1.4a managing people Flashcards
which two perspectives can an employer see their employees from?
-being a cost
-being an asset
what does seeing employees as a cost mean?
-treat employees simply as a resource of the business.
-link with business planning & costs
what does seeing employees as an asset mean?
-treat employees as the most important resource in the business
-a source of competitive advantage
-employees are treated as individuals and their needs are planned accordingly
pay of workers: employees as a cost (c) vs employees as an asset (a)
c - pay workers the minimum
a - provide good remuneration packages
sick/holiday pay: employees as a cost (c) vs employees as an asset (a)
c - provide the minimum legal sick/holiday pay
a - give reasonable holiday and sick pay
working conditions: employees as a cost (c) vs employees as an asset (a)
c - provide basic working conditions
a - invest in improving the working conditions
job retention/security: employees as a cost (c) vs employees as an asset (a)
c - find ways to maximise output while minimising staff costs
a - provide workers with job security
training: employees as a cost (c) vs employees as an asset (a)
c - see training as an unnecessary cost and one of the first things to be cut when in financial difficulty
a - see training as an important investment
decisions & responsibility: employees as a cost (c) vs employees as an asset (a)
c - centralise decision-making
a - delegate responsibility
employee motivation: employees as a cost (c) vs employees as an asset (a)
c - give little thought to employee motivation
a - take care in developing policies that motivate staff
define flexible working?
a range of working methods that help employees to balance work and home life
different methods of flexible working:
-remote working/home working
-outsourcing
-job share
-part time
-temporary contract
-zero hour contract
-multiskilling
benefits of a flexible workforce:
savings on costs:
↳ a business can reduce office expenses if it does not have to provide office and other accommodation for so many employees or if staff can work from home
helps with staff retention & motivation:
↳ lots of evidence that flexible working results in better job satisfaction and higher staff morale
high demand:
↳ increasing need for businesses to be able to deliver services to customers on a 24/7 basis
↳ flexible working makes it easier for businesses to offer extended opening hours
drawbacks of flexible working:
-lower employee productivity
-can decrease employee morale
-it can be harder for managers and employers to keep track of what their employees are doing
what is multiskilling?
-staff are allowed to carry out a variety of tasks rather than specialise
-greater requirement on training
advantages and disadvantages of multi skilling:
advantages:
-improved productivity
-efficient resource utilization:
↳ instead of hiring specialized employees for every task, multi-skilled individuals can handle multiple responsibilities, reducing the need for excessive staffing. this leads to cost savings and efficient resource utilization
disadvantages:
-increased workload and stress → may decrease job satisfaction
-training and development costs
-multiskilling can lead to divided attention and reduced task completion efficiency due to less focus
what is outsourcing?
-one or more business process is done by an external provider
-someone else other than the company does the work
what is offshoring?
the work is done overseas
quality: outsourcing (o) vs in house (ih)
-easier to ensure quality and trace problems if done in-house (ih)
-specialist will have greater experience and better equipment (o)
cost: outsourcing (o) vs in house (ih)
(ih)
-in-house departments don’t have to make a profit – so might be cheaper
-maybe too small to obtain economies of scale
-easier communication
(o)
-supplier likely to achieve economies of scale
-extra costs of communication
speed: outsourcing (o) vs in house (ih)
easier to schedule work or production to fit in with business needs (ih)
speed of response can be set as a requirement of the outsourcing contract
(o)
what is job share?
two part-time employees) share the work and pay of a single full-time job
advantages of job share
-more flexible → better motivation
-less stress → higher productivity
disadvantages of job share
-difficulties in supervising and managing employees
-compatibility issues → less productivity
what is a part time job?
a form of employment that carries fewer hours per week than a full-time job
(less than 32 hours)
advantages of part time jobs:
-less stress/more flexible → motivation
-healthy work life balance
-respond to short term changes in demand
disadvantages of a part time job for an employer:
lower engagement:
↳ part-time employees don’t spend as much time at work, so they may not contribute as much to company culture or be motivated to achieve company goals
less dependability:
↳ there’s less involvement, part-timers may feel less beholden to their employer’s needs
managerial stress:
↳ part-time schedules means more workers for managers to supervise and train
-fewer benefits for part timers
-less job security
-
what is a temporary contract?
a contractual relationship between an employee and an employer that lasts for a specified period
advantages of a temporary contract
-flexible access to specialised skills
-can accommodate changes in demand
-cost effective as employer can protect themselves from high staffing costs during periods of less customer demand
disadvantages of a temporary contract
what is remote working?
employees doing their jobs from a location other than a central office operated by the employer
advantages of remote working:
-better work-life balance → better productivity
-cost savings → less money can be spent on office
disadvantages of remote working:
-distractions at home → less productivity
what are the two types of dismissal?
-dismissal
-dismissal through gross misconduct
define dismissal
the termination of employment by an employer for failing to meet the required standard
examples of gross misconduct
theft, physical violence, gross negligence
redundancy
there is no work or the position no longer applies (eg: because of a company restructure)
what can happen if an employee is offered voluntary redundancy?
they get a pay out
what is employee representation?
the right of employees to seek a union or individual to represent them for the purpose of negotiating with management
what is a trade union?
an external organisation established to protect and improve the economic and working conditions of workers
what are the main roles of trade unions?
-negotiate through collective bargaining
-focus on pay and conditions
-represent members at industrial tribunals
-give workers advice on employment issues
-prominent in public sector
are trade unions are used as before?
no, there has been a decline of trades unions membership over past 20 years
why has there been a decline in trade union memberships?
-more small businesses
-significant growth in flexible working
-decline in employment in manufacturing
examples of public sector jobs
NHS, police, firefighters
benefits of trade unions:
-more bargaining power when individuals join
-more productive than negotiating with each employee
what is industrial action?
when employees take action against their employer because of a work dispute
what are the 4 types of industrial action
-work to rule
-overtime ban
-go slow
-strike
work to rule
-employees follow the strict conditions of their employment contract
-no voluntary overtime, no participation in supporting activities
-staff still get their basic pay