Approaches to staffing

Question 1

Explain staff being treated as an asset?

Answer 1

• treats employees as most important resource in business and a source of competitive advantages
• employees treated as individuals
• strong communication

Question 2

Explain hard HRM?

Answer 2

• treat employees as a resource to business
• minimal communication
• little empowerment

Question 3

What is multi-skilling?

Answer 3

when staff are allowed to carry out a variety of tasks rather then specialise

• enables greater job rotation

Question 4

What is outsourcing?

Answer 4

involves delagating one or more business process to an external provider, who then owns, manages and administers the selected processes to an agreed standard

Question 5

What is dismissal?

Answer 5

• employee dismissed because of break of contract or other unacceptable behaviour or performance

Question 6

What is redundancy?

Answer 6

employee loses job becuase job is no longer required by the business

Question 7

What are the advantages of employee representation to a business?

Answer 7

• increased empowerment and motivation
• employees more committed to the objectives
• better decision making

Question 8

What are the disadvantages of employee representation ?

Answer 8

• time consuming
• conflicts between employer and employee interests
• managers may feel authority is undermined

Question 9

WHat is a trade union?

Answer 9

• organised association of workers in a trade, group of traders or profession, formed to protect and further their rights and interests

Question 10

What are the roles of trade unions?

Answer 10

• protect and improve the real incomes of their members
• provide or improve job security
• protect workers against unfair dismissal

Question 11

What are the two key function of trade unions?

Answer 11

• represent

- negotiate

Question 12

What are the reasons for declining trade union memberships in the UK?

Answer 12

• decline in employment in manufacturing
• increased employment in service sector
• growth in number of small firms
• growth in flexible working

Question 13

What is industrial action?

Answer 13

when workers do something that is intended to force an employer to agree to something, especiallu by stopping work

Question 14

What are the four methods of industrial action?

Answer 14

• work to rule (employees follow contract)
• overtime ban (employees refuse to work overtime)
• go slow ( employees work at slowest rate)
• strike

Question 15

What is a work council?

Answer 15

formal group of employees representing a workforce in discussions with their employers

Question 16

What are the three methods of setting industrial disputed?

Answer 16

• conciliation (discuss issue with both sides)
• arbitration ( private court case, impartial outsider settels)
• mediation ( impartial person helps settle, keep relationship)