Business 2.1

Question 1

Role of HRM (why is it important)?

Answer 1

Recruitment - hiring the right number of appropriately qualified and suitable workers at the right times to fill job vacancies.

Induction - training for new employees to get acclimatised with the norms and operations of the organization.

Retention - retaining/keeping workers at the organization by meeting the needs of employees.

Appraisals - the formal procedure of assessing the performance and effectiveness of employees in relation to their job description.

Absenteeism - dealing with issues that arise when employees are unable to attend work (see Case Study 1).

Dismissal - letting go of workers no longer needed, often due to underperformance or misconduct in the workplace.

Redundancies - letting go of workers if/when their jobs are no longer needed, perhaps due to a prolonged economic recession.

Training and development - improving the competencies, productivity, and skills of workers.

Performance appraisals - holding workers accountable for their performance/conduct at work.

Question 2

Internal Factors that affect HRP

Answer 2

Internal:

Size of organization: larger firms need more involvement in human resource planning for recruitment, training, and appraisals.

Strategic direction: growth priorities may require recruitment and internal promotion of employees.

Organizational structure: clear structure helps identify vacant positions and redundancy, making it easier to plan.

Finances: effective planning requires sufficient funding for hiring, salaries, and training opportunities.

Motivation in workplace: higher motivation leads to more productive workers and lower turnover rate.

Corporate culture: influences HR approach to various matters such as working hours, appraisals, training, and internal promotions.

Question 3

Identify External Factors that affect HRP

Answer 3

Demographic change

Changes in labor mobility: occupational vs geographic

Flexible time

Professional immigration

Gig economy

Question 4

Reasons for resistance to change in the workplace (what is the name of the theory?

Answer 4

Kotter and Schlesinger change theory

Question 5

explainreasons why resistancto change happens

Answer 5

Self-interest: Employees may resist change if they feel it threatens their job security, status, or financial position. They may also resist if they don’t feel loyal to the organization.

Low tolerance: People generally prefer stability and predictability in their personal and professional lives, and change can disrupt that. Some people might view change as a hindrance and be afraid of uncertainty or difficulty adapting.

Misinformation and misunderstanding: If the reasons for change aren’t communicated clearly to employees, it can lead to misunderstandings and resistance. Workers may not see the benefits of change and think it’s unnecessary.

Different interpretations: Employees and employers may have different views on the rationale for and benefits of change, leading to conflict and resistance. Clear communication can help prevent misunderstandings and opposition.

Question 6

Identify kotter shlesinger theory to reducing the impact of change & resistance to change

Answer 6

Education and communication:

Participation and involvement:

Facilitation and support:

Negotiation and agreement:

Manipulation and co-option:

Explicit and implicit coercion:

Question 7

Explain Education and communication:

Answer 7

Inform and educate employees and stakeholders about the upcoming change in advance to reduce misunderstandings and establish trust.

Question 8

Explain Participation and involvement:

Answer 8

Involve employees in decision-making and consultation throughout the change process to increase acceptance and sense of ownership.

Question 9

Explain Facilitation and support:

Answer 9

Provide support and resources to help employees cope with the change, such as retraining, counseling, and other forms of support to alleviate fears and anxieties.

Question 10

Explain Negotiation and agreement:

Answer 10

Use bargaining incentives to limit resistance to change, such as offering early retirement or redundancy incentives to employees who may be affected by the change.

Question 11

Explain Manipulation and co-option:

Answer 11

Bring representatives of those resisting change into the change process to convert their thinking and communicate the advantages of the change. This approach can be seen as unethical.

Question 12

Explain Explicit and implicit coercion:

Answer 12

Use bullying tactics to force employees into accepting change, such as threats of disciplinary action, dismissals, job losses, redeployment, or not promoting employees. This approach is typically used as a last resort and can damage employee morale and trust in management.

Question 13

Advantages and Disadvantages of gig economy

Answer 13

Advantages:

Flexibility for workers, businesses and consumers.

More control of work-life balance
(in theory)

Workers have the flexibility of
working for a variety of employers to suit their needs.

Lower costs for businesses.

Contractors and freelance workers make extra income.

Disadvantages:

Lack of regular income levels, job security and fringe benefits for workers.

Lack of clear professional career path or social support from the workplace.

Independent contractors are expected to file their own tax returns which is a bureaucratic task.

Burnout is common when gig workers work multiple jobs/contracts.

Risk to a firm’s reputation if outsourced freelance contract provides poor quality
services.

Question 14

Examples of why professional worker migration occurs

Answer 14

Pay and Remuneration:

Pay and housing and relocation allowances) packages and/or
low tax rates offered in other countries can drive migration

Unemployment opportunities:

Unemployment and low economic growth may lead
Employment workers to seek jobs elsewhere. High-income
opportunities countries may experience a shortage of labour with economic growth.

Seasonal factors:

Some industries have peak and off-peak seasons (eg agriculture and winter sports) so off-season migration occurs when job-seeking.

Domestic instability:

Political instability, lack of security and limited business opportunities can drive workers to migrate for better opportunities.

Higher standard of living:

Working overseas may provide better lifestyle and career prospects for migrant workers.

Question 15

Benefits of gig economy

Answer 15

Flexibility for workers, businesses and consumers.

Workers have the flexibility of
working for a variety of employers to suit their needs.

Lower costs for businesses.

Contractors and freelance workers make extra income.
More control of work-life balance (in theory)

Question 16

Disadvantages of Gig economy

Answer 16

Lack of regular income levels, job security and fringe benefits for workers.

Lack of clear professional career path or social support from the workplace.

Independent contractors are expected to file their own tax returns which is a bureaucratic task.

Burnout is common when gig workers work multiple jobs/contracts.

Risk to a firm’s reputation if outsourced freelance contract provides poor quality
services.

Question 17

Advantage of flextime for employee

Answer 17

Job opportunities.

Suitable for those who have family commitments.

Flexible working hours.

Little/no commuting thus reducing time,
money and stress.

Autonomy in decision making.

Possible income tax allowances
.
Increasingly affordable for people due to lower costs of technology.

Question 18

Disdvantage of flextime for employee

Answer 18

Huge reliance on use and reliability of ICT software and hardware.

Workers often exceed their contracted working hours.

Social isolation and boredom.

Often less job security and trade union representation.

Distractions at home.

Lack of authentic training and career development opportunities.

Question 19

Advantage of flextime for employer

Answer 19

Reduced overheads from renting prime locations.

Flexible and extended working hours can be offered to customers.

Can adjust for peak and off-peak trade.

Continuity of services from those hiring workers with dependents.

Lower rates of absenteeism.
Flexibility to deal with working time directives (laws).

Question 20

Disadvantage of Flexitime for employer

Answer 20

Set up costs can be very high.
Recruitment processes must be tightly controlled to ensure employees are self-motivated and take initiative.

Management, monitoring and control are more difficult.

Technological breakdowns can cause major disruptions.

Not always possible due to lack of working space at home or lack of security for sensitive data being held at home

Question 21

Disadvantage of geographical mobility

Answer 21

Ties to friends and family

Relocation costs

Fear of the unknown

Costs of living in a new area

Language and cultural
differences

Question 22

Disadvantage of Occupational

Answer 22

Job insecurity: Frequent job changes can result in less job security and make it difficult to build a stable career path.

Skill mismatch: Moving to a new job or industry may require learning new skills, which can be challenging and may result in a mismatch between the individual’s skills and the requirements of the new job.

Lower pay or benefits: Starting a new job in a different occupation or industry may mean starting at a lower level, accepting lower pay, or missing out on benefits that come with staying in one place for a longer period of time.

Question 23

Give me examples of demographic change factors

Answer 23

Net birth rate
Countries with a high net birth rate will, in the
long-term, have a larger supply of human
resources.

Net migration rate
If net migration is positive (i.e. more immigrants than emigrants), the supply of human resources will increase.

Retirement age
The later the retirement age, the greater the available pool of human resources.

Women entering/returning to
workforce
This boosts the supply of human resources, particularly for part-time work.

Aging population
Countries with an aging population will, in the
long-term, have a shrinking supply of human
resources.