Exam

Question 1

What is scientific management

Answer 1

Frederick Taylor, making decisions based on the data that is researched, in particular the study of how productivity can be increased and costs decreased, Taylor believed that money simply motivated people, division of labour- breaking down a job into small repetitive tasks, specialisation- completion of a narrow range of tasks by a worker, Henry Ford adapted this style and created the assembly line

Question 2

Advantages and disadvantages of scientific management/Taylorism

Answer 2

Adv: increase prod, prod workers get more pay, little training needed, final product/service can be sold cheaply

Dis: can be boring leading to high labour turnover, inhuman- high pressure on robot like workers, low motivation and industrial unrest, emphasis on quantity may lead to lower quality, cannot be used to assess management efficiency, de skills workers, ignores idea that there are various routes to the same goal and individual differences

Question 3

Financial methods of motivation

Answer 3

Piece rates- paid for each item produced
Sales commission- amount paid to someone based on the amount of sales
Performance related pay- linking salary and employee performance
Profit sharing- awards employees a small percentage of the companies profit
Bonus- sum of money added to employees wages/salary as a reward to employees

Question 4

Elton Mayo and the “Hawthorne effect”

Answer 4

The phenomenon that subject behaviour changes by the mere fact they are being observed

Question 5

Maslow’s hierarchy of needs

Answer 5

Pyramid with 5 levels- physical needs->safety needs->social needs->esteem needs->self-actualisation
Physical needs- shelter, warmth, food and drink
Safety needs- security, structure, stability
Social needs- belonging to a group, trust, acceptance
Esteem needs- status, responsibility, reputation, respect, confidence
Self-actualisation- personal growth, fulfilment

Question 6

Maslow’s hierarchy of needs applied to employee engagement

Answer 6

Survival->security->belonging->importance-> self-actualisation
De-motivators
Survival- disengaged, there for the money
Security- not engaged, interested in overtime
Motivators
Belonging- almost engaged, know you are part of something bigger
Importance- engaged, vital part of the business
Self actualisation- highly engaged, what can you do for others?

Question 7

Adv and dis of maslow’s hierarchy

Answer 7

Adv- deals with different workers individually, encouraged management to make work more interesting and challenging

Dis- hard to apply- when has one level been achieved?, not all have the same priorities

Question 8

Benefits of a motivated workforce

Answer 8

• Waste less time + materials, make better decisions)- higher productivity-> lower average costs
• lower labour turnover-> lower average costs
• if price is elastic then lowering prices = more revenue
• motivated workers provide better quality goods and services

Question 9

Herzberg motivator and hygiene factors

Answer 9

Divides factors into 2 categories- hygiene and motivators
Hygiene- factors that can lead to dissatisfaction but not improve motivation, eg: pay, working conditions, relationships, job security
Motivation- can lead to satisfaction to encourage workers, eg: promotion opportunities, recognition, responsibility, achievement

Question 10

What is hard and soft HR

Answer 10

Hard HR- staff management system in which workers are seen as a resource that needs to be controlled to achieve the highest profit and a competitive advantage
Soft HR- employees are considered as valuable assets and sources of competitive advantage for the organisation

Question 11

Elkington’s triple bottom line

Answer 11

Profit, people, planet
Profit: financial bottom line, figures recorded in finance statements- primarily its profits, the idea is that profits will help sustain the broader community in which a business operates; they should be paid to the business owner
People: impact on all people involved- to the extent which it is socially responsible, considers the effects of the businesses actions on stakeholders, this area of TBL should take into account issues such as:
- health and safety matters- financial matters- fair trade
Planet: minimise environmental affects, actions to achieve this include:
- reducing carbon emissions- reducing quantity of waste- using sustainable sources of raw materials- reducing usage of non-renewable resources