3.6.3 Making human resource decisions: improving organisational design and managing the human resource flow Flashcards
What is job design?
the process of deciding on the content of the job in terms of its duties and responsibilities, on the methods to be used in carrying out the job, in terms of techniques, systems, and procedures, and in the relationships that should exist between the job holder and his superiors, subordinates and colleagues
What is Hackman and Oldham’s Job Characteristics Model?
A model based in the belief that the task itself is the key to employee motivation
What are the core job characteristics of the H-O Model?
- Skill Variety
- Task Identity
- Task Significance
- Autonomy
- Job Feedback
Explain skill variety as a job characteristic
- How many different skills and talents does the job require of a person?
- Are they asked to do a lot of different things, or is it a monotonous, repetitive job?
- It seems reasonable to conclude that a job that involves a variety of activists and perhaps stretches an employees to develop their skills, is more likely to be motivating than menial and monotonous work each day
- Experienced meaningfulness of work
Explain task identity as a job characteristic
- Is there a clearly defined beginning, middle, and end to a given task?
- Dow a worker know what they are supposed to be doing, and when they have successfully completed the task?
- There is no better feeling at work than having completed a task successfully – a clearly-defined task is merely likely to create opportunities for employees to enjoy the positive feelings of achievement
- Experienced meaningfulness of work
Explain task significance as a job characteristic
- Does the job have a substantial impact?
- Will it matter to people, either within the organisation or to the society?
- Is the job/given task meaningful?
- It can be very demotivating at work if you feel your work has little or no meaning/ significance
- Experienced meaningfulness of work
Explain autonomy as a job characteristic
- How much freedom does an individual have to accomplish their tasks?
- Does this freedom include the ability to schedule work as well as figuring out how to get the tasks done?
- Workers have more responsibility
Explain job feedback as a job characteristic
- Is an employee kept in the loop about their performance?
- Are they being told when they are going well and when they’re not?
- Workers know how well they are performing and aim to improve
What are these job characteristics’ effect on the workers?
- Motivation is improved
- Workers feel involved
- Quality of work is improved
- Workers are more satisfied with their work and are more committed to the business
What are organisational influences on organisational design?
- Machinery
- Money/finance
- Existing skills
- Nature, range, and volume of tasks for employees required to complete
- Physical capabilities
- The way work is organised/carried out
- Quality standards
- Time frame required for products to be completed
What are external environment influences on organisational design?
- Technological developments
- Levels of education
- Social changes
What are employee related influences on organisational design?
- Autonomy
- Range of skills
- Feedback
- Variety of jobs
What is authority?
the rights of permission assigned to a particular role in an organisation in order to achieve organisational objectives
What is a chain of command?
the order of authority and delegation within a business
What is delegation?
the process of passing authority down the hierarchy from a manager to a subordinate
What is centralisation/decentralisation?
the degree to which authority is delegated within the organisation. A centralised structure has a greater degree of central control, while and decentralised structure involves a greater degree of delegated authority to the subordinates
What is a span of control?
The number of subordinates for whom a manager is directly responsible
What do tall and flat structures look like?
What are external influences on organisational design?
- Objectives – expansion/growth
- Sources of finance
- Leadership type
What are internal influences on organisational design?
- Levels of education in society
- State of economy
- Technological developments
What are influences on delegation, centralisation and decentralisation?
- History and nature of the organisation
- Size of the organisation
- Availability of competent managers
- Time frame of decisions
- The importance of a decision
- Environmental influence
How does the history and nature of the organisation influence delegation, centralisation, and decentralisation?
centralisation or decentralisation of authority depends on the manner, in which the organisation has built up over time i.e. history of the organisation
How does the size of the organisation influence delegation, centralisation, and decentralisation?
in a large organisation, numerous decisions have to be taken at different places – therefore it becomes difficult to coordinate the functions of different departments. To avoid slow decision-making and to bring down the costs associated with managing a large organisation, authority should be decentralised. Decentralisation means the firms can operate as a group of small independent units.
