HL unit 1 Flashcards
what are reasons for conflict in the workplace
- give some examples
- lack of job security
- salary and benefits
- working hours
- poor communication
- inequity (treated differently)
- personality clash
- leadership style
- expectations (eg. overtime)
- values
- resistance to change
- organisational change
what is industrial action?
actions to put pressure on the other side of a disagreement to solve a conflict
what is collective bargaining (unions)
employees negotiate with the employer together, usually chosen by the employee representative
Define Work-to-rule
Only do work which is outlined in their contract and refuse to do any additional work.
E.g. stop work at exactly 5pm (overtime ban) no work during lunch break
Define Strike action
Stop working for a period of time and refuse to work
What is Collective bargaining with EEs
It saves the business time and makes EEs feel listened to
What is threats of redundancies
The threat to make workers or employees redundant if they don’t agree to terms
What are changes of contract
Increased working hours or job requirements when renewing contracts
What are Lockouts
Temporarily close the factory so workers do not get paid
What is Closure
Completely closing the factory leading to redundancies
What are approaches to conflict Resolution:
How can an EE/ER conflict be solved?
- Achieve a closer working relationship between EE and ER. Give EEs more and say in the running of the business. E.g. employee on the board of directors, Employee share ownership, Democratic Leadership style.
- Increased motivation of EE should hopefully reduce the likelihood of conflicts
- No-strike agreement
Union members agree to not do a strike. Usually in Return for an argument - e.g. pay will increase in line with inflation. Reduces EEs power in the future, but will hopefully increase the image of the Union, leading to more members - Single-union Agreement
Er only negotiates with one Union, rather than multiple unions. Different unions may have different objectives, so only negotiating with one may increase the likelihood of an agreement. - Conciliation and arbitration
The use of 3rd party to help resolve a dispute.
-Conciliation = use of 3rd party to encourage EE and ER communication and reach a compromise
-Arbitration = use of 3rd party to listen to both sides and then make a binding decision.
What are 4 EE Methods of Industrial Action
Strike
Work to rule
Over time ban
Collective rule
What are 4 ER Methods of Industrial Action
Collective bargaining
Threat of redundancies
lockout
Closure of factory
what are 3 Methods to resolve conflict
No strike agreement
conciliation
arbitration
What skills are needed to be an effective conciliator/ arbitrator
They are well spoken and confident so they can help opposing parties settle disputes outside of court (inside work place).
Define Culture
The shared values, attitudes and beliefs of the people in a group of people or in a society
Define Organisational culture
The shared values, attitudes and beliefs of the people in a group or in a business.
Influences the way employees interact and make decisions.
The way we do things around here or “What is normal”.
What is the Iceberg model
Visible/Observable
- Dress code
- Organizational structure - hierarchy
- Mission statement
- What people call each other
Non-visual
- Staying late
- Salary expectations
- Teamwork
- Jokes
What might influence organisational culture?
What type of business is it
- Mission and visible statements
- NGO vs investment bank
Organisational structure
- Vertical vs horizontal
Location
- Country, city etc
Management
- Centralised or decentralised
- Autocratic or democratic
Other
- Personalities, age of firm etc
What is Culture clash
Conflict between two or more cultures within an organisation.
Often happens when businesses go through change.
What is Charles Handy’s “Gods of Management” Model
- Argues different organizations need different cultures to succeed
In the Gods of Management Model, what is Power culture (Zeus):
More centralised/Less formal
Dominant person or group in control
Autocratic leadership
Centralized decision making
E.g. private car park, management rooms
In the Gods of Management Model, what is Role culture (Apollo)
More centralized/More formal
Employees have well-defined roles and responsibilities
Clear on titles and roles
Tall, hierarchical and bureaucratic
Tradition and lack of creativity
E.g Military
In the Gods of Management Model, what is Task culture (Athena)
Less centralized/More formal
Teams are formed and empowered to solve problems
Focus on teamwork and getting things done
Authority is given to groups and creativity is encouraged
In the Gods of Management Model, what is Person Culture ( Dionysian)
Less centralized/Less formal
Each individual focuses on their own work/project
No emphasis on teamwork
E.g. a firm of lawyers
What is a Gantt chart
A diagram used in project management that allows controlling, planning and scheduling a project.
It was created by Henry Gantt around 1910.
Allowed foreman in construction projects to see whether their project was on time or not.
Tasks are shown as horizontal bars with different widths for time.
The time scale is on the top
Key tasks can be shown.
Dependency is shown - one task might not be able to be started before another starts.
Sometimes some tasks can be completed sequentially - at the same time.
Pros and cons of using Gannt Charts
Pros:
Gives planners the big picture of the projects - key tasks, timing etc.
Can identify,
Projects that can be done sequentially (saves time).
Minimum time needed.
Can track progress against the Gannt chart to see if the project is on track.
Cons:
Can become extremely complex for large projects.
All information in the chart are predictions, which may be inaccurate.
Need to be regularly updated if timings change or if there are delays.
What is Individualism vs collectivism
Measures whether the culture values:
- Prioritise the individual over the team
- Prioritise the team over the individual
Measures the degrees to which individuals are integrated into groups
- Me vs who
- We
What is Masculinity vs femininity
This measures the extent to which the culture follows stereotypical gender roles:
Masculine traits
- Competitive
- Ambition
- Assertiveness
Feminine traits
- Consulting others
- Caring
- Cooperation
A manager with more masculine traits may be seen as aggressive in a country with more feminine traits
What is Power distance
This measures the extent to which hierarchy and rank is accepted in society:
High power distance
- Juniors accept that seniors have the power
- Centralised decision making
- A higher rank is acknowledged
Lower power distance
-Respect is earned
Juniors can challenge seniors
More delegation
What is Short-termism vs Long-termism
How far in advance does the culture plan for
How likely are they to sacrifice the short term for long-term gains
Short term
- Results now or soon
- Uk, Us, etc
Long term
- Can make sacrifices now if there’s a long-term gain
- Asian countries
- This influences decision-making within an organisation
What is Uncertainty avoidance
Attitude of uncertainty
On the other hand
- Highly structure routine
- Be told what to do
- Highly supervised
- Timetables
In contrast
- Flexibility over how to do things
- Less supervision
- Can use own initiative
What is Indulgence vs Self-restraint
Indulgent
- Satisfy needs and wants
- Enjoy life, have fun
Self-restraint
- Duty is more important than pleasure
- Sacrifice
In general, employees in indulgent countries are likely to put up with less
