1.4 Managing People Flashcards
(69 cards)
1
Q
Define employees as an asset
A
Seen as valuable to the business and may offer:
- good remuneration packages
- reasonable holiday/sick pay
- Invest in working conditions
- Provide job security
2
Q
Define employees as a cost
A
Seen as not valuable to a business and may offer:
- Pay workers minimum wage
- Provide minimum legal sick/holiday pay
- Provide basic working conditions
- See training as an unnecessary cost
3
Q
How may a business become flexible
A
- Have multi-skilled employees
- Outsource
- Have part-time/temporary workers
- Flexible hours and home-working
4
Q
What are the ads and dis of flexible working
A
Ads:
- Allows a business to respond to short-term changes in demand
- Easier to manage staffing costs
- Specialist jobs can be done by experts who don’t have to be permanently employed (outsourcing)
Dis:
- Employees may not feel committed to the company if they don’t have a permanent contract
- Outsourced work may be of lower quality
- Communication can be a problem
5
Q
Define dismissal
A
Dismissal is when an employee may fail to meet the required standard or through misconduct
6
Q
Define redundancy
A
This is when there is not enough work or the position no longer applies, may be offered a pay-out
7
Q
What are 3 types of employee representation
A
Trade unions
Work councils
Employee committees
8
Q
Define a trade union
A
An organisation established to protect and improve the economic and working conditions of workers
9
Q
What do Trade unions do
A
- Negotiate with businesses
- Focus on pay and conditions
- Give workers advice on employment issues
10
Q
Define a work council
A
A forum within a business where workers and managers meet to discuss issues relating to pay, conditions and training
11
Q
What does a work council do
A
- Build cooperation with managers
- Allows the workforce to be heard
- Involves employees in key business decisions
12
Q
Define a employee committee
A
A group of employees meeting together to focus on specific issues within the workforce, managers do not attend
13
Q
What does a employee committee do
A
- Focus on issues such as safety and working conditions
- May influence decisions made at work councils
14
Q
what are the 2 types of bargaining methods for employees
A
Collective bargaining
Individual bargaining
15
Q
Define collective bargaining
A
A negotiated process where trade unions and businesses discuss and agree on pay, working conditions and other conditions for the benefit of trade union members
This way they have more power and influence when negotiating as one
16
Q
Define individual bargaining
A
May apply more to small businesses. Individuals negotiate their own pay and conditions
This may mean one worker may differ from another
17
Q
What is human resources
A
The movement of employees through an organisation
18
Q
What is the recruitment process
A
Business looks if their is a vacancy gap
Job description and person specification are prepared
Advertisement is made
Applicants are shortlisted
References are requested
Candidates are invited to interviews and selection tests
Successful candidates are offered the job and signs the contract of employment
19
Q
Define internal recruitment
A
When a role is filled by promoting employees from within the organisation
20
Q
Define external recruitment
A
This involves bringing in new employees from outside the organisation
21
Q
What are the advantages of internal recruitment
A
- Cheaper than external
- Managers know their employees so there is less risk
- May require less training
- Promotion opportunities is good for staff motivation and retention
22
Q
What are the advantages of external recruitment
A
- May attract a wider number of applicants
- Brings in new skills and knowledge
- Helps increase the capacity within the business
23
Q
A
24
Q
Define staff training
A
The process of developing employees by improving their knowledge and skills so they can perform their duties better
25
What are the ads/dis of on the job training
Ads:
- Output may continue as learning is through actually doing the job
- Can be easier and cheaper to organise
Dis:
- Can be disruptive for others and mistakes are possible
26
What are the ads/dis of off the job training
Ads:
- Mistakes are reduced due to not training on site
- It is safer
- Can be more motivating
Dis:
- Can be costly
- May not meet the demands of the job if physical
27
The benefits of training employees for: Managers, owners, employees and customers
Managers- Have better motivated workers
Owners- higher levels of productivity
Employees- Reduces anxiety as they are more able to do their job
Customers- better quality products and better customer service
28
When is training required
- when new employees join
- New technology/equipment is introduced
- There is new health and safety legislation
- There are new working practices
29
Why is cost if training high
- Staff may be paid more to train
- Productivity can fall due to producing goods at a slower pace while learning
- More mistakes can occur
- Employees may leave causing investment in their training to be lost
30
What are the roles in a business organisation
Directors
Managers
Supervisors
Team leaders
31
What do each role do in a business of a hierarchy structure
Directors- employed to run the business. Take responsibility for the functions of the business
Managers- take responsibility for managing and controlling an aspect of the business and make day-to-day decisions
Supervisors- monitor and regulate work of other employees. May receive delegated responsibility from a manager
Team leaders- members of a team who take leadership role to guide the work of the team and ensure employees are motivated and work effectively together
32
Define delegation
The process of passing down authority through the organisation
33
Define centralisation
refers to a decision-making process whereby the majority of decisions are led by senior managers
34
Define decentralisation
Refers to a decision making process whereby the majority of decisions are delegated to managers in charge
35
What are the advantages of centralisation
- appropriate for situations where managers have the knowledge and workers are low skilled
- effective at cost minimisation and achieving economies of scale
36
What are the advantages of decentralisation
- Allows for flexible working conditions
- Appropriate where business is spread over a wide geographic area and local needs and trends are important
- Reduces workload of senior managers and promotes skills and autonomy of subordinates
37
What are ads/dis of delegation
Ads:
- enhances decision making skills
- Boosts productivity
- May enhance job enrichment
Dis:
- Quality of work can be reduced
- May lead to lower employee confidence if unsuccessful
38
What are the 3 types of organisational structure
Tall
Flat
Matrix
39
Define a tall organisational structure
Will have a lot of chains of command but may be a narrow span of control
This structure is suitable to organisations that are growing
40
Define a flat structure
Had few levels of chain of command but normally a wide span of control
41
What are some ads/dis of a tall structure
Ads:
- More opportunities for promotion
- More control of employees/responsibility
Dis:
- Communication takes longer
- Less delegation and empowerment
42
What are some ads/dis of a flat structure
Ads:
- Faster decision-making
- More flexible
- Broader job roles
Dis:
- Less control of employees
- Fewer opportunities for promotion
43
Define a matrix structure
Involves workers being organised by a project and business function
Teams are formed to carry out a specific project such as a development of a new product
44
Ads/dis of a matrix structure
Ads:
- Can be motivating for employees
- It is flexible
Dis:
- Can be expensive
- Can be difficult to coordinate teams
45
Define motivation
refers to willingness to work and achieve a given target or goal
46
What is taylors theory of motivation
This focuses on being motivated by money, using financial incentives
This may be achieved by being payed per item produced, this can increase productivity and efficiency
47
What is Mayo’s theory of motivation
Suggests workers are motivated by their social needs and relationships. This can be achieved by working within groups.
This focuses on the needs of the employees rather than the organisation
48
What is Maslow’s theory of motivation
Suggests that people are driven to achieve personal needs.
This was identified by physiological needs, safety and security, love and belonging, self-esteem and self-actualisation
Businesses can motivate workers by giving them the opportunity to satisfy these needs at work
49
What is herzberg’s theory of motivation
What are the factors leading to satisfaction and dissatisfaction
Suggests hygiene factors are important and the satisfactory presence of them will not lead to the dissatisfaction of employees
dissatisfaction:
- Poor pay
- Poor work conditions
- Lack of promotions
Satisfaction:
- Recognition
- Opportunity for promotion
- Good manager relationships
50
What are 4 financial methods of motivation
Commission
Piecework
Performance related pay
Bonuses
51
Define comission and the ads/dis of it
A bonus paid based on achieving a sales target
Ads:
- appropriate for sales jobs
- incentive to increase sales revenue for a business
dis:
- Focus may be taken away from customer service
52
Define piecework and its ads/dis
Payment based on the number of units of output produced
Ads:
- appropriate for production jobs
- incentive to increase output
dis:
- Employees may ignore factors like quality
53
Define Performance related pay and its ads/dis
A salary or bonus linked to job-related targets which may be reviewed every 6 months
Ads:
- Links pay to measurable targets specific to the nature of the job
- Encourages review of employee performance
Dis:
- Difficult to ensure it is fair throughout the organisation
- Can be expensive if a large majority achieve targets
54
Define Bonuses and its ads/dis
Distributing a percentage of net profit across the workforce
Ads:
- Reward linked to the overall success of the company
Dis:
- Depends on profitability of the business
55
What are the 4 non-financial methods of motivation
Delegation
Team working
Flexible working
Job rotation/enrichment
56
Define delegation and its ads/dis
Giving employees authority and the power to influence key business decisions
Ads:
- Employees feel more important to the business
Dis:
- May slow down decision-making due to not having the skills or experience to make important decisions on their own
57
Define team working and its ads and dis
Organising the workforce into teams in order to benefit from the social aspects of motivation
Ads:
- Meets employees social needs and encourages a sense of belonging
dis:
- Individual performance is harder to identify in a team so ineffective workers may not be identified
58
Define Flexible working and its ads and dis
adopting flexible contracts and approaches that don’t require employees to work the same hours or working environments everyday
Ads:
- Employees can fit their work around their personal life, can help cut back on employment costs
dis:
- Difficult to keep control of employees and ensure they are being productive
59
Define job rotation/enrichment and its ads and dis
Encourages employees to work across a range of roles to develop new skills
Ads:
- Employees are motivated through increased variety and personal development
dis:
- Can be disruptive and reduce productivity in the short term as employees develop their new skills and learn new roles
60
How to choose between financial and non-financial methods of motivation
Costs- if profits are low, businesses may not be able to offer financial incentives
Skill level of workforce- A highly skilled workforce may require more delegation and job enrichment
Skill level of managers- managers who have higher experience of motivational theories may apply these concepts more effectively
61
What happens when motivation is high and low
When it is high:
- Better customer service
- Higher labour productivity
- Increased employee engagement
- Increased product quality
- Better relationships with managers
When it is low:
- Increased absenteeism
- Increased labour turnover
- Increased labour cost per unit
- Increased labour costs
62
Whats the difference between managers and Leaders
Managers:
1. Build consistency
2. Implement strategy
3. Instruct
4. Control
5. Think logically
6. Reactive
Leaders:
1. Change the status quo
2. Devise strategy
3. Inspire
4. Empower
5. Think laterally
6. Proactive
63
What are traits of a leader
Vision
Confidence
Good communication
Decisiveness
Motivational
64
Ads and dis of autocratic leadership
Ads:
- Focuses on getting the task done
- Speeds up decision making process
- High levels of control suitable for a low skilled workforce
Dis:
- Lead to low levels of motivation if employees aren’t respected
- No opportunity for employees to be involved in decision making
- No opportunity to collect opinions of the workforce that might be valuable
65
Ads and dis of democratic leadership
Ads:
- Develops team spirit
- Allows employees to have a say in the task
- Allows managers to collect opinions from workforce
Dis:
- Decision making can take longer due to getting everyone’s decisions
- employees may vote for decisions that benefit them
66
Ads and dis of laissez-faire leadership
Ads:
- Allows employees autonomy to make their own decisions
- Can lead to higher levels of creativity and motivation
Dis:
- Lack of control over workforce meaning deadlines may be missed
- Tasks may not be coordinated very well
67
Ads and dis of paternalistic leadership
Ads:
- Attention is given to employee welfare
- Employees feel as though they are being looked after
Dis:
- Low levels of motivation due to not being given powers to make decisions
68
Define job enrichment
The process of enhancing a job role by adding meaningful tasks and responsibilities
69
