2.5- making human resource decisions

Question 1

why is it important that a firm has a clear internal organisational structure?

Answer 1

It makes it easy for everybody to know who is responsible for what and helps the company make sure it has people in every job role to deal with each of its activities

Question 2

what are the four basic roles of staff with different responsibilities?

Answer 2

-Directors
-Senior managers
-Supervisors/ team leaders
-Operation and support staff

Question 3

what is the role of the director?

Answer 3

decide on strategy and targets at regular board meetings

Question 4

What is the role of senior managers?

Answer 4

they organise the carrying out of the director’s strategy

Question 5

what is the role of supervisors or team leaders?

Answer 5

They look after specific projects or small teams of operational or support staff

Question 6

What is the role of operational and support staff?

Answer 6

they aren’t responsible for other staff and they often given specific tasks to perform by managers, supervisors or team leader leaders

Question 7

Who is in the top and lowest layer of the organisational structure?

Answer 7

Directors are on the top and operational and support staff are on the lowest layer

Question 8

what is the chain of command?

Answer 8

The chain connecting directors to operational and support staff

Question 9

What is an advantage of the hierarchical structure?

Answer 9

Each manager only has a narrow span of control (number of workers who report to one manager)

this can make a firm more effective as managers can monitor the employees they are responsible for more closely

Question 10

What is a disadvantage of hierarchical structures?

Answer 10

There’s a long chain of command with more loss of management which can make communication between the top and bottom of the structure did report and slow because more people need to pass on the message

Question 11

what is an advantage of flat structures?

Answer 11

There is a short chain of command so messages can be passed on quickly

Question 12

what is a disadvantage of flat structures?

Answer 12

Each manager has a wide spin of control so they have to manage a lot of employees at once, which can be difficult to do effectively

Question 13

what is a centralised organisation?

Answer 13

All major decisions are made by one person or a few senior managers at the top of the structure

Question 14

What are the advantages of centralised organisations?

Answer 14

The senior managers tend to have plenty of experience and can get an overview of the whole business

policies will be uniform throughout the business

Question 15

what are the disadvantages of centralised organisations?

Answer 15

If all decisions need to be made by one or two people, it can slow down decision-making and the communication of decisions can take a long time to go through to employees

This means the organisation reacts slowly to change

depending to heavily on a few people at the top can cause problems if those people lack specialist knowledge or start making poor decisions

Question 16

What is a decentralised organisation?

Answer 16

The authority to make decisions shared out

Question 17

What are the advantages of decentralised organisations?

Answer 17

The employees can use expert knowledge of their sector to make decisions

They don’t always need to communicate these decisions with managers above them for approval so changes can be made more quickly

can respond to changes in the market quicker than its competitors

Senior managers at the top are not responsible for making us my new decisions which means there’s less need for a central office where decisions are made , which can decrease the firms fixed costs

Question 18

What is the disadvantage of decentralised organisations?

Answer 18

inconsistencies may develop between departments or regions

The decision makers might not be able to see the overall needs of the business

Question 19

Why is it important to have effective communication?

Answer 19

it ensures different areas of the business work well together and that everyone in the business knows what they’re doing and why

improves staff motivation as staff know what’s going on in the firm and are likely to feel more confident that they’re doing their job properly

Question 20

what are the four barriers to effective communication?

Answer 20

• Noise
• Personalities
• Distance
• jargon -technical language used in one department may not be understood by another

Question 21

What are two impacts of insufficient communication?

Answer 21

-Can lead to inefficiency- people may be slow to receive important messages about what they should be doing- time and money is wasted on them doing things incorrectly

• Can demotivate staff- may be frustrated if a lack of communication is stopping them from doing their job properly- may not feel valued if they’re not told about the things that are going on in the firm

Question 22

what is the impact of excessive communication?

Answer 22

-leads to inefficiency- if people are frequently involved in communication about things that don’t directly affect them, it can waste valuable time- people may also start to take less notice of messages and miss out ones that are important to them

• staff may feel demotivated by excessive communication- they may feel overwhelmed with all the information they’re receiving and annoyed if it’s affecting their ability to do their job well

Question 23

what is the advantage of time full-time staff for businesses?

Answer 23

They are likely to only have one job until the business will have more control over the hours they work

Question 25

What is the significance of effective communication in a business?

Answer 25

Effective communication ensures that different areas of the business work well together and that everyone knows what they should be doing and why.

Question 26

What are some barriers to effective communication in a business?

Answer 26

* Noise * Personalities * Distance * Jargon

Question 27

How can noise act as a barrier to communication?

Answer 27

Noise makes it difficult to hold a conversation in a busy environment, such as a factory.

Question 28

What impact can personalities have on communication within a firm?

Answer 28

Some employees may feel uncomfortable communicating with others due to personal disagreements or feelings of unapproachability.

Question 29

Why is distance a challenge for communication in businesses?

Answer 29

Businesses may operate across different sites, making face-to-face communication difficult.

Question 30

What role does face-to-face communication play in effective messaging?

Answer 30

Face-to-face communication allows body language to help express the message and confirms that it has been received and understood.

Question 31

What can excessive communication lead to in a business?

Answer 31

Excessive communication can lead to inefficiency, confusion, and demotivation among staff.

Question 32

What are the consequences of insufficient communication?

Answer 32

* Inefficiency due to slow receipt of messages * Tasks being duplicated or not done correctly * Staff feeling demotivated and undervalued

Question 33

Fill in the blank: Insufficient communication can lead to _______.

Answer 33

[inefficiency]

Question 34

How can excessive communication affect staff motivation?

Answer 34

Staff may feel overwhelmed and annoyed if excessive communication affects their ability to do their job well.

Question 35

What can result from conflicting information due to excessive communication?

Answer 35

Time may be wasted as workers seek the correct information, leading to mistakes and reduced productivity.

Question 36

True or False: Effective communication requires finding a balance between too little and too much communication.

Answer 36

True

Question 37

What is a key aspect of ensuring messages reach the intended recipients effectively?

Answer 37

Messages need to reach the people that need to receive them without unnecessary delay and without being misinterpreted.

Question 38

what is the advantage to businesses of having full-time workers?

Answer 38

They’re likely to job so businesses will have more control over the hours they work

Question 39

What is the advantage of businesses of having part-time workers?

Answer 39

makes more financial sense if a business is only really busy at certain periods It means they can fill-in when other staff members are absent

Question 40

what is the advantage of having flexible hours workers?

Answer 40

offering flexible working can lead to higher staff retention and better productivity while also providing employees with flexibility in their personal lives

Question 41

what is zero hours contract

Answer 41

when an employee has no specified number of hours per week and are given work when the business requires them

Question 42

why is zero hours contract employees beneficial?

Answer 42

it fills business shortages provides employees with a lot of flexibility

Question 43

why is the disadvantage of zero hours contract employees?

Answer 43

it can lead to uncertainty about whether they will get any work and they may not receive a regular income

Question 44

what are permanent contracts?

Answer 44

has no fixed end date suited to certain types of more stable long term jobs such as nurses, pilots, teachers

Question 45

what are temporary contracts?

Answer 45

has a specific end date where the worker is only employed for a period of time very common within retail industry and other industries with seasonal demand

Question 46

what is freelance contracts?

Answer 46

one where a self employed individual is engaged to carry out a specific piece of work over a defined period of time common in creative industries like when a business needs advertisement

Question 47

how has technology impacted how businesses operate and how employees work?

Answer 47

increased efficiency remote working

Question 48

how had technology increased efficiency?

Answer 48

a business is able to produce products and services more quickly, accurately and with fewer resources improved efficiency of communication of businesses- messages can be sent quickly to a large number of people with a reduced risk of barriers to communication can communicate using email, online video etc…

Question 49

how has technology created remote working?

Answer 49

technology has enabled employees to work at home in the same way they would in an office employees have more flexibility and may not have to travel as far and are less likely to take time off because of sickness or being late

Question 50

what are the disadvantages of remote working?

Answer 50

not all roles can do it like police officers employees may not work as hard and may not be able to seek help easily when required

Question 51

what documents are included in the recruitment process?

Answer 51

person specification job description application form CV

Question 52

what is a person specification?

Answer 52

includes details about the educational background, skills, experience and hobbies the business wants applicants to have.

Question 53

what is a job description?

Answer 53

list all the duties required in the role may include job title, salary, hours, location, bonus information and who the employee would report to

Question 54

what is an application form?

Answer 54

includes a series of questions for a potential employee to answer so the business can learn more about them includes a section for applicants to write about themselves and why they are the best candidate for the role.

Question 55

what is a CV?

Answer 55

personal document that includes information about applicants skills, experience, qualifications and hobbies used to decide whether applicants match the requirements of the person specification

Question 56

what are the advantages of internal recruitment?

Answer 56

a quick process applicants will already be known to the business aplicatants may have previous experience in the role cheaper to recruit and advertise roles internally.

Question 57

what are the disadvantages of internal recruitment?

Answer 57

usually a small pool of applicants applicants may not be experienced in the role a lack of fresh ideas in the business

Question 58

what are the advantages of external recruitment?

Answer 58

may bring new ideas into the business free enthusiasm and skills larger pool of potential applicants

Question 59

what are the disadvantages of external recruitment?

Answer 59

may take the new employee time to settle into the business expensive to recruit new employee not previously known to the business can take more time than internal recruitment

Question 60

what are the benefits of formal training?

Answer 60

experts are likely to deliver high quality training employees can focus on learning if they are away from the workplace

Question 61

what are the disadvantages of formal training?

Answer 61

likely to be expensive a member of staff is taken away from the workplace

Question 62

what are the advantages of informal training?

Answer 62

focused on the specific skills needs of the business quick and inexpensive to implement trainees able to ask questions and for demonstrations to be repeated

Question 63

what is the disadvantage of informal training?

Answer 63

relies on the expertise and communication skills of the trainer

Question 64

what are the advantages of self learning?

Answer 64

workers can learn at their own pace

Question 65

what is the disadvantage of self learning?

Answer 65

feedback is unlikely to be immediate and trainees cannot easily ask questions

Question 66

what are the advantages of ongoing training?

Answer 66

improves productivity and how employees can fulfil their job roles effectively allows skills to be improved remind employees of business priorities

Question 67

how do businesses use target setting and performance reviews?

Answer 67

targets may be negotiated to ensure that training targets support business objectives progress towards targets are discussed during annual performance review meetings

Question 68

why do businesses train and develop employees?

Answer 68

motivation retention

Question 69

how does business training impact motivation?

Answer 69

if an employee is receiving training from their employer they are likely to feel valued and feel like the business is interested in their progress may feel like business wants them to reach their full potential so employees will be motivated to work harder

Question 70

how does business training impact retention?

Answer 70

Keeping employees means keeping their skills and experience rather than losing them to other businesses, and it also means that time and money are not wasted hiring new employees. Employees are likely to feel valued by a business that invests in their training and development, meaning that they are more likely to stay working for that business.

Question 71

why is important to retrain employees to use new technology?

Answer 71

makes employees more efficient and skilled in their roles. Training employees to use new technology may also make them feel more valued by the business, which may in turn improve both motivation and retention Ultimately, if employees are able to fully use new technology, business performance is likely to improve.

Question 72

how does motivation attract employees?

Answer 72

If a potential employee can see that a workplace has high levels of motivation, they are more likely to want to be employed there. Motivated staff are also more likely to recommend their workplace to potential applicants.

Question 73

how does motivation retain employees?

Answer 73

Employees are likely to feel valued by a business that invests in their training and development This means they are much more likely to stay working for that business.

Question 74

how does motivation impact productivity?

Answer 74

A business will aim to have the highest possible level of productivity. This is because having a high level of productivity leads to more revenueand potentially more profit More motivated employees are likely to increase a business’ productivity levels.

Question 75

what are the financial methods of motivation?

Answer 75

renumeration bonuses commission promotion fringe benefits

Question 76

what is remuneration?

Answer 76

the money employees are paid in return for working in a business Many employees are motivated by remuneration, and pay rises can often make employees feel more motivated. Many businesses offer regular yearly increases in remuneration to help increase motivation.

Question 77

what are bonuses?

Answer 77

a form of additional remuneration when an employee is motivated by money, a bonus is a very good way to raise their level of motivation.

Question 78

what are commissions?

Answer 78

paid on top of a normal wage or salary to help motivate employees Earning additional money is often a motivating factor for employees and generally makes them work harder.

Question 79

what are promotions?

Answer 79

when an employee is provided with a higher-ranking job and more responsibility in a business. Often, a promotion means the employee earns a higher wage and receives more financial benefits. This makes employees feel more valued by a business.

Question 80

what are fringe benefits?

Answer 80

additional employment perks awarded to employees eg. a company car Fringe benefits are often ways of saving employees money rather than providing them with additional money.

Question 81

what are the non financial methods of motivation?

Answer 81

job rotation job enrichment autonomy

Question 82

what is job rotation?

Answer 82

involves an employee having a large amount of variety in their day-to-day role. It can motivate employees by avoiding them becoming bored with their job.

Question 83

what is job enrichment?

Answer 83

involves enhancing employees’ roles through providing a wider range of tasks for them to complete during the working day Job enrichment has a number of benefits, such as increased motivation, lower absence rates, increased productivityand higher staff retention

Question 84

what is autonomy?

Answer 84

refers to the degree to which employees are able to make decisions about their day-to-day roles Having a high level of autonomy can be a significant motivator for employees as it can make them feel valued and trusted by their employer.