Communication/Workforce planning , OBJ's and strategy

Question 1

What is one way communication ?

Answer 1

Orders / very simple instruction

Question 2

What are the pros and cons of one way comms ?

Answer 2

+ no pressure on sender to justify order
+ easy to use

• less reliable as there is no way to check message

Question 3

What is two was communication ?

Answer 3

Involves a sender and a receiver of info

Question 4

What are the pros and cons of two way comms ?

Answer 4

+ receiver can gain clarification
+Receiver feels more involved / able to see the answer

• Takes more time = costly
• Sender of message pressurised to explain info

Question 5

What is formal communication ?

Answer 5

Involves rules and procedures / formal type of media used

Question 6

What is informal communication ?

Answer 6

No rules - usually takes place outside of the work

Question 7

What is closed communication ?

Answer 7

Business has its own internal language / formal language related to the business

Question 8

What is open communication ?

Answer 8

Language understood by everyone / no technical jargon allows them to reach a wider audience

Question 9

What is vertical communication ?

Answer 9

Communication from up to down in a structure , comms between layers

Question 10

What is horizontal communication ?

Answer 10

Between people at the same level / department

Question 11

What is the CHAIN channel of communication ?

Answer 11

Comms go up and down the hierarchy used in large companies

Does not allow those at the bottom to be involved / info can be distorted

Question 12

What is the WHEEL channel of communication ?

Answer 12

Has a leader in the centre , all comms go to the centre

Leader knows everything at once

Question 13

What is the CIRCLE channel of communication ?

Answer 13

Comms between employees in a department/ all the same level in hierarchy

Time consuming and expensive , involves more than one person

Question 14

What is the ALL NETWORKS channel of communication ?

Answer 14

No set routine , allows comms with everyone

Informal is quicker as no formal network of comms created

Good for small business

Question 15

What is the COMMUNICATION MEDIA channel of communication ?

Answer 15

How the message is sent to the receiver or recipients / helps speed the process up which saves money

Question 16

What did Shannon and Weavers say about barriers to effective communication ?

Answer 16

Technical - Ability of receiver getting the info ( wifi issues or noise )
Semantic - Persons ability to understand the message
Effectiveness - Weather the info has been acted upon

Question 17

What are some other barriers to communication ?

Answer 17

Inappropriate medium used
Body language may say another
Number of layers in a company
Ability of the sender of the message

Question 18

What are group norms ?

Answer 18

Set rules ( maybe unwritten ) related to the standards expected of someone’s behaviour

Depends upon if there are shared views , needs of the people and the purpose of the group

Question 19

What did R Bales say about formal leaders ?

Answer 19

Overtime , formal leaders become disliked

Those who contribute alot of ideas will initiate idea

Size of the group will affect the amount of ideas made

Question 20

What did Tanenbaum and Schmitt say about group power ?

Answer 20

Groups have more power over their members , as members stay they will conform

Individual OBJ’s come 2nd to the groups goals

Question 21

What is workforce planning ?

Answer 21

Process by which organisations forecast their future workforce requirements based on existing vacancies , age profile , business model etc …

Question 22

What are some things to consider when planning a workforce ?

Answer 22

Age - Balance of age groups in the business

Innovation - New staff bring new ideas / experiences

Skills - Range of people with different skills to succeed

Question 23

What are some factors that affect HR ?

Answer 23

Staff leaving ( retirement or promotion )
Tech advances ( automation of work )
State of the economy
Changes in production methods

Question 24

What are some factors which affect the ability of the business to meet HR needs ?

Answer 24

Avaliablility of workers
GOVT laws like minimum wage
Location of business
Nature of work

Question 25

What are some strategies adopted by businesses to meet HR needs ?

Answer 25

Outsourcing
Flexible working hours
Term time working
Job sharing
Remote working
0 hour contracts
compressed hours
Annualised hours

Question 26

What is compressed hours ?

Answer 26

Allows the employee to work the same number of hours in fewer working days

Question 27

What is flexible working hours ?

Answer 27

Employees work core hours
Outside this time they will work preferred hours

Question 28

What is annualised hours ?

Answer 28

Employees will work a certain number of hours per year / set number of hours each week

Question 29

What is training needs analysis ?

Answer 29

An approach to find out what training is needed to improve and achieve the OBJ’s of a business and addressing current capabilities of workers

Question 30

What are the benefits of training needs analysis ?

Answer 30

Enhanced employee performance by addressing skill gaps in order to increase productivity

Aligns with company goals - making sure the training is relevant to where the company needs to be in order to compete

Maximise resource allocation - Focuses resources on areas that need them the most

Question 31

What is redundancy ?

Answer 31

when a workers job no longer exists or is not needed by the business

You get redundancy pay / consultation by the employer

Question 32

How does a business determine who will be made redundant ?

Answer 32

Last in first out - oldest stay and the youngest go

Volunteers - someone puts themselves up to go

Disciplinary records - they look at track record / results

Skills , qualifications and experience

Question 33

What is dismissal ?

Answer 33

When an employer ends and employees contract

Question 34

What should an employer look at when going to dismiss an employee ?

Answer 34

They need a valid reason
Follow a full and fair procedure
Make a decision that is balanced and consistent

Question 35

What are some reasons for dismissal ?

Answer 35

Conduct
Capability
Redundancy
Legal reason ( criminal record , driving ban )

Question 36

What are 2 instances where on the spot dismissal is given ?

Answer 36

Gross misconduct - assaulting an employee or customer / fraud

Gross negligence - reckless disregard for safety of others

They still get paid for any work that hasnt been paid for and holiday / expenses that they are still yet to claim

Question 37

What is wrongful dismissal ?

Answer 37

If they have worked for longer than 2 years and if there was no fair reason for dismissal / not justifiable / employer didn’t follow a full procedure

Question 38

What is constructive dismissal ?

Answer 38

A worker can make this claim if they resign because they think their employer has seriously breached their employment contract

Question 39

What is an employment tribunal ?

Answer 39

The place where claims for dismissal are heard done by ACAS . ACAS will work with both sides to come to a solution , if found guilty then compensation is paid