Human Resource Management Flashcards
Corporate Objectives
Maximise Profit / Survival / Growth
Each area of a business will then set their own targets to work towards the Corporate Objective.
Functional Objective
Goals for each department contributing to Corporate Objectives.
Each part working towards the same long-term goals
Objectives co-operate not contradicting
Marketing Objectives
Increasing Differentiation / Growth / Innovation
Maintain / increase Market Share
Target a new segment of an existing or new market
Develop new products from Market Research
Factors affecting Marketing Objectives
Business’s financial position
Competitors Actions
- Are competitors doing the same
Human Resources
- Workforce have skills for the innovation
Human Resource Objectives
Maximise contribution of employees to achieve objectives.
Match the workforce to the business’s needs
Maintain positive employer/employee relations
Ensure employees are employed cost-effectively
Hard HR
Hard HR is where employers see workers as people who are there just to get the job done. This type of management is where workers are directed and controlled by managers (Taylor’s Scientific Theory)
Features of Hard HR
A large amount of External Recruitment
An Appraisal System which financially rewards employees
Limited delegation and power to make decisions
A tall organisational structure
Ad/Disad of Hard HR
Managers control decisions mistakes ↓ made by employees
A reward system exists which relates to output
A lack of empowerment may demotivate workers
Little care and attention is placed on employees
Soft HR
Workers are important and add a great deal of value to a business.
Features of Soft HR
Training and Development Opportunities
A large amount of Internal Promotion
Consultation and Empowerment
A flat, organisational structure
Ad/Disad of Soft HR
Businesses build employees skills and experiences
Reduced labour turnover, empowered, valued, respected
Managers may not like delegating power/losing control
Employees may need training to do delegated jobs
Workforce Plan
Developed to try and make sure that a business has the right number of employees in order to meet its objectives.
Ad/Disad of Workforce Plan
Comms ↑ Workforce Plans involve all areas of the business
Plans ↓ Labour Turnover/Absenteeism ↑ Productivity
If in plan training expensive, employees are poached
Costs of recruitment/selection, redundancy ↓ profit
Matrix Structures
This structure tends to be project-based. Workers are brought together from different business departments to work on specific projects
Informal Structures
This is where there is no obvious organisational approach
Ad/Disad of Centralisation
Allows close control and managerial supervision
There is tight control over aspects such as finance
Staff may feel over-supervised and untrusted
Businesses will become bureaucratic
Ad/Disad of Decentralisation
It motivates workers as they can make decisions
Less management means less overhead costs
Lower hierarchy workers may become stressed
Managers may feel a loss of power
Ad/Disad of Delayering
Motivation ↑ because workers ↑ power and responsibility
↓ management means ↓ overhead costs
Workers may fear losing their jobs in the future
Costs ↓ other staff ↑ tasks and thus be overworked
Delayering Defintion
When a business removes layers of management from its Organisational Structure. This can lead to a much flatter structure where there are wider Spans of Control.
Good Comms Effect
Positive / constructive feedback can increase motivation
Management can focus on employees achievements
Employees feel a greater sense of belonging
Bad Comms Effect
Workers may feel a lack of motivation
Employees may be confused and unfocused
Employees may feel undervalued and unimportant
How to improve Comms
Improving employee’s skills in all areas of communication – reading, writing, etc.
Establishing a common culture in the organisation
Employer/Employee Relations
To create a communication system between management and employee advocates so that workers feel as though their views are taken into account.
Work Councils
A Work Council is a meeting of management and employee advocates that meet to discuss companywide issues. Usual topics include training, investment and working conditions
Employee Groups
These types of groups consist of management, human resources and employee advocates from various parts of the business
Trade Unions
An organisation of employees who represent the members as a whole. Usually obtaining good wages, satisfactory working conditions, health and safety, etc
Ad/Disad of Employee Representation
More motivated views / opinions are taken into account
Understanding of working from employees points of view
Actions are constantly being scrutinised by their workers
Views of employees not being a benefit of the business”
HR Definition
The department attributed to the employees, recruiting, training, employee benefits ect.
Arbitration
Appointing an independent person to decide on a way of settling the dispute
Collective Bargaining
Trade unions negotiate with employer on behalf of their members on matters, such as pay or working conditions.
