human resources

Question 1

human resources definition

Answer 1

the management of the total relationship between an employer and employee.

The strategic role of human resources involves the long term planning of staffing in a business

Question 2

stakeholder definition

Answer 2

A stakeholders is any person who has an interest in the business in some way

Question 3

employees

Answer 3

the people who are paid to work for the employer.

employees are the ‘human capital’ essential to the production processes.

Question 4

employees from HR perspective

Answer 4

From an HR perspective, employees in HR management are to increase cost and complexity in relation to pay and conditions.

Question 5

unions:

consists of…

principal activities…

formed to…

Answer 5

an organisation that consists of employees.

the principal activities include the negotiation of rates of pay and conditions for its members

Unions were formed to combat the bargaining that employers have under the employment contract.

Question 6

union objectives

Answer 6

They are united in opposition to pay cuts, outsourcing, casualisation of the workforce and job losses.

Question 7

qantas union

unions have reacted … to …

Answer 7

• Qantas has high unionised workforce
• The employees are represented by 16 different unions

unions have reacted angrily to Qantas’ drive to cut labour costs and have a waged political community and an industrial campaign against Qantas.

Question 8

minimum employment standards

Answer 8

38 hours per week, flexible work, leave, public holidays, notice of termination and redundancy pay, provision of fair work information statement

Question 9

WHS role

Answer 9

fostering a workplace culture that embeds a health and safety culture

ensuring the right people are in the right roles

ensuring documented workplace health and safety policies and procedure

Question 10

qantas WHS stat

Answer 10

Qantas WHS program has increased safety awareness and led to an 80% reduction in employee injury since 2001

Question 11

anti discrimination act

Answer 11

Discrimination occurs when a policy or practice disadvantages a person or group because of a personal characteristic that is irrelevant to the performance of the work.

disability discrimination act 1992

Qantas must comply

qantas investigates identifies and prevents discrimination

Question 12

economic influence

Answer 12

Economic influences especially the economic cycle have a major impact on human resources. The economic cycle has 4 distinct phases,

as the economy moves through these phases, there are different impact on investment, consumer demands for goods and service, prices and many other variables.

These in turn will affect employment and demand for labour

Question 13

high economic growth

employment level…

increased ___ power of…

levels of ___ are high so ….

Answer 13

high employment

increase in bargaining power of employees and unions.

Industrial action is common at these times.

When levels of inflation are high and prices increase unions seek to gain pay increase to match

Question 14

technological influences on HR

Answer 14

technology has enabled the HR function to provide a higher level of service to the business at a lower cost

Question 15

changing work patterns

Answer 15

increase participation of women in the workforce: now 62%

ageing workforce

more casual employees

Question 16

qantas changing work patterns

Answer 16

There are now more part-time and casual employees at Qantas (17%)

female employees now comprise 45% of Qantas’ total workforce

Question 17

changing living standards

Answer 17

increasing income equality

the casualisation of the workforce

lack of life balance and working long hours

impact of technology, never away from the office

Question 18

ethics and corporate responsibility

Answer 18

Ethical business practices are those practices that are socially responsible, morally right, honourable and fair.

this means a business has a clean, healthy, safe and stimulating work environment for their employees.

Question 19

ethics and corporate responsibility benefits

Answer 19

Staff retention and absenteeism rates improve as staff feel more valued and motivated

Business costs (recruitment and training) are reduced and business performance is enhanced

Marketing and business opportunities are promoting best practice

Question 20

leadership style benefits

Answer 20

Staff retention and absenteeism rates improve as staff feel more valued and motivated

Business costs (recruitment and training) are reduced and business performance is enhanced

Marketing and business opportunities are promoting best practice

Question 21

if leadership style is working:

reduction in…

increase in…

Answer 21

reduction in staff turnover

increase in production and innovation

Question 22

training and development

Answer 22

to determine the needs for training and development across the organisation, create or purchase the types of training and development and then monitor and control the program to ensure the development goals are being met.

Question 23

if training and development is working:

Answer 23

participation in satisfactory surveys

number of training hours per person across the business increases

decrease in regulatory compliance failures

Question 24

reward effects/benefits

Answer 24

avoiding high turnover

monitoring behaviours which are in the interests of productivity, quality and customer service

Question 25

individual rewards

Answer 25

relate pay to individual performance, retain best performers, equitable distribution of compensation, suitable for individualistic culture

Question 26

if rewards are working:

Answer 26

reduction in number of days positions are unfilled increase in number of average qualified candidates per role reduction in staff turnover of high performers increase in outcomes on culture and employee satisfaction surveys

Question 27

qantas employee evidence

Answer 27

Qantas employs over 22,000 full time employees, all concerned with the maintenance of their existing levels of pay. Qantas’ employees have been angered by Qantas’ industrial relations tactics and length of time taken to end some disputes. heavily supports union action and sometimes even rejected initial enterprise agreements negotiated by their unions

Question 28

what would happen if employees were unhappy with pay and conditions (employee stakeholder)

Answer 28

the businesses performance can be dramatically affected, creating a change in staff turnover employees lack motivation, productivity, effectiveness and efficiency causing business objectives to go uncompleted causing the business to lose its competitive advantage and success rates.

Question 29

employee stakeholder indicator and strategy

Answer 29

indication: changes in staff turnover strategy: leadership style

Question 30

changes in staff turnover

Answer 30

staff turnover refers to the separation of employees from the employer, both voluntary and involuntary. This is a key indicator of the effectiveness of HR management. When staff stay with an employer, the employer is likely to be highly regarded.

Question 31

qantas staff turnover stat

Answer 31

Qantas observed a 11.2% voluntary staff turnover in 2021, the highest in the past 3 years.

Question 32

how can unions help business success?

Answer 32

Through representing worker interests, they can help improve turnover and increasing employees’ commitment to business success as they are more motivated and productive due to job satisfaction, pay and working conditions.

Question 33

enterprise agreement

Answer 33

an employment contract protected under the legal framework are a key influence contributing to the performance of a business.

Question 34

employment contract

Answer 34

voluntary and negotiated agreement between employees and their employer tailored specifically for their workplace and their environment opportunity to negotiate with employers, significantly increasing productivity

Question 35

enterprise agreement qantas

Answer 35

In may 2021, Qantas announced it will introduce a 2 year wage freeze on all new enterprise agreement across the Qantas group as it seeks to reduce its annual cost by $1 billion by the 2023 financial year.

Question 36

qantas wage freeze effects

Answer 36

led to a significantly poor business performance among employees, dramatically affecting the success of Qantas. Many workers are primarily motivated by compensation thus, to accept that their hard work and years of performance and dedication will be rewarded would inevitably lead to dissatisfaction and potentially the loss of valuable employees, meaning Qantas will risk losing a competitive advantage.

Question 37

what is worker satisfaction indicator and how to promote

Answer 37

Worker satisfaction is the sense that one’s work is meaningful and deserving of appreciation In order to promote worker satisfaction, HR will implement a rewards strategy in which workers are rewarded on their contribution to the company, specifically performance pay would prove an effective mechanism

Question 38

benefits of WHS act

Answer 38

employees feel safe and protected - achieve business goals effectively staff turnover low as employees have low risk of injury due to increased safety awareness positive relationship between employer and employee

Question 39

injury frequency rate qantas stat

Answer 39

In 2019, Qantas recorded a 24.4 total recordable injury frequency rate

Question 40

accident indicator and how is it improved

Answer 40

A reduced accident rate will lead to a happier, more productive workplace can thus be improved through the strategy of training and development in which an employee's ability to complete work will be improved thus preventing future injuries.

Question 41

how does anti-discrimination help business performance

Answer 41

promotes a formation of unity within the workplace, allowing employees to feel comfortable and secure within the work environment increasing productivity rates as employees are motivated to achieve business goals healthy relationship Qantas has formed with its employees, sustaining the business’s competitive advantage and thereby leading to success.

Question 42

discrimination absenteeism and how to improve

Answer 42

a business will note the absenteeism of employees due to conflict in the workplace the business must implement T&D

Question 42

qantas absenteeism stat

Answer 42

Qantas’ absenteeism rates have decreased in recent years and average about 9 days per year. High levels of absenteeism at qantas are a strong indicator of dissatisfaction in their workplace.

Question 43

discrimination absenteeism and how to improve

Answer 43

If there is discrimination in the workplace, a business will note the absenteeism of employees due to conflict in the workplace It is then the role of the HRM to ensure discrimination does not occur again through effective use of training and development.

Question 44

qantas economy influence

Answer 44

Covid-19 and the associated collapse in air travel has profoundly affected the human resources division at Qantas. The airline was forced to reduce staff members to cut costs and initially stood 25000 staff, with 15000 remaining until international flying resumes. Additionally, Qantas made 6000 staff redundant, equating to 20% of the workforce.

Question 45

effect of economy on employees

Answer 45

a decrease in the business’s productivity enhancing low staff morale employees will feel unprotected and unsecure within their role affecting their motivation to achieve business goals

Question 46

staff turnover due to economy

Answer 46

during times of high economic activity employers may witness changes in staff turnover due to possibilities of high paying jobs to accommodate for the increased prices of products due to inflation.

Question 47

qantas technology

Answer 47

new security systems in response to terrorism threats, new planes new online check in and self-service kiosks. Qantas’ staff have had to learn new skills positions have been made redundant.

Question 48

influence of technology

Answer 48

adjust its internal environment and spend excess expenditure in training staff in the use of this technology tasks can be done with much more efficiency focus more on core business tasks and revenue-generating activities

Question 49

benchmarking key variables

Answer 49

process of comparing one business standard’s against a competitor or an industry average. If this is investigated and unsatisfactory then technology must then be improved through the strategy of performance management.

Question 50

performance management and outcomes

Answer 50

monitor, control and improve the performance of the human resources within each of the key business functions satisfaction of manager and employees with the process proportion of employees participating in appraisal processes training and development activities are aligned with performance appraisal outcomes

Question 51

acquisition

Answer 51

process of attracting and recruiting the right staff for roles in a business

Question 52

recruitment

Answer 52

process of locating and attracting the right quantity and quality of stadd to apply for employment vacancies or anticipated vacancies

Question 53

development

Answer 53

process of developing and improving the skills and knowledge of staff through indication, ongoing training and further professional development

Question 54

induction

Answer 54

induction program allows new employees to be introduced to the job, coworkers and th businesses culture

Question 55

training under development

Answer 55

seeking long term changes in employees skills knowledge attitudes and behaviour in order to improve work practice focus on acquiring new skills and knowledge which assists business in adapting to change and gaining competitive advantage

Question 56

organisational development

Answer 56

to encourage, management structures are flatter and encourage the use of teams to develop and share ideas and solutions to improve efficiency of the organisation

Question 57

mentoring and coaching

Answer 57

motivating and developing staff who exhibit leadership potential

Question 58

personal appraisal

Answer 58

process of assessing the performance of an employee, generally against a set of criteria and standards

Question 59

maintenance

Answer 59

managing the needs of staff for health and safety, industrial relations and legal responsibilities including compensation and benefits of all staff

Question 60

communication and workplace culture

Answer 60

poor communication can lead to conflict and high turnover business must implement effective communication methods (meetings, social functions) so employees feel motivated at work

Question 61

employee participation

Answer 61

businesses encourage employee participation to improve communication, empower employees and develop their commitment to improving quality and efficiency

Question 62

benefits under maintenance

Answer 62

offering monetary or non-monetary benefits to reflect the business' core beliefs and values another benefit it increased work life balance (1/3 of Australians look at this when choosing a job)

Question 63

legal compliance and corporate social responsibility under maintenance

Answer 63

employers are required to ensure HR procedures and policies comply with laws to avoid compliance costs

Question 64

separation

Answer 64

process of employees leaving voluntarily or involuntarily through dismissal, or retrenchment processes

Question 65

dismissal

Answer 65

instant form of dismissal for employees involved in serious misconduct

Question 66

unfair dismissal

Answer 66

when an employee is dismissed by their employer and they believe the action is harsh, unreasonable or unjust