Human Resource Management

Question 1

Corporate Objectives

Answer 1

Maximise Profit / Survival / Growth

Each area of a business will then set their own targets to work towards the Corporate Objective.

Question 2

Functional Objective

Answer 2

Goals for each department contributing to Corporate Objectives.
Each part working towards the same long-term goals
Objectives co-operate not contradicting

Question 3

Marketing Objectives

Answer 3

Increasing Differentiation / Growth / Innovation
Maintain / increase Market Share
Target a new segment of an existing or new market
Develop new products from Market Research

Question 4

Factors affecting Marketing Objectives

Answer 4

Business’s financial position
Competitors Actions
 - Are competitors doing the same

Human Resources
 - Workforce have skills for the innovation

Question 5

Human Resource Objectives

Answer 5

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

Question 6

Hard HR

Answer 6

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)

Question 7

Features of Hard HR

Answer 7

A large amount of External Recruitment
An Appraisal System which financially rewards employees
Limited delegation and power to make decisions
A tall organisational structure

Question 8

Ad/Disad of Hard HR

Answer 8

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

Question 9

Soft HR

Answer 9

Workers are important and add a great deal of value to a business.

Question 10

Features of Soft HR

Answer 10

Training and Development Opportunities
A large amount of Internal Promotion
Consultation and Empowerment
A flat, organisational structure


Question 11

Ad/Disad of Soft HR

Answer 11


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

Question 12

Workforce Plan

Answer 12

Developed to try and make sure that a business has the right number of employees in order to meet its objectives.

Question 13

Ad/Disad of Workforce Plan

Answer 13


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

Question 14

Matrix Structures

Answer 14

This structure tends to be project-based. Workers are brought together from different business departments to work on specific projects


Question 15

Informal Structures

Answer 15

This is where there is no obvious organisational approach

Question 16

Ad/Disad of Centralisation

Answer 16


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

Question 17

Ad/Disad of Decentralisation

Answer 17


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

Question 18

Ad/Disad of Delayering

Answer 18


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

Question 19

Delayering Defintion

Answer 19

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.

Question 20

Good Comms Effect

Answer 20

Positive / constructive feedback can increase motivation
Management can focus on employees achievements
Employees feel a greater sense of belonging

Question 21

Bad Comms Effect

Answer 21

Workers may feel a lack of motivation
Employees may be confused and unfocused
Employees may feel undervalued and unimportant

Question 22

How to improve Comms

Answer 22

Improving employee’s skills in all areas of communication – reading, writing, etc.
Establishing a common culture in the organisation

Question 23

Employer/Employee Relations

Answer 23

To create a communication system between management and employee advocates so that workers feel as though their views are taken into account.

Question 24

Work Councils


Answer 24

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


Question 25

Employee Groups

Answer 25


These types of groups consist of management, human resources and employee advocates from various parts of the business


Question 26

Trade Unions

Answer 26

An organisation of employees who represent the members as a whole. Usually obtaining good wages, satisfactory working conditions, health and safety, etc


Question 27

Ad/Disad of Employee Representation

Answer 27

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”

Question 28

HR Definition

Answer 28

The department attributed to the employees, recruiting, training, employee benefits ect.

Question 29

Arbitration

Answer 29

Appointing an independent person to decide on a way of settling the dispute

Question 30

Collective Bargaining

Answer 30

Trade unions negotiate with employer on behalf of their members on matters, such as pay or working conditions.