2.1 - Introduction to Human Resource Management

Question 1

Ageing population

Answer 1

An ageing population is a demographic change that tends to occur in high-income countries, with the average age of the population getting higher.

Question 2

Demography

Answer 2

Demography is the statistical study of population characteristics,
using data such as birth rates, death rates, ageing populations and net migration rates.

Question 3

Flexitime

Answer 3

Flexitime is a system that enables workers to have a degree of autonomy to determine when they work, so long as they
complete their work by set deadlines.

Question 4

Gig economy

Answer 4

The gig economy refers to labour markets where workers are typically on short-term, temporary contracts or carry out
freelance work as independent contractors.

Question 5

Homeworking

Answer 5

Homeworking is an aspect of flexitime whereby people work
from their own homes.

Question 6

Human resource management

Answer 6

Human resource management (HRM) refers to the role of managers in planning and developing the organization’s
people. This is done through interrelated functions such as the
recruitment and selection, as well as training and development of employees.

Question 7

Human resource planning

Answer 7

Human resource planning (or workforce planning) is the management process of forecasting an organization’s current
and future staffing needs.

Question 8

Migrant workers

Answer 8

Migrant workers are people who move to other countries in search of better job prospects and opportunities.

Question 9

Mobility of labour

Answer 9

The mobility of labour is the extent to which workers are flexible enough to move to different locations (geographical mobility) and/or their flexibility in changing to different jobs
(occupational mobility).

Question 10

Net migration

Answer 10

Net migration measures the difference between the number of workers entering a country (immigration) and the number of people leaving (emigration).

Question 11

Portfolio workers

Answer 11

Portfolio workers are those who simultaneously carry out a number of different jobs, oſten for various contractors, usually
on a temporary basis.

Question 12

Six change approaches

Answer 12

Six change approaches is John P. Kotter’s model for reducing the impact of change and resistance to change. It consists of
six strategies or approaches: (i) education and communication,
(ii) participation and involvement, (iii) facilitation and support,
(iv) negotiation and agreement, (v) manipulation and co-option and (vi) explicit and implicit coercion.

Question 13

Teleworking

Answer 13

Teleworking refers to working away from the office by using electronic forms of communication, such as telephones, the
Internet and email.

Question 14

Workforce

Answer 14

Workforce refers to the number of employees at any one point
in time for a particular organization.