Managing People Flashcards
Identify the key features of:
TREATING STAFF AS AN ASSET
Seen as a source of competitive advantage
Employees seen as individuals and their needs are planned for accordingly;
Flatter structures;
Emphasis on training and development; Culture of empowerment and delegation; Comprehensive remuneration packages (e.g. company iPhone) to incentivize and recruit talent
Treat employees as the most important resource in the business
Identify the key features of:
TREATING STAFF AS A COST
Treat employees as simply a resource/ overhead;
Short-term/reactive changes in staff numbers (recruitment/redundancy);
Minimal investment in training and development;
Taller structures;
Little emphasis on empowerment and delegation;
Remuneration packages are enough to recruit and retain staff
Identify three methods that can be used to achieve a flexible workforce:
- Multi-skilling
- Part-time and temporary workers
- Flexible hours and home working
The value to a business of:
A FLEXIBLE WORKFORCE
cost-effective and efficient with ability to save on overheads when employees work from home or less downtime for machinery with 24/7 production; attract higher levels of skills by attracting and retaining a more diverse workforce; better morale and more motivated workers; less absenteeism, improved competitiveness
The value to a business of:
GOOD EMPLOYER AND EMPLOYEE RELATIONS
More motivated workforce; more productive employees; less conflict and industrial action; lower rates of absenteeism and staff turnover
What’s the difference between:
DISMISSAL AND REDUNDANCY
Dismissal is when an employee’s contract is terminated due to a breach of the terms of that contract by the employee, whereas redundancy is when an employee loses his/her job because the job itself is no longer needed, maybe as a result of downsizing, new technology, duplication of roles or closure
What’s the difference between:
INDIVIDUAL APPROACH AND COLLECTIVE BARGAINING IN RELATION TO EMPLOYER / EMPLOYEE RELATIONSHIPS
An individual approach is when employees and employers establish a relationship on an individual level, as the terms of conditions of the employment is agreed and conflict resolved by the individual employee and the employer. Alternatively, collective bargaining occurs when a group of employee representatives with the involvement of a trade union negotiates with an employer on behalf of all employees who are members
Identify four costs associated with the recruitment, selection and training process:
1 Lost output from recruiting a new employee (lower short-term productivity) 2 Logistical cost of running the process – staff time 3 Cost of advertising 4 Cost of running assessment centres
INDUCTION TRAINING
The introductory training for employees new to an organisation; involves specific activities such as tours, how to use IT, use the intranet systems, social gatherings with new colleagues etc.
INTERNAL RECRUITMENT BENEFITS
Cheaper and quicker
Employee already familiar with culture and operating systems
INTERNAL RECRUITMENT DRAWBACKS
Lack of new ideas
Creates another vacancy to be filled
EXTERNAL RECRUITMENT BENEFITS
Larger pool of candidates from which to select Might have more specific skills/knowledge or expertise that business needs
EXTERNAL RECRUITMENT DRAWBACKS
More expensive and time-consuming
May not guarantee best candidate and cultural fit might not work
ON-THE-JOB TRAINING BENEFITS
Employees can remain productive during the process
Improving while doing – more likely to be effective
ON-THE-JOB TRAINING DRAWBACKS
Quality is dependent on the ability of the trainer Might not be a conducive environment to learn/develop
OFF-THE-JOB TRAINING BENEFITS
Wider range of skills can be obtained
Can learn from experts
OFF-THE-JOB TRAINING DRAWBACKS
More expensive
Lost working time and potential output if employee away from doing the job
HIERARCHY definition
The structure of the workforce within an organisation, often represented through an organisation chart and shows the number of management levels
CHAIN OF COMMAND
The route of communication as it travels down the levels of the hierarchy
SPAN OF CONTROL
The number of subordinates that a manager is in direct control of
A CENTRALISED STRUCTURE
In a centralized structure, decision-making remains firmly at the top of the hierarchy, with communication one-way and top-down
A DECENTRALISED STRUCTURE
In a decentralized structure the decision-making is more dispersed, passed down to more junior managers and to individual business units or regional offices. Communication is more two-way, with delegation and empowerment key features.
Identify three characteristics of a
Tall organisational structure:
Tall organisational structure:
Narrow span of control
Many layers of hierarchy
More opportunities for promotion (more management positions available)
3 characteristics of a flat organisational structure
Flat organisational structure:
Employees given more responsibility
Fewer management levels
Wide span of control
