2.5- making human resource decisions Flashcards
why is it important that a firm has a clear internal organisational structure?
It makes it easy for everybody to know who is responsible for what and helps the company make sure it has people in every job role to deal with each of its activities
what are the four basic roles of staff with different responsibilities?
-Directors
-Senior managers
-Supervisors/ team leaders
-Operation and support staff
what is the role of the director?
decide on strategy and targets at regular board meetings
What is the role of senior managers?
they organise the carrying out of the director’s strategy
what is the role of supervisors or team leaders?
They look after specific projects or small teams of operational or support staff
What is the role of operational and support staff?
they aren’t responsible for other staff and they often given specific tasks to perform by managers, supervisors or team leader leaders
Who is in the top and lowest layer of the organisational structure?
Directors are on the top and operational and support staff are on the lowest layer
what is the chain of command?
The chain connecting directors to operational and support staff
What is an advantage of the hierarchical structure?
Each manager only has a narrow span of control (number of workers who report to one manager)
this can make a firm more effective as managers can monitor the employees they are responsible for more closely
What is a disadvantage of hierarchical structures?
There’s a long chain of command with more loss of management which can make communication between the top and bottom of the structure did report and slow because more people need to pass on the message
what is an advantage of flat structures?
There is a short chain of command so messages can be passed on quickly
what is a disadvantage of flat structures?
Each manager has a wide spin of control so they have to manage a lot of employees at once, which can be difficult to do effectively
what is a centralised organisation?
All major decisions are made by one person or a few senior managers at the top of the structure
What are the advantages of centralised organisations?
The senior managers tend to have plenty of experience and can get an overview of the whole business
policies will be uniform throughout the business
what are the disadvantages of centralised organisations?
If all decisions need to be made by one or two people, it can slow down decision-making and the communication of decisions can take a long time to go through to employees
This means the organisation reacts slowly to change
depending to heavily on a few people at the top can cause problems if those people lack specialist knowledge or start making poor decisions
What is a decentralised organisation?
The authority to make decisions shared out
What are the advantages of decentralised organisations?
The employees can use expert knowledge of their sector to make decisions
They don’t always need to communicate these decisions with managers above them for approval so changes can be made more quickly
can respond to changes in the market quicker than its competitors
Senior managers at the top are not responsible for making us my new decisions which means there’s less need for a central office where decisions are made , which can decrease the firms fixed costs
What is the disadvantage of decentralised organisations?
inconsistencies may develop between departments or regions
The decision makers might not be able to see the overall needs of the business
Why is it important to have effective communication?
it ensures different areas of the business work well together and that everyone in the business knows what they’re doing and why
improves staff motivation as staff know what’s going on in the firm and are likely to feel more confident that they’re doing their job properly
what are the four barriers to effective communication?
- Noise
- Personalities
- Distance
- jargon -technical language used in one department may not be understood by another
What are two impacts of insufficient communication?
-Can lead to inefficiency- people may be slow to receive important messages about what they should be doing- time and money is wasted on them doing things incorrectly
- Can demotivate staff- may be frustrated if a lack of communication is stopping them from doing their job properly- may not feel valued if they’re not told about the things that are going on in the firm
what is the impact of excessive communication?
-leads to inefficiency- if people are frequently involved in communication about things that don’t directly affect them, it can waste valuable time- people may also start to take less notice of messages and miss out ones that are important to them
- staff may feel demotivated by excessive communication- they may feel overwhelmed with all the information they’re receiving and annoyed if it’s affecting their ability to do their job well
what is the advantage of time full-time staff for businesses?
They are likely to only have one job until the business will have more control over the hours they work
What is the significance of effective communication in a business?
Effective communication ensures that different areas of the business work well together and that everyone knows what they should be doing and why.
What are some barriers to effective communication in a business?
- Noise
- Personalities
- Distance
- Jargon
How can noise act as a barrier to communication?
Noise makes it difficult to hold a conversation in a busy environment, such as a factory.
What impact can personalities have on communication within a firm?
Some employees may feel uncomfortable communicating with others due to personal disagreements or feelings of unapproachability.
Why is distance a challenge for communication in businesses?
Businesses may operate across different sites, making face-to-face communication difficult.
What role does face-to-face communication play in effective messaging?
Face-to-face communication allows body language to help express the message and confirms that it has been received and understood.
What can excessive communication lead to in a business?
Excessive communication can lead to inefficiency, confusion, and demotivation among staff.
What are the consequences of insufficient communication?
- Inefficiency due to slow receipt of messages
- Tasks being duplicated or not done correctly
- Staff feeling demotivated and undervalued
Fill in the blank: Insufficient communication can lead to _______.
[inefficiency]
How can excessive communication affect staff motivation?
Staff may feel overwhelmed and annoyed if excessive communication affects their ability to do their job well.
What can result from conflicting information due to excessive communication?
Time may be wasted as workers seek the correct information, leading to mistakes and reduced productivity.
True or False: Effective communication requires finding a balance between too little and too much communication.
True
What is a key aspect of ensuring messages reach the intended recipients effectively?
Messages need to reach the people that need to receive them without unnecessary delay and without being misinterpreted.
what is the advantage to businesses of having full-time workers?
They’re likely to job so businesses will have more control over the hours they work
What is the advantage of businesses of having part-time workers?
makes more financial sense if a business is only really busy at certain periods
It means they can fill-in when other staff members are absent
what is the advantage of having flexible hours workers?
offering flexible working can lead to higher staff retention and better productivity while also providing employees with flexibility in their personal lives
what is zero hours contract
when an employee has no specified number of hours per week and are given work when the business requires them
why is zero hours contract employees beneficial?
it fills business shortages
provides employees with a lot of flexibility
why is the disadvantage of zero hours contract employees?
it can lead to uncertainty about whether they will get any work and they may not receive a regular income
what are permanent contracts?
has no fixed end date
suited to certain types of more stable long term jobs such as nurses, pilots, teachers
what are temporary contracts?
has a specific end date where the worker is only employed for a period of time
very common within retail industry and other industries with seasonal demand
what is freelance contracts?
one where a self employed individual is engaged to carry out a specific piece of work over a defined period of time
common in creative industries like when a business needs advertisement
how has technology impacted how businesses operate and how employees work?
increased efficiency
remote working
how had technology increased efficiency?
a business is able to produce products and services more quickly, accurately and with fewer resources
improved efficiency of communication of businesses- messages can be sent quickly to a large number of people with a reduced risk of barriers to communication
can communicate using email, online video etc…
how has technology created remote working?
technology has enabled employees to work at home in the same way they would in an office
employees have more flexibility and may not have to travel as far and are less likely to take time off because of sickness or being late
what are the disadvantages of remote working?
not all roles can do it like police officers
employees may not work as hard and may not be able to seek help easily when required
what documents are included in the recruitment process?
person specification
job description
application form
CV
what is a person specification?
includes details about the educational background, skills, experience and hobbies the business wants applicants to have.
what is a job description?
list all the duties required in the role
may include job title, salary, hours, location, bonus information and who the employee would report to
what is an application form?
includes a series of questions for a potential employee to answer so the business can learn more about them
includes a section for applicants to write about themselves and why they are the best candidate for the role.
what is a CV?
personal document that includes information about applicants skills, experience, qualifications and hobbies
used to decide whether applicants match the requirements of the person specification
what are the advantages of internal recruitment?
a quick process
applicants will already be known to the business
aplicatants may have previous experience in the role
cheaper to recruit and advertise roles internally.
what are the disadvantages of internal recruitment?
usually a small pool of applicants
applicants may not be experienced in the role
a lack of fresh ideas in the business
what are the advantages of external recruitment?
may bring new ideas into the business
free enthusiasm and skills
larger pool of potential applicants
what are the disadvantages of external recruitment?
may take the new employee time to settle into the business
expensive to recruit
new employee not previously known to the business
can take more time than internal recruitment
what are the benefits of formal training?
experts are likely to deliver high quality training
employees can focus on learning if they are away from the workplace
what are the disadvantages of formal training?
likely to be expensive
a member of staff is taken away from the workplace
what are the advantages of informal training?
focused on the specific skills needs of the business
quick and inexpensive to implement
trainees able to ask questions and for demonstrations to be repeated
what is the disadvantage of informal training?
relies on the expertise and communication skills of the trainer
what are the advantages of self learning?
workers can learn at their own pace
what is the disadvantage of self learning?
feedback is unlikely to be immediate and trainees cannot easily ask questions
what are the advantages of ongoing training?
improves productivity and how employees can fulfil their job roles effectively
allows skills to be improved
remind employees of business priorities
how do businesses use target setting and performance reviews?
targets may be negotiated to ensure that training targets support business objectives
progress towards targets are discussed during annual performance review meetings
why do businesses train and develop employees?
motivation
retention
how does business training impact motivation?
if an employee is receiving training from their employer they are likely to feel valued and feel like the business is interested in their progress
may feel like business wants them to reach their full potential so employees will be motivated to work harder
how does business training impact retention?
Keeping employees means keeping their skills and experience rather than losing them to other businesses, and it also means that time and money are not wasted hiring new employees.
Employees are likely to feel valued by a business that invests in their training and development, meaning that they are more likely to stay working for that business.
why is important to retrain employees to use new technology?
makes employees more efficient and skilled in their roles.
Training employees to use new technology may also make them feel more valued by the business, which may in turn improve both
motivation and retention
Ultimately, if employees are able to fully use new technology, business performance is likely to improve.
how does motivation attract employees?
If a potential employee can see that a workplace has high levels of motivation, they are more likely to want to be employed there. Motivated staff are also more likely to recommend their workplace to potential applicants.
how does motivation retain employees?
Employees are likely to feel valued by a business that invests in their training and development
This means they are much more likely to stay working for that business.
how does motivation impact productivity?
A business will aim to have the highest possible level of productivity.
This is because having a high level of productivity leads to more
revenueand potentially more profit
More motivated employees are likely to increase a business’ productivity levels.
what are the financial methods of motivation?
renumeration
bonuses
commission
promotion
fringe benefits
what is remuneration?
the money employees are paid in return for working in a business
Many employees are motivated by remuneration, and pay rises can often make employees feel more motivated. Many businesses offer regular yearly increases in remuneration to help increase motivation.
what are bonuses?
a form of additional remuneration
when an employee is motivated by money, a bonus is a very good way to raise their level of motivation.
what are commissions?
paid on top of a normal wage or salary to help motivate employees
Earning additional money is often a motivating factor for employees and generally makes them work harder.
what are promotions?
when an employee is provided with a higher-ranking job and more responsibility in a business.
Often, a promotion means the employee earns a higher wage and receives more financial benefits. This makes employees feel more valued by a business.
what are fringe benefits?
additional employment perks awarded to employees
eg. a company car
Fringe benefits are often ways of saving employees money rather than providing them with additional money.
what are the non financial methods of motivation?
job rotation
job enrichment
autonomy
what is job rotation?
involves an employee having a large amount of variety in their day-to-day role.
It can motivate employees by avoiding them becoming bored with their job.
what is job enrichment?
involves enhancing employees’ roles through providing a wider range of tasks for them to complete during the working day
Job enrichment has a number of benefits, such as increased motivation, lower absence rates, increased productivityand higher staff retention
what is autonomy?
refers to the degree to which employees are able to make decisions about their day-to-day roles
Having a high level of autonomy can be a significant motivator for employees as it can make them feel valued and trusted by their employer.
