people in organisations Flashcards

Question

1. what are the advantages of zero hours contracts for the employee? 2. what are the disadvantages of zero hours contracts for the employee?

Answer 1

1. -improved work life balance as employee can choose when to work - employees can gain experience in various industries 2. - unpredictably if income creating financial uncertainty - lack of benefits like sick pay and paid leave

Answer 2

when the employee has no fixed work space within an office environment

Answer 3

1. - cuts down the need for office space which reduces costs - allows greater innovation and encourages new networks to be established in the workplace 2. - potential employee dissatisfaction as they prefer a stable workspace - increases time spent finding available desks and setting up workspaces

Answer 4

1. -opportunity to collaborate with different colleagues fostering networking and teamwork - flexibility to chose where to work each day enhancing comfort 2. - can feel disconnected from organisation as there’s a decrease in team spirit - difficulty keeping personal items and materials organised

Answer 5

- about trying to predict current and future demand for staff and matching this with supply - making sure you ah e the right skills, right number of people and the right place

Answer 6

- evaluating the present to future workforce - identifying skills and shortages/ skills audits - long term staffing issues due to staff loss retirement or changes population

Answer 7

- business objectives (e.g increasing output will require more employees) - labour/ market changes ( labour market trends have implications for the recruitment and retention of staff ) - demographic and social changes ( ageing population in UK affects workforce supply and demand for g&s) - technological changes ( robotic technology can reduce the demand for certain types of labour)

Answer 8

- identifies employee needs - helps to manage employee expenditure - leads to training/ development provision - allows businesses to cope with peaks and troughs - reduces employee turnover - can implement diversity policies

Answer 9

- expansion - maternity - promotion - retirement - seasonal - leaving for new job

Answer 10

- job analysis - job description - person specification - job advert - shortlisting - interview

Answer 11

identifies details of roles, duties, requirements, knowledge, aptitude and skills

Answer 12

explains the role, job title, responsibilities, place of work, holidays, employment salary, hours and conditions

Answer 13

contains the skills, knowledge, qualifications, relevant experience, physical and personality attributes

Answer 14

- a formal announcement by a business used to attract suitable candidates for a specific job vacancy - can be internal or external and an application form or CV is required

Answer 15

HR works through the applications and shortlists and invites candidates for an interview

Answer 16

- can be in person, online or via the telephone - can include psychometric testing, aptitude and ability tests

Answer 17

- intranet - staff notice board - staff news letters - word of mouth

Answer 18

- recruitment agencies - adverts - business websites - specialist publications - job centre - job fairs/ events

Answer 19

1. - reduced costs - candidates are already familiar with the job role 2. -reduced talent pool - can create more vacancies

Answer 20

1. - larger talent pool - external candidates may possess specific skills or expertise 2. - could struggle to adapt to the company culture - can be more expensive due to costs related to job advertisement, recruitment agencies - longer hiring process

Answer 21

- application - interviews - work trials

Answer 22

filling out job application, CVs or letters

Answer 23

1. usually a panel or over the phone 2. - cost effective - can test verbal communication 3. - candidates may be overcome by nerves - timely

Answer 24

candidates perform actual work tasks for a period of time to display their skills and suitability for the role

Answer 25

- personality/psychometric testing (tests personality) - aptitude and ability (e.g. a numeracy test for accountancy ) - induction - introducing new employees to colleagues and systems

Answer 26

what producers and employers use to provide workers with the knowledge and skills which enable them to perform jobs more effectively

Answer 27

training that an employee receives when they first join a business or organisation

Answer 28

- it enables new recruits to become productive as quickly as possible - can avoid costly mistakes by recruits not knowing the procedures or techniques of their new jobs

Answer 29

1. when the employee is shown or taught how to compete tasks by a more experienced worker in the workplace 2. mentoring, apprenticeships, job rotation

Answer 30

1. - no disruption to the workplace through worker absence - low cost - training is directly relevant to job 2. - management time is spent planning the training - management time spent training - potential reduction in the quality of output as trainees complete work

Answer 31

1. when the employee attends college to study for qualification such as NVQs or MBAs or through the use of internal courses structured directly for the needs of the business 2. airbus apprentices attend coleg cambria

Answer 32

1. - wider range of skills gathered - input of new ideas into the workplace - employees gain worthwhile qualifications 2. - lost production and disruption to workplace when employees are absent - courses can be costly - workers could seek to use their qualifications to seek better employment elsewhere

Answer 33

- training used to cope with the changing work environment - training is an on going process

Answer 34

- new health and safety requirements - new working practices - new tech - new gov training schemes

Answer 35

1. formal agreements between an employer and a young employee that commits the employer to facilitate training and work place experience for the employee

Answer 36

- leads to a recognised qualification that is accepted throughout the relevant industry - paid a wage which is dependent on age

Answer 37

- motivated staff are likely to achieve potential - less mistakes give a quality service - more likely to stay in company decreasing turnover - job enrichment and job enlargement can be implemented if workers are given the right training - creates flexibility as workers can adapt easily and contribute more to the business

Answer 38

regular meetings to analyse staffs performance against targets, assess training needs, career prospects and bonus earning

Answer 39

- motivates staff - improves work performance - sets goals - identifies training needs - employees can earn bonuses

Answer 40

- can cause tension and employees may be resistant to change - puts pressure on employees causing stress and anxiety - power is in the hands of the manager can over emphasise weaknesses

Answer 41

-self assessment - peer assessment - 360 degree

Answer 42

- analyse how you are doing and set future targets

Answer 43

- learning from an employee at a similar level as you

Answer 44

constructive feedback from suppliers, customers providing a full picture of the employees progress

Answer 45

1. measures the effectiveness of a workforce 2. - absenteeism rates - labour turnover - labour productivity

Answer 46

1. (number of workers absent/ total staff ) X 100 2. (number of worker days lost through job absence during time period/ number of employees/ number of working days ) X 100

Answer 47

- high levels could indicate dissatisfied workers - high levels increase costs for business (, overtime, loss of productivity) - research shows that at least half of absence is due to non health reasons

Answer 48

1. (number of employees leaving/ average number employed) X 100

Answer 49

- banks generally have a turnover of 5%, where’s as call centres have 25% - can analyse reasons for turnover - compare turnover rates to other companies

Answer 50

1. number of products/ number of employees 2. always round DOWN to nearest whole number

Answer 51

1. - training staff - better quality materials or equipment - technology ( CAD, CAM ) - motivation - reorganising production - lean production ( kaizen technique) 2. - training staff can be timely and costly - better quality materials ect can be costly and may require specialised training - tech requires special ed training - motivation can be difficult to achieve - reorganising production can cost time and money

Answer 52

the form that businesses internal structure takes

Answer 53

- views and philosophy of management ( mangers with a democratic leadership style will encourage workers to take responsibility, whilst autocratic style differs - communication systems ( Where communication is controlled and closely monitored: business structure many layers with narrow spans of control and definite paths of responsibility. More open communication business structure :less hierarchical and more flexible. - industry: Retailing encourages a hierarchical structure. In software development, the boundaries of responsibility are less clear and the chains of command tend to be much shorter. - traditions of business: e.g apple

Answer 54

each layer has its own responsibility depending on the amount of control that has been delegated from above

Answer 55

the number of employees directly responsible to a manager or supervisor a talk structure has a narrow span of control a flat structure has a wide span of control

Answer 56

the management structure of an organisation and indicates who is responsible for whom

Answer 57

the paths along which communication takes place and instructions or orders are passed down

Answer 58

- the span of control is narrow at the top but widens somewhat at the bottom - many levels or layer to hierarchy - functional departments in large organisations are typically layered this way

Answer 59

1. - control is at the centre so everyone knows their responsibilities - communication paths clearly defined - each department understands position in relation to others 2. - senior management is distant from those who implement tasks or make decisions - long chains of communication can lead to distortion - communication can be difficult between departments

Answer 60

span of control is wider, chain of command is shorter and there are fewer layers of hierarchy

Answer 61

1. - delegation of authority motivates staff - decisions can be made faster - communication is quicker - workers empowered 2. - loss of control because span of control is broader - different departments may not be working towards the same objective - mamagers can suffer from an information overload

Answer 62

a organisational structure that allows people with particular specialist skills to work together in project teams

Answer 63

1. - individuals with specific skills can contribute to a number of projects e.g one architectural firm - breaks down communication barriers - helps with the spread of ideas and innovation - efficient use of employees who have flexibility which can motivate them 2. - can be difficult to work for 2 bosses - can be expensive as may need more IT and office space - coordinating teams can be difficult as they may have different workplace culture/ methods

Answer 64

- removing one or more layers/ levels in a hierarchy from the organisational structure - frequently the layers removed are those containing middle managers

Answer 65

same as a flat structure

Answer 66

-increased productivity - better quality - lower staff turnover - improved communication - higher levels of innovation/satisfaction - lower levels of industrial action - improved customer service - better reputation

Answer 67

- pierce rate - wages - salaries - profit related pay - bonus schemes - fringe benefits

Answer 68

financial method that directly involve monetary rewards

Answer 69

- employees like to earn more money as this may improve living standard - motivating staff can be used to reach a certain business target - for some employees money is a major motivator - share ownership may bring a sense of belonging

Answer 70

- some schemes can cause resentment especially when bonuses are linked to teams - when targets aren’t reached workforce may be resentful, especially if reasons are out of their control - financial success can make other employees feel jealous and demotivated e.g. banking bonus - could be argued financial incentives only have a short term impact on motivation

Answer 71

attempts by employers to apply the ideas behind the theories of the likes of mayo maslow and herzberg

Answer 72

1, giving employees more control over the tasks they complete and allowing them to complete tasks that have a meaning 2. gives them a greater challenge and helps them to develop new skills which could lead to promotion 3. -requires a manager to delegate - not all employees respond well to extra responsibility and resent extra work

Answer 73

1. increasing the number of tasks completed by an employee 2. - adds interest to job - encourages employee satisfaction as they are completing an entire process 3. - employees completing whole tasks could reduce efficiency because employees are much quicker when they complete specific tasks

Answer 74

1. changing employees tasks which are completed at regular intervals 2. -variety adds interest to job - reduces errors from boredom - greater flexibility from a more widely trained workforce 3. -takes a lot of time to train - takes a lot of time for employees to settle in

Answer 75

1. jobs should include complete tasks that are of interest to the employee 2. - jobs are challenging which can allow decision making - employees feel valued 3. - increases stress due to workload - if job design doesn’t align with employee skills can lead to underutilisation of talents

Answer 76

1. e.g. quality circles, work councils, cell working 2. - open communication gives employees ability to voice opinions feeling valued - helps employees clearly understand goals 3. - ineffective communication leads to conflict - delivering feedback poorly can make employees feel unmotivated

Answer 77

1. gives employees the power to control their own jobs, make decisions and implement their own ideas 2. -managers have long term benefits as the can have important jobs covered when they are absent - employee feels trusted 3. - manager runs the risk that the job won’t be done as well as they might do it - close supervision is required initially

Answer 78

1. groups of employees that meet on a regular basis to discuss problems in the manufacturing or service provision process and offer solutions

Answer 79

1. allows employees to have elements of their schedule under their control

Answer 80

a series of actions designed to give employees greater control over their working lives

Answer 81

- delayering is possible as some middle managers are no longer needed - can make the working lives of employees more interesting - productivity may rise due to motivation - employees generate new method of working and solvinf problems

Answer 82

- delayering can result in costly redundancies and damaged morale - doesn’t work in all circumstances such as times of a crises - new training g can be expensive and costly - employees can be given more responsibilities than they can cope

Answer 83

vroom believed that people opted to maximise their happiness and minimise their unhappiness

Answer 84

1. valence- an individual will undertake a task if they believe that they will receive a worthwhile reward as a result 2. instrumentality - an individual needs to believe that a particular action is likely to lead to a particular result (positively valent result ) 3. expectancy- an individuals belief in the likelihood of being able to achieve the target that has been set for them

Answer 85

- broke down production process into a series of small tasks carried out by relatively unskilled workers - close supervision of workforce - payed people according to how much they produced (piecework) - tall hierarchy within organisations - best method of working is to be adopted by all employees

Answer 86

- money is a motivator but needs other factors: - greater communication - better teamwork - showing an interest in others - employee wellbeing. - interesting job

Answer 87

an individuals motivation is affected by the reward they expect to receive for completing the task - intrinsic rewards - positive feelings that an individual experiences from completing a task e.g satisfaction - extrinsic rewards- rewards that come from outside the individual e.g. bonuses

Answer 88

2 factors need to be considered for motivation first: without HYGIENE factors employees become dissatisfied with - company and policy administration - supervision - working conditions - salary motivators relate to the job itself and can be used to positively motivate employees: - personal achievement - recognition - interest in the work itself - responsibility

Answer 89

- there are 2 major influences at work - without hygiene factors employees become dissatisfied with: • company policy and administration • supervision • salary • relationship with fellow workers - motivators relate to the job itself and can be used to motivate employees • personal achievement • recognition • interest in the work itself • responsibility and growth

Answer 90

- physiological needs - safety - belonging - esteem - self actualisation

Answer 91

1. basic needs of humans which are typically vital for survival including water and shelter 2. free meal, uniform free of charge, min wage

Answer 92

1. how safe and secure employees feel in terms of health wealth 2. pension scheme, holiday and sick pay, flexible scheduling

Answer 93

1. natural desire to feel loved, accepted and wante, and having a sense of belonging 2. learning and development strategy, clearly structured team

Answer 94

1. feeling appreciated and valued, sense of self worth and pride 2. -regular performance review - employee of the month - service reward - gift voucher of £1000 for people that have worked 30 years

Answer 95

1. stage where a person achieves their full potential as a human being however this is rare 2. opportunities for promotion

Answer 96

leaders perform similar to a manager, but in addition they: - inspire and motivate workforce - long term strategies

Answer 97

- plan ( required resources are where they need to be) - organise - control - monitor functional areas ( such as sales and HR) - coordinate ( ensuring employees and departments are working efficiently to complete tasks) - lead ( e.g. a team )

Answer 98

- informative role - interpersonal role ( e.g. hiring, firing, motivating ) - decision making role

Answer 99

- empathetic - self aware ( of own faults ) - enthusiastic ( mood passes on to them ) - hard working - inspirational

Answer 100

management by objective- philosophy designed where objectives are defined and agreed by managers and workers

Answer 101

1. review objectives for whole business (corporate objectives) 2. set objectives for management of different functional areas 3. set objectives for individual departments and employees 4. monitor progress managers and employees to check to see if objectives are being met 5. evaluate performance, give rewards if objectives are achieved

Answer 102

- improved management control ( know who is found what and what they should be achieving ) - improve financial control ( monitoring expenditure and revenues ) - managers aware of responsibilities ( aware of what they should be achieving and how they fit in) - motivates workforce (involving all employees gives employees empowerment )

Answer 103

-time is spent on the process of setting g objectives rather than managing - objectives can be unrealistic ( context and business environment could change over time ) - demotivation and breakdown of working relationships ( if all levels of hierarchy are not involved in setting objectives they won’t be committed) - can be seen as a form of management control

Answer 104

- contract of employment ( lays out the roles and responsibilities of both) - duties and rights of an employee ( care, safety working environment, contract within 12 weeks) - health and safety legislation - european legislation to protect workers e.g. working 48 hours a week

Answer 105

1. 1999 2. possible job losses even though evidence says other wise

Answer 106

- discourages foreign investment ( as its cheaper to have a business abroad ) - small businesses were most affected - overall wage increases - worst impact on industries with ten youngest workers e.g fast food, care workers

Answer 107

- benefited youngest workers the most e.g. care workers, fast food workers - found that only 7-8% of people were earning below minimum wage

Answer 108

equality act 2010 protects people from discrimination in the workplace place e.g. disability, age

Answer 109

- direct - indirect - harassment - victimisation

Answer 110

1. treating someone with a protected characteristic less favourably than others 2. company refuses to hire or promote someone because of their age despite their qualifications

Answer 111

1. putting rules or arrangements in place that apply to everyone, but puts someone with a protected characteristic at an unfair disadvantage 2. a company reinforces a dress code that doesn’t suit someone who follows religious dress practices

Answer 112

1. unwanted behaviour linked to a protected characteristic that violates someone dignity or created an offensive environment 2. an employee continuously makes inappropriate comments about a colleagues appearance

Answer 113

1. treating someone unfairly because they have complained about discrimination or harrassment 2. retaliation for complaining

Answer 114

1. organisation that represent workers in a particular trade 2. unite 3. collective bargaining, run by members

Answer 115

-representation ( for member faces with redundancy, grievances ect) - negotiation of pay and conditions with employers ( collective bargaining - ensures high standards of health and safety - union member benefit from a wide range of services not directly linked to workplace e.g. gym membership discount - supports the development of equal opportunity policies

Answer 116

1. overtime ban 2. work-to-rule 3. strikes

Answer 117

workers work basic hours and refuse to do extra work

Answer 118

workers stick very closely to every rule on the workplace slowing down production and reducing output especially health and safety rules

Answer 119

withdrawal of labour, last resort, both sides have much to loose

Answer 120

1. ADVISORY CONCILIATION ARBRITRATION SERVICE an outside body called in to arbitrate during employer/ employee negotiations 2. - acas will settle disputes but only when when invited by both sides to conciliate - may both bring parties into a room to try find a solution - if a compromise can’t come about, acas will override the decision

Answer 121

- creating g visions and aims - empowering and delegating - establishing objectives - anticipating problems

Answer 122

intellectual skills interpersonal skills realistic aspirations creativity innovation

Answer 123

1. one manager sets objectives allocates tasks and insists on obedience 2. - group may be dependant on leader - employees not involved in decision making - poor levels of motivation from employees

Answer 124

- if workforce is not performing how it should and there’s a crisis - when employees don’t want to take on any extra responsibilities or are incapable - when employees are willing to work under an autocratic leader

Answer 125

- employees can become dependent on leader, stifling good initiative - autocrats often insist on high levels of supervision which can cause resentment between employees - talent is not recognised therefore a valuable human resource may be lost or underutilised

Answer 126

1. controls with tight limits on decision making and has many guidelines and restrictions - employee participation is not actively encouraged 2. used when leadership skills cannot be developed in subordinates, subordinates need to be closely controlled

Answer 127

- decision making is restrained by paperwork and excessive checking - employees perform routine tasks but employees loose interest in work and only do what is expected of them

Answer 128

encourages participation by employees in the decision making process - discusses issues and acts upon advice and reasons their decisions - can be persuasive and consultative

Answer 129

- better decisions made as leaders utilise experience and knowledge of those in organisation - motivated employees who are involved so more likely to accept decisions - required 2 way communication - managers can tap into the ideas of innovative employees

Answer 130

- decision making takes longer because of lengthy consultations - may not be helpful in a crisis when autocratic responses are needed - the greater the size of the group the more likely there’s going to be confusion due to communication

Answer 131

when the leader had minimal input leaving much of the running of the business to the staff allowing them yo carry out activities freely

Answer 132

- relaxed atmosphere - employees can make owe decisions within limits - employees are encouraged to be creative and imaginative

Answer 133

- lack of guidance and direction can result in low productivity - can be a lack of incentive to work hard - communication less structured - employees may feel thrown in the deep end if given tasks that have few guidelines

Answer 134

1. states that there is no one best style of leadership, instead a leaders effectiveness is based on the situation. 2. leadership style- it is the personality of the leader that deter their style situational control- the amount of control and influence that the situation provides leaders over their group’s behaviour, the task and the outcome

Answer 135

- managers had to fill out a form about the person they would least like to work with (LPC scale ) this was used to identify leadership style - a high score indicated a high LPC person such a person is relationship motivated ( better at making complex decisions) - a low score indicated a low LPC person, such a person is task motivated- they see co workers in negative terms and determined to get job done ( effective at completing tasks )

Answer 136

•leader- member relations ( the level of trust or confidence your team has in you) • task structure- the type of task you’re doing ( unstructured tasks where the team leader has little knowledge is viewed unfavourably) • leaders position power ( amount of power to direct groups and provide reward or punishment) ( more power the more favourable your situation

Answer 137

- improving a leaders performance could be done through education - they were concerned with improving leadership skills

Answer 138

- not enough emphasis on what leaders actually do - the element of skill is largely ignored

Answer 139

1. by providing a checklist for improving work performance - leaders need verbal and non verbal skills - they need to be able to adapt to different situations and diagnose what needs to be done

Answer 140

- ability and motivation are key factors ( an individual will not perform a task well unless they want to and can do it ) - it’s the leaders job to find out why

Answer 141

- two distinct types of manager ( theory X and theory Y ) - depends on managers beliefs as to what would best motivate staff

Answer 142

- employees are only motivated by money - employees have little ambition - employees don’t want to be involved in decision making - employees must be supervised or the quality and quantity of output will fall - employees are selfish and ignore the needs of organisations

Answer 143

- strict control of formal methods of communication - responsibilities must be clear and unambiguous - supervisors must maintain quality - high level of dependence on the decision making of senior management

Answer 144

- working is as natural as rest or play - typical employee is ambitious and willis to train to improve chances of promotion - employees can be motivated not just by money but reward and punishment - want to contribute to improving efficiency as they want to be seen rewarded and appreciated

Answer 145

- requirement for training - use of cell working restructuring service and production methods - promotion structures - flexible working practices