Human Resources: Organisational Structures Flashcards
Define:
Organisational structure
The way a business arranges itself to carry out it’s operations
What is an organisational chart?
A plan showing the roles of employees and the relationships between them in a business.
What is a line manager?
The person immediately above an employee - their immediate supervisor.
What is authority?
The power to control others and make decisions
What is an employee’s span of control?
The number of workers managed by them - the people they are responsible for
What are levels of hierarchy?
The layers of authority within a business
What is the chain of command?
The line of authority within a business which communication passes through.
What is delayering?
Removing levels of hierarchy from the organisational structure of a business.
What is delegation?
Giving authority to the people below you.
What is a subordinate?
An employee working below you
What is a flat organisational structure?
2 marks
Any answer with the following:
- wide spans of control
- few levels of hierarchy
What is a tall organisational structure?
2 marks
Any answer with the following:
- narrow spans of control
- high number of levels of hierarchy
Explain 2 factors that may influence which organisational structure a business chooses
(4 marks)
Any answer including 2 of the following:
- The skills of the workforce, because skilled workers are more able to make decisions on their own. Skilled workers need less supervision from managers.
- The management style used in the business, because managers that like to retain control over employees are more likely to use a tall organisational structure. This smaller span of control makes close supervision easier. Managers who don’t wish to control employees will delegate and use a flatter organisational structure.
- The competitive environment, because a business in a very competitive environment may wish to keep costs low and have good performance from it’s workforce. This may lead to the use of a flat organisational structure which requires less managers.
Explain the term “communication”
1 mark
The exchange of information between 2 or more people
Why are video calls a good channel of communication for a small business?
(3 marks)
Any 3 of the following:
- Video calling services are free, or very cheap
- Video calls are cost effective
- Video calls can be taken anywhere in the world
- Video calls are a method of instant communication
- Video calls are a secure way of transferring information
- Video calls can be taken on common devices like smartphones or laptops