Human Resources

Question 1

What is a soft HR approach?

Answer 1

This is where employees are seen as the most important resource and are managed in the long term

• Employees are motivated through empowerment and development
• Appraisals are seen as developmental

Question 2

What is a hard HR approach?

Answer 2

This is where employees are regarded like any other resource

• They are hired on a short term basis
• Managers believe money is the only motivator
• appraisals are thought to be judgemental
• Training is only done to meet the needs

Question 3

How do you calculate labour turnover?

Answer 3

number staff leaving ÷ average number of employed staff x100

Question 4

What is labour retention?

Answer 4

A company ability to keep employees

Question 5

How do u calculate labour retention?

Answer 5

Number of staff at end of period - number of leavers ÷ number of staff at end x100

Question 6

How do you calculate labour productivity?

Answer 6

output per period ÷ number of employees

Question 7

What are the characteristics of an organisation with a tall structure?

Answer 7

• This organisation has lots of levels of hierarchy and they have have narrow spans of control
• If span of control is too narrow then employees may feel demotivated

Question 8

What are the characteristics of an organisation with a flat structure?

Answer 8

• Have fewer levels of hierarchy which gives people more freedom
• wide span of control

Question 9

What is a span of control?

Answer 9

This is the number of people who report directly to a manager

Question 10

What is a centralised structure?

Answer 10

This is where all decisions are made by senior managers

Question 11

What are the advantages of a centralised structure?

Answer 11

• leaders have lots of experience
• Consistent decisions as manager get final say
• quick decisions
• Mangers aren’t biased

Question 12

What are the disadvantages of a centralised structure?

Answer 12

• Hard to find people with enough knowledge on the business
• May demotivate staff
• reacts slower to change as there are no managers in shop floor to see change

Question 13

what is a decentralised structure?

Answer 13

when authority is shared out to junior employees

Question 14

Advantages of decentralised structure?

Answer 14

• motivates workers

- day to day decisions are quick

Question 15

Disadvantages of decentralised structures?

Answer 15

• junior employees don’t have much experience

- inconsistency may develop

Question 16

How do you calculate labour productivity?

Answer 16

Output per worker÷number of employees

Question 17

What is meant by labour retention?

Answer 17

A companys ability to keep employees

Question 18

How do you calculate labour retention?

Answer 18

Number of staff at end of period - number of leavers ÷ number of staff at end of periods x100

Question 19

What is labour turnover?

Answer 19

Number of staff leaving a business

Question 20

How do you calculate labour turnover?

Answer 20

Number of staff leaving÷ average number of staff employed x100

Question 21

How do you calculate labour cost per unit?

Answer 21

Labour costs÷units of output

Question 22

What are the benefits of good employee relations to employer?

Answer 22

• business will develop good reputation among prospective employees
• productivity and efficiency is likely to increase as new ideas and ways or working quickly