Unit 7 - HRM Flashcards
Define organisational structure
The way the business is arranged to carry out its activities
Define authority
The power a person has over decisions, situations, and actions of others
Define responsibility
The duties a person has to complete and they have to be accountable of their actions
What does an organisational structure show?
- The way communication is passed through
- Authority and responsibility of people
- Roles and titles of people
- To whom employees are accountable and responsible
Define flexible organisational structure
- workers can easily adapt to customers’ needs
- workers can be more efficient
- decisions can be made when necessary
State characteristics of flexible organisational structure
- more focus on customers’ needs
- consultants or part-time workers can be used to provide specialist skills or work at peak times
- subject to constant and evolving change
Factors that determine organisational structures
- Size of the business
- Type of product the business supplies
- Business objectives
What is a tall/narrow structure?
- more number of layers
- significant number of people from the top of the structure to the bottom
What is a wide/flat structure?
Fewer levels of authority in structure
Define intrapreneurship
When individuals come up with new ideas within the business’s teams/departments and goes through with it
Define empowerment
Actions designed to give employees more power over their working life
Define levels/layers of hierarchy
Number of levels of authority within the business and exists between the CEO and shop-floor employees
Define delayering
The reduction in number of layers within the organisation
Define chain of command
- The line of communication and authority in business
- Shows how messages are passed between layers
- Shows how many layers messages are passed through from top to bottom (vice versa)
Define span of control
The number of subordinates that directly report to the manager
Define delegation
When you give people more power/authority which leads to a wider span of control
Define accountability
Where an employee is held accountable/responsible for the actions they’ve done
Define centralisation
This is where managers hold the greatest decision-making power within organisation
Define decentralisation
This is where the organisation gives greater decision-making power to the employees down the organisational structure
