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Business - Theme 2 > Topic 2.5 > Flashcards

Topic 2.5 Flashcards

1
Q

Organisational structure

A

Refers to the levels of hierarchy within a business

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2
Q

Hierarchical/tall organisational structure

A
  • Many levels of hierarchy
  • Narrow span of control
  • Long communication flow
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3
Q

Flat organisational structure

A
  • Few levels of hierarchy
  • Wide span of control
  • Short communication flow
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4
Q

Tall structure advantages and disadvantages

A

Advantages:
- Clear line of authority
- Managers control fewer people
- More promotional opportunities

Disadvantages:
- Slow communication
- Slow decision making process
- More managers required

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5
Q

Flat structure advantages and disadvantages

A

Advantages:
- Fast communication
- Workers have a wider job role
- Lower managers needed -> independent staff

Disadvantages:
- Blurred lines of authority
- Managers have wide span of control
- Lack of opportunities

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6
Q

Chain of command

A

The chain down which orders are passed

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7
Q

Span of control

A

The number of staff a manager is directly responsible for

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8
Q

Delegation

A

Passing down authority for work to another worker further down the hierarchy

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9
Q

Authority

A

The power to give orders

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10
Q

Hierarchy

A

Levels of authority in an organisation

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11
Q

Delayering

A

Removing levels of management in the hierarchy

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12
Q

Centralisation

A

Decisions are made in one place such as a head office

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13
Q

Centralisation advantages

A
  • Consistency across the business
  • Policies will be uniformed across all branches
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14
Q

Centralisation disadvantages

A
  • It can demotivate employees
  • A standardised approach may not work in all business locations
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15
Q

Decentralisation

A

Decision making is spread across the organisation, different branches or geographically

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16
Q

Decentralisation advantages

A
  • Allowing managers to make decisions to suit their local area and customers
  • Quicker than competitors to make changes
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17
Q

Decentralisation disadvantages

A
  • Consistency is not achieved across the business
  • Managers can make ineffective decisions -> lower sales
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18
Q

Communication

A

Transferring information from one part of a business to another
Effective when message is sent, received and understood

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19
Q

Methods of communication

A

Internal: e-mail, conference calls, team briefing sessions, gossip

External: press releases, marketing materials

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20
Q

Insufficient communication

A
  • Not enough communication or poor-quality communication
  • Time and money wasted due to miscommunication e.g. a task may be done twice
  • Demotivate staff as they would feel frustrated -> decrease productivity
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21
Q

Excessive communication

A
  • Too much communication
  • Often cause employees to become confused or feel overwhelmed
  • Lead to demotivated staff and inefficiency
22
Q

Barriers to effective communication

A
  • Use of jargon
  • Poor explanations
  • Personalities: employees feel uncomfortable communicating with other people
23
Q

Types of working: Full time

A
  • Works around 35 hours a week
  • Fixed contract
  • Full - time staff are good if there is enough work for them to do
  • Expensive - will have to pay workers on a fixed cost
24
Q

Types of working: Part time

A
  • Less than 35 hours a week
  • More financial sense if business gets busy seasonally
  • Workers are less committed
25
Q

Types of working: Flexible

A
  • Employees are given a set number of hours to work in a period of time but get to choose when they work
  • higher staff retention
  • Communication can be difficult
  • Zero - hour contracts: employer doesn’t have to offer any work (firms with fluctuation in demands)
26
Q

Types of working: Permanent

A
  • A permanent contract is one that has no fixed end date, they stay until redundant or choose to leave
  • Workers are committed long time
  • Harder to reduce staff numbers
27
Q

Types of working: Temporary

A
  • The worker is only employed for a fixed period
  • Hire more staff when demand is high
  • Have to train new workers
28
Q

Types of working: Freelance

A
  • A self-employed person is recruited to work on a specific project
  • Employee people with particular skills
  • Freelancer’s fee is expensive
29
Q

Impact of technology: Efficiency

A
  • Everything in a business can be managed more efficiently with well-designed software
  • Communication has improved too with online documentation, email…
30
Q

Impact of technology: Remote working

A
  • Remote working means that employees have more flexibility:
    No commute, fit work around commitments
  • Work - home balance may be tipped towards work -> employees find it hard to switch off
31
Q

Recruitment process

A

Business identifies the need to recruit
-> They write a job description: a summary of the duties and responsibilities of the job

-> They write a person specification: experience, qualifications and skills wanted

-> advertise and interview candidates

-> Application forms are filled by a potential employees

-> CV is a document that has a person’s contact details, qualifications and other relevant info. Submitted with the application.

32
Q

Internal recruitment

A

Recruiting current employees into new roles

  • Cheaper to recruit and advertise roles internally
  • A lack of fresh ideas in the business
33
Q

External recruitment

A

Recruiting from outside the business

  • Fresh enthusiasm and skills
  • Expensive to recruit
34
Q

Formal training

A

Employees attend specific training courses to improve their skills

  • May be provided by external specialist companies
  • Employees may stop working for trying time -> productivity falls
35
Q

Informal training

A

Employees learn skills ‘on the job’ overtime

  • Cheaper, less time consuming
  • Other employees are disrupted from their work
36
Q

Ongoing training

A

Training that takes place throughout time of employment

  • Up to date and continues to develop skills
  • Constant disruption
37
Q

Self-learning

A

Learning yourself without a formal setting

  • Cheaper
  • Freedom to pick and choose what skills to develop
38
Q

Performance review

A

Formal meeting between the employees and their supervisor about the job

  • They give feedback, set new targets and training needs for the employee to keep developing
  • Recognises high performing employees
39
Q

Target setting

A

The targets are agreeable to the supervisor and employee
- May be rewarded with higher pay/ promotion

40
Q

Benefits or training and development

A
  • Make staff more productive
  • Help staff stay up to date with using new technology
  • Motivated: firm is investing in employees -> staff feel like they are valued -> increase in retention
41
Q

Motivation

A

The desire to complete tasks in a workplace

42
Q

Motivation: Attracting employees

A
  • If employees see a positive, motivated workplace, they wold want to work there
43
Q

Motivation: Retaining employees

A
  • If employees are not motivated they will leave
  • Wasting time and money hiring new employees to replace
44
Q

Motivation: Productivity

A
  • Workers who are motivated may work harder and be more creative -> increase in output per worker
45
Q

Financial methods: Remuneration

A

The money employees are paid in return for work e.g. salary -> pay rises are very motivational

46
Q

Financial methods: Bonuses

A

Given out when certain performance targets have been met

47
Q

Financial methods: Commission

A

Employee receives a reward for every sale made -> earning additional money is very motivating

48
Q

Financial methods: Promotion

A

Employee moving to a position further up in the hierarchy -> often means higher wage and more responsibility -> feel valued

49
Q

Financial methods: fringe benefits

A

Known as perks e.g. company car, private healthcare, free meals -> saving employees money

50
Q

Non - financial methods: Job rotation

A

Employees are rotated between different jobs to avoid repetition
PRO: easy to find another employee to cover
CON: training costs are higher

51
Q

Non - financial methods: Job enrichment

A

Enhancing job roles with more challenge and responsibility
PRO: increases feeling of achievement -> feel valued
CON: not all jobs can be enriched (not effective)

52
Q

Non - financial methods: Autonomy

A

Allowing employees to make their own decisions
PRO: use their own skills -> development of skills, trusted by company
CON: some may not be capable of making viable decisions

Business - Theme 2 (5 decks)

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