Essay Questions Flashcards
What are the sources of leaders power?
Legitimate power - The power a leader has as a result of his or her position.
Coercive power - The power a leader has to punish or control.
Reward power - The power to give positive benefits or rewards.
Expert power - Power that’s based on expertise, special skills, or knowledge.
Referent power - Power that arises because of a person’s desirable resources or admired personal traits.
What are some external factors that affect the HRM process?
The Economy - The global economic downturn has left what many experts believe to be an enduring mark on HRM practices worldwide
Labour Union - An organization that represents employees and seeks to protect their interests through collective bargaining.
Collective Bargaining Agreement - A contractual agreement between an organization and a union, covering: Wage, hours, and working conditions
Government Legislation - The federal government has greatly expanded its influence over HRM by enacting a number of laws and regulations.
Name and define 4 contemporary organizational designs. Include advantages and disadvantages for each.
Team Structure: the entire organization is made up of work groups or teams
A: Employees are involved and empowered; reduced barriers among functional areas
D: no clear chain of command; pressure on teams to perform
Matrix-Project Structure: specialists come together to work on projects. Split apart after completion
A: able to respond to environmental changes; faster decision making
D: complexity of assigning people to projects; task and personality conflicts
Boundaryless Structure: not defined or limited to artificial horizontal, vertical or external boundaries. includes virtual and network type organizations
A: highly flexible and responsive; utilize talent wherever found
D: lack of control; communication difficulties
Learning Structure: employees continually acquire and share new knowledge and apply that knowledge
A: sharing of knowledge in organization; sustainable source of competitive advantage
D: reluctance from employees to share knowledge for fear of losing that power; large numbers of experienced employees on the verge of retiring
Name and define 3 common organizational designs. Include strengths and weaknesses for each.
Simple Structure: low departmentalization, wide spans of control, authority centralized in a single person, and little formalization
S: fast, flexible, inexpensive to maintain, clear accountability
W: Not appropriate as organization grows, reliance on one person is risky
Functional Structure: groups similar or related occupational specialties together.
S: cost-saving advantages from specialization, employees are grouped with others who have similar tasks
W: functional goals may cause managers to overlook what’s best for overall organization, functional specialists not exposed to what other units are doing
Divisional Structure: consists of separate business units or divisions.
S: focuses on results - managers are responsible for their products and services
W: duplication of activities and resources increases costs and reduces efficiency
What are the contemporary theories of motivation?
These contemporary motivation approaches are: Goal-setting theory Reinforcement theory Equity theory Job design theory Expectancy theory High-involvement work practices.
What are the traits of effective teams?
Clear Goals Relevant Skills Unified Commitment Mutual Trust Negotiating Skills Appropriate Leadership Good Communication Internal and External Support
What are the drawbacks of global teams?
Dislike team members Mistrust team members Stereotyping Communication problems Stress and tension
What are the benefits of global teams?
Greater diversity of ideas
Limited group-think
Increased attention on understanding others’ ideas, perspectives, etc.
Describe Herzberg’s Motivation-Hygiene Theory (aka: two-factor theory)
Herzberg’s theory that intrinsic factors are related to job satisfaction and motivation, whereas extrinsic factors are related to job dissatisfaction:
Hygiene factors: factors that eliminate job dissatisfaction, but don’t motivate
Motivators: factors that increase job satisfaction and motivation
Attempted to explain why job satisfaction does not result in increased performance. The opposite of satisfaction is not dissatisfaction, but rather no satisfaction
Why is control important for managers?
It’s the final link in the four management functions. It is the only way managers know whether organizational goals are being met and, if not, the reasons why.
The final link in management functions:
Planning - Controls let managers know whether their goals and plans are on target and what future actions to take.
Empowering employees - Control systems provide managers with information and feedback on employee performance.
Protecting the workplace - Controls enhance physical security and help minimize workplace disruptions.
What is Organizational Performance?
The accumulated end results of all of the organization’s work processes and activities.
their superior performance.
What are some tools for measuring Organizational Performance?
In measuring actual performance, managers need information about what is happening within their area of responsibility and about the standards in order to be able to compare actual performance with the standard.
Financial Controls Information Controls Management Information Systems (MIS) Data Dashboard Balanced Scorecard Benchmarking
Organizational design is a process involving decisions about which six key elements?
Work specialization
Departmentalization
Chain of command
Span of control
Centralization
Formalization
What are the traditional theories of motivation?
McGregor’s Theory X and Theory Y
X - employees dislike work
Y - employees like work
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs Theory
Lower-order (external): physiological, safety
Higher-order (internal): social, esteem, self-actualization
Herzberg’s Motivation-Hygiene Theory
Hygiene factors affect levels of dissatisfaction
Motivators affect level of satisfaction
