AOS 2 - Managing Employees Flashcards
Human resource management
the organisation of employees’ roles pays and working conditions
Communicating business objectives
communicating business objectives - increased job satisfaction - reducing the cost of recruiting & training replacement employees - making a profit
Motivating employees
increased job satisfaction, improves the quality of goods & services - increases customer satisfaction - increase market share
Maslow’s hierarchy of needs
A motivation theory that suggests employees have 5 fundamental needs which they strive to fulfill in a set order
Physiological needs
The basic requirements for human survival such as food, water, and shelter
Safety & security needs
Are the desires for protection from dangerous or threatening environments
Social needs
Are the desires for a sense of belonging & friendships among groups
Esteem needs
Are the desires to feel important, valuable & respected
Self - Actualisation
The realization of one’s full potential through creativity and personal growth
MHON - A & D
A
- give managers a clear path to motivate employees
- employees can work in an engaging environment that allows them to reach their full potential
D
- difficult to measure if employee needs are being satisfied
- maybe time-consuming for a manager to determine the level of each individual employee
Lawrence & Nohria’s four drive theory
a motivation theory that suggests that employees strive to fulfill 4 fundamental needs
Drive to acquire
desire to achieve rewards & high status
Drive to bond
the desire to participate in social interactions & feel a sense of belonging
Drive to learn
the desire to gain knowledge, skills & employees
Drive to defend
the desire to protect personal security as well as values of the business
4DT - A & D
A
- provide managers with a simple framework to motivate their employees
- satisfying drives can increase employee performance & thus business profits
D
- may be difficult for a manager to manage all 4 drives
- if one or more drives are left unmet employees may lose satisfaction
Locke & Latham’s goal-setting theory
The goal-setting theory is a motivation theory which states that employees strive to achieve well defined objectives
Goals should
Clarity - specific & easy to measure
Commitment - employees should be setting goals
Challenge - difficult enough
Task complexity - shouldn’t overwhelm and should be achievable
Feedback - regular support, constantly monitor the process
Goals setting A & D
A
- goals can align employee efforts with achieving business objectives to improve business performance
- employees can gain a clear understanding of management’s expectations
D
- too many goals at once can be stressful & may demotivate employees
- setting goals at once can be stressful & may demotivate employees
Performance-related pay
A financial reward for reaching or exceeding a set business goal
A
- remuneration can be directly & indirectly linked to meeting bus objectives
- employees can personally gain from meeting set goals
D
- employees may take harmful shortcuts to reach their objective & receive reward
- overtime employees may require rewards to increase in value
Career Advancement
The upwards progression of an employee’s job position
A
- promoting employees help a business retain performing employees
- can allow employees to achieve personal improvement goals
D
- limited senior positions can prevent career advancement from being used by many employees
- potential for employees to be demotivated if overlooked for a promotion
Investment in training
Allocating resources to improve employees’ skills & knowledge
A
- employees can undertake tasks in a more productive manner due to improvements in skill
- can build a strong relationship between management & employees as both parties benefit
D
- some employees may not value increasing their skills & knowledge
- training employees is time-consuming & can delay the completion of work tasks
Support
Providing employees with any assistance that improves their satisfaction at work
A
- employees who feel supported are less likely to leave business
- employees feel valued by the manager as well-being is supported
D
- relies on managing to have good interpersonal skills
- can be time consuming
Sanction
Penalising employees for poor performance or breaching business policies
A
- pressure employees to act in accordance with management instructions
- motivate employees immediately
D
- can create negative corporate culture as tasks are completed out of fear
- levels of trust between employees & management may decrease
SH motivation
Perfromace related pay
P - employees can be motivated to improve performance to immediately receive financial rewards
N - employees can be demotivated if they constantly compete with others to achieve financial rewards
Investment in training
P - employees can be quickly motivated by an opportunity to upskill
N - employees may be demoticated by inconvenience of training programs
LH motivation
Investment in training
P - employees may be motivated on an ongoing basis as they feel they’re provided opportunities to develop their knowledge & skills
N - employees may feel demotivated by continued interruptions
Career advancement
P - employees may be motivated by ongoing opportunities to be promoted
On the job training - A & D
A
- Employees can perform their role while training, minimising losses to productivity
- Individuals who train staff can develop work relationships
D
- Business may lack the amount of experienced staff required to train employees
- Employees who aren’t being trained may be disrupted by training processes lowering productivity
Off the job training - A & D
A
- receiving training from professionals can enable employees to perform their roles to a high quality
- employees are likely to perform training in an environment meant for training reducing distractions
D
- having employees away from training can disrupt the workflow of the business lowering productivity
- Employees may struggle to apply new knowledge into the workplace if only info based
Self - Evaluation
An employee assessing their individual performance against a set of criteria
Employee observation
A range of employees from different levels of authority assess another employee’s performance against a set of criteria
Management objectives
Both managers & employees collaboratively set individual employee goals that contribute to the achievement of wider business objectives
Performance appraisal
A manager assesses the performance of an employee against a range of criteria providing feedback & establishing plans for improvement in the future
Self - Evaluation - A & D
A
- an employer can gain an insight into an employee’s understanding of their own S & W
- can save managers time
D
- if an employee is dishonest a manager won’t gain reliable info
- training courses provided to address employee weaknesses will increase expenses
Employee observation - A & D
A
- manager can gain multiple perspectives
- employees may be responsive to feedback provided by peers as value opinion
D
- employees may feel stressed
- development of criteria may be time-consuming
Management objectives - A & D
A
- employees may gain a sense of achievement
- reviewing the performance of employees may be done quickly as a success if measured against the achievement of objectives
D
- employees may take harmful shortcuts in their work in order to achieve objectives
- developing objectives may take time
Performance appraisal - a & d
A
- communication between managers & employees during one on one reviews can improve workplace relationships - increased communication between employees & managers can provide employees with clear direction
D
- employees may lose motivation if they receive multiple poor performances appraised
- the process can be time consuming
Retirement
An individual deciding to leave the workforce as they no longer wish to work
Redundancy
An employee no longer working for a business because there is insufficient work or their job no longer exists
Resignation
An employee voluntarily terminates their own employment usually to take another position elsewhere
Dismissal
The involuntary termination of an employee who fails to meet required standards or displays unacceptable or unlawful behavior
Entitlement issues
After an employee is terminated, there is a range of entitlement issues an employer must consider. If an employer fails to fulfill their legal obligations the employees affected can take legal action to receive compensation.
Transition issues
Transition issues such as financial uncertainty, stress & difficulty in obtaining new employment. While managers aren’t legally obligated to provide assistance it’s seen as socially responsible & ethical consideration for managers to respond to the issues
Role of human resources managers
Are individuals who coordinate the relationship between employees & management within the business
- recruit, hire, train & terminate employees - provide employees with appropriate training to maximise performance
Role of employees
- follow & understand workplace safety procedures - be aware of OH & S procedures that have been communicated to them
- complete tasks with proper care & diligence - complete set tasks which aim of contributing to business objectives
Role of employer association
Are advisory bodies that assist employees in understanding & upholding legal business obligations
- share information - assist employees in approaching other businesses & build relationships
Role of unions
Organisations are composed of individuals who represent & speak on behalf of employees in a particular industry to protect & improve their wages & working condition s
- seek better wages & work conditions - actively provide employees with resources & tools to communicate needs to employees
Award
An award is a legal document that outlines the minimum wages & conditions of work across an entire industry
Award - A & D
A
- ensures employees don’t receive lower than the min wages & conditions set by FWC
- can be cost-effective as awards are already created by FWC
D
- may not be flexible to suit the specific needs of a business as wages & conditions set by FWC
-
Agreement
An agreement is a legal document that outlines the wages & conditions of employees & is applicable to a particular business or group of business
Agreement - A & D
A
- relationships between employees & employers are able to develop & improve as both parties are involved in establishing & negotiating their preferences in an agreement
- receive wages & conditions better than the relevant award
D
- more costly than an award as wages & conditions are settled upon between employees & employers
- can increase inequality in wages & conditions meaning employees could be receiving less than employees in similar businesses with an agreement
Grievance procedures
A formalised set of steps that employees & employers can follow to resolve workplace disputes
Mediation
An impartial 3rd party facilitates the discussion between disputing parties to help each side of the conflict reach a resolution themselves
Mediation - A & D
A
- promotes positive working relationships for the future as disputing parties reach a decision together
- a disputing employee has control over the final decision meaning they’re more likely to be satisfied
D
- mediation doesn’t always result in a legally binding decision meaning parties could go back to their agreement in the future
- the process can be a waste of time as a final decision isn’t always reached
Arbitration
An independent 3rd party nearing arguments from both disputing parties & making a legally binding decision to resolve a conflict
Arbitration - A & D
A
- guarantees that a final decision is made by the 3rd party enabling the business to move forward from a dispute
- employees are not coecered into agreeing to something they don’t want to
D
- the business has reduced control over the final decision
- employees have reduced control over final decisions & thus may be unhappy at the end of the process
Supporting employees
= increase job satisfaction promoting employees contribution of ideas = business is better able to meet customer needs = fulfil market needs
Monitoring performance
= increase job satisfaction increase employee support for business intitatives = improves success of initiatives that aid community or reduce waste = fulfill social need
Motivating employees x 2
= increase job satisfaction, motivating employees to work harder = increase sales and thus profit allowing higher dividend to be paid = meet shareholder expectations
