HR Flashcards
(236 cards)
1
Q
How is labour turnover calculated?
A
Labour Turnover = (Number of people leaving a business over a given period / Averaged number employed over a given period) x 100)
2
Q
What are the internal and external causes of high labour turnover?
A
Internal factors: Ineffective leadership, poor communications, lower wages, poor selection procedures, boring jobs, poor working conditions, low morale. External factors: Increase in vacancies for more attractive jobs.
3
Q
What are the problems of high labour turnover?
A
- High recruitment costs
- high training costs
- reduced productivity
- low morale.
4
Q
How can labour turnover be reduced?
A
- Increase morale
- improve working conditions and pay
- improve training
- hire the right people
- use feedback from exit interviews.
5
Q
What is labour mobility?
A
The mobility of labor is the extent to which labour can move to different locations known as geographical mobility and their flexibility in changing to different jobs known as occupational
mobility
6
Q
What are the limitations of geographical mobility?
A
Friends and family ties
- Relocation costs
- Fear of the unknown
- The cost of living in a particular area
- Language and culture differences
7
Q
What are the limitations of occupational mobility?
A
- Require education, qualifications, skills, experience and training
- Mature people are less willing to change careers as they think they are too old, have financial or other commitments.
- Highly specialized in their area industry difficult to seek opportunities in other industries
- If employers discriminate against people age, gender, religion, etc.
8
Q
What is Recruitment and Selection?
A
Identifying the needs for new employees, attracting ideal candidates and then selecting the most suitable candidate to fill a postion.
9
Q
What is Workforce Planning?
A
A core process of HRM is to ensure the right number of people with the right skills are in the right place at the right time to deliver short- and long-term organizational objectives
10
Q
What is Internal Recruitment?
A
Filling a vacancy within the organization by promoting workers.
11
Q
What are the disadvantages of internal recruitment?
A
- Limited choice
- Problems and jealousy among employees
- it may not generate new ideas
- nepotism
12
Q
What are the advantages of internal recruitment?
A
- Firm employees may be stuck in their ways
- it involves a small number of applicants leading to a quicker recruitment process
- it provides career progression
- increases motivation
- less expensive
- employee skills are already known to firm
13
Q
What are the advantages of external recruitment?
A
- Higher number of candidates
- candidates may have new ideas
- potential for new skills to be brought into the business.
14
Q
What are the disadvantages of external recruitment?
A
- Recruitment process takes longer
- candidate appointed may not be as good as they appear
- more expensive to advertise
- may overcome jealousy and problems.
15
Q
What are the types of media channels for recruitment advertisement?
A
- Internal Advertisement: Notice Boards, Email, Staff Meeting, Company Magazine, Word of Mouth.
- External Advertisement: Radio, Newspapers, Web Page, Magazines and Posters, Recruitment agencies job centres, Word of Mouth, Online -Websites.
16
Q
What is shortlisting?
A
A reduced list of candidates for the same vacancy that has been cut down from a larger list.
17
Q
What is training?
A
Training is providing of work-related education, either on-the-job or off-the-job, involving employees being taught new skills or improving skills they already know.
18
Q
What are the benefits of training?
A
Performance levels of new employees reach experienced workers level, committed workforce and increased motivation and job satisfaction, increases efficiency and productivity, high quality products and services, improved profits.
19
Q
What is the importance of effective recruitment and selection?
A
- Reduced labour turnover
- reduces the costs of further or another RS process
- improved productivity
- highly motivated employees lead to competitive advantage.
20
Q
What is off-the-job external training?
A
Training outside of the business, such as college courses in business management or supervisory training. It allows employees to meet others from different organization and exchange ideas. Employees feel valued and more motivated.
21
Q
What factors affect methods of recruitment and selection?
A
- Size of organisation and job level
- resources available
- costs of any particular method
- supply of labour
- culture of the organizations.
22
Q
What are the advantages and disadvantages of external training?
A
Advantages:
* Knowledge can be shared from a professional
* personally getting ideas from professionals.
Disadvantages:
* Can be expensive with transportation, flights, and hotels; training could be slightly irrelevant to the job.
23
Q
What is internal training?
A
Training on the job, inside of the business, specific to individual organization e.g if employees need to learn how to use a particular computer system which is new.
24
Q
What are the advantages and disadvantages of internal training?
A
Advantages:
* More cheaper option than External Training.
Disadvantages:
* Could be focused somewhere else besides training
* Opportunity Cost.
* Customers want to be supported by experienced staff.
25
What are the benefits of training staff?
Staff become more competent and flexible, are more motivated, increased productivity, fewer accidents, the organization's image improves, and reduced waste.
26
What are the limitations of training staff?
Financial cost may be high, staff may leave for better-paid jobs once fully trained, work time is lost during training, the quality of training must be high for a positive effect, and there can be an impact on the workforce if staff are away on training.
27
What is an appraisal?
An appraisal is the formal assessment of an employee's performance in fulfilling their job based on the tasks and responsibilities set out in their job description, conducted on an annual or quarterly basis by senior management.
28
What are the reasons for conducting appraisals?
Assessing and recording employees' performance, identifying barriers impacting performance, identifying training and development needs, and setting new targets and goals.
29
What are the benefits of appraisals?
Setting targets leading to personal and professional development, allowing managers to praise staff, identifying appropriate training, gathering valuable feedback from staff, and aiding management in assessing suitability for pay rises or promotions.
30
What are the limitations of appraisals?
Confidential feedback requires funding and monitoring, time-consuming and costly, employees can feel anxiety and stress if
appraisals are linked to pay, and feedback can be biased due to perceptions and relationships.
31
What are the types of appraisals?
Formative, Summative, 360-degree, and Self-appraisal.
32
What is a formative appraisal?
A planned and ongoing process where appraisal evidence is used to inform employees about what to do to improve their work practices, often used for appraising staff hired for a probation trial period.
33
What is a Vacancy?
A position or job that is unfilled or unoccupied.
Reasons to Recruit
- Employees Leaving
- Expansion
- Different Work
- Maternity Cover
- Extra Work
- Sickness
34
What is Recruitment and Selection?
Identifying the needs for new employees, attracting ideal candidates and then selecting the most suitable candidate to fill a postion.
35
What is a Job Description?
Outlines task, skills, responsibilities, duties and performance level required for the position.
36
What is a Job Person Specification?
Describes the essential and desirable characteristics of an ideal candidate such as skills, knowledge, experience and qualifications, etc.
37
What are application forms, CVs and covering letters?
Application forms ask for a standard set of questions and boxes to be completed to easily compare candidates. Letters are used by candidates to outline why they are suitable for the job.
* Curriculum vitae (CV): applicants write all their details including education, employment history and references.
38
What is selection?
Selection consists of the processes involved in choosing from applicants a suitable candidate to fill the post. The selection board scores and ranks each candidate, then checks the references for the top-ranking people. Once the decision is made, they contact the successful applicant, as well as everyone who
was interviewed.
39
What are interviews and assessments?
Interviews are conversations between two or more people where questions are asked and later assessed. Types of Interviews:
Individual (One on One), Panel (Team of interviewers asking different questions), Telephone (Interviewed over far distances,
cost less have inexperience staff - quicker as it can be done any time). Assessments are a process of gathering information to
monitor candidates abilities to complete certain tasks and tests.
Examples: Aptitude and attainment tests, Psychometric or personality tests, Assessment centres.
40
What is induction training?
Education for new employees, which usually involves learning about the way the business works rather than about the particular job that the individual will do. Induction training aim is to help new employees settle in quickly, familiarizing with layout health and safety security, organization culture, etc.
41
What are the benefits of induction training?
Reduce labour turnover, improves employees understanding of both the organizational culture and the situation the business is facing, and increases motivation.
42
What is cognitive training?
Cognitive training is about training and developing mental skills to improve work performance. It includes learning activities
designed to help improve memory, attention, listening skills, logic and reasoning, resulting in improved mental process and aid decision-making and solving work-related problems.
43
Give some examples of jobs that utilize Cognitive Training
Accounting, Teaching, Management, etc
44
What is behavioral training?
Behavioural training deals with identifying functional issues that could improve performance in the workplace by developing behavioural change in the workforce. It enables participants to move forwards this desired change. For example, if a firm's goal is improved customer satisfaction, then behavioural training focuses on enhancing customer relations and customer service.
45
Give some examples of Behavioral Training
Team building, Ethical business practice raising awareness of ethics.
46
What are some topics covered in business ethics and codes of
practice?
Emotional intelligence (identifying, assessing, and controlling emotions), motivational training, conflict resolution, stress management, anger management, leadership skills, and business customs (organizational, regional, national, and
international culture norms).
47
What are the benefits of training staff?
Staff become more competent and flexible, are more motivated, increased productivity, fewer accidents, the organization's image improves, and reduced waste.
48
What are the limitations of training staff?
Financial cost may be high, staff may leave for better-paid jobs once fully trained, work time is lost during training, the quality of training must be high for a positive effect, and there can be an impact on the workforce if staff are away on training.
49
The goal of formative appraisal is to -
* Monitor performance
* Help identify employees strengths and weaknesses
* Help managers to recognise areas where staff are struggling
50
What is summative appraisal
Summative appraisal is a written description of an employees performance at work, summarizing personal performance and achievement during the year. The summative appraisal usually has recommendations for improvement targets for a subsequent appraisal. It is used to hold staff accountable for their work and performance.
51
What is 360-degree-appraisal
360-degree appraisal involves collecting evidence about the appraisees job performance from peers, subordinates, line managers or other parties such as customers or suppliers who have direct contact with the employee.
52
What is self-appraisal
Self-appraisal involves employees appraising themselves based on predetermined criteria. Appraisees are expected to be honest about their strengths and weaknesses. They also need to set realistic targets for improvement.
53
List the performance appraisal steps
1. Staff reports and records are used to evaluate their performance over the past year.
2. A formal and structured appraisal meeting is conducted to allow the appraisee to reflect
and receive feedback. An action plan or targets are set and agreed by both parties.
3. Appraiser completes a written report of the appraisal.
4. Both the appraiser and the appraisee sign the final written report.
54
How Businesses reduce labour or save costs on labour
* Dismissal - The termination of a worker's employment due to
incompetence unsatisfactory performance or a breach of
contract.
* Redundancies - When an employer lets go employees as they are no longer needed or the business cannot afford to
keep them.
* Outsourcing - the practice of transferring internal business activities functions to an external firm as a method of reducing costs.
55
What is offshoring?
An extension of outsourcing that involves relocating businesses activities and processes abroad. e.g. moving employees and certain manufacturing activities overseas to take advantage of lower costs and taxes.
56
What is reshoring?
The transfer of business operations back to their countries of origin e.g a business bringing manufacturing back from China to USA.
57
What is meant by organisational structure?
The way jobs, responsibilities and power within a business are organised.
58
What is authority?
The ability or power to carry out a task e.g. signing cheques or make decisions.
59
What does accountability show?
Shows who is held responsible or answerable for each particular job. E.g. The marketing staff are held accountable to the marketing director for their performance.
60
What does responsibility show?
Shows who is in charge of whom and in what role or capacity,e.g. The operations director being in charge of all the production staff.
61
What is delegation?
When authority is passed down to make specific decisions to someone further down the organizational hierarchy.
62
List factors likely to improve effectiveness of delegation.
Mutual trust between managers and subordinates. Select most suitable person one that is able to complete task efficiently and effectively. Explain clearly to subordinates to avoid making mistakes. Delegate task with authority and let others within business know. Not to interfere with delegated task, only do if things are going seriously wrong this shows manager is confident with the individual.
63
What are advantages of delegation?
Management Time reduces managers workload, reduces stress and focus on important tasks. Customers expectation customers want to see the manager not someone at the bottom of the hierarchy Motivation - greater job satisfaction Quality of Staff depends on the quality and skills of employees Staff development gain new skills and experiences Small firms managers delegate little as they are reluctant to relinquish control
64
What is span of control?
The number of subordinates, one jobpost holder is responsible for.
65
Give features of wide span of control.
Gives subordinates the chance for more independence. More appropriate if labour costs are significant reduce number of
managers.
66
Give features of narrow span of control.
Allows for closer supervision of employees. More layers in the hierarchy may be required. Helps more effective communication
67
What are levels of hierarchy?
The number of layers of management and employees existing in an organisation.
68
What is chain of command?
The reporting system from the top to the bottom of the hierarchy. The more layers in the organisation, the longer the chain of command.
69
What is delayering?
Delayering is the process of removing one or more levels in the hierarchy to flatten the organisational structure.
70
What are advantages of delayering?
* Reduces Cost
* improve speed of communication
* employees take on wider span of opportunities
71
What are disadvantages of delayering?
* work overloads
* anxiety about who's next
* loss of loyalty, motivation and productivity
72
Features of having staff
Improves the speed of communication. Creates anxiety, stress and a sense of insecurity. Encourages delegation and
empowerment. Decision-making can take longer as the managers deal with larger teams.
73
Define bureaucracy
Is the official administrative and formal rules of an organisation that govern business activity. It involves senior managers to have better control over the running of their organisations. Bureaucracy
is often associated with excessive administration, paperwork and formalities. Within an organisation, this might include The frequent requirement to fill out unnecessary or boring paperwork.
Staff working in several departments and therefore having to report to several managers. Too many committees set up to investigate issues of concern to the organisation Long, official chain of command Managers with duplicate or overlapping roles and responsibilities
74
Define Centralisation
Centralised structure decision-making is made by a very small amber of people usually the senior management team who hold decision-making authority and responsibility.
* Decision-making power can be either kept in the hands of a few people or it can be shared out among the workforce.
* The extent to which authority is strong or weak within an organisation depends on the qualities and skills of the managers and workers, the degree of trust and the corporate culture.
75
Advantages of Centralisation
Rapid decision-making there is no need to consult staff on decision. Better control Centralisation allows managers to have a better overview and tighter control of what is happening in their organisation. Better sense of direction decisions are made by senior managers, i.e. the people who are most qualified to lead the organization.
76
Disadvantages of Centralisation
Added pressure/stress for senior staff - Decision-makers do not delegate authority so could face huge pressures from the extra workload. Inflexibility -The organisation becomes rather bureaucratic and inflexible as workers have very limited independence. They lack opportunities to be creative and simply follow the orders of the decision- makers. Hence, the skills and talents of employees are not exploited.
77
What is a centralised structure?
A structure where decision-making is retained at the top of the organization
78
What are the advantages of centralisation?
Quicker decision-making, consistency in approach, and efficiency.
79
What are the disadvantages of centralisation?
Possible delays in decision-making and demotivation of
employees.
80
What is a decentralised structure?
A structure where decision-making authority and responsibility is shared out with others in the organisation, away from only senior management.
81
What are the advantages of decentralisation?
Input from the workforce, speedier decision-making, improved morale, improved accountability and teamwork
82
What are the disadvantages of decentralisation?
Costly, inefficiencies, greater chances of mistakes, loss of control, and communication issues
83
What factors does the decision to centralise or decentralise
depend on?
The size of the business, the scale of the importance of the decision, the level of risk, the corporate culture, management attitudes and competencies, and the use of information.
84
What is an organizational chart?
A diagram showing job titles, lines of communication and responsibility of a business. It shows five important features of a business: the different functional departments, the chain of command, the span of control, the official channels of communication, and the levels of hierarchy.
85
What is Chain of Command?
Shows the various positions of authority in the organization.
86
What is Span of Control?
This measures the number of staff directly accountable to a single line manager.
87
What are the official Channels of communication?
How information is passed up, down and across an organisation.
88
What are the Levels of hierarchy?
The number of layers of management and employees existing in an organizations .
89
What is a hierarchical organizational structure?
A traditional approach to organizing human resources in a business where emphasis is placed on subordinates reporting to their line manager. The position of workers indicates their rank, status, pay, and level of authority. Those at the top are the most vital and rewarded with larger salaries and benefits.
90
What are the key features of a flat hierarchical structure?
More promotional opportunities, more layers (meaning more staff and overheads), less delegation, narrow span of control, and a longer chain of command which can lead to slower decision making and communication.
91
What are the advantages of Tall structures?
* There tends to be quicker and more effective communication within smaller teams as the span of control is narrow.
* Smaller teams are generally easier to control or manage.
* Greater specialization and division of labour can help to increase efficiency and productivity.
* There are greater opportunities for
more people to be promoted as more levels exist in the organisational hierarchy.
92
What are the advantages of Flat structures?
* It is cheaper to operate as their fewer management. Many of their managerial functions are either eliminated or delegated.
* Communication should be improved as there are fewer levels layers in the hierarchy.
* Delegation becomes a relatively important part of managing the organisation. This allows subordinates to take on extra responsibilities and develop their careers.
* Flat structures can help eliminate a them and us culture so workers do not feel alienated from senior management.
93
How do organizations structure their human resources according
to product?
Most large businesses have a broad range of products. Hence, they might choose to structure their human resources according
to the various types of product. For example, US restaurant giant Yum! Brands Incorporated uses this organizational structure for its various strategic business units SBU such as Pizza Hut, Taco Bell and KFC.
94
How are most businesses organized?
Most businesses are organized by function. For example, The different operational roles within a business such as Marketing,
Production, Finance and Human Resources. Some businesses will also have functional departments in charge of Administration, ICT and Research and Development RD.
95
How are multinational companies often organized?
Multinational companies are often organized by geographical
region. This allows the business to be more aware of and responsive to local cultural differences and consumer needs.
Such organizational structures allow regional managers to have
better overall control over staffing and training issues.
96
Use 3 function to define managers.
* Planning: Setting objectives and planning. Managers are responsible for setting the course of action to achieve organizational objectives.They are involved in setting both
tactical and strategic plans.
* Organizing: Organising resources to meet the objectives.Managers organize resources in order to achieve corporate objectives. This might include delegating or allocating tasks to workers to ensure deadlines are met.
* Commanding: Directing and motivating staff. Managers give instructions and orders to their teams in order to achieve
business objectives. They should enforce discipline in the workplace to prevent slack and non-compliance.
97
What are managers responsible for in Controlling?
Managers are responsible for the performance and health and safety of their teams. Corrective measures should be taken if targets are not met.
98
What responsibility do managers have in coordinating activities?
Managers have the responsibility for ensuring that all departments strive to achieve the goals of the organization.
99
What is a leader?
A leader is someone who influences and inspires others to get things done. A leader fosters motivation, respect, trust and loyalty from the workforce
100
What is leadership?
Leadership is the process of influencing and inspiring others to achieve organizational goals. Leaders tend to focus on achieving boarder goals or visions with no definite time frame in mind.
101
What is management?
Management involves the process of planning, organizing and coordinating human and capital resources to achieve
organizational objectives. Managers tend to focus on achieving specific goals with definite time frame.
102
What is the difference between management and leadership in
terms of time commitment?
Management is often described as 9am to 5pm jobs, whereas leadership is about being responsible 24 hours each day.
103
How do managers and leaders differ in their perspective?
Managers have a short-term view, while leaders have a much longer perspective.
104
What types of questions do leaders deal with?
Leaders deal with what and why questions, such as the strategic direction of the organization.
105
How do managers and leaders differ in their influence on others?
Instructions and orders from managers are listened to because they come from an official person, while leaders motivate and inspire others.
106
How do managers and leaders differ in their approach to risk-
taking?
Managers follow predetermined rules and policies set by the organization, while leaders are more radical with their thinking.
107
What separates leaders from managers according to some
theorists?
Some theorists argue that it is the vision that leaders have which ultimately separates them from managers. Leaders create a culture of hope.
108
What are the key actions associated with leadership and
management respectively?
Leadership is associated with doing the right thing and setting goals, while management is associated with doing things right and achieving goals.
109
How do leaders and managers differ in their focus regarding
people and tasks?
Leaders are people-oriented and empower followers, while managers are task-oriented and direct/control others by delegating tasks to subordinates.
110
How do leaders and managers relate to change?
Leaders create a culture of change, while managers conform to organizational norms.
111
What is the focus of strategic decisions compared to tactical
planning and monitoring?
Leaders focus on strategic decisions while managers focus on tactical planning and monitoring.
112
How does autocratic leadership operate?
Autocratic leadership refers to leaders who make all the decisions and do not delegate any authority to their subordinates
or employees. The leader simply tells others what to do.
113
In what situations can autocratic leadership be applied?
It can be applied in armed forces and the police, as well as during managing crises such as oil tanker disasters or plane crashes and hostile takeovers, as well as when workers are unskilled.
114
What are some advantages of autocratic leadership?
Time management is a key advantage as decision making can be done quickly, and it works well with unskilled workforces who can simply follow orders.
115
What are the disadvantages of autocratic leadership?
Demotivation of employees due to ignored ideas, one-way communication, lack of input in decisions, and potential for high
labor turnover and absenteeism.
116
How is paternalistic leadership described?
Paternalistic leaders treat their employees as if they were family members by guiding them through a consultation process and acting in the best interest of their subordinates.
117
What does Labour Retention measure, and what can high levels
indicate?
Labour retention measures the proportion of employees remaining with a business during a specific time period. High levels of labour retention can indicate effective motivation.
118
What is absenteeism rate and what problems can high
absenteeism cause?
Absenteeism rate measures the proportion of staff absent from work during a specific period. High absenteeism can cause
problems such as increased costs due to sick pay and hiring temporary staff, reduced output, and demotivation of other staff who have to cover for absent workers.
119
What are some ways employees have greater control over their schedules?
Many companies have adopted hybrid work models where employees work remotely for a portion of the week and come into the office for team meetings or collaborative projects. Also, more individuals are opting for freelance or contract work.
120
What are some changes in occupations due to rapid technological change?
Some jobs have experienced significant reductions in demand, such as telephone operators, data and word processing roles,
and travel agents. There is an increasing demand for software programmers and digital marketers.
121
What are some new trends in working patterns and their
explanations?
Remote, Hybrid and Flexible Working: During the Covid pandemic, many organizations moved to remote work setups to ensure business continuity and the safety of employees. Employees worked from home and many continue to do so.Flexible work arrangements including flextime and compressed workweeks completing hours in 4 days instead of 5 have also become more common.
122
What are some examples of changes to working patterns?
Examples include job sharing, where two or more employees work at different times to complete the tasks required for one job; career breaks, where employees decide to stop working for a period of time; sabbaticals, which are formalised career breaks; and downshifting, where a senior employee relinquishes their position to move to a lower-paid position with fewer responsibilities.
123
What are some examples of alternative working routines?
Examples include teleworking, which involves working at home or from any other location away from the traditional workplace.
124
What does flexitime allow employees to do?
Work a specific amount of hours of work at times of their own choosing.
125
What is part-time work?
Where employers work for fewer hours than those expected in a full time role.
126
What is the nature of work for employees on temporary contracts?
They work for a business for a specific period of time, often through an employment agency.
127
What are some changing internal factors that can influence businesses?
Business growth, new business ownership, or internal restructuring.
128
What are some changing external factors that can influence businesses?
Changes to the market or technological advancements.
129
Why is resistance to change common in the workplace?
Especially true when employees have little say in the design and implementation of the change. The existing organizational culture can also play a significant role.
130
What is a primary reason for employee resistance to change?
Fear of the Unknown: Individuals find comfort in familiarity and could be worried about how the change will affect their roles,
responsibilities, and job security.
131
How can new technologies, systems, or processes contribute to resistance to change?
They often require employees to learn unfamiliar new skills, and employees may fear that existing knowledge and skills willbecome obsolete, potentially leading to job loss.
132
How can change lead to a loss of control for employees?
Change often involves a shift in power dynamics and decision-
making processes. Employees who are accustomed to a certain level of autonomy and control may feel threatened by the change.
133
What are the reasons for Resistance to Change
* Employees may be comfortable with their current ways of working and are hesitant to adapt to new methods.
* They may perceive the change as an inconvenience or an added burden that disrupts their working life. If employees doubt the intentions behind the change or have past experiences of broken promises or inconsistent communication they may be sceptical about the benefits of the proposed change.
* When employees feel excluded or uninformed about the reasons for the change, its implications or how it will be implemented they are more likely to resist it.
* Even if the change brings overall bene ts, employees may focus on what they feel they have lost such as reduced autonomy,
changed job responsibilities or altered relationships with colleagues.
134
What is termination?
Occurs when employees leave the business at the end of their contract, often to pursue professional development, change careers, or retire. These employees typically receive a reference.
135
What is dismissal?
Occurs when an employee has broken the terms of their contract due to reasons like missing work, poor discipline, or dishonesty. These employees do not receive a reference.
136
What is teleworking?
Employees work a set amount of hours, splitting their time between the office and home.
137
What is migration for work?
Due to better infrastructure and connectivity, people can easily migrate, even over great distances, for work.
138
What is a project-based organization?
A project-based organization is a market structure in which employees are organized around different projects that a firm carries out. This type of organization is supposed to be more flexible and responsive to market demand.
139
What are the advantages of project-oriented organizational structure?
Higher level of delegation: the project manager delegates tasks to different team members, which tends to be motivating for those as they feel empowered. Each team member will do their part of the job efficiently since they are specialists in their field.
140
What are the disadvantages of project-oriented organizational
structure?
Increased training costs. Not all members of the workforce will be able to fit into this organization structure.
141
What are the advantages of Paternalistic Leadership?
Employees take great pride in the organisation and do whatever is necessary so they don’t let the leader down.
142
What are the disadvantages of Paternalistic Leadership?
Leaders might not have an objective eye when assessing the performance of workers.
143
What is a Democratic Leader?
Employees are usually involved in the decision-making process, but the leader still has the final say. It is one of the most popular leadership styles since it is motivating for employees and they feel empowered and part of a team. It is usually associated with the flat organisational structure and with project-based and shamrock organization.
144
What are the advantages of Democratic Leadership?
The workforce is motivated since they are consulted in the decision-making process.
145
What are the disadvantages of Democratic Leadership?
Since the workers are involved, the decision-making process is longer and not efficient when it comes to making quick decisions.
146
What is a Laissez-faire Leader?
A lot of freedom is given to the employees. It's an extremely democratic form of leadership that tends to work when the
workforce is extremely motivated, skilled, educated, and open-minded. It is usually associated with the flexible forms of
organizational structures.
147
What are the advantages of Laissez-faire Leadership?
Employees enjoy the freedom this leadership style provides; they are more innovative and creative.
148
What are the disadvantages of Laissez-faire Leadership?
Interests of individuals might differ from the interest of the
organization, leading to reduced productivity if the workforce is
not in the same mental state as the leader.
149
What is Situational Leadership?
No leadership style is deemed the best. The type of leadership that will be pursued will depend on the situation.
150
What are the advantages of Situational Leadership?
In emergency situations, businesses might switch the leadership style to the most convenient one.
151
What are the disadvantages of Situational Leadership?
Changing leadership style too often might result in confusion of the workforce.
152
What is motivation?
Motivation is the willingness to exert high levels of effort to reach
153
What are the advantages of paying wages daily or weekly?
Workers feel their work is being valued. In case workers need to stay over hours, they will receive extra payment.
154
What are the disadvantages of paying wages daily or weekly?
The pay workers receive is not linked to the amount of output they receive therefore, they might go slow in order to make sure
they work over hours to receive more income.
155
What are the advantages of paying wages per unit batch of
output?
Workers know that if they are more productive, they will be rewarded for that. They see that their work has a monetary value.
156
What are the disadvantages of paying wages per unit batch of
output?
Workers might concentrate more on quantity produced and less on quality. This might increase costs for the business as quality check assurance systems would need to be put in place.
157
What are the advantages of paying staff with commission?
Workers will try to achieve the best sales results possible, which would result in a higher financial reward, while the business
benefits from higher sales. The very nature of the financial reward is the advantage.
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What are the disadvantages of paying staff with commission?
* External factors affecting sales recession, inflation affect the income of the workers, which is demotivating theres nothing they can do in case they cant sell more goods because of recession or inflation.
* Financially oriented, staff might make arrangements with customers that put the organization in a disadvantage position. a banker might give out a short-term loan to a business without previously checking whether the business can pay for it, which is disadvantage for the bank.
159
What are the advantages of profit-related pay?
It can be motivating for the workforce. If the business shares the profit of the whole organization with the staff, this gives them a sense of ownership over the business and belonging. The success of the company is their success.
160
What are the disadvantages of profit-related pay?
External factors affecting sales and thus profitability of the business automatically affect employees, which can prove to be demotivating as they have no power over the factor causing decreased sales.
161
What are the advantages of empowerment?
Employees see empowerment as motivating. Giving them more responsibility and involving them in the decision-making process usually makes them feel motivated, as they are glad to see that their contribution is valuable to the business. They also see the opportunity for promotion in the future as a result of
empowerment.
162
What are the disadvantages of empowerment?
There is a danger of the employee making decisions that can put the business in a disadvantageous position.
163
What are the advantages of teamwork?
A feature of decentralization is collaborative work across teams and
departments. The sharing of ideas can
foster pleasant relationships and generate
innovative ideas.
164
How does working in a group affect productivity and motivation ?
Working in a group increases productivity through stimulation from others and initiates a feeling of belonging and common effort, which can be motivating (referencing Maslow's theory).
165
What are the potential negative impacts of team failures, and
what caution is advised regarding non-financial rewards?
When teams fail, the whole organization suffers, and disputes between employees can reflect on the entire organization. Not
every organization can use non-financial rewards due to different corporate structures.
166
What is job enrichment, and what are its advantages and
disadvantages?
* Job enrichment is a type of job enlargement that gives employees greater responsibility and recognition by expanding their role in the production process.
* Advantages include increased worker motivation due to recognition.
* Disadvantages include that it cannot be used in all contexts, and not all employees find it motivating, especially low-skilled workers in repetitive jobs.
167
What is job rotation, and what are its advantages and
disadvantages?
* Job rotation involves an employee changing jobs and tasks from time to time to give them a greater sense of the whole production process.
* Advantages include increased workforce motivation as they see the importance of their tasks.
* Disadvantages include the
cost of training workers to work in different departments.
168
What is organizational culture ?
Organisational culture is defined as the values, attitudes, beliefs, meanings, and norms shaped by people and groups within the organisation..
169
What is Intrinsic Motivation?
Comes from within - satisfaction derived from working on and completing a task.
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What is Extrinsic Motivation?
Comes from outside - external rewards associated with working on a task pay with recognition.
171
What was Taylor's main finding?
Pay above all is the main source of motivation
172
What was Maslow's main finding?
Levels of human needs, from physiological to self-actualization
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What was Herzberg's main finding?
Hygiene factors which do not motivate alone and Motivators.
174
What are the three levels of corporate culture according to
Schein?
According to Schein, the three main levels of corporate culture are surface manifests (easily seen aspects like artefacts and
ceremonies), organisational values (consciously thought out and written values in mission/vision statements), and basic
assumptions (the actual culture known to employees, representing the totality of individual beliefs and behaviors).
175
What are the advantages of Shamrock organization?
Allows for complete specialisation of the core: they will concentrate on innovations and gathering new ideas. The flexible
workforce will be easier to hire and fire.
176
What are the disadvantages of Shamrock organization?
The insourced workers will suffer from lack of job security which might lead to decreased motivation and lower productivity. Not all members of the workforce will be able to fit into this organisation structure.
177
What are the 5 major functions of management?
Planning, Organising, Commanding, Coordinating, Controlling
178
Describe a power culture.
In a power culture, there is a central source of power responsible for decision-making. Rules and procedures exist but can be
overridden by those in power. This is characteristic of small to medium-sized businesses where a single owner founded the firm and is still in control.
179
Describe a role culture.
In a role culture, decisions are made through well-established processes and procedures.
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What is a role culture?
A role culture is associated with bureaucratic businesses and emphasizes power based on an employee's role rather than individual characteristics. Power lies with the roles individuals play.
181
What is a task culture?
In a task culture, power is given to those who can accomplish tasks. Teamwork is common, and teams are formed and
dissolved as needed. It's typical of project-based structures and democratic or laissez-faire leadership.
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What is a person culture?
A person culture supports individuals with expertise who may not work closely together. Examples include lawyers, accountants, and doctors.
183
What is a culture clash?
A culture clash occurs when there are differences between the current culture and the desired culture, often during new hires or company mergers. It can result from differences in formality, languages, leadership styles, etc.
184
What are the potential consequences of culture clashes?
Consequences of culture clashes include a sense of division, higher labor turnover, and decreased profitability due to bad
communication and low motivation.
185
What are the advantages and disadvantages of having a
corporate culture?
Advantages include providing a sense of identity, increasing motivation, fostering teamwork, and preventing misunderstandings. Disadvantages include employee rejection, difficulty in changing, and potential fear of status loss during
changes.
186
What is collective bargaining?
Collective bargaining is the negotiation process between employers and employee representatives on the terms and
conditions of employment.
187
Possible reasons for dispute
Differences in interests is when workers have personal.
188
What are some employee interests?
Interests such as higher wages, more flexible hours etc.
189
What are some manager interests?
How to produce more efficiently, how to improve cash flow etc.
190
Give some examples of change that may not be welcomed by the
workforce and can cause stress and resistance.
New technology, new leadership style etc.
191
How can poor communication cause conflict?
Messages passed along the communication channels can cause
misunderstandings.
192
How can different values cause conflict?
Workers and managers may see the world and their business in it differently.
193
What is 'Work to rule'?
This occurs when workers do not carry out any duties that are not in their employment contract. In other words, the staff only carries out tasks explicitly stated in their contract, which results in the tasks not being carried out efficiently.
194
What is 'Go slow'?
This approach involves workers deliberately slowing down production while still working within the terms of their contract.
195
What is an 'Overtime ban'?
This ban limits workers hours to the agreed contract of employment for normal hours. It is usually used by employee
representatives to demonstrate to management that the workforce is determined to take further collective action, such as strikes, if their demands are not met.
196
What is 'Strike action'?
This is the ultimate sanction used by the workforce, involving a stoppage in the production process, which can prove disastrous for a business.
197
What is the effect of changing work standards and piecework
rates?
This can have the effect of making the employees tasks more difficult or reducing their earnings unless they work a lot harder.
198
What are 'Lock-outs'?
This involves employers closing the factory for a period of time. Employees wages may not be paid during this period. This action
might adversely affect the public image of the company.
199
How can dismissal be used against employees?
In some cases, employers might threaten employees with dismissal. Each country usually has laws that set out the criteria
under which it is unfair to dismiss employees for taking industrial action.
200
What is 'Arbitration'?
Inviting an independent third party, the arbiter, to come in to conciliate the dispute. Both sides outline their positions and
provide evidence, which will be assessed and the arbiter will make a judgement. Both sides then need to respect the decision.
201
What is 'Industrial democracy'?
Running an organisation with the participation of the workforce.
For example, sharing ownership of the means of production or having trade union representatives in company boards and
governing bodies.
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What is a 'No-strike agreement'?
This happens when a trade union agrees not to undertake industrial action unless procedural steps have first been undertaken. This usually happens when the management team has agreed to certain conditions of the agreement.
203
What is a Single-union agreement ?
Recognising one union as the only representative of employees. This saves managers the difficulties of negotiating with several unions.
204
How to engage stakeholders?
Identify key stakeholders who will be affected by the change and involve them early in the process. Seek their input, address their concerns, and actively engage them in decision-making. This
helps build support and ownership for the change.
205
Define Organizational communication
The channels and forms of communications in which businesses engage,including both internal communication ( e.g,management and subordinates), and external-facing communications between an organization and its stakeholders ( e.g., suppliers)
206
What is the Importance of effective communication
* staff motivation and labor productivity
* the number and quality of ideas generated by staff
* speed of decision- making
* speed of response to market changes
* reduces the risk and occurrence of errors
* Effective co-ordination between departments.
207
Define Communication media
The formats used to convey messages including oral, written and electronic.
208
Define informal communication
Unofficial channels of communication that exist between informal groups within an organization.
209
Why does communication fail
Communication barriers
210
Define Barriers to communication
Any factor that prevents a message being received or correctly understood.
211
What is Informal communication ?
Communication is not defined by the organization’s structural hierarchy
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Types of formal communication include:
* Memos
* Intranet
* Team messaging apps
* Meetings
* Conferences
* Formal one on ones
* Bulletin boards
* Handouts
* Letters
* Presentations
* Speeches
* Notice boards
* Organizational blogs
* Emails from managers and leaders
213
Types of informal communication
Gossip,single strand,cluster and probability chain
214
Barriers to organizational communication
* interpersonal communication barriers
* Cultural barriers
* Decision-making barriers
* Insecurity within team
* Remote working barriers
215
What is communication?
Communication involves the transfer of information. This transfer can take place between people, between people and
organizations, or between different organizations. A transmission mechanism is simply the method by which one person communicates with another. Letters and emails are examples of methods of communication.
216
Explain the process of communication.
The process of communication involves several elements: the sender (who initiates the communication), the message (the
information transmitted), the medium (how the message is passed on), the receiver (the target audience), and feedback
(receiving a response from the target).
217
What is a potential disadvantage of informal communication related to information accuracy?
Employees may transmit inaccurate information through informal channels. This can occur because there are no controls on this channel of communication and no penalty for passing on false or distorted information.
218
How can informal communication potentially contradict formal communication?
A business may experience a situation in which information sent through formal channels is contradicted by that passed through informal ones. This can create difficulties for the business, as decision-making may slow and levels of motivation and productivity may be damaged if employees believe that they are not being given the full story through formal channels.
219
How can management use informal communication channels to improve labor relations?
Management can use informal communication channels to know the attitudes and opinions of the workforce. This can help to reduce misunderstanding between workers and management and improve their relationships.
220
How can informal communication contribute to job satisfaction?
* The use of informal communication can help to increase the level of job satisfaction enjoyed by a business’s employees.
* Expressing ideas and frustrations to colleagues without any concerns about their reactions can help employees to manage the stresses and strains of working life. For this reason, many businesses provide facilities such as social areas which facilitate informal communication.
221
Explain internal and external communication with examples.
Internal communication takes place within the business, like an email from HR to team leaders about overtime rates. External
communication occurs between the business and outside entities, such as a business posting job vacancies on its website.
222
Distinguish between formal communication and informal
communication.
Formal communication is the official and structured exchange of information within an organization, often following established channels and protocols. Informal communication, on the other hand, is the unofficial and spontaneous exchange of information, often occurring through casual conversations and social interactions.
223
What are Intranets?
Electronic, computer-based communication networks, similar in nature to the internet, but used internally by individual businesses. They are ideally suited to large businesses, especially those with a number of locations. They can provide an email service as well as access to information of interest to large numbers of employees.
224
What is Video Conferencing?
This allows people to communicate face-to-face while in different locations, nationally or internationally. Software such as Zoom and Alibaba DingTalk are popular as they can facilitate meetings of up to 100 people. It saves time and avoids the need for employees to travel to meetings. This form of communication was used widely during the 2020 Coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic, and many businesses are expected to continue to make extensive use of this technology to replace face-to-face meetings in the future.
225
Define formal communication
Formal communication refers to the official and structured exchange of information within an organization or business. It
typically follows established protocols, channels, and hierarchies, and is often documented to ensure clarity and accountability.
226
What is one-way communication and what is a potential problem?
One-way communication is when information is passed in a single direction within the organization with no feedback. A
potential problem is that the quality of decision-making may suffer because subordinates may have valuable insights that managers miss.
227
What is two-way communication and what is a potential problem?
Two-way communication is when information is passed up and
down the organizational structure, or outside the organization and back in. A potential problem is that managers may be subject to too much information, making it difficult to respond and select the most important messages. It can also delay decision-making.
228
What is vertical communication and what is a potential problem?
* Vertical communication is the exchange of information between individuals or groups at different levels within the organization.
* A potential problem is that employees may not pass on information to their subordinates or superiors, or they may provide information that is incomplete or inaccurate. This is more likely in organizations with a tall organizational structure.
229
What is horizontal communication?
Horizontal communication involves individuals or groups at the
same level of hierarchy within the business exchanging information, such as a meeting of a company's board of directors.
230
What is a potential drawback of horizontal communication in
organizations?
Horizontal communication may be informal and may not support decisions made through vertical communication channels, leading to a less clear focus on organizational objectives. It can also slow decision-making and harm organizational efficiency if decisions made through horizontal communication need subsequent approval.
231
What are some ways technology can hinder effective communication in businesses?
Over-reliance on IT systems without proper training and suitability, leading to more communication problems. Potential
barriers such as different languages, business and social cultures, and working in different time zones.
232
How do inappropriate management and leadership styles create communication barriers?
Autocratic leadership and traditional organizational structures encourage only downward communication, causing a lack of information at different levels. Separating managers and shop- floor employees can also discourage effective communication.
233
Why can mergers and takeovers lead to communication
problems?
Mergers and takeovers can create larger and more complex businesses, leading to poor communication due to a lack of
information during the pre-merger stage and the coordinationafterwards. Differences in languages, business cultures, and time zones can exacerbate these issues.
234
What is a key reason managers may fail to address poor communication in their businesses?
Managers may not recognize that there is a problem, attributing symptoms of poor communication, such as poor industrial
relations and low motivation, to other causes. They may also assume their access to all the information means communication is effective.
235
What is the first stage in overcoming barriers to communication?
The first stage in overcoming barriers to communication is for managers to identify the particular barrier or barriers that exist.
This analysis allows them to apply appropriate solutions to overcome the difficulties.
236
Most likely communication problems in internal and external communications and how to avoid them
Use of jargon or technical terms. Communications training to ensure employees consider the audience for communication and select language appropriately will help. Some larger businesses may have employees monitoring the use of language in formal communications.
