizing them efficiently in order to meet corporate targets.

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4
Q

What are some costs associated with employees?

A
  • training
  • recruitment
  • payment
  • welfare
  • severance
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5
Q

Why is flexibility needed in workforces?

A

Markets are always changing so in order to remain competitive, work forces need to be flexible, especially in markets where consumers are driving the products with demand pull.

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6
Q

What are some examples of flexible working?

A
  • part time
  • flexitime
  • temporary
  • annualised hours
  • multi-skilling
  • compressed hours
  • staggered hours
  • job sharing
  • teleworking/telecommuting
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7
Q

What is part time working?

A

Working less than normal hours, e.g. fewer days per week.

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8
Q

What is flexitime working?

A

Choosing when to work (normally during a core period)

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9
Q

What is temporary working?

A

Joining a company on a short term contract that has a specific end date.

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10
Q

What are annualised hours?

A

When hours are worked out over a year.

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11
Q

What is multi-skilling?

A

When employees train to become experts in more than one task/function so they can adapt more quickly to changes in the company.

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12
Q

What are compressed hours?

A

Working contracted hours over fewer days.

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13
Q

What are staggered hours?

A

Different starting, break and finishing times for employees in the same workplace.

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14
Q

What is job sharing?

A

Sharing a job designed for one person.

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15
Q

What is teleworking/telecommuting?

A

Working from home.

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16
Q

Why are flexible workforces attractive to companies?

A
  • can avoid the cost of having to pay for full time employment
  • can benefit from access to skilled individuals without having to train them first
  • cover shifts can be filled when demand spikes
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17
Q

What are drawbacks of flexible workforces?

A
  • staff may have low job security = low motivation
  • communication can be difficult
  • low motivation can lead to poor productivity and high turnover of staff
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18
Q

What is outsourcing?

A

Another example of flexible working, where a business will find a person/other firm to take on a particular business process, often used by large businesses and done overseas.

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19
Q

Why is outsourcing used?

A
  • do not have to pay for holidays/national insurance as this is the responsibility of the outsource company
  • cheap if outsource company is in a poorer nation
  • do not have to pay for training or full time employment, but still get highly skilled individuals
20
Q

What are some problems of outsourcing?

A
  • less in control of how goods are produced
  • so, quality may not match that of business
  • can be tricky for business to communicate with outsource workers
21
Q

What is dismissal?

A

The act of terminating an employee’s contract.

22
Q

Why might an employee be dismissed?

A
  • unable to perform tasks due to lack of skill/qualification
  • gross misconduct
  • long term illness that isn’t related to disability
  • exceptional cases, such as refusing reasonable contract changes, or a prison sentence
23
Q

When does an employee become redundant?

A

When their job no longer exists.

24
Q

When does redundancy generally occur?

A
  • when a company has to close down
  • technology replaces tasks normally performed by humans
  • a firm moves its production line overseas
25
Q

What must a company do if they are making at least 20 people redundant?

A

They must consult a trade union (or similar employee representative) at least 30 days before the redundancy is made. They must also consult with employees.

26
Q

What is a voluntary redundancy?

A

The employee has the choice whether to resign, generally with the offer of a severance package, rather than having to enter lengthy legal disputes.

27
Q

What are the benefits of having a good employer/employee relationship?

A
  • better morale = more productivity
  • if employees are consulted in decision making, they are more likely to adopt new decisions
  • reduce likelihood of industrial action
28
Q

What are example industrial actions?

A

Strikes, sit ins, work to rules and picket lines.

29
Q

What is an individual approach to employer/employee relationships?

A

Single workers negotiating with their employees on their own working conditions and rates of pay.

30
Q

What is collective bargaining?

A

When a trade union or employee representative negotiates on behalf of many workers.

31
Q

When do unions take action?

A

When either communication has broken down, or the channels of communication have closed.

32
Q

What happens when a deadlock is reached?

A

A third party can be called in to break the deadlock, which is called mediation. If this does still not work, the business may seek to go to an arbitration service.

33
Q

E.g. arbitration service?

A

The Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service.

34
Q

Advantages of trade unions?

A
  • they lobby for satisfactory rates of pay
  • negotiate on target bonuses
  • can secure appropriate working conditions
35
Q

E.g. trade union?

A

NUT

36
Q

Disadvantages of trade unions?

A
  • unofficial strikes can cause a drop in productivity and put a strain on employer/employee relationships
  • negotiation of high wage increases can lead to redundancies
  • if they only represent a small % of workers, they will have less of an impact.
37
Q

Advantages of staff associations?

A
  • provide a common voice for workers
  • increases participation and involvement of staff
  • they sit in on management policy groups and help make decisions
38
Q

E.g. staff associations?

A

Society of Radiographers

39
Q

Disadvantages of staff associations?

A
  • require a large amount of investment of time and effort
  • some employees will not want to join
  • may be overwhelming for organisers
40
Q

Advantages of professional associations?

A
  • perform similar tasks to unions

- responsible for setting and maintaining standards in the industry

41
Q

E.g. Professional Association?

A

Police Federation

42
Q

Disadvantage of a professional association?

A
  • It may insist on certain qualifications before members are allowed to join
43
Q

Advantages of works councils?

A
  • employees in different member states have the right to be informed and be consulted about transnational issues via a works council
  • right to representation by a works council has been a EU directive since 1999
  • legal requirement if the business is part of a multinational company that operates in at least two European countries with at least 1000 employees
44
Q

Disadvantages of works councils?

A
  • complex to set up
  • language barriers
  • communication problems across different cultures and time zones
45
Q

Advantages of employee groups?

A
  • meet up to discuss and raise issues that affect employees

- bridges gap between management and workers

46
Q

What are employee groups?

A

Forums made up of employee representatives from selected areas of the business and representatives of employers.

47
Q

Disadvantages of employee groups?

A
  • may lack power of a union
  • employees may try to further their own interests
  • breaches of confidentiality as employees are keen to discuss sensitive management issues

Business Theme 1 (16 decks)

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