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business. > Human Resources > Flashcards

Human Resources Flashcards

1
Q

What is Human Resource Management?

A

How people (employees) are managed by a business in order to meet strategic objectives

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2
Q

What is an organisational chart?

A

A diagram that shows the hierarchy in a business. Usually from top to bottom in terms or seniority

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3
Q

What is the purpose of an organisational chart?

A
  • Shows responsibility and authority
  • Shows communication lines
  • Shows progression and promotion opportunities
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4
Q

What is meant by span of control?

A

The number of employees (subordinates) who a manager is responsible for

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5
Q

What is an advantage of narrow span of control?

A

Managers can focus on staff more, giving clear/direct instructions and feedback

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6
Q

What is a disadvantage of narrow span of control?

A

Staff may feel ‘watched over’

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7
Q

What is an advantage of a wide span control?

A

Independence may be motivating for staff

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8
Q

What is a disadvantage of a wide span of control?

A
  • Staff may perform badly as manager loses control

- Communication issues

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9
Q

What will the significance of span of control depend upon?

A
  • Personality of the manager
  • Skills of the subordinates
  • Size of the business
  • Industry the business is operating in
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10
Q

What is chain of command?

A

The way in which responsibility for employees is organised within a business. Shows who is responsible/accountable to who

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11
Q

What would it mean for a long chain of command?

A

Several layers of responsibility

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12
Q

What would it mean for a short chain of command?

A

Less layers of responsibility

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13
Q

What are line relationships?

A

The VERTICAL relationships in the organisational hierarchy between managers and subordinates

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14
Q

What are staff relationships?

A

The HORIZONTAL relationships in the organisational hierarchy

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15
Q

What is meant by delayering?

A

A process of reducing the number of levels or layers in an organisational structure

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16
Q

What is the main reason for delayering?

A

Cost cutting

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17
Q

What are the benefits of delayering?

A
  • Faster and more accurate communication
  • More employee responsibility with flatter structure
  • Reduced costs
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18
Q

What are the costs of delayering?

A
  • Redundancy payments
  • Differences in span of control, changes in the amount of delegation
  • Decreased morale and job retention due to loss of staff friendships and fear etc
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19
Q

What will happen to span of control when a business delayers?

A

Span of control will increase with delayering which means the business might have to invest time and training to help employees adopt to the increased independence

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20
Q

What will a wider span of control increase the need for?

A
  1. Delegation

2. Empowerment

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21
Q

What is meant by delegation?

A

The assignment to others of the authority for particular functions, tasks and decisions

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22
Q

What is empowerment?

A

Giving employees power within their job. For example, giving them the authority to make decisions, plan their own work and problem solve

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23
Q

What is a centralised structure?

A

Keeping decision making firmly at the top of the hierarchy

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24
Q

What businesses are examples of having a centralised structure?

A

Fast food businesses. The board/franchise make a decision and the subordinates/franchisees implement this decision

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25
Q

What are the advantages of centralised structures?

A
  • Easier to implement common policies/practices
  • Quicker decision making generally
  • Easier to co ordinate and control
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26
Q

What are the disadvantages of centralised structures?

A
  • Lead to taller hierachy
  • Junior managers are closer to customer needs
  • Lack of authority from junior managers reducing motivation
  • Customer service issues: lost flexibility and speed of junior decision making
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27
Q

What is a decentralised structure?

A

Decision making is more spread out to include more junior managers in the hierarchy

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28
Q

What is an example of a business with a decentralised structure?

A

Hotel chains. Hotel managers and staff are empowered to make on-the-spot decisions to handle customer problems and complaints

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29
Q

What are the advantages of decentralised structures?

A
  • Decisions can be made closer to the customer
  • Better able to respond to local circumstances
  • Improved customer service
  • Enable a flatter hierarchy (cuts costs)
  • Facilitates empowerment and motivation
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30
Q

What are the disadvantages of decentralised structures?

A
  • Harder to ensure common practices
  • May be diseconomies of scale (duplication of roles)
  • No one to implement strong leadership and control when needed
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31
Q

What is the difference between a tall and flat structure?

A

A tall structure is characterised by having many layers whereas a flat structure has few

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32
Q

What is communication like in tall and flat structures?

A

Communication will be quicker and more accurate in flatter structures. It will be more formal and bureaucratic in taller structures

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33
Q

What are spans of control like in tall and flat structures?

A

Flat structures are associated with wide spans of control therefore there is more delegation and responsibility for employees. Tall structures have narrow spans of control so there is more direct supervision

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34
Q

Why might business want a tall structure?

A
  • Clear communication lines and delegation
  • Shows strong leadership and provides the guidance needed
  • Employees may be more motivated by the promotional opportunities
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35
Q

Why might business want a flat structure?

A
  • More empowering, more independence and responsibility
  • More trusting, increased teamwork
  • Messages are less likely to get lost
  • More cost effective
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36
Q

What is organisation by function?

A

The business is arranged and organised into departments/specialist areas. Each area has a specific input that contributes to the output of the business’ goods and services

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37
Q

What is organisation by product?

A

The business is arranged and organised according to the different products made. Each product becomes a ‘mini company’ with its own finance, marketing and HR departments

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38
Q

What is division organisation?

A

Organising and arranging the business by geographical location

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39
Q

What are the strengths of organisation by product/division?

A
  • Teams can see the direct results of their work which is more motivating
  • Each centre has a lot of autonomy (independence)
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40
Q

What are the weaknesses of organisation by product/division?

A
  • Duplication of roles/departments which increases costs

- Different products compete for resources (finance) which could cause conflict

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41
Q

What are the strengths of organisation by function/system?

A
  • Reduces duplication of roles

- Increased specialisation

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42
Q

What are the weaknesses of organisation by function/system?

A
  • Decreased speed of communication
  • Difficult to accredit succes or blame
  • Conflict over goals/budget
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43
Q

What is a matrix structure?

A

Individuals work across teams/projects as well ass within their own dept./function. Each team member can find themselves with 2 managers. These teams can be temporary or permanent depending on the tasks they are asked to complete

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44
Q

What are the advantages of matrix structures?

A
  • Help break down departmental barriers, improving communication across the organisation
  • Likely to result in greater motivation amongst team members
  • Resources can be shared across departments which can make projects more cost effective
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45
Q

What are the disadvantages of matrix structures?

A
  • Divided loyalties, more pressure on employees
  • Team members may neglect functional responsibilities
  • Takes time to adapt to this kind of structure
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46
Q

What is an appraisal?

A

A formal assessment of an employees performance

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47
Q

What are the sections of an appraisal?

A
  1. Strengths
  2. Development areas
  3. Performance areas
  4. Training needs
  5. Promotion opportunities
  6. Pay progression
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48
Q

What is the nature of an appraisal?

A

The opening of an appraisal meeting is important. The mood needs to be light and the appraisee needs to be encouraged towards candour rather than gamesmanship

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49
Q

What is the purpose of an appraisal?

A
  • To motivate staff
  • To give staff a focus
  • To make staff feel valued
  • To set the standard/expectation
  • To record/collect evidence for any issue
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50
Q

What is a managerial appraisal?

A

A method of appraisal where a manager examines and evaluates an employees performance

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51
Q

What are the advantages of a managerial appraisal?

A
  • Employees receives expert input from manager

- Makes subsequent actions such as deciding about promotion/pays, rewards and disciplinaries seem fairer

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52
Q

What are the disadvantages of a managerial appraisal?

A
  • Manager may not work closely with employees to know their strengths and areas for development
  • Input is limited to one viewpoint of employee’s performance
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53
Q

What is self assessment appraisal?

A

Employees assess their own performance, often using a tick sheet to grades aspects of their work. This can be used as a stand alone method or in advance of a managerial appraisal

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54
Q

Identify 3 ways that appraisals can be ineffective

A
  • Lack of commitment from senior staff
  • Inadequate time allocated for the appraisal process
  • The use of ambiguous language
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55
Q

Identify 3 ways that appraisals can be made more effective

A
  • Ensure all managers are committed and have sufficient resources available
  • Ensuring employees understand the system and how it will affect and benefit them
  • Ensuring that line managers are adequately trained in the skills necessary to perform an effective appraisal
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56
Q

What is labour turnover?

A

Measuring the number of employees who have left the business, calculated as an annual percentage

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57
Q

How is labour turnover calculated?

A

Labour Turnover = No of employees left during the year/Average no employed during the year .. x100

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58
Q

What does it mean for a high labour turnover percentage?

A

The more likely it is that motivation for employees is low

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59
Q

What is absenteeism?

A

Employees are absent from work with minor medical ailments such as a headache. Absenteeism can be a key indicator of low morale and motivation

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60
Q

How is absenteeism calculated?

A

Total available days in the working month

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61
Q

What is meant by a long term absence?

A

Where an employee is off work for a lengthy period, usually due to illness or injury where it would unsafe/unhealthy in the working environment

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62
Q

What are the benefits of a self assessment appraisal?

A
  • Less intimidating
  • Quicker
  • Better for larger firms where managers don’t work closely with employees
  • Closer to your own strengths/weaknesses than anyone else
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63
Q

What are the drawbacks of self assessment appraisal?

A
  • Might under/over rate performance
  • Not an expert opinion
  • No tangible way to answer questions
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64
Q

What is 360 degree appraisal?

A

An employee receives feedback. from several people in the organisation. This is most common in larger firms where people are part of multiple teams

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65
Q

What is peer assessment?

A

Appraisals are carried out colleagues

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66
Q

What is a benefit of 360 degree appraisal?

A

Broader picture of performance

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67
Q

What is a drawback of 360 degree appraisal?

A

Conflicting targets or too many targets

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68
Q

What is a benefit of peer assessment?

A

Know employees well, good idea of performance

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69
Q

What is a drawback of peer assessment?

A

Personal relationships may affect appraisal

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70
Q

What is meant by short term absence?

A

Where an employee is absent from work for a day or two due to a minor ailment such as a headache. This is often referred to as absenteeism and can be used as an indicator of the level of morale and motivation

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71
Q

What is the difference between unauthorised and authorised absences?

A

Unauthorised absences refer to the minor reasons people have short term absence whereas authorised is having time off for a legitimate and approved reasons

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72
Q

How can you calculate lateness?

A

Total number of scheduled of attendances

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73
Q

What does persistent lateness show?

A

Persistent lateness shows a disregard for the rules of the workplace, and a lack of motivation

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74
Q

What is meant by productivity?

A

A measure of output per employee over a particular time period. It is a key indicator of employee performance

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75
Q

How is productivity calculated?

A

Output / Av no. of employees

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76
Q

Why is it harder to measure productivity in the tertiary sector?

A

Because there is no physical output or product that is made

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77
Q

What is meant by selection?

A

The process of deciding which applicant for a job a business should accept

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78
Q

What is a CV?

A

Cirrculum Vitae.. it is a document that the applicant designs including information about personal details, educational history, previous employment history, suitability and reasons for applying for the job & referees

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79
Q

What is an application form?

A
  • Designed by the employer

- Questions are tailored to the employers exact needs and ask specific questions

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80
Q

When analyzing applicants, what 3 categories will businesses split applicants into?

A
  1. Those to reject (don’t meet the job requirements)
  2. Those to place on a short list (top 10 candidates)
  3. Those to place on a long list (back up from short list)
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81
Q

What are advantages of applicant forms?

A
  • Guarantees consistency and allows you to get the answers you want, obtaining more specific information that is included in a CV
  • More serious candidates rather than submitting a generic CV
  • More easily comparable
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82
Q

What are the disadvantages of applicant forms?

A
  • Time consuming and challenging to design

- Lengthy application processes may deter potential candidates

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83
Q

What are the advantages of a CV?

A
  • Less structured, inject personality into the document
  • Gives detail about the candidate and their work experience
  • Highlights whether a person matches the skill and person specification described by a business
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84
Q

What are the disadvantages of a CV?

A
  • Harder to judge and compare objectively
  • May not cover specific information
  • Time consuming to read each CV in detail
  • Candidates may have help writing their CV and it may not be truly representative of the individual
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85
Q

What is a letter of application?

A

A letter of application, also known as cover letter, is a document sent with a CV or application form to provide additional information

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86
Q

What is meant by recruitment?

A

The process of bringing new employees into the business

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87
Q

Identify 5 reasons that a vacancy might arise in a business

A
  1. The business is growing
  2. An employee leaves/retires
  3. An employee is promoted
  4. The business introduces new technology and so requires new skills/staff
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88
Q

What is a job description?

A

Document that describes the duties of a worker. For example, write letters and answer the telephone

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89
Q

What is a person specification?

A

A profile of the type of person needed for a job. This includes their skills, experience and qualifications. For example, friendly persona and English language Grade B

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90
Q

What is internal recruitment?

A

When the business looks to fill the vacancy from within its existing workforce

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91
Q

What is external recruitment?

A

When the business looks to fill the vacancy from any suitable applicant outside of the business and its existing workforce

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92
Q

What are the advantages of internal recruitment?

A
  • Cheaper and quicker
  • People already familiar with the business and how it operates
  • Motivational for staff, provides promotional opportunities
  • Business already knows the strengths and weaknesses of candidates
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93
Q

What are the disadvantages of internal recruitment?

A
  • Limits the number of potential applicants
  • No new ideas can be introduced
  • May cause resentment amongst candidates not appointed
  • Creates another vacancy that needs to be filled from promotion
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94
Q

What are the advantages of external recruitment?

A
  • Outside people bring in new ideas
  • Larger pool of workers from which businesses can find the best candidate
  • People have a wider range of skills and experience
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95
Q

What are the disadvantages of external recruitment?

A
  • Longer, more expensive process
  • Advertising and interviews required, increases costs
  • Selection process may not be effective enough to reveal the best candidate
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96
Q

What is the nature and purpose of a job description?

A

States the duties of the worker and their job requirements to let the applicant know what the role entails

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97
Q

What is the nature and purpose of a job advertisement?

A

Marketing the role containing enough information to attract suitable applicants and deter unsuitable ones

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98
Q

What is psychometric testing?

A

They assess capabilities and intelligence, aptitude/skills for the job and whether your personality fits in with the vision of the organisation

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99
Q

Why might business choose to use testing as part of the selection process?

A
  • Showcases responses in real situations
  • Shows if candidates skills and personality match the job and fit with the organisation
  • Responses are less likely to be impacted by nerves, it is less pressure for the candidate
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100
Q

What are some limitations of testing as a means for selection?

A
  • Candidates may give the answer they think is desired rather than how they would actually respond
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101
Q

What are the 3 types of testing businesses might use for selection?

A
  1. Psychometric
  2. Scenario
  3. Written
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102
Q

Why is it important to carry out a training needs analysis?

A
  • Helps to identify areas that need improving
  • Improves skills of staff which benefits business
  • Helps a business to achieve their aims
  • Prioritises training, could help to reduce costs
  • Employees receive useful training
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103
Q

What is meant by a training needs analysis? (TNA)

A

TNA is a process that a business goes through in order to determine all the training requirements to allow employees to progress and grow to the best of their ability

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104
Q

What are the 4 main leadership styles?

A
  1. Autocratic
  2. Paternalistic
  3. Democratic
  4. Laissez-faire
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105
Q

What does autocratic leadership entail?

A
  • Full control of decision making
  • Use of power to get others to complete tasks
  • Employees have little or no input
  • Motivation through rewards
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106
Q

What are 2 benefits of having an autocratic leadership style?

A
  • Useful for low skilled employees

- Faster decision making and communication

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107
Q

What are 2 limitations of having an autocratic leadership style?

A
  • May demotivate the employee

- Increases work burden and pressure for manager which may impact performance

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108
Q

What does paternalistic leadership entail?

A
  • Softer form of authoritarian leadership, leader decides what is best for employees and addresses their needs
  • Relationships are built and the leader will explain why decisions are made
  • Little delegation
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109
Q

What does democratic leadership entail?

A
  • Focus of power is more with the group as a whole
  • Leadership functions are shared within the group
  • Employees have greater involvement in decision making
  • Strong emphasis on delegation and consultation, although the leader still has the final say
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110
Q

What are 2 benefits of having a democratic leadership style?

A
  • Useful if staff are doing different jobs than the manager and need to give feedback
  • Keeps morale high due to feeling valued
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111
Q

What are 2 limitations of having a democratic leadership style?

A
  • More time consuming

- Not helpful for new employees who may need strict direction

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112
Q

What does laissez-faire leadership entail?

A
  • Gives employees little direction
  • Responsibility lies within the team
  • Leaders get employees to choose how to complete objectives, make decisions and resolve problems on their own
  • Increased freedom and independence
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113
Q

What are 2 benefits of laissez-faire leadership style?

A
  • High job satisfaction

- Manager spend more time on own role

114
Q

What are 2 limitations of laissez-faire leadership style?

A
  • Staff may not be able to perform their best with lots of responsibility and pressure
  • Not suitable for low skilled or inexperienced staff
115
Q

What is an outline of McGregor’s Theory X/Y?

A

A theory that is concerned with how a manage perceives staff

116
Q

How does a Theory X manager view employees?

A
  • Lazy; disliking work and responsibility
  • Lacking the will and ability to work unsupervised
  • Lacking intiative
  • Largely motivated by money
117
Q

How does a Theory Y manager view employees?

A
  • Enjoys work
  • Willing to accept responsibility and challenges
  • Creative and willing to contribute ideas
  • Able to exercise self discipline
  • Not just motivated by money
118
Q

What leadership style is a Theory X manager likely to have?

A

Autocratic

119
Q

What factors are important for businesses in an interview process?

A
  • Appropriate number of people on the panel
  • What information needs to be gathered
  • Make sure interviewee is put at ease
  • Allowing adequate time for it take place
  • Giving the interviewee the opportunity to ask questions
120
Q

What alternatives are there to an interview that a business might use in the recruitment process?

A
  • Team tasks and activities
  • Personality test
  • References
  • Work trial
121
Q

What are interview judgements usually based on?

A
  • Punctuality
  • Confidence
  • Handshake
  • Appearance
  • Ability to make conversation
122
Q

What sort of things are included in induction training?

A
  • Meeting colleagues
  • Disciplinary procedures
  • Salary/wage information
  • Basic rules/regulations
    etc.
123
Q

2 disadvantages of induction training

A
  1. It may overload them with information, they may find it hard to focus
  2. Some things are better explained on the job by a line manager over the first few weeks
124
Q

What are advantages of on the job training?

A
  • Likely to be cheaper
  • Can be tailored to the specific requirements and resources of the business
  • Opportunity to learn whilst doing
  • Training alongside real colleagues
125
Q

What are disadvantages of on the job training?

A
  • May be regarded as less valuable
  • Some people may find it tedious
  • Can be less informative and effective
126
Q

What are the advantages of off the job training?

A
  • Wider range of skills can be obtained as more time is spent on training
  • Can learn from outside specialists or experts
  • Employees generally gain more confidence when trained off the job
127
Q

What are alternative training methods?

A
  • Academic
  • Vocational
  • Apprenticeships
  • Courses
128
Q

What is the cycle of a Theory X manager?

A
  1. Theory X Beliefs
  2. Controlling Practices
  3. Employee Resistance
  4. Poor Results
129
Q

What did McGregor say about a Theory Y approach?

A

If employees are treated with a Theory Y approach then they will respond accordingly. This is because it will boost morale and increase motivation

130
Q

What is Blake and Mouton’s Leadership Grid?

A

A method of identifying the actions, priorities and leadership styles of a manager. This is undertaken through an analysis of task and people needs

131
Q

What is meant by country club leadership?

A
  • High concern for staff wellbeing, less concern for task needs and results
  • Morale may be high, but employees may also take advantage
132
Q

What are the 5 sections of Blake’s grid?

A
  1. Country Club
  2. Team Leader
  3. Impoverished
  4. Authoritarian
  5. Middle of the road
133
Q

What is meant by an authoritarian leadership?

A
  • Highly concerned with task needs

- Motivation and people needs are very much a secondary consideration

134
Q

What is a disadvantage of authoritarian leadership? (Blake’s Grid)

A

A lack of attention to employees can lead to resentment, a lack of commitment and other human resource problems

135
Q

What is meant by impoverished leadership?

A
  • Lack of concern for either task or people needs
  • Unable to devise procedures to ensure that work is completed, or to motivate employees
  • Morale and productivity are both low
136
Q

What is meant by team leadership?

A
  • Strong and equal regard for both task and people needs

- High levels of motivation will be accompanied by high productivity

137
Q

What is meant by middle of the road leadership?

A
  • Compromises between the 2 set of needs, this means neither set of needs is ever truly met
  • Leaders may often be indecisive
138
Q

What might leadership styles depend on?

A

Leadership styles may vary depending on seasonal and situational influences

139
Q

What do Blake and Mouton suggest is the most effective leadership style?

A

The best type of leadership is TEAM LEADERSHIP. This is because staff morale is high which increases job retention and motivation. As a result, productivity is higher.

140
Q

What is Carlyle and Galton’s Trait Theory?

A

Trait theory concerns the 5 characteristics exhibited by successful leaders. These are:

  • Motivational (ability to motivate others)
  • Integrity (having strong moral principles)
  • Self Confidence (feeling assured)
  • Creativity (introducing new ideas)
  • Intelligence (ability to reason and solve problems)
141
Q

What is an advantage of Carlyle and Galton’s Trait Theory?

A

It is a simple theory to understand which makes it easy to identify whether a leader does/ does not possess these characteristics

142
Q

What is a disadvantage of Carlyle and Galton’s Trait Theory?

A

There is no single set of traits that have been proven to be the most ideal, there is individual differences between leaders and businesses

143
Q

What is Tannenbaum and Schmidt’s contingency approach?

A

It is a spectrum that ranges from boss-centred leadership to subordinate-centred leadership. The spectrum consists of tell (autocratic), sell (persuasive), consult (collaborative), participate (facilitating)

144
Q

What is meant by management?

A

The process of co-ordinating the activities of a business in order to achieve defined objectives.

145
Q

What is meant by functions of management?

A

The set of core activities which define the role of managers in a business environment. The four functions of management include: planning, organizing, directing and controlling.

146
Q

Outline the difference between a manager and a leader

A

A manager allocates work, monitors performance, maintains the status quo and is obeyed by subordinates. A leader is motivating, charismatic and leads by example

147
Q

How might a managers success be measured?

A
  • Ability to meet task deadlines
  • Quality of the tasks that are completed
  • Achievement of individual targets
  • Level of labour turnover
  • Customer feedback
148
Q

What is a constraint?

A

Limitation or restriction

149
Q

What constraints could prevent a manager from being successful?

A
  • Ability to manage
  • Resources (number of staff)
  • Strength of competition
  • Poor interdepartment communication
150
Q

What is meant by redundancy?

A

A form of dismissal. It happens when employees need to reduce their workforce and so their position no longer exists

151
Q

What is meant by dismissal?

A

Termination of the contract of employment of an employee often as as result of. disciplinary procedure

152
Q

What is meant by unfair dismissal?

A

Employee is dismissed without a valid reason OR the employer fails to follow the proper procedure

153
Q

What is meant by fair dismissal?

A

Valid reason, proper procedure

154
Q

What is poor conduct?

A

Failing to comply with reasonable requests

155
Q

What is incapacity?

A

Being repeatedly absent due to illness and therefore being incapable of meeting job requirements

156
Q

What is meant by capability?

A

Repeated inability to do job properly and complete the work required

157
Q

Identify 6 pieces of information that should be included on a job advert

A
  1. Job role
  2. Wage/Salary Information
  3. Summary of vacancy
  4. Start date/availability required
  5. Person specification
158
Q

Why is it important to have an effective recruitment strategy?

A
  • Minimise the time and resources that are wasted
  • Increased likelihood of finding a reliable employee
  • Helps to build a positive image
159
Q

What is meant by whistle blowing?

A

If an employee has evidence that malpractice in an organisation is occurring, they can bring it to the attention of someone in authority without fear of retribution

160
Q

What would be an appropriate dismissal process?

A
  1. First verbal warning
    2 First written warning
  2. Final written warning
  3. Dismissal

All action should be in writing and as a result of a formal meeting

161
Q

What is the service provided by ACAS?

A
  • Offers advice/support (Advice)
  • Offers a mediation service (Conciliation)
  • Can make a final decision disputes (Arbitration)
162
Q

What is grievance?

A

When an employee has a concern, complaint or problem

163
Q

What would ACAS suggest for grievances?

A
  • First raise the issue formally
  • If issue continues, formally put it into writing
  • If employer still does not take action, the employee should then consider tribunal action
164
Q

What is an employment tribunal?

A

A special type of court that deals with employee law; for example, an employee’s claim for unfair dismissal

165
Q

What is the purpose of an employment tribunal?

A
  • Deterrent for employers
  • To resolve disputes that can’t be settled out of court
  • To clear business of wrongdoing or compensate employees for wrongdoing that has occurred
166
Q

What are the impacts for businesses of employment tribunal?

A
  • Time consuming, lots of preparation
  • Legal costs
  • Compensation costs
  • Possible reputation damage
167
Q

What is the definition of motivation?

A

A strong desire to act in a particular way and to achieve a certain result (The will to want to work)

168
Q

What is the definition of morale?

A

Refers to the ‘spirit’ of the individual. If morale in an individual is high then there is a spirit of confidence and purpose that exists

169
Q

What are the benefits of a motivated workforce?

A
  • Increased productivity
  • Lower absenteeism
  • Reduced lateness
  • Reduced employee turnover
  • Easier to recruit staff
  • Less wastage
  • Lower training costs
  • Increased commitment
170
Q

What are some examples of monetary motivation?

A
  • Commission
  • Profit sharing
  • Bonus payment
  • Piece rates
171
Q

What are some examples of non monetary motivation?

A
  • Job enrichment
  • Team work
  • Praise
  • Fear
172
Q

How can non monetary methods be motivating?

A

Praise = helps staff feel valued
Team work = enables employees to feel supported and connected
Enrichment = provides challenge and extra responsibility which makes work more interesting

173
Q

Outline McClelland’s 3 needs theory

A

Managers must identify the most dominant need of their employees (Achievement, Affiliation, Power) so that they can manage and motivate appropriately to ensure optimum performance

174
Q

What are the characteristics of McClelland’s achievement (Ach) needs?

A
  • Has a strong need to set and accomplish challenging goals

- Likes to receive regular feedback on their progress and achievements

175
Q

What are the characteristics of McClelland’s affiliation (Aff) needs?

A
  • Wants to belong to the group

- Favours collaboration over competition

176
Q

What are the characteristics of McClelland’s power (Pow) needs?

A
  • Wants to control and influence others

- Enjoys status and recognition

177
Q

How can a manager motivate an employee driven by power needs? (McClelland)

A
  • Giving them tasks where they can be in charge

- Mentoring them to become the next manager/leader

178
Q

How can a manager motivate an employee driven by affiliation needs? (McClelland)

A
  • Give them customer facing/teamwork tasks

- Avoiding situations where difficult decisions need to be made that may not please everyone

179
Q

How can a manager motivate an employee driven by achievement needs? (McClelland)

A
  • Offer them independent work in which they can excel and have challenge without having to compromise when working with other colleagues
180
Q

What does McClelland’s theory assume which may not be correct for all employees?

A

Employees will not always be motivated by what their needs suggest they will be

181
Q

What is a limitation of McClelland’s theory?

A

Employees may have conflicting needs. For example, those with strong and dominant achievement needs might make excessive demands on their subordinates and therefore demotivate them

182
Q

Who created the 2 factor theory? (motivating theory)

A

Frederick Herzberg created the 2 factor theory (hygiene and motivating factors)

183
Q

What are hygiene factors?

A

Factors such as pay and working conditions. Herzberg believed that the absence of them would cause dissatisfaction, but employees are not motivated by them

184
Q

What are motivating factors?

A

Factors such as job enrichment, recognition and empowerment that provide direct motivation for employees

185
Q

What are 2 benefits of the 2 factor theory?

A
  • It can apply to everybody

- Can be used as a checklist, mangers can see what they need to put in place to correct that

186
Q

What are 3 limitations of the 2 factor theory?

A
  • Workers may classify pay (a hygiene factor) as highly motivating
  • Some people may be motivated by both factors; for example, the excellent working conditions at Google motivate workers
  • It may be challenging to enrich and empower unskilled workers
187
Q

What is Vroom’s expectancy theory?

A

This theory suggests that employees will make a choice to behave in a certain way because they are motivated by what they expect the outcomes will be. They need to believe they will receive a valuable reward for a behaviour, and that they are able to do the behaviour

188
Q

What are the 3 components of Vroom’s expectancy theory?

A
  1. Expectancy; what they expect the outcome will be
  2. Instrumentality; the belief the outcome will actually be received
  3. Valence; the outcome on offer is actually valuable to the employee
189
Q

How is Vroom’s expectancy calculated?

A

E x V x I

190
Q

Why is Vroom’s theory useful?

A
  • It is simple to understand and apply
  • Can be applied to both financial and non-financial rewards
  • Managers can compare E/V/I ratings between employees
191
Q

Why is Vroom’s theory limited?

A
  • Ratings are subjective
  • Lots of financial rewarding might develop high costs for the business
  • Individual differences, valence may vary between employees
192
Q

What are the 5 levels of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs?

A

Physiological needs, safety needs, social needs, esteem needs and self actualisation needs

193
Q

How can Maslow be applied to business and the motivation of employees?

A

Self actualisation = training, opportunities for promotion
Esteem = praise, bonuses, perks
Love/belonging = socialising after work
Safety = swipe cards, cctv etc

194
Q

What are the advantages of using Maslow’s hierarchy?

A
  • Shows clear stages, methodical and easy for managers to follow
  • Can be used as checklist/aims
195
Q

What are the disadvantages of using Maslow’s hierarchy?

A
  • Some employees may not require some needs to be met in the workplace such as esteem or love/belongings. Maslow may not always fit directly to the workplace environment
  • It is a challenge for businesses to make sure every employees have their stages of needs met
  • Needs may not be hierarchal for some employees. Social needs may be just as important as security etc
196
Q

What are the key objectives for Drucker’s theory?

A
  • Decentralise and delayer as much as possible
  • Take an interest in your employees
  • Offer ongoing training to improve knowledge of workers
  • Consider employees’ social needs at work
  • Ensure rewards are shared fairly
  • Communicate effectively
  • Set goals with employees
197
Q

How does Drucker manager and motivate effectively using objectives?

A
  1. Review organisational objectives
  2. Set objectives
  3. Monitor
  4. Evaluate
  5. Reward
198
Q

What are the limitations of Drucker’s theory?

A
  • Relies heavily on good leadership

- Some employees won’t be motivated by praise and non monetary methods provided by the theory

199
Q

What is Locke’s goal setting theory?

A

Locke proposed that employees like to have goals and enjoy working towards them. His research suggests that 5 principles should be followed when setting goals

200
Q

What are Locke’s 5 principles for goal setting?

A
  1. Clarity - specific, clear
  2. Challenge - push the employee
  3. Feedback - encouragement, praise, criticism, guidance
  4. Commitment - ownership of goals
  5. Task Complexity - attainable, mustn’t feel out of depth
201
Q

Why should a manager provide clarity for employees when setting goals? (Locke)

A

Clarity is important because vague goals are hard to measure and the employee will not have a clear idea of what is expected of him/her and struggle to succeed

202
Q

What are the limitations of Locke’s goal setting theory?

A
  • Employees may work towards goals at the expense of other parts of their job
  • Setting targets alone will not necessarily work - managers must facilitate the process of achieving them which is time consuming
  • Goal setting requires monitoring and feedback which is also time consuming
  • Can be demotivating if employees don’t achieve goals
203
Q

What is meant by a trade union?

A

An organised association of workers in a particular industry that aims to protect workers

204
Q

What is the difference between ACAS and trade unions?

A

ACAS are a service for both employees and employers whilst Trade Unions work strictly help workers/employees

205
Q

How have trade unions helped to change the workplace?

A
  • Minimum wage
  • 8 hour working days
  • Health and safety legislation
  • Lunch breaks
  • Age/discrimination laws
206
Q

What is the role of a trade union?

A

A trade unions role is to seek (through collective bargaining) to help employees and protect them from unfair treatment and misconduct in the workplace. For example, they may bargain for better pay and working conditions

207
Q

Why is it beneficial for employees to have a trade union membership?

A
  • It increases likelihood of positive change in the workplace
  • Offer legal advice
  • Offer support for individuals
208
Q

Identify 2 benefits of trade unionism to the employer

A
  • Employee morale and motivation may be improved

- A trade union can be a supportive partner in helping business and employers undergo change

209
Q

Outline a reason that trade union memberships have declined

A
  • Growth in number of small firms which tend not to recognise trade unions
210
Q

What action can trade unions take?

A

They can take industrial action such as: strike action, work to rule and overtime ban

211
Q

What is meant by work to rule?

A

Working strictly to the terms of your contract

212
Q

State 5 workplace/employment legislation

A
  • Minimum wage
  • Health and safety
  • Data protection
  • Equality
  • Contracts of employment
213
Q

Outline a contract of employment/written statement of particulars

A

By law, an employer must provide anyone who is classed as an employee with a written document. This document must contain a summary the main terms of employment such as pay and working hours.

214
Q

Why should businesses provide a contract of employment to staff?

A

Having a contract helps prevent disputes between the employer and employee

215
Q

What is meant by employee/employer relations?

A

Refers to a company’s efforts to manage relationships between employers and employees. An organisation with good employee relations will provide fair and consistent treatment to all employees so that they will be committed to their jobs and loyal to the company

216
Q

What are 3 benefits of having good employee/employer relations?

A
  • More positive and motivated workforce
  • Employees develop commitment and loyalty
  • Less absenteeism and higher retention rates
217
Q

What are 3 negative impacts of not having good employee/employer relations?

A
  • Demotivated employees: increased absenteeism and lateness
  • Less productive workforce
  • Creates a bitter working environment
218
Q

State the equality act (2010)

A

Legally protecting people from discrimination in the workplace. E.g) age, gender, disability, religion, sexual orientation, trade union membership

219
Q

What is meant by discrimination?

A

Treating a person unfairly because they possess certain characteristics

220
Q

What is meant by employee participation? - may also be referred to as ‘Industrial Democracy’

A

Employees have the ability to participate in the decision making process at work

221
Q

What are some benefits of employee participation in the workplace?

A
  • Increased levels of motivation
  • Better communication
  • Better quality of decision making
  • Change can be managed more easily through better staff relations
222
Q

What are works councils?

A

A formal meeting of managers and employee representatives to discuss pay/working conditions, and to negotiate changes in working practices

223
Q

What is the legal requirement for a works council?

A

There is a legal requirement for any large multinational to set one up. It applies to any company with 1000+ employees and at least 150 employees in 2+ EU member states

224
Q

What does the European work council give employees the right to?

A

EWC gives employees the right to information and consultation on the decision their company makes

225
Q

What is meant by a zero hour contract?

A
  • Employer is not obliged to provide any minimum working hours
  • The worker is not obliged to accept any work offered
226
Q

Why might people reject 0 hour contracts?

A

There is a high level of uncertainty and insecurity surrounding hours and income

227
Q

What might be some advantages of 0 hour contracts?

A
  • Creates a leaner and more profitable business
  • Increases employment levels
  • Flexibility can suit some workers such as students
228
Q

What might be some disadvantages of 0 hour contracts?

A
  • Create exploitation of workers
  • Likelihood of lower wages
  • Business reputation may be harmed
  • Creates anxiety for some workers: uncertainty and insecurity
229
Q

What is remote working/working from home?

A

Allowing employees to work away from the business premises

230
Q

What are the advantages of remote working?

A
  • Employee saves time and money from not having to commute
  • The business can employ more staff without having to expand office space
  • There may be less distractions at home and so concentration improves
  • Morale increase for the employee because of the trust element that comes with being allowed to work from home
231
Q

What are the disadvantages of remote working?

A
  • Employees may not work as effectively
  • Lack of social aspect to employment
  • There are barriers: lack of internet/service (affecting communication), lack of required equipment for work
232
Q

What is term time work?

A

Working hours operate throughout the duration of the school term but not school holidays for childcare purposes

233
Q

State a benefit of term time working

A

Staff will feel valued which will lead to them giving more to the business when they are working and they will be more motivated

234
Q

What is job sharing?

A

A variety of schemes exist where employee share hours either on a morning/afternoon basis or on a day to day basis

235
Q

State a benefit of job sharing

A

If one of the job sharers is absent the business still has some work covered by the other, they may even offer to take more on in return for having the benefit of flexible work

236
Q

What is meant by compressed hours?

A

Attempting to provide an alternative working week by increasing the number of hours worked in a day, but working less hours per week

237
Q

State a benefit of compressed hours

A

Might encourage staff to be more productive as they have the incentive of an ‘extra day off’

238
Q

What is meant by annualized hours?

A

Employees work a total number of hours for the year as a whole, with a degree of flexibility as to how these are undertaken

239
Q

State a benefit of annualized hours?

A

Gives businesses extra help during busy periods and helps to keep costs down in the less busy periods

240
Q

What is flexi time?

A

A system of flexible working hours gives employees some choice over the actual times that they work their contracted hours. This has to fit within the core time hours

241
Q

What is core time (part of flexi time work)?

A

Most flexible working hour schemes have a period of the day where the employee must be present. This is known as “core time”. Outside of this, employees may choose when they start and finish within the flexible bands

242
Q

Why might employees like flexi time?

A
  • It can fit around childcare routines
  • Employees can start at times which enable them to avoid commuter traffic
  • Helps employees maintain a good work life balance
243
Q

What is part time working?

A

A form of employment with less than 35 hours worked per week

244
Q

What are the impacts of part time work?

A
  • More cost effective
  • Labour can be matched with demands of business
  • Manager workload might increase (harder to devise rotas, more training and appraisals)
  • Staff can help over busy shifts and covering sickness
  • May be harder to communicate as staff are not always at work
  • More diversity
  • Increased absenteeism
245
Q

What is meant by workforce planning?

A

Deciding how many and what types of workers are required

246
Q

What are the disadvantages of Flexi time?

A
  • Communication may be disrupted
  • Meetings may be more difficult to schedule
  • Employees may be unproductive
  • There may be tension if not all employees are allowed to work in this way
  • Some variable costs may increase as a result of the premises being open longer
247
Q

What is the aim of workforce planning?

A

To match the availability of labour to demand

248
Q

What factors should be considered in a workforce plan?

A
  • Financial/budget constraints
  • Business objectives
  • Labour turnover
  • Unforeseen circumstances
  • The state of the economy
  • Changes in legislation
249
Q

What is meant by a human resource objective?

A

A HR objective would be concerned with how the workforce can be managed in order to successfully contribute to the overall business objectives and aims

250
Q

Example of HR objective

A

Implement training programme regarding cultural differences for when a business enters an overseas market

251
Q

Explain why an organisations HR objectives are important to the success of the business

A

Staff underpin every functional activity and they are the most valuable asset to the business therefore they need to be managed effectively to help achieve the aims and objectives

252
Q

Why do businesses need clear HR objectives?

A
  • Make use of best resource effectively
  • Easy to compare actual progress with the objective that was set
  • Employees can understand what activities they should be undertaking
253
Q

What is meant by organisational culture?

A

The collection of values and behaviour which re unique to the environment of the organisation

254
Q

What gives indication to a organisation’s culture?

A
  • Physical indicators such as collaborative work, or a sociable/community environment
  • Non tangible indicators expressed through the company’s vision and values
255
Q

What are the factors affecting organisational culture?

A
  • Values
  • Vision
  • Behaviour of managers
  • Behaviour of other employees
256
Q

What are some potential impacts of good culture?

A
  • Allows creativity/flexibility/freedom
  • Encourage teamwork and collaboration
  • Boost innovation
257
Q

What are some potential impacts of poor culture?

A
  • Bad reputation or publicity
  • Demotivated workforce, rise in absenteeism
  • Struggle to recruit talented workers
  • Lack of consistency
258
Q

Why is effective communication important?

A
  • The number of mistakes within a business will be reduced
  • It will speed up decision making within a business
  • Employees will feel motivated because they are clear about what to do and how to do it
259
Q

Define verbal communication

A

Using sounds and words to express yourself

260
Q

Define non verbal communication

A

Expressing yourself without words, this is usually done with gestures, facial expressions and body language

261
Q

Why might eye contact be important when an employee is communicating with a customer?

A
  • Shows the customer has been acknowledged

- Customer can accurately read the employee as they may not understand by their tone of voice alone

262
Q

What is meant by communication media?

A

Refers to how the message is imported to the receiver. It is the medium that is used; tax, radio, telephone, email

263
Q

Give an example for each medium of communication: mass, written, oral, electronic

A

Mass: TV
Written: Letter
Oral: Telephone/Face to Face
Electronic: Email

264
Q

What are the advantages of written communication?

A
  • Copy can be kept of the message
  • Receiver can reread the message
  • Message can be sent to more than one person at a time
  • Avoids confrontation
265
Q

What are the disadvantages of written communication?

A
  • Not always possible to check receiver has understood the message
  • Success of the message depends on how well it has been written
266
Q

What are the advantages of face to face communication?

A
  • The person can check the recipient has been understood by asking for feedback
  • The person giving a message can emphasise points through their tone of voice and body language
  • The speaker can use diagrams and pictures to help explain
267
Q

What are the disadvantages of face to face communication?

A
  • If there are a lot of people listening to a message it may not be clear that all have heard or understood it
  • If the receiver does not like what they hear, they may disrupt the message
  • There is no permanent record of the message
268
Q

State 4 methods of communication

A
  1. Formal
  2. Informal
  3. Verbal
  4. Non Verbal
269
Q

What is meant by formal communication?

A

Those that take place using agreed rules or procedures such as board meeting

270
Q

What is meant by informal communication?

A

Those that are not based upon any set measures such as conversations in the staff room

271
Q

State the 3 barriers to effective communication by Shannon and Weaver

A
  1. Technical
  2. Semantic
  3. Effectiveness
272
Q

What is meant by a technical barrier to communication? (Shannon and Weaver)

A

The physical ability of the individual to receive the message being communicated.
E.g) too much noise/no signal

273
Q

What is meant by a semantic barrier to communication? (Shannon and Weaver)

A

Refers to the receivers ability to actually understand the message

274
Q

What is meant by a semantic barrier to communication? (Shannon and Weaver)

A

Refers to whether the information being communicated has been acted upon in an appropriate manner.
E.g) if the message was about reaching a target, is the receiver taking action to help do so

275
Q

Give 3 examples of poor communication

A
  1. Use of jargon
  2. Emailing employees tasks but with no deadline
  3. Colleagues being interrupted at a meeting
276
Q

State 3 possible impacts of poor communication

A
  1. Tasks not properly completed, or deadlines not met
  2. Lack of motivation
  3. Employees may miss valuable contributions
277
Q

What is meant by group norms?

A

Rules or guidelines that reflect expectations of how group members should act and interact. They define what behaviours are acceptable and appropriate

278
Q

What is meant by implicit norms?

A

Norms are not expressed or openly discussed, people simply assume that certain norms exist and accept them.

E.g) sitting in the same seat each day

279
Q

What is meant by explicit norms?

A

Some group norms are stated outright, either orally or in writing. Such rules may be imposed by an authority figure; such as wearing a uniform.

280
Q

What are individual objectives?

A

Set for a single employee. For example, a slow programmer might be set a time based target

281
Q

What are group objectives?

A

Set for the team. For example, a retail team might be set a sales target

282
Q

State some possible impacts on group communication

A
  • Dominant employees may disrupt meetings and so crucial messages could get lost
  • Groups may mean that communication from formal sources is ‘hijacked’ by informal groups and then misrepresented

business. (11 decks)

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