Organization Part One Flashcards
What is HR’s role in an organization?
- To create strategy and then align HR’s strategy with it and support other functions’ alignment
How can HR help Finance and Accounting?
- Communicate ethical expectations and perform due diligence in recruitment
What do Marketing and Sales focus on and how can HR help them?
* 4 Ps: Product Place Price Promotion Facilitate knowledge sharing
What kind of organizational structure is appropriate for a period of growth and for retraction?
- During growth, decision-making moves from headquarters (centralization) to field (decentralization) so there can be rapid decision-making.
During retraction, go for centralization for consistency, cost savings, and no redundancy
What two budgets are inherently strategic?
- A zero-based (all lines must be validated by strategy) and activity-based (used in cross-functional companies to base budget on cost of entire activity rather than department) as contrasted with incremental and formula
On what should IT focus?
- Efficiency and security (made easier by the cloud and subscription Software as a Service SaaS)
What does the ratio of direct to indirect employees indicate?
- Efficiency
What is formalization?
- The extent to which employee conduct is governed by formal rules and policies (mechanistic vs. organic)
What is a matrix structure and what tool can be used to clarify authority and communication?
- Combines divisional and functional structures, creates dual command; RACI charts(responsible,accountable, consult, report)
What should determine any decision?
- Data, but not just one piece of data alone
What are the following HR structures: functional HR, dedicated HR, shared services and centers of excellence HR
- Functional HR= headquarters developed policies, centralized
Dedicated HR= HR in business units develop policies
Shared services HR= multiple business units ask for help when needed (saves time,money,no redundancy, and better data tracking)
Centers of Excellence (COEs)= fees are paid for services, not always located in headquarters
What is the main pro and con of a centralized structure?
- Consistency but you lose control or inhibit flexibility
What is the main pro and con of outsourcing and co-sourcing?
- Saves money but loss of management control
When using third party vendors, what must be protected?
- Employee information
Why do an HR audit and what must be remembered about audits?
- Identity gaps and then measure results not activities; audits are discoverable
What is OED, what is its goal, and who should be involved?
*planned interventions to enhance organizational effectiveness and efficiency and well-being; to institutionalize results; all stakeholders
When should you do OED?
- when there is a problem and to build for future
How do you evaluate if an OES initiative was effective?
- does it align with organizational strategy, was it collaborative, and did it identify root causes?
What are the three levels at which OED Initiatives look at performance?
- Organization
- Team
- Individual
What should you not overlook when planning an OED intervention and on what should you focus?
- Possible resistance
* Focus on issues that can be influenced
What is the first step in changing culture?
- Identity of the current culture
Explain the following total quality management tools: cause and effect diagram, check sheet, control chart, Pareto chart, histogram, scatter diagram
- Cause and effect diagram= shows possible causes of the problem
- Check sheet= marks one thing
- Control chart= shows variance
- Pareto chart= prioritized
- Histogram = silo measuring one thing
- Scatter diagram = looks for correlation
How do you measure a change in culture?
- Develop assessment rating organization on key dimensions (which creates a baseline), conduct focus groups and discuss for consensus, then find inconsistencies through audits and 360 degree feedback
What is the difference between workforce management and workforce planning?
- Workforce management = ensuring people can meet current and future goals
- Workforce planning = determining steps for obtaining people for future needs
What are four reasons to consider restructuring?
- New strategy
- New structure/business model
- Downsizing
- Expansion
What must be done when downsizing!
- Communicate rationale
- Make a speedy transition
- Give clear expectations for the future
What are the four steps of workforce analysis?
- Supply analysis
- Demand analysis
- Gap analysis
- Solution analysis
When is trend and ratio analysis especially helpful in workforce analysis?
- When nothing has changed
What is the difference between the Delphi and nominal group technique?
- Delphi analysis are done separately to avoid groupthink
* Nominal group technique is a consensus analysis
What are the three solutions to obtaining talent?
- Build (redeploy, train)
- Buy (recruit)
- Borrow (outsource, contract)
What is talent management?
- The process of attracting, developing, engaging, and retaining employees needed now and in future to increase productivity
Who are formal talent pools?
- High potential employees who meet certain criteria and receive specialized development and enrichment experiences (often for potential global assignees)
On what does performance management focus?
- Gaps of performance
What are the two key elements of performance standards?
- Behaviors and results
Describe the perfect appraisal meeting.
- Two-way discussion resulting in agreement on appraisal ratings
What is the difference between succession planning and replacement planning?
- Succession planning= Identify and develop high potential employees for long-term
- Replacement planning= Short-term plan for filling key jobs not necessarily leadership roles
What does knowledge management strive to accomplish?
- Share organizational knowledge formally rather than informally, thereby capturing best practices and facilitating cross-fertilization to improve individual and organizational performance
What must you be concerned about when using social media?
- Legal liability so have a clear policy to manage risk and beware learning non-work related things about applicants and employees
