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Human Resources Flashcards

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1
Q

What is Human Resources primarily concerned with?

A

Recruiting, managing, and motivating staff within a business.

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2
Q

Define managing diversity in the workplace.

A

Making sure everyone in an organisation has equal pay for equal work and equal access to training and development.

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3
Q

What does employee engagement aim to achieve?

A

Ensuring employees are fully engaged and motivated to improve productivity.

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4
Q

What is the purpose of recruitment and selection?

A

Filtering and ensuring the best candidate is hired for a specific position.

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5
Q

What is talent development?

A

Developing, managing, and retaining employees.

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6
Q

What is corporate culture?

A

Ensuring the values of an organisation are communicated and understood by employees.

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7
Q

Why are HR objectives set?

A

To boost efficiency, provide good customer service, increase competitiveness, and create an effective working environment.

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8
Q

How should HR objectives relate to corporate objectives?

A

They should align to ensure employees are focused and productive.

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9
Q

List some internal influences on HR objectives.

A
  • Corporate objectives
  • Marketing strategies
  • Financial strategies
  • Number of employees
  • Operational strategies
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10
Q

List some external influences on HR objectives.

A
  • Changes in the market
  • Economic changes
  • Technological changes
  • Legal changes
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11
Q

What are common HR objectives?

A
  • Ensure Human Resources are employed cost-effectively
  • Match the workforce to business needs
  • Maintain good employer/employee relations
  • High employee management involvement
  • Manage diversity well
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12
Q

Define hard human resource management.

A

Treats employees as a resource of the business, often with an autocratic management style.

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13
Q

What are features of hard human resource management?

A
  • Flatter organisational structure
  • Little empowerment/delegation
  • Pay sufficient to recruit and retain staff
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14
Q

Define soft human resource management.

A

Treats employees as the most important resource in the business and a source of competitive advantage.

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15
Q

What are features of soft human resource management?

A
  • Employees treated as individuals
  • Employees empowered to take responsibility
  • Strong two-way communication
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16
Q

What does labour turnover measure?

A

The percentage of staff who leave within a given period of time.

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17
Q

How is labour turnover calculated?

A

(Number of employees leaving during period / Average number employed during period) x 100.

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18
Q

What are some reasons a business could lose staff?

A
  • Cost-cutting measures
  • Retirement/death/long-term illness
  • Changes in strategy
  • Mistreatment/bad working conditions
  • Promotions
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19
Q

List ways to improve retention rates.

A
  • More/better benefits
  • More flexible working hours
  • Reward staff loyalty
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20
Q

How is labour productivity calculated?

A

Output per period / Number of employees at work.

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21
Q

What factors influence labour productivity?

A
  • Quantity and quality of fixed assets
  • Skills, ability, and motivation of the workforce
  • Methods of production
  • Quality of training and support
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22
Q

What are external factors influencing labour productivity?

A
  • Reliability of suppliers
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23
Q

What are implications of high labour productivity?

A
  • Trade-off with quality
  • Employees may demand higher wages
  • Resistance to changes in production process
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24
Q

List ways to improve labour productivity.

A
  • More/better benefits
  • Performance measurement and target setting
  • Invest in capital equipment
  • Improve working conditions
  • Invest in employee training
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25
How is labour cost per unit calculated?
Total labour cost / Total level of output.
26
Define absenteeism.
An employee's intentional/habitual absence from work.
27
How is absenteeism calculated?
(Number of staff absent during period / Number of employees during period) x 100.
28
List ways to improve absenteeism.
* Recognition for high attendance * Creative freedom for employees * Offer more flexible hours * Clear sickness and absence policy
29
What are the types of organisational structures?
* Functional * Regional * Product-based * Matrix
30
Describe functional organisational structure.
Organises a company into different departments.
31
Describe regional organisational structure.
Structures a business around regions with staff assigned to each region.
32
What is a product-based organisational structure?
Each team is assigned to a different product/service the business offers.
33
Describe matrix organisational structure.
Teams report to multiple leaders.
34
What is span of control?
The number of employees whom a manager is responsible for.
35
What does span of control depend on?
* Personality and skill/experience of the manager * Size and complexity of the business * Whether the business is centralised or decentralised
36
Define chain of command.
Describes the line of authority in a business.
37
What are levels of hierarchy?
The number of layers of management or supervision in the organisational structure.
38
What is delayering?
Removing layers of management from the hierarchy of an organisation.
39
List benefits of delayering.
* Lowers labour costs * Faster decision-making * Greater emphasis on teamwork
40
Define delegation.
The assignment to others of the authority for particular tasks and decisions.
41
What are advantages of delegation?
* Reduced management stress and workload * Subordinates are empowered and motivated
42
What are disadvantages of delegation?
* Depends on quality/experience of subordinates * May increase stress and workload of subordinates
43
Define empowerment in the workplace.
Employees feeling like their actions matter.
44
What factors influence organisational structure?
* Size of business * Type of business * Management style * Competition within industry * Technology * Employees
45
What are reasons for changes in organisational structure?
* Not cost-effective * New leadership * More delegation
46
What challenges may arise from changes in structure?
* Time for employees to adapt * Potential redundancies
47
Define centralised decision making.
When most decisions are made by managers or a head office.
48
Define decentralised decision making.
Decision-making authority is distributed over a larger group.
49
What are reasons for hiring new staff?
* Business expansion * Existing employees leave * New skills required * Relocation
50
What is a job description?
What you do in the job.
51
What is a job specification?
What qualifications you need to be able to do the job.
52
What is internal recruitment?
Promotion and reorganisation of jobs given to staff already employed.
53
What is external recruitment?
Bringing new staff into the business.
54
List examples of ways to externally recruit.
* Job centres * Job advertisements * Headhunting * Personal recommendation
55
What are advantages of internal recruitment?
* Low training cost * More relevant experience
56
What are disadvantages of internal recruitment?
* May cause resentment * Limits number of potential applicants
57
What are advantages of external recruitment?
* Provides new ideas * Larger pool of candidates * Wider range of experience
58
What are disadvantages of external recruitment?
* Higher costs * Longer processes
59
What are the three main types of training?
* Induction * On the job * Off the job
60
What is redeployment?
Moving employees to different jobs, departments, or locations within the business.
61
What is Taylor's theory of motivation?
Managers should maintain close control & supervision; productivity can be improved by an autocratic management style.
62
What are strengths of Taylor's theory?
* Can increase productivity and efficiency * Promotes specialisation within the workplace
63
What are weaknesses of Taylor's theory?
* Need sufficient pay to maintain quality and motivation * High management costs due to close supervision
64
What is Maslow's hierarchy of needs?
A theory outlining five levels of human needs: psychological, safety, social, self-esteem, self-actualisation.
65
What are strengths of Maslow's hierarchy of needs?
Offers a structured approach on how to improve motivation.
66
What are weaknesses of Maslow's hierarchy of needs?
Individual needs may not align with the hierarchy.
67
What is Herzberg's two-factor theory?
A theory distinguishing between motivation factors and hygiene factors.
68
What are hygiene factors?
Factors that demotivate if not present, e.g., good working conditions.
69
What are motivational factors?
Factors that motivate people to work harder.
70
What are strengths of Herzberg's two-factor theory?
* Separates productivity and job satisfaction * Considers qualitative and quantitative factors
71
What are weaknesses of Herzberg's two-factor theory?
Hygiene factors may not always link to productivity factors.
72
What is a bonus system?
Only paid when certain targets have been reached.
73
What is performance-related pay?
Paid to those employees who meet certain targets.
74
How are wages typically paid?
Normally paid per hour worked and received at the end of the week.
75
What is profit sharing?
A system where employees receive a proportion of a company's profits.
76
What are fringe benefits?
Items an employee receives in addition to their normal wages.
77
What is a salary?
An annual payment paid at the end of each month.
78
What are share options?
Common incentive for senior managers who are given shares in a company instead of a bonus.
79
What is commission?
Pay according to the number of products sold.
80
What are benefits of piece rate?
* Increased productivity * Requires low level of managerial supervision
81
What are drawbacks of piece rate?
There is a trade-off with quantity and quality.
82
What are benefits of commission?
* High earnings potential * Flexible schedules * Independence
83
What are drawbacks of commission?
* Employees may push customers * May lose motivation if unsuccessful
84
What are benefits of performance-related pay?
Managers can easily monitor performance.
85
What are drawbacks of performance-related pay?
* Discourages a team-based approach * Difficult to accurately measure * Incentives may not be large enough to motivate
86
List non-financial methods of motivation.
* Job enrichment * Better communication * Empowerment * Team working * Job enlargement * Praise * Working environment * Promotion

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