3.4 - Human Resources Flashcards
What is an organisational structure?
The way in which a business arranges itself internally to carry out its activities
Why is an organisational structure important?
Enables the business to function efficiently
Shows communication routes clearly
Workers know who to report to
Tall organisational structure = ?
Narrow span of control, more layers of hierarchy
Flat organisational structure = ?
Wide span of control, less layers of hierarchy
What is delayering?
The removal of one or more levels of hierarchy from a business’ organisational structure
Benefits of delayering
Reduce labour costs
Can empower staff to take initiative
Shorter chain of command, improve communication
Drawbacks of delayering
Large increase in span of control
Junior staff have to take on responsibility - stress/experience
What is hierarchy?
The levels of importance in an organisational chart
What is the meaning of delegate?
Passing over responsibility to a subordinate
What is the meaning of subordinate?
A person in a lower level of hierarchy
What is chain of command?
How communication gets passed down the business
What is span of control?
The number of people you are responsible for
What is meant by line manager?
Where one employee is in charge of another less important employee
What is delegation?
The passing of responsibility from a line manager to a subordinate
What is a centralised business?
They are where important decisions are made by senior managers
What is a decentralised business?
They are where decisions making power is spread (delegated) to junior mangers
What is a contract of employment?
A legal agreement between an employer and employee setting out conditions of employment
What is a job share?
An agreement where two or more people ‘share’ the responsibilities of an full time job
Full time job = ?
Often 35 hours per week
Part time job = ?
Often less than 35 hours per week
Benefits of part time job for a business
Retain valued workers
Increased flexibility
Wider pool of workers
Benefits of full time job
Less spent on recruitment
Less spent on training
Reduced span of control
What are some financial methods of motivation?
Wages
Salaries
Commission
What are some non financial methods of motivation?
Training
Praise
Empowerment
Benefits of having a well motivated work force
Better quality Better production Lower levels of staff turnover Employee loyalty Lower training and recruitment costs
What is training?
Training is a range of activities giving employees job related skills and knowledge
Benefits of training
Increased productivity Motivation Staff retention Improved quality Better customer service
What is on the job training?
When employees receive training as they are working at the place of work
What is off the job training?
When employees receive training away from the work place
Benefits of on the job training
- It is a much cheaper form of training because the employee can learn from other employees (mentors). Moreover, it will be hands on, practical training relevant to the employee. This means, even in the short term, they will be able to produce output (all be it slowly).
- Working closely with other employees helps build relationships which will aid communication in the future and perhaps increase productivity
Benefits of off the job training
- Since workers are removed from the usual work environment they can be focussed on the training. They will not be distracted by other work commitments. As a result of this they are more likely to learn the skill well.
- Reduces the risk of an error in the workplace
- Can help to bring new ideas into the business
- They will be trained by an expert who has knowledge, expertise and is practiced in teaching the content of the training.
- The employee will have time and space to fully grasp the skill with no pressure to be productive
What is the process of recruitment?
Recognise need for a vacancy, Job description, Person specification, Advertise, Shortlist, Interview, Appoint
What is recognising a need for vacancy in a business?
This is where a job position arises and can be due to temporary or permanent reasons
What is a job description?
This is a document that the business draws up to consider the duties and status of a worker
What is a person specification?
This is where a document is produced that considers the personality and qualities of the candidate
What is meant when recruiting to advertise?
This is where the vacancy is communicated to potential candidates either internally or externally
What is shortlist when recruiting?
This is where the number of candidates that had responded to the advert are reduced as to how well they match the job description and person specification
What is an interview
This is where the candidate is questioned face to face by the potential employer
What is meant when recruiting to appoint?
This is where the candidate is confirmed that the position is theirs
Benefits of good customer service
- Increase customer satisfaction. As they had a positive experience they become loyal to the business in the future
- This leads to increased loyalty which may lead to customers spending more on the website or outlet in the future (known as spending per head)
- The impact of this is increased profitability
