Topic 4 - Human Resources (1. organisational structures) Flashcards
what is an organitational structure
the way a business arranges itself to carry out its activities.
what is an organisational chart
plan showing the roles of and relationships between all the employees in a business
what are line managers
an employees immediate superior or boss
what is authority
the power to control others and to make decisions
what are the responsibilities of the director
establish the business’s overall goals
set long term plans and targets for the business
what are the responsibilities of managers
work to achieve the short and long term targets set by directors
what are the responsibilities of the team leaders
help managers achieve their targets by reporting any problems and passing on instructions
take simple decisions such as allocating jobs among different employees
what are the responsibilities of shop floor workers
carry out the business’s basic duties or activities. These could be working on a production line, serving customers in a shop or basic office duties.
what is span of control
number of employees managed directly by another employee
what is the maximum recommended span of control
6
what are levels of hierarchy
layers of authority within a business
what is a chain of command
the line of authority within a business along which communication passes.
what is delayering
the removal of one or more levels of hierarchy from a business’s organisational structure
what is delayering
the removal of one or more levels of hierarchy from a business’s organisational structure
what are the consequences of delayering
junior employees might have to take on some of the duties previously carried out by employees who were their line managers
some senior employees may have very wide spans of control when a level of hierarchy is removed.
what is delegation
the passing down of authority to more junior employees
what are the 2 types of organisational structures
tall and flat
what is a flat structure
wide span of control, fewer levels of hierarchy
what is a tall structure
narrow span of control, more levels of hierachy.
factors that influence a business’s organisational structure.
the skills of the workforce
managements style used in the business
business’s competitive environment
what is communication
exchange of information between 2 or more people
what are the different way people can communicate
meetings video conferencing telephone calls emails written communications
what types of communication take place within the business
downward communication
upward communication
horizontal communication
what is centralisation
allows employees working in all areas of the business to take decisions.
