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A LEVEL BUSINESS - ALL > 1.4a managing people > Flashcards

1.4a managing people Flashcards

1
Q

which two perspectives can an employer see their employees from?

A

-being a cost
-being an asset

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2
Q

what does seeing employees as a cost mean?

A

-treat employees simply as a resource of the business.
-link with business planning & costs

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3
Q

what does seeing employees as an asset mean?

A

-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

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4
Q

pay of workers: employees as a cost (c) vs employees as an asset (a)

A

c - pay workers the minimum
a - provide good remuneration packages

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5
Q

sick/holiday pay: employees as a cost (c) vs employees as an asset (a)

A

c - provide the minimum legal sick/holiday pay
a - give reasonable holiday and sick pay

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6
Q

working conditions: employees as a cost (c) vs employees as an asset (a)

(+ definition)

A

the physical surroundings and atmosphere of the workplace, and the way staff are treated by managers

c - provide basic working conditions
a - invest in improving the working conditions

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7
Q

job retention/security: employees as a cost (c) vs employees as an asset (a)

A

c - find ways to maximise output while minimising staff costs

a - provide workers with job security

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8
Q

training: employees as a cost (c) vs employees as an asset (a)

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

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9
Q

decisions & responsibility: employees as a cost (c) vs employees as an asset (a)

A

c - centralise decision-making
a - delegate responsibility

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10
Q

employee motivation: employees as a cost (c) vs employees as an asset (a)

A

c - give little thought to employee motivation

a - take care in developing policies that motivate staff

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11
Q

define flexible working:

A

a range of working methods that help employees to balance work and home life

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12
Q

different methods of flexible working:

A

-multiskilling
-part time & temporary working
-flexitime & remote working
-outsourcing

-job share

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13
Q

benefits of a flexible workforce:

A

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

can meet changes in 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

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14
Q

drawbacks of flexible working:

A

-lower employee productivity

-can decrease employee morale

-it can be harder for managers and employers to keep track of what their employees are doing

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15
Q

what is multiskilling?

A

-staff are allowed to carry out a variety of tasks rather than specialise
-greater requirement on training

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16
Q

advantages and disadvantages of multi skilling:

A

advantages:
-improved productivity
-efficient resource utilization:
↳ reduces the need for excessive staffing → cost savings and efficient resource utilization

disadvantages:
-increased workload and stress → may decrease job satisfaction
-training costs

-multiskilling can lead to divided attention and reduced task completion efficiency due to less focus

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17
Q

what is outsourcing?

A

hiring an external specialist provider to do carry out a business process

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18
Q

advantages of outsorcing:

A

-outsourcer will have specialist equipment & skills → better quality
-supplier likely to achieve economies of scale
-speed of response can be set in outsourcing contracr

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19
Q

disadvantages of outsourcing:

A

-easier to ensure quality and trace problems if done in-house
-extra costs of communication compared to easy in house communication

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20
Q

what is job share?

A

two part-time employees share the work and pay of a single full-time job

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21
Q

advantages of job share

A

-more flexible → better motivation
-less stress → higher productivity

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22
Q

disadvantages of job share

A

-difficulties in supervising and managing employees
-compatibility issues → less productivity

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23
Q

what is a part time job?

A

a form of employment that carries fewer hours per week than a full-time job
(less than 32 hours)

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24
Q

advantages of part time jobs:

A

-less stress/more flexible → motivation
-healthy work life balance
-respond to short term changes in demand

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25
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 be motivated to achieve company goals managerial stress: ↳ part-time schedules means more workers for managers to supervise and train
26
what is a temporary contract?
a contractual relationship where an employee is hired for a set period of time
27
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 -enable a business to fill short-term gaps
28
disadvantages of a temporary contract
-employees may not feel committed to the company if they don’t have a permanent contract -
29
what is remote working?
employees doing their jobs from a location other than a central office operated by the employer
30
advantages of remote working:
-better work-life balance → better productivity -cost savings → less money can be spent on office
31
disadvantages of remote working:
-distractions at home → less productivity
32
what are the two types of dismissal?
-dismissal -dismissal through gross misconduct
33
define dismissal
the termination of employment by an employer for failing to meet the required standard
34
examples of gross misconduct
theft, physical violence, gross negligence
35
redundancy
there is no work or the position no longer applies (eg: because of a company restructure)
36
what can happen if an employee is offered voluntary redundancy?
they get a pay out
37
what is employee representation?
the right of employees to seek a union or individual to represent them to negotiate with management
38
what is a trade union?
an external organisation established to protect and improve the pay and working conditions of workers
39
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
40
are trade unions are used as before?
no, there has been a decline of trades unions membership over past 20 years
41
why has there been a decline in trade union memberships?
-more small businesses -significant growth in flexible working -decline in employment in manufacturing
42
examples of public sector jobs
NHS, police, firefighters
43
benefits of trade unions:
-more bargaining power when individuals join -more productive than negotiating with each employee
44
what is industrial action?
when employees take action against their employer because of a work dispute
45
what are the 4 types of industrial action
-work to rule -overtime ban -go slow -strike
46
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
47
overtime ban
-employees refuse to work overtime
48
when is overtime ban most and least effective?
-significant effect on production capacity during period of peak demand -ineffective as a bargaining tool during quieter periods
49
go slow
employees work at the least-productive pace that is allowable under their employment contracts
50
strike
-last resort -danger for both employer and -strictly policed by legislation on industrial action
51
how can industrial action affect a business
-lost sales & profits from the lost output -damage to customer satisfaction -damaged relationship with staff
52
how can industrial action affect employees
-lost pay -potential loss of jobs if the action results in action to cut costs -possible loss of customer and public support (depending -
53
what is a works council?
a internal commitee of management and employees who meet to discuss issues relating to conditions, pay and training
54
how are the members of a works council chosen?
members are elected from the workforce by the workforce
55
key features of a works council
-builds cooperation with managers -allows the workforce to be heard without trades union representation -involves employees in key business decisions
56
what is an employee committee?
-a group of employees meeting together to focus on specific issues within the workforce -may not be recognised or attended by managers
57
what is collective bargaining?
when trade unions and businesses discuss and agree on pay, working conditions and other conditions for the benefit of trades union members
58
what is the principle of collective bargaining?
workers have more power and influence when negotiating as one body
59
individual bargaining
-individuals negotiate their own pay and conditions -agreements will differ from one worker to the next
60
which businesses are more likely to use individual bargaining?
small businesses
61
influences on employee representation
-the nature of the work carried out by employees -the leadership and management style of the boss -employment legislation
62
the nature of the work carried out by employees & employee representation
low-skilled workers are less likely to have a significant input into decision-making.
63
employee legislation & employee representation
ICE regulations dictates that employees within EU countries must be consulted on certain aspects of work and employment
64
the leadership and management style of the boss & employee representation
autocratic managers may want to limit the input of employees
65
what is mediation?
-an independent, impartial person helping two or more individuals or groups reach a solution that's acceptable to everyone
66
what is the aim of mediation?
to restore and maintain the employment relationship wherever possible
67
when is mediation best used?
early on in a dispute
68
are the agreements made during mediation legal?
agreements are not legally binding, but usually carried out
69
what is conciliation?
-used when an employee is making, or could make, a specific complaint against their employer to an employment tribunal -conciliator discusses the issues with both parties to help them
70
what are employer-employee relations?
the relationship between employer and employee
71
benefits of good employer-employee relations:
-increased motivation → increased productivity -lower staff turnover → maintain experience → better decision making
72
what is the recruitment process?
actively seeking out and finding candidates for a specific position or job
73
stage 1 of the recruitment process:
recognise the vacancy: vacancies become available when someone leaves or when a business grows or changes
74
stage 2 of the recruitment process:
do a job analysis: -the company must identify the specific skills that are needed for the position -helps the company recognise if they need to hire a worker or if they can give the role to another workee that is currently employed
75
stage 3 of the recruitment process:
write a job description
76
what is a job description?
a document that HR create stating the duties, pay, location, working hours & working conditions of the job
77
stage 4 of the recruitment process:
make a person specification
78
what is a person specification?
communicates the skills, experience & qualifications that the candidate needs for the job
79
stage 5 of the recruitment process:
-advertise the job -internally or externally
80
stage 6 of the recruitment process:
send out application forms/ask for CVs
81
what is an application form?
-sent to those who want the job -contain questions from the business, to help them gather required information quickly
82
what is a CV?
summarise important information (education, qualifications, past employment) about applicants and are made by them
83
costs of the recruitment process
-advertising -interviewing
84
benefits of the recruitment process:
can obtain high skilled employees
85
what is the selection process?
assessing candidates to narrow down the applicants until you're left with the best person for the role
86
is the selection process fixed?
no, it varies significantly between organisations, businesses must decide on the most appropriate method which will help them to identify the best candidate
87
interviews
-involves meeting (face to face or virtually) and asking questions about their skills, experience, and knowledge -questions should be fixed to ensure that the interview is fair and consistent
88
assessment tasks
candidates get the opportunity to demonstrate their skills and suitability for the job eg: psychometric tests, group exercises, presentations
89
what happens when the correct candidate is chosen?
-they are offered the job -they sign the contract of employment
90
what is external recruitment?
when someone from outside the company is employed
91
methods advertising for external recruitment:
-national press, local press -recruitment agencies -job centres -online advertisement
92
benefits of external employment:
larger pool of workers ↳ best candidate is likely to be found fresh ideas ↳ innovation & creativity don’t need to replace worker
93
drawbacks of external recruitment:
-takes longer -more expensive ↳ advertising
94
what is internal recruitment?
when a job is advertised to someone who already works at the company
95
methods of internal recruitment:
company intranet, noticeboard
96
benefits of internal recruitment:
-cheaper ↳ less advertising -more informed process ↳ candidate has been known for years -faster process ↳ process isn’t as prolonged, person starts much quicker
97
drawbacks of internal recruitment
-difficult for smaller companies -can limit creative ideas -worker’s old job must be replaced
98
evaluation of internal vs external recruitment:
dependent of skill of job: ↳ low skill = internal, high = external
99
the 3 types of training
-induction -on the job -off the job
100
what is induction training?
-part of the recruitment and selection process -new employees need to be trained so they can do their job effectively
101
things that occur during induction training:
presentation detailing… the aims of the business, health & safety procedures, future training available, the job role -tour of business premises -meet existing staff
102
what does the length of induction training depend on?
the industry and the job
103
benefits of induction training:
employee will be more productive & sooner
104
drawbacks of induction training
-time-consuming -costs are incurred (trainers, training materials)
105
what is on the job training?
training that occurs on the work site
106
benefits of on the job training:
cheaper ↳ no external costs (eg: trainers) hands on training ↳ production continues (more output) ↳ confidence builds relationships & morale ↳ mentor
107
drawbacks of on the job training:
dependent on mentors ability ↳ may pass bad practice on can disrupt the mentor ↳ mentor has own job ↳ more time mentoring = less production ↳ may lack focus as the also have to work → training isn’t high quality can cause friction between team ↳ mentors decreased work may displease employees
108
methods of on the job training:
coaching/mentoring, role play, job rotation, shadowing, demonstration
109
coaching (on the job training)
a more experienced employee (the mentor) provides expertise, support and guidance to a less skilled one
110
role play training
participants act out scenarios under the guidance of a trainer
111
shadow training
an employee follows and closely observe another employee performing the role
112
demonstration training
an employee will be shown how to do a particular task by a colleague (helps them learn a skill)
113
what is off the job training?
training that occurs outside the work site
114
benefits of off the job training
the mentors focus is solely on worker ↳ high quality training mentor is an expert ↳ knowledge and experience of teaching less pressure means skill can be fully grasped
115
drawbacks of off the job training
expensive ↳ must pay trainers, food, accom, travel not at work ↳ not producing / COUNTER = training may be more beneficial in the long term & outweigh the short term lack of productivity not bespoke ↳ may not be specific to your business,
116
methods of off the job training
-colleges -training centres
117
colleges (off the job training)
formal places of learning where employees can take a specific course ↳ day releases (when an employee is allowed to go to college to study for 1 or 2 days a week) ↳ evening classes ↳ distance learning (not physically presence)
118
training centres (off the job training)
a location specifically designed for training
119
when is training needed?
-new employees -new tech -new health and safety legislation
120
costs in the selection process
background checks and visa costs

A LEVEL BUSINESS - ALL (12 decks)

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