Human Resources Flashcards
Human Resources
Function that looks after the employees
Organisational charts
This is a diagram that show the hierarchy in a business usually from top to bottom in terms of seniority.
Organisational charts show:
- who is responsible for which function
- who has authority for which subordinates
- lines of communication
- how different departments are linked
- progression opportunities
Span of control
The number of employees (or subordinates) who a manager is responsible for.
Narrow span of control adv & dis
Adv- manager gets to spend more time giving staff clear/direct instructions.
Dis - staff may feel ‘watched over’
Wide span of control adv & dis
Adv- independence and less supervision may be motivating for staff
Dis- staff members may perform badly as manager loses control
Chain of command
The order of authority and delegation within a business
Levels of hierarchy
This refers to the number of layers in a business organisation
Line relationships
The vertical relationship (in the organisational hierarchy) between managers and subordinates
Staff relationships
The horizontal relationship between a manager and another organisational member to/form whom the manager gives or receives information or advice
Tall structures
A structure with many layers
- can be referred to as hierarchal and mechanistic
- are associated with narrow spans of control so therefore more direct supervision
- communication will be more bureaucratic in taller structures
- employees in tall structures may be more motivated by the promotional opportunities
Flat structures
A structure with a few layers
- referred to as organistic
- associated with wide spans of control so therefore more delegation and responsibility for employees
- communication will be quicker in flatter structures
