Chapter 16: strategies in HRM Flashcards
(94 cards)
1
Q
what are the elements of HRM that require
A
- leadership style
- job design
- recruitment
- training and development
- performance management
- rewards
- global issues – costs, skills, supply
- resolution of workplace disputes
2
Q
what is leaderhisp style
A
Leadership style refers to ways that managers communicate with their employees to inspire and motivate them to work together to achieve an organisation’s goals
3
Q
what are the broad categories for the range of different leadership styles a manager can have
A
autocratic, ‘laissez-faire’ or democratic
4
Q
what are the features of autocratic leaders
A
- authoritarian and directive
- Autocratic leaders view
the role of management as planning, organising and controlling (micromanaging) - rigid in decision-making with little or no input from staff
- limited flexibility
- use top-down communication and high levels of authority
- exert power through position, demanding obedience
- establish defined lines of command and responsibility
5
Q
what are the advs of autocratic leadership style
A
- can be used in urgent situation reqing immediate action
- deliver a much quicker response
- suitable when dealing with unskilled, inexperienced or unmotivated employees who need direction
- it makes it easy for employees to understand their roles
6
Q
what is a laissez-faire manager
A
the extreme
opposite of an autocratic leader, exercising little control over employees, leaving them to sort out their roles and perform their work with minimal direction
- only appropriate for managers with with employees that are highly motivated and highly skilled, as inexperienced
7
Q
what are features of democratic leaders
A
- participative and affiliative
- Democratic leaders view the role of management as leading, motivating and communicating
- encourage employee participation in decision-making
- allow for greater flexibility and negotiation of goals and tasks
- establish two-way systems of communication, including feedback
- delegate tasks while still assuming responsibility for outcomes
8
Q
what are some critiques of management from aus workers
A
- managers being ‘all talk, no action’
- a lack of openness and honesty
- communication skills
- an unwillingness to encourage and listen to suggestions
- a lack of supportiveness
9
Q
what features of management do employees in aus not appreciate and prefer
A
- do not appreciate constant supervision or being micromanaged
- committed in workplaces where they are consulted, empowered, recognised for their achievements
- given constructive feedback
- respect managers with good communication skills, that are supportive and who demonstrate integrity
10
Q
How does Australian culture affect leadership styles?
A
Australia’s egalitarian values favour democratic leadership. This can clash with authoritarian styles in global firms and make workplace change harder, especially due to strong unionism, as seen with Qantas
11
Q
what is job design
A
Job design is the
process of defining the tasks to be completed in a job and how the position will interact with other employees and fit into the organisational structure
- ie structuring the job by allocating tasks, duties, and responsibilities to employees
12
Q
what si job analysis
A
detailed analysis of all the tasks, responsibilities and reporting relationships in a position used to determine the necessary attributes of candidates
- ie process of identifying and describing the tasks, duties, responsibilities, and requirements of a job
13
Q
what are the two main goals of job design
A
- to satisfy the needs of the business in terms of greater productivity
- to satisfy the needs of employees – providing interesting and stimulating work will increase the
motivation of staff and promote loyalty,
14
Q
what are two main aspects of job design
A
- job content - which outlines the various tasks and responsibilities involved in the job and its
relationship to other positions within the business - job depth - which refers to the degree of autonomy that an employee has in planning and performing
their work
15
Q
what are two comtrasting approaches to job design
A
- general tasks in job design - employees performing various roles as part of their jobs
- specific tasks in job design, with employees specialising in a smaller number of tasks
16
Q
What are the benefits of general tasks and key job design methods?
A
General tasks reduce boredom and WHS risks.
Job design methods include:
- Job enlargement – adds variety to tasks
- Job rotation – shifts employees between roles
- Job enrichment – adds responsibility and autonomy
17
Q
what is the main adv of general tasks
A
employees will generally not achieve the high level of specialisation and skill
18
Q
what is the main argument in favour of specific task design
A
improved business performance through better production processes and specialisation
- employees skilled at a few tasks and their output would be of much greater quality and/or quantity than under general task design system
19
Q
what is the main disadc of specific task design
A
- specialised jobs become routine and boring
- may actually
become less productive due to lack of motivation
20
Q
what are common elements of a well-designed job
A
- discretion and autonomy, particularly over when and how work is completed
- clear task identity (employees know what they have to do)
- training and development opportunities
- social interaction
- challenges and opportunities for achievement and advancement
- constructive feedback and recognition of achievements
21
Q
what is recruitment
A
the process of locating and attracting the right quantity and quality of staff to apply for employment vacancies or anticipated vacancies at the right cost
22
Q
what is a diverse workforce
A
A diverse workforce is one that includes employees from diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds, with the ability to speak more than one language and to demonstrate cultural awareness and sensitivity in their interactions with people from other cultures.
23
Q
what are the adv of diverse wrkforces
A
- better understanding of the domestic market and the ability to cater to the needs of different groups of customers
- greater ability to expand into new markets and source inputs or finance from overseas
- greater diversity of thought - wider range of ideas, making
the business more adaptable to change and providing valuable input from staff on new products, promotional strats, new transformation processes or solutions o challenging situations - demonstrate CSR - public image
24
Q
when recruiting what can types of skills can a bus choose from
A
- general skills (such as communication, teamwork and problem-solving)
- specific skills (such as carpentry or accounting)
25
what si recruitmentinfluenced by
labour market conditions, the location of the business, the funds available and the specifications of the position to be filled
26
A poor recruitment and selection process leads to increased costs and lower productivity by increasing:
- training costs
- absenteeism
- accidents, defect rates and fines
- job dissatisfaction, poor performance, industrial unrest and labour turnover
- claims of discrimination
27
what is internal recruitment
Internal recruitment involves filling job vacancies with people from within the business
- either promotion or change in role
- staff may be invited to apply for positions
- good for filling positions that req knowledge of the org and its corporate culture
28
what is externla recruitment
External recruitment involves filling job vacancies with people from outside the business
- use when expanding into totally new area, need skills nonexistent in own employees, or no suitable internal candidates for leadership vacancies
29
what are the various forms of external recruitment available
- ads (newspapers, online)
- outsourcing to recruitment agencies, which typically take responsibility for advertising and creating shortlists of candidates
- personal recommendations
- larger firms often recruit high-achieving university students through their graduate programs
- trainee positions offered to HSC stduents (cadetship)
30
what are the adv and disadv of internal recruitment
adv:
- motivation for staff for development opp
- builds loyalty and commitment
- employees know the culture --> productivity maintained
- recognises staff and rewards
- cheaper than external
disadv:
- can reinforce negative culture
- can leaf to rivalry for positions
- lot of internal applicants --> demotivated if not chosen
- no new skills --> little value added
31
what are the adv and disadv of external recruitment
- wider applicant pool
- new ideas, perspectives and skills
- save on training
- more diversity
disadv:
- risk of unknown staff
- lost productivity in induction phase
- new employee may not fit culture, not accepted by internal rivals
- takes a lot of time and effort
- risk of legal claims
32
What are key practices in the recruitment process?
- assess internal candidates first then external
- use resumes, application and interviews to assess behaviour and cultural fit
- background checks and referees verify experience and suitability
33
why is technology an important and more utilised method in the recruitment process
video resumes or cover letters are useful for a candidate's suitability and ai has now been used to remove bias from the recruitment process and assessing them on personality traits --> more diversity
34
what are some general skills that are behavioural ‘soft’ skills that are critical in building a successful
workforce, but are not really ‘learned’
- communication
- literacy and numeracy
- computing skills
- the ability to work independently or as part of a team
- problem-solving
- the ability to learn new skills
- time management
- flexibility
- planning and organisation
- motivation and enthusiasm
- initiative
35
why are general skills more important than specific skills
many jobs today req individuals to work without constant direct instruction and to perform many different tasks
- can be trained to have specific skills req'd to meet bus needs
- cant be taught
-
36
what are specific skills
Specific skills are those that are acquired through specialist training at a school, TAFE, university or other accredited educational provider
- lead to the award of a qualification
37
what were buses response to the skill shortages in aus
buses outsuorced, poached staff from competitiors and recruited from overseas via programs
- common criticism: buses dont invest in training staff to meet evolving workforce needs
38
what does training aim to do
training aims to develop skills, knowledge and attitudes among employees that
lead to superior work performance
- may be in-house or online or run by outside providers
39
why is training critical in aus today
shortage of skilled labour and a mismatch between what skills are needed by businesses and what is available in terms of skilled staff
40
what is development
Development involves selecting employees for educational programs or other opportunities that focus on roles that the employee may aspire to in the future
- offer wider range of on-the-job experiences --> staff more flexible --> increasing capacity of bus to adapt to change
- usually employees having potential to fill managerial positions in future
- loyalty & commitment to bus
- bus benefits by retaining employee's skills, experience and knowledge of the bus, and through improved productivity and competitiveness
41
When determining the nature of training and development activities, businesses need to use a systematic process to evaluate:
- the needs of the business
- the supply of these skills in the labour market
- the demand for these skills
- the changing nature of work
- the general pattern of employment
42
What are some strategies businesses can use to cope with skills shortages?
- Invest in in-house training
- Fund external study
- recruiting staff for specific skills
- retaining expert retirees for PT
- retaining women
- sharing staff with other firms, or utilising insourcing (training or using employee to do previously outsourced task)
- outsourcing functions to specialist service providers
- sponsoring overseas migrants
- building networks or alliances with other firms with specialist skills or skills needed in the future
43
what is performance management & its 2 main objectives
a systematic process of evaluating and managing employee performance in order to achieve the best outcomes for a business
- evaluate the performance of individual employees
- use that information to develop the individual
44
what are the main uses of performance management today
- assess legal compliance
- justify staffing decisions
- identify training and development needs
- provide feedback and recognition
- assess performance against organisational standards
- identify opps for productivity improvement
45
what is the developmental model
Developmental model focuses on improving employee skills, overcoming weaknesses, and preparing for promotion through ongoing feedback
46
what si the administrative model
Administrative model focuses on aligning employee goals with business strategy and uses data (e.g. annual appraisals) for HR planning and decision-making
47
what are the two of the main reasons for employee underperformance
- Lack of job clarity
- Poor working environment
→ Both are usually the responsibility of the business, not the individual.
48
what are the benefits of feedback gained from performance appraisals and performance management for buses
- assists with HR planning
- identify performance gaps
- Evaluates effectiveness of recruitment, training, and rewards
- Highlights needs for training, development, or compliance
- Helps retain talented staff and plan for leadership
- Documents poor performance and guides improvement strategies
- Builds trust, communicates expectations, and supports long-term development
- Encourages a best-practice culture
49
what are the benefits of feedback gained from performance appraisals and performance management for individuals
- Compares personal performance to agreed standards
- Assesses rewards and benefits
- Recognises contributions, boosting motivation and retention
- Identifies strengths and weaknesses for further development
- Provides opportunity for employee feedback
- Recognises initiative and supports merit-based promotion
- Aligns employee focus with organisational goals
50
what si self-efficacy
the strength of an employee’s belief in their own ability to complete tasks and reach goals
51
How are performance management systems often viewed by staff and how can this view be improved
- As surveillance tools, especially when used to identify redundancies during downturns
- By designing them collaboratively with employee and union input
52
how can Effective performance
management systems viewed more positively by staff, and raise business productivity
- Clarifying job roles and expectations
- Matching staff to suitable roles and culture
- Building a shared vision between staff and management
- Setting clear, agreed goals and performance standards
- Providing training, induction, and ongoing development
- Training managers in appraisal and feedback delivery
- Offering regular, constructive feedback
- Supporting career development, mentoring, and counselling
- Rewarding achievement to retain top performers
- Using feedback tools
53
what are rewards
Rewards are the incentives that are provided to compensate and motivate employees for their time, skills
and effort in a job
- include both monetary and non-monetary incentives
54
how can rewards be used
- help facilitate change
- support desirable corporate values
- increase productivity
- develop a sustainable competitive advantage through a high-performing workforce
- attract, motivate and retain employees
55
what are key issues a bus needs to consider when designing a reward and benefits system
- business strategy
- economic conditions – the supply and demand for labour (general) and possible skills shortages
(specific)
- organisational objectives of rewards
- rewards and benefits offered by competitors
- relevant awards and agreements, and the minimum employment standards (NES)
- union power within the workplace
- profitability/viability of the business
56
what are Additional issues that will be
considered when designing reward and benefits systems for individual employees
- Performance – bonuses, commissions, or incentives for going above expectations
- job-related features - responsibility level, importance to the company, or tough conditions (e.g. working overseas)
- individual characteristics what the employee values (e.g. flexibility), and how much bargaining power they have
57
what are features of an effective rewards system
equitable (not biased), clearly communicated, defensible,
relevant, cost-effective and integrated with corporate strategy
58
what are monetary rewards
Monetary rewards are those reflected in pay or having financial value
- eg wages or salary, overtime payments, superannuation, bonuses, profit sharing, employee share schemes, commissions, and fringe benefits (eg laptop)
- extrinsic reward (a reward outside the job itself)
59
what are non-monetary rewards
- Non-monetary rewards do not have a financial value
- intrinsic rewards (derived from the job itself eg satisfaction)
- eg flexible work arrangements, social activities, responsibility, autonomy, promotion or changes in status, T&D opps, additional leave entitlements, etc
60
what are gain sharing plans and group incentive schemes
team-based rewards such as shares or bonuses for productivity improvements, cost savings or increased sales
- Team-based reward systems encourage cooperation and consistently result in higher performance
61
what si the risk of team-based rewards
- free-riders - team member who contribute little to the success but receive the reward
- important that group rewards do not undermine individual initiative
62
how do buses strike balance for individual rewards and team-based rewards
adopted a hybrid approach, where individual rewards represent a base level of pay, with group bonuses added on for tasks achieved as a team
63
what is a performance pay system
A performance pay system is one where employees are rewarded, individually or as a group, for achieving specified goals
64
in what forms can performance pay take
- payment by results
- bonuses (cash or incentives, such as holidays or social events)
- one-off awards for significant achievements
- commission payments
- increases in base levels of pay
65
what are the benefits and drawbacks of performance pay?
- Benefit: Aims to boost productivity beyond fixed wages
however:
- hurt teamwork since individual employees pursue their own goals at the expense of other employees
- can lead to staff pressuring customers to meet targets rather than build LT relo
66
why is a higher base rate more advantageous than pay schemes
higher base rate leads to higher productivity, lower staff turnover and higher staff satisfaction than pay schemes more dependent on meeting performance targets
67
what issues have pushed aus buses to utilise overseas labour
increase in competition, shareholder demands for higher returns, high domestic labour costs, skills shortages, and a relatively small labour pool
68
what must buses consider when outsourcing
- Business risk
- Service quality
- Infrastructure
- Regulations
- Political stability
- Language skills
69
what staffing approaches does a bus, planning to expand its ops overseas, need to consider
- polycentric staffing approach - using host-country staff with parent-country managers --> business access good local market knowledge, is cost-efficient and satisfies local pressure for employment opps, however, limit management exp for host-country staff
- geocentric staffing approach - uses the staff with the most appropriate skillset for a particular role and
location, regardless of their nationality --> builds pool of managers with global exp, however can be complex and expensive due to local employment regulations, relocation and retraining costs
- ethnocentric staffing approach - uses predominantly parent-country staffing with host-country staff only used for the most basic unskilled positions --> limit ability to learn from overseas market
70
what recruitment and training challenges do global businesses face
They often need to use recruitment agencies, and provide quality, cultural, and language training for staff
71
What is the purpose of the SID visa for Australian businesses?
To fill skills shortages, especially in remote areas where Australian workers are reluctant to go
72
How did Australia attract skilled workers pre-pandemic?
By offering permanent migration to skilled applicants from countries with weak economies
73
What were the Albanese government's 2022 actions on skills shortages?
- More focus on training and education
- Increased permanent skilled migration
- Faster visa processing in key sectors like health, education, aged care
74
what are workplace disputes (or industrial
disputes)
conflicts between employees and employers over an issue or group of issues that may lead to withdrawal of labour by employees or a withdrawal of the opportunity to work by employers
75
What forms can workplace disputes take?
They may be formal or informal, and overt or covert (overt workplace disputes are direct and open conflicts, like verbal arguments or physical altercations, while covert disputes are more subtle and hidden, such as passive resistance or gossiping)
76
What are long-term impacts of unresolved workplace conflict?
- High absenteeism
- Low productivity
- High staff turnover
77
what is a strike and its features
A strike is a collective withdrawal of labour by employees
- workers refuse to perform all work
- usually organised by union
- purpose it to pressure an employer into complying with particular demands or refraining from doing smth, and to
attract publicity and support for the employees’ case
- most common in public sector
78
what is a legal strike
A legal strike is known as a ‘protected action’, and under these conditions, industrial tribunals
will not intervene to resolve disputes
79
what 6 conditions must be satisfied for an industrial action (strike) to be considered a protected action
1. cant take place before expiry of EA (bargaining period commences once EAs expire)
2. must be abt matters relating to the agreement, or employer's relo with employee or their union
3. The action must be organised by the employees or their union
4. The parties must have genuinely tried to reach an agreement before the action is taken
5. A majority of eligible employees must vote in support of the action in a secret ballot
6. The employer must receive at least 3 days’ written notice before the action is taken
80
what are picket lines
protests that take place outside a workplace, with unionised workers attempting to stop the delivery of goods and entry of non-union labour into the workplace
81
what are other forms of industrial action other than strikes
- work bans - employees refusing to do certain types of work or refusing to work with particular managers, employees or other third parties; attractive cos employees still get paid
- ‘go slows’ – employees deliberately work slower than usual to delay production or workflow and put pressure on their employer
- work-to-rule – these campaigns involve employees taking their work responsibilities very literally - eg employees who usually work additoinal time only work their req'd hours designed to highlight a buses reliance on employees good faith
- secondary boycotts – these involve a union putting indirect industrial pressure on an employer, by arranging with or forcing a third party, usually a supplier of goods, to withhold deliveries to the
employer until the union’s demands are met
82
what is a lockout
most drastic form of industrial action
used by employers - ie closing a worksite or premises and refuses employees entry to work
- usually staged in response to industrial action to pressure employees to accept particular terms or conditions of employment
83
what does the fair work act say abt employers taking out indsutrial action
- employers are only able to take lawful industrial action in response to employee-initiated industrial action – employers cannot initiate the action
- before an employer can take action, it must genuinely try to reach an agreement with its employees
- must give written notice to unions and make reasonable attempts to notify employees
84
What are common causes of disputes related to agreements?
- Remuneration (wages, entitlements, superannuation)
- Employment conditions (hours, leave, benefits)
- Job security (retrenchment, restructuring, outsourcing)
85
What are common causes of disputes outside formal agreements?
- Health and safety (working conditions, equipment, compensation)
- Managerial policy (discipline, discrimination, quotas, promotion)
- Union issues (employer attitudes, sympathy stoppages)
- Political or social protests
86
what helped reduce industrial disputes before the pandemic?
Economic growth, better wages, improved working conditions, Falling union membership, and stricter industrial laws
87
Does fewer disputes always mean higher employee satisfaction?
not necessarily — it may reflect less power or organisation, especially in non-unionised workplaces
88
who are the key stakeholders in resolving disputes
- employees - use grievance procedures
- employers - resolve disputes through grievance procedures and negotiation
- governments - provide legal framework; investigate law breaches
- unions - rep employees
- employer associations - support employers
- courts - enforce law
- industrial tribunals - interpret laws; resolve disputes and unfair dismissal
89
what are the three main processes of dispute resolution (when disputes brought to an end)
- negotiated outcomes – where the parties work out a solution for themselves
- mediated outcomes – where an independent mediator assists with the development of an agreement
- arbitrated/adjudicated outcomes – where an independent arbitrator or court determines how the matter will be resolved and makes a legally binding order
90
why is quick dispute resolution important for employers and employees?
It avoids stress, keeps wages flowing, and prevents business disruption
- can become serious disputes
91
what are common dispute resolution methods available through the FWC?
- Grievance procedures
- Negotiation
- Mediation
- Conciliation
- Arbitration
- Common law action
92
define grievance procedure
Grievance procedures are an established set of steps, usually written into awards or agreements, for handling complaints
- reudce risk of issues rapidly escalating
93
what are the steps in a grievance procedure
- informal negotiations between the parties
- discussions with relevant managers
- involvement of unions acting for the employee
- formal negotiations involving higher level management and union reps
94
