6.3 Improving organisational design and managing human resource flow

Question 1

What is job design

Answer 1

An employer’s creation and planning of a job considering the job’s aspects

Question 2

Aspects of job design

Answer 2

• The roles and responsibilities of the job itself
• The systems and methods used by an employee to carry out their role
• The relationships between the employer and the employee, and between other managers, subordinates and stakeholders

Question 3

How business objectives influence job design

Answer 3

All jobs within the business should contribute to the overall business objectives and they should be designed in such a way to do so

Question 4

How an individual can influence job design

Answer 4

If employees are demotivated and there is a problem with productivity, managers may use job design to motivate employees and improve productivity

Question 5

How available resources influence job design

Answer 5

Major changes to job design may require the additional support of resources such as labour and capital, and these resources must be available for the change to be succesful

Question 6

How market research influences job design

Answer 6

If an HR manager is expecting there to be a change in the external environment, jobs may be designed or redesigned to reflect the demands of a changing external environment

Question 7

What approaches can be done for job design to motivate and increase productivity

Answer 7

• Job enlargement
• Job enrichment
• Job empowerment
• Job rotation

Question 8

Job enlargement

Answer 8

When an employer increases the number of jobs an employee is responsible for in order to increase the challenge of their role.
Additional jobs assigned to employees are usually at a level similar to their original duties

Question 9

Job enrichment

Answer 9

An employer provides an employee with jobs which are more complex and challenging.
Jobs assigned to employees are usually at a level above their original duties in terms of complexity and challenge

Question 10

Job empowerment

Answer 10

An employer gives an employee more control over their job, including the ability to decide the best way to fulfil their duties

Question 11

Job rotation

Answer 11

A form of job enlargement
- Refers to an employer allowing an employee to move from one role or duty to another regularly

Question 12

What does Hackman and Oldham’s Job Characteristic Model state

Answer 12

That there are 5 characteristics of a job which motivates employees

Question 13

What are the core dimensions in the Hackman and Oldham’s model

Answer 13

1) Skill variety, Task identity, Task significance
2) Autonomy
3) Feedback

Question 14

What are the psychological states in the Hackman and Oldham’s model

Answer 14

1) A sense of meaningfulness
2) Gaining responsibility
3) Knowing and understanding results

Question 15

What are the results in the Hackman and Oldham’s model

Answer 15

1) High levels of motivation
2) High levels of job satisfaction
3) Lower levels of absenteeism & turnover

Question 16

What is skill variety

Answer 16

Employees being given opportunities to use a range of skills as part of their normal duties and responsibilities

Question 17

What is task identity

Answer 17

Refers to employees being given a a sense of conclusion or completion

Question 18

What is task significance

Answer 18

Refers to employees feeling as though their duties and responsibilities contribute to the overall business sucess

Question 19

What is autonomy

Answer 19

Refers to employees having some independence within their duties and responsibilities

Question 20

What is Feedback

Answer 20

Refers to employees receiving feedback, whether oral, written or verbal, on the work they have completed

Question 21

What is authority

Answer 21

Linked to delegation
- can motivate and empower and therefore increase productivity

Question 22

What is Delegation

Answer 22

Passing authority to employees further down in the hierarchy

Question 23

What is spans of control

Answer 23

The number of people who report directly to a supervisor or manager

Question 24

Hierarchies

Answer 24

The levels and layers of management

Question 25

What is delayering

Answer 25

Reducing the number of layers in the hierarchy of a business, usually by removing middle managers

Question 26

Advantages of delegating

Answer 26

• Reduces the workload of managers, allows them to focus on their own tasks
• Can empower and motivate employees and prepare them for promotional opportunities in the future

Question 27

Disadvantage of delegating

Answer 27

May require a business to invest in and provide employee training to ensure that they have the necessary skills to complete a task

Question 28

Centralised businesses

Answer 28

All decisions come from one place e.g top of hierarchy

Question 29

Decentralised businesses

Answer 29

Decision making is shared/passed onto different profit centres / departments / stores

Question 30

What are HR responsible for

Answer 30

The recruitment and training of employees

Question 31

When does HR recruit new employees

Answer 31

When there is a gap in the skillset of employees

Question 32

Advantages of a Centralised structure

Answer 32

• Lower costs
• Consistent
• Quick decision making

Question 33

Disadvantage of a Centralised structure

Answer 33

Not able to respond / tailor to local market

Question 34

Advantages of a Decentralised structure

Answer 34

• Managers empowered / valued / motivated

Question 35

Disadvantage of a Decentralised structure

Answer 35

• Lacks consistency

Question 36

Analyse how moving from a centralised structure to a decentralised structure might affect the profit of a business

Answer 36

Increase - Each individual store is buying its supplies, not benefitting from economies of scale
Increase - Empowered Managers - Manage resources correctly - Less wastage with low shelf - life, AND Motivation - Low labour turnover - Low recruitment & Selection and Training Costs
Decrease - Empowering Managers - Need Training - Increase costs - Decrease Profit