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organisation hrm chaps Flashcards

1
Q

Why do organizations need a structure?

A

To clarify job roles, responsibilities, and decision-making processes.

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2
Q

How can changing an organizational structure help a business achieve its objectives?

A

It can improve communication, flexibility, and customer focus.

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3
Q

What are the potential limitations of an entrepreneurial organizational structure as a business grows?

A

It can place too much pressure on the owner/entrepreneur.

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4
Q

What are some factors that might cause a business to change its organizational structure?

A

New competitors, business growth, changing objectives, encouraging intrapreneurship.

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5
Q

What is a functional organizational structure?

A

A structure that divides an organization into departments based on their major area of responsibility.

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6
Q

Give an advantage of a functional structure

A

Encourages specialization and efficiency.

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7
Q

Give a disadvantage of a functional structure.

A

Poor connections and coordination between departments.

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8
Q

What is a hierarchical organizational structure?

A

A structure with different layers, with fewer people at each higher level.

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9
Q

What are the main features of a hierarchical structure?

A

Levels of hierarchy, chain of command, and spans of control.

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10
Q

How does a narrow (tall) organizational structure affect communication?

A

Slows communication, messages can become distorted.

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11
Q

What is the meaning of ‘span of control’?

A

The number of subordinates a manager is directly responsible for.

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12
Q

What are the benefits of a flat organizational structure with wide spans of control?

A

More authority delegated, employee empowerment, better communications, fewer middle managers.

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13
Q

What is a divisional organizational structure?

A

Structure based on different product ranges or geographical areas.

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14
Q

What is ‘delayering’?

A

Removing whole layers of management to create shorter structures.

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15
Q

What are the benefits of delayering?

A

Reduces costs, shortens chain of command, increases spans of control.

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16
Q

What are the possible drawbacks of delayering?

A

Increases workloads, fear of redundancies, loss of security.

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17
Q

What is a matrix organizational structure?

A

Structure that cuts across departmental lines to create project teams.

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18
Q

What are the advantages of a matrix structure?

A

Good communication, breaks down traditional boundaries, innovative solutions, quick response to change.

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19
Q

What are the disadvantages of a matrix structure?

A

Less direct control, potential conflict of interests, team members may have two managers

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20
Q

What is delegation?

A

Passing down authority from higher to lower levels in the organization.

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21
Q

What is accountability?

A

Being held responsible for the work one does.

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22
Q

What are the steps in the accountability process?

A

Clear expectations, appropriate skills, two-way communication, clear measurement, clear consequences.

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23
Q

What are the advantages of delegation?

A

Frees up senior managers, shows trust, develops employees, helps employees achieve fulfillment.

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24
Q

What are the disadvantages of delegation?

A

Can be unsuccessful if task is not well-defined, training is inadequate, or insufficient authority is given. Some managers might only delegate boring jobs.

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25
What is the difference between authority and responsibility?
Authority is the power to undertake jobs, while responsibility is the overall obligation for the work of each employee/department.
26
How can control be achieved over delegated work?
Setting and agreeing targets, regular appraisal, monitoring of performance.
27
What is empowerment?
Delegating tasks and authority, and allowing employees to decide on the best method to complete the job.
28
What is centralisation?
Minimum delegation; major decisions taken by senior managers at the center.
29
What is decentralisation?
Passing decision-making authority down the hierarchy to managers.
30
What are the advantages of centralisation?
Rapid decision-making, consistent policies, decisions in the interest of the whole business, economies of scale, experienced decision-makers.
31
What are the advantages of decentralisation?
More local decisions, skill development of junior managers, empowerment, quicker and more flexible responses.
32
Who are line managers?
Managers who have authority over others in a hierarchical structure; they carry out line functions.
33
Who are staff managers?
Specialists employed to give advice to senior line managers; they carry out staff functions.
34
What potential conflict can arise between line and staff functions?
Line managers may resent experts telling them how to do their jobs.
35
What is leadership?
Setting a clear direction and vision for an organization that others will follow.
36
What are some qualities of a good leader?
Desire to succeed, innovation, multi-talented, incisive mind, inspiration, honesty, communication, empathy.
37
What are the main leadership positions in business?
Directors, managers, supervisors, workers' representatives.
38
What is an informal leader?
Someone who can lead without formal power, due to experience, personality, or knowledge.
39
What is the Great Man (Great Person) Theory of leadership?
The ability to lead is inherent and cannot be taught; leaders are born with the right traits.
40
What is the Trait Theory of leadership?
People are either born with personality characteristics for leadership, or they are not.
41
What is the Behavioral Theory of leadership?
Capable leaders can learn the skills needed rather than having inherent qualities.
42
What three sets of skills does Behavioral Theory suggest a leader uses?
Technical, human, and conceptual skills.
43
What is the Contingency Theory of leadership?
The most successful leaders adapt their leadership style to different situations.
44
What is Transactional leadership?
Employees undertake tasks in exchange for reward; managed by system of rewards and punishments.
45
What is Transformational leadership?
Focuses on leading workers; attempts to transform the culture of the organization to achieve improved performance.
46
What are the key features of Transformational leadership?
Charisma, inspiring workers, stimulation, understanding individual needs.
47
What is emotional intelligence (EI)?
Understanding yourself and others' feelings.
48
What are Goleman's four competencies of emotional intelligence?
Self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, social skills.
49
How can you distinguish between hard and soft human resource management (HRM)?
Hard HRM views employees as resources to be managed, whereas soft HRM views employees as assets to be cared for and developed.
50
What is a Shamrock Organization?
An organization made up of core workers, outsourced functions, and flexible workers.
51
What are examples of flexible employment contracts?
Flexitime, home working, annualized hours, job sharing, compressed hours.
52
What are the benefits of flexible employment contracts?
More employee choice, ability to plan, attract qualified recruits, improved customer service, workforce motivation.
53
What is shift work?
Work schedule in which individuals or teams work in shifts to provide coverage for a longer period than the traditional 9-to-5 workday.
54
What is labour productivity, and how is it measured?
It's a key test of employee performance measured by output per worker.
55
Give the formula to calculate absenteeism.
Absenteeism = (Number of days of employee absence / total number of workdays) X 100
56
What other measures besides productivity and absenteeism can be used to measure employee performance?
Wastage rates, quality levels, consumer complaints, target comparison.
57
What can be used to reduce absenteeism?
Fair Treatment of employees and offering benefits for employees to increase satisfaction.
58
Explain management by objectives (MBO).
Dividing company's aim into specific targets for each division, department, and individual.
59
Give some benefits of Management by Objectives (MBO)
Clear Focus, Increased Productivity, and a control device
60
Give some limitations of Management by Objectives (MBO)
Time-Consuming, fast-changing goals, and may not guarantee success.
61
Name recent IT applications in HRM.
Recruitment, training, employee performance management.
62
Give some ways IT and AI will impact HRM in the future.
Automated candidate evaluations, chatbots, VR training, biometric time clocks.
63
Explain the hard strategies that HRM has to improve employee performance.
Warnings to employees, discipline if targets are not met, and flexible contracts.
64
Explain the soft strategies that HRM has to improve employee performance.
Regular performance appraisal, additional training, quality circles, autonomous work groups, financial incentives, MBO.

A level bst (3 decks)

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