Managing People 1.4 Flashcards
(176 cards)
1
Q
What is soft HRM?
A
Treating staff as an asset
2
Q
How do businesses treat staff as an asset?
A
- Treated as most important resource in business
- Employees treated as individuals
- Focuses on needs of employees
3
Q
What are the key features employees have if they are treated as an asset?
A
- Permanent contracts
- Training + development
- Salary
- Staff loyalty
4
Q
What is hard HRM?
A
Treating staff as a cost
5
Q
How do businesses treat their staff as costs?
A
- Treated as resources to business
- Link with corporate business planning
- Identifies workforce needs + recruit/ manage accordingly
6
Q
What are the key features employees have if they are treated as a cost?
A
- Flexible contracts
- Minimal training
- Low pay/ hourly pay
- High staff turnover
7
Q
Is soft HRM a good approach?
A
+ Rewards employee performance + motivate staff
- Costs of workforce may leave business at competitive disadvantage
8
Q
Is hard HRM a good approach?
A
+ Cost-effective workforce where decision making is quicker
- Staff turnover + less successful recruitment
9
Q
What are the 4 different types of a flexible workplace?
A
- Multi-skilling
- Part-time & temporary
- Flexible hours & home-working
- Outsourcing
10
Q
What is multi-skilling?
A
Staff are allowed to carry out a variety of tasks rather than specialise in one
11
Q
What are the advantages of multi-skilled staff?
A
- Flexible (perform many dif. tasks)
- Reduces costs (fill in tasks needed immediately
- Job satisfaction (less repetitive jobs)
12
Q
What are the drawbacks of multi-skilled staff?
A
- Overwhelmed employees (too much work given)
- Tasks lacking standards
- Lack of motivation
13
Q
What is part-time working?
A
Allow workers to contribute their excellent skills + experiences without making a commitment to full-time work
14
Q
What are the advantages of part-time working?
A
- Lower costs
- Increased productivity
- Improved employee retention
- Reduce transportation costs
- Flexible schedules
15
Q
What are the drawbacks of part-time working?
A
- Administrative burden
- Communication difficulties
- Integration challenges
- Loss of customers
- Skill gap
16
Q
What is temporary working?
A
Employed on short-term contracts
- Contracts not renewed if no longer needed
17
Q
What are the advantages of temporary working?
A
- Flexible
- Cost saving
- Specialised skills
- Potential for permanent employment
- Scale workforce quickly
18
Q
What are the drawbacks of temporary working?
A
- Less motivated
- Low quality work
- Lack long term job security
- Time consuming to find worker
19
Q
What are flexible hours?
A
Staff allowed to choose when they work their set number of hours/ allowed to work some of their hours from home
20
Q
What are the advantages of flexible hours?
A
- Improved employment retention
- Increased productivity
- Reduce costs
- Better response to demand
21
Q
What are the drawbacks of flexible hours?
A
- More procrastination
- Harder to keep track of employees
22
Q
What are zero-hour contracts?
A
Employment contract that has a minimum of zero hours per week
23
Q
What are the advantages of zero-hour contracts?
A
- Flexible
- Cost saving
- Extra income
- Simplicity
24
Q
What are the drawbacks of zero-hour contracts?
A
- Unpredictable income
- Job insecurity
- Lack of commitment
- Short notice demand
- Inconsistencies
25
What is outsourcing?
Delegating 1+ business processes to an external provider who then owns, manages + administers the selected processes to an agreed standard
26
What are the advantages of outsourcing?
1. Allow businesses to access specialised skills
2. Reduced labour costs
27
What are the drawbacks of outsourcing?
1. Loss of control over quality + deliver
2. Ethical concerns if based in country with lower labour standards
28
What is being dismissed/ fired?
Break of contract/ other unacceptable behaviour
29
What is redundancy?
Employee loses job because job is no longer required by business
30
When does employee representation arise?
When employees are part of a formal structure for involving them in decision-making process of a business
31
Why are employers required to involve employees in by employment law?
- Redundancy programmes
- Employees transferred from one employer to another
- Changes to pension agreements
- Changes to working time arrangements
32
What does employee representation help to do?
- Employees views know to management
- Help understand workplace issues
- Create atmosphere of mutual trust
33
What is collective bargaining?
An employer deals with 1 or few representatives for the whole workforce when discussing problems, negotiating pay-rise, changing working conditions
34
What is an individual approach?
Employees treated on an individual basis, with people singled out for different treatment
35
What are the advantages of employee representation?
1. Increase empowerment + motivate workforce
2. Employees more committed to objectives
3. Better decision making
4. Lower risk of disputes
36
What are the disadvantages of employee representation?
1. Time consuming (slow down decision making?)
2. Conflicts between employer/ employee
3. Managers feel authority being undermined
37
What are the advantages of many now working from home/ flexible working?
1. Cheaper to employ
2. More flexible workforce
3. Wide range of potential recruits
38
What are the disadvantages of many now working from home/ flexible working?
1. Less loyalty= less motivated
2. Harder for managers to control + coordinate workforce
39
What are 4 reasons that a business needs to recruit more people?
1. Business expansion
2. Existing employees leaving
3. Need employees with new skills
4. Business is relocation
40
Why might a business expand?
- Increasing sales
- Developing new product
- Entering new market
41
Why might existing employees leave?
- Work with competitors
- Retirement/ sick leave/ maternity leave
42
What are the 2 elements to cost as to why recruitment and selection is costly?
1. Lost output from replacing employee
2. Logistical cost of running recruitment & selection process
43
What are the steps in the recruitment & selection process?
1. Determine number + type of employees needed
2. Conduct job analysis for vacancies to identify duties + responsibilities involved
3. Create job description + personal specification
4. Advertise vacancy
5. Draw up short-list of candidates for interview
6. Decide suitable candidate
7. Appoint successful one, inform those not successful
44
What is it and what methods are used in internal recruitment?
- Jobs given to staff already employed by business
- Promotion + reorganisation
45
What are the benefits of internal recruitment?
1. Reduce hiring time
2. Build employee engagement
3. Improve morale
4. Lower costs
5. Lower risk
6. Motivates employees
46
What are the drawbacks of internal recruitment?
1. Reduced pool of candidates
2. Leave a gap in department?
3. Competition among employees
4. Miss out on really good employee
47
What methods are used in external recruitment?
- Job centres
- Job advertisements
- Recruitment agencies
-Headhunting
- Personal recommendation
48
What are the benefits of external recruitment?
1. Access to more candidates
2. Offers fresh perspectives
3. Less internal tensions
4. Access to specialist candidates
5. Keep company competitive (staff motivated)
6. Add value to brand
49
What are the drawbacks of external recruitment?
1. Additional training
2. Increased cost
3. Time consuming to interview
4. Demotivates current workforce
5. Increased risk
50
What 3 different methods are there of selection?
1. Interviews
2. Testing & profiling
3. Assessment centre
51
How are interviews used in the selection process and analysis?
Meeting & asking questions about skill, experience, knowledge
+ Provide evidence
+ Immediate perception of person
- Could be bad in interviews but good at job
52
How is testing & profiling used in the selection process and analysis?
Test them to see how good they are
+ Shows knowledge of what sector they're going into
53
How are assessment centres used in the selection process and analysis?
Provide short list candidates with opportunity to demonstrate skills + suitability for job
+ See how person interacts with others
54
What are some training needs?
- Support new employees
- Improve productivity
- Increase marketing effectiveness
- New tech
- Changes in legislation
55
What are the potential benefits for the business if staff are provided with training?
- Better productivity
- Higher quality
- More flexibility
- Less supervision required
- Improved motivation
- Better recruitment + employee retention
56
Why might a business not invest in training its employees?
- Fear employees poached by competitors
- Want to minimise short term costs
- Can't make justifiable investment
- Training takes time
57
What is on-the-job training?
An employee received training whilst remaining in the work place
58
What are 4 methods of on-the-job training?
1. Demonstration/ instruction
2. Coaching
3. Job rotation
4. Projects
59
What is coaching for on-the-job training?
Involves closely working relationship between an experienced employee + trainee
60
What is job rotation for on-the-job training?
Trainee is given several jobs in succession to gain experience of wide range of activities
61
What are projects for on-the-job training?
Employees join project team which gives them exposure to other parts of business + allow them to take part in new activities
62
What are the advantages of on-the-job training?
1. Cost effective
2. Employees more productive
3. Opportunity to learn whilst doing
4. Train alongside real colleagues
63
What are the disadvantages of on-the-job training?
1. Quality depends on ability of trainer + time available
2. Bad habits passed on
3. Learning env. not be conducive
4. Potential disruption to production
64
What is off-the-job training?
Training takes place away from the workplace
65
What are common examples of off-the-job training?
- Day attendance at college
- Professional development course
- Online training
66
What are the advantages of off-the-job training?
1. Wide range of skills obtained
2. Learn from outside specialists
3. Employees more confident when starting job
67
What are the disadvantages of off-the-job training?
1. More expensive
2. Lost working time + potential output
3. New employees still need induction training
4. Employees have new skill & may leave for better job
68
What does the organisational structure show?
How employees + management are organised in a business
69
What does the organisational structure determine?
1. Authority + responsibility
2. Job roles/ title
3. Accountability
4. Communication flows
70
What do organisation charts show?
1. Span of control
2. Line management
3. Chain of command
71
What are the levels of hierarchy?
Number of layers (of management/ supervision) within an organisation
72
What is the span of control?
Number of employees who are directly supervised by a manager
(7= wide, below 3= narrow)
73
What does the span of control depend on?
1. Experience of manager
2. Nature of business
3. Skill/ attitude of employee
4. Tradition/ culture of organisaton
74
Factors of a narrow span of control
- Close supervision
- More layers in hierarchy required?
- More effective communication
75
Factors of a wide span of control
- Independence of subordinates
- More appropriate if labour costs significant
76
What is the chain of command?
Lines of authority within a business
77
What are the advantages of a flat structure?
1. Collaboration
2. Faster/ efficient decision making
3. Creativity + innovation
78
What are the disadvantages of a flat structure?
1. Lack of clear hierarchy
2. Not provide clear opportunities for career advancement
3. Employees take multiple roles (burnout)
79
What are the advantages of a tall structure?
1. Clear hierarchy (roles + responsibilities)
2. Promotes specialisation
3. Opportunity for career advancement
80
What are the disadvantages of a tall structure?
1. Communication barriers
2. Slow decision making
3. Lead to excessive levels of control
81
What are some other ways to structure?
- Function
- Product/ activity
- Area
- Customer
- Process
82
Why would a business change its organisational structure?
- Business growth
- Reduce cost
- Improving employee motivation
- Customer service improvements
83
What are the challenges of changing a businesses organisational structure?
- Employee resistance
- Disruption + demotivation
- Costs
- Negative impact on quality
84
What is delayering?
Removing the layers of management from hierarchy
85
What are the benefits of delayering?
1. Reduce costs
2. Improved communication
3. Faster decision making
4. Faster innovation
5. Motivates employees
86
What are the drawbacks of delayering?
1. Increased workload
2. Reduced career progression
3. Negative impact on morale
4. Increased stress
87
What is a matrix structure?
Individuals work across teams + projects
(teams temporary/ permanent)
88
What are the advantages of a matrix structure?
1. Utilise skills within organisation
2. Effective communication
3. Increased morale
4. Generate new ideas
89
What are the disadvantages of a matrix structure?
1. Split across 2 managers/ departments (what to do first)
2. Takes time to gel as a team
90
What does it mean when a business is centralised?
Authority with senior managers at the centre of the business
91
What does it mean when a business is decentralised?
Authority delegated further down hierarchy
92
What is centralised decision making?
Decision making kept at the top of the hierarchy
93
What are the benefits of centralised decision making?
1. Strong control over decision making
2. Optimise resource allocation across departments
3. Faster decision making
4. Clear communication
94
What are the drawbacks of centralised decision making?
1. Low employee morale
2. Lack of flexibility (hard to quickly adapt
3. Limited innovation
4. Communication may not flow between layers
95
What is decentralised decision making?
Decision making spread out to include more junior managers in hierarchy
96
What are the benefits of decentralised decision making?
1. Staff motivation
2. Local teams respond quickly to changes in local area
3. Better customer service
97
What are the drawbacks of decentralised decision making?
1. Decisions made by less experienced people
2. Local decisions inconsistent with overall strategy?
98
What is delegation?
Assignment to others of authority for particular function
99
What are the advantages of delegation?
1. Pass on responsibility
2. Motivate staff
100
What are the disadvantages of delegation?
1. May be to worse standard
2. Less motivation (due to lower pay)
101
What is job empowerment?
Delegating power to employees so they can make own decisions
102
What is motivation and where does it come from?
Will to work
Enjoyment of work itself/ desire to achieve certain goals
103
Who invested the theories of motivation?
- Taylor
- Maslow
- Herzberg
- Mayo
104
What theories of motivation are there?
- Scientific management (T)
- Hierarchy of needs (Mas)
- Two factor theory (H)
- HR theory (May)
105
What was Taylors scientific management theory of motivation?
1. Identify efficient method of production
2. Find most efficient workers
3. Train remaining worker to work like best
4. Pay based on productivity
106
How do businesses use Taylor's approach to motivation?
- Workers trained for 1 specific task
- Only paid for completed work (piece rate pay)
107
What are the advantages of Taylor's approach to motivation?
1. Increased efficiency
2. Reduce error due to standardised procedure
3. Clear hierarchy
4. Improved training + development
108
What are the drawbacks of Taylor's approach to motivation?
1. Overemphasis on efficiency reduces worker satisfaction
2. Workers disengage from work
3. Limited applicability (doesn't work for all roles)
4. Potential for exploitation (welfare not considered)
109
What was Maslow's hierarchy of needs theory of motivation?
Top:
- Self-actualisation (achieving targets)
- Esteem (Promotion)
- Social (part of a team)
- Safety (working env.)
- Psychological (basic needs)
:Bottom
110
What does Maslow's hierarchy suggest?
- 5 level of human needs which employees need to have fulfilled at work
- Need to fully meet lower level before moving (motivated by opportunity)
- Business should offer different incentives
111
What are the advantages to a business of applying Maslow's hierarchy?
1. Higher employee satisfaction
2. Offers incentives to increase motivation
3. Improves employee performance
112
What are the disadvantages to a business of applying Maslow's hierarchy?
1. Doesn't fit everyone (may need to tailor to meet individual needs)
2. Expensive
3. Time consuming
113
What was Herzberg's two factor theory?
Motivators and hygiene factors needed for workplace motivation
114
What are motivators in Herzberg's theory?
Factors that directly motivate people to work harder
E.g. responsibility, recognition of good work, promotion ops
115
What are hygiene factors in Herzberg's theory?
Factors that can demotivate you if not present, but don't actually motivate to work harder when present
E.g. pay, working conditions, job security
116
What did Herzberg think managers should do?
- Motivate by using motivators + ensure hygiene factors met
- Use job enrichment + empowerment
117
How can businesses use motivating factors to increase satisfaction?
1. Build a recognition/ reward system
2. Offer opportunities for growth + development
3. Provide challenging work requiring problem solving
118
What did Mayo believe about workers?
They aren't concerned with money + better motivated by having their social needs met whilst at work
119
What did Mayo's motivation theory focus on?
Managers taking more of an interest in the workers, treating them as people who have worthwhile opinions + enjoy interacting together
120
What did Mayo conclude workers were best motivated by?
- Better communication between manager + workers
- Greater manager involvement in employee work life
- Working as a team
121
How do businesses use Mayo's approach for motivation theory?
- Empowering employees in decision making
- Team-building activities
- Provide feedback + recognition of employees
- Positive working env.
122
What are the advantages of Mayo's motivation theory?
1. Improved job satisfaction
2. Increased productivity
3. Better communication
4. Employee empowerment
5. Stronger teams
123
What are the disadvantages of Mayo's motivation theory?
1. Time consuming to build relationships
2. Lack of control (decisions made by staff)
3. Potential for conflict
4. Limited applicability
124
What is employee engagement?
Employees are deeply integrated into their work, including supporting the values of the organisation
125
What are the 3 main elements to employee engagement?
1. Intellectual engagement
2. Affective engagement
3. Social engagement
126
What is intellectual engagement?
Thinking about the job & how to do it better
127
What is affective engagement?
Feeling positive about doing a good job
128
What is social engagement?
Takes ops to share work-related issues with others at work
129
What are wages?
Paid per hour worked and receive money at the end of the week
130
What are salaries?
Annual salary which is pai at the end of each month
131
What is a bonus system/ pay?
Paid when certain targets have been achieved
132
What is overtime?
Additional hours worked over + above normal working hours
133
How is bonus pay used?
Motivates staff to work harder in order to meet a realistic yet challenging target
134
What is commission?
Paid according to number of products they sell
135
What is one advantage and disadvantage of commission?
+ Clear link between sales & remuneration
- Sales influence by factors outside employees control
136
What is profit sharing?
System where employees receive a proportion of a company's profits
137
What are the advantages of profit sharing?
1. Sense of team spirit (remove barriers between managers + workers)
2. Improve employee loyalty
3. More likely to accept changes if see profit increases overall
138
What is performance related pay?
Paid to those employees who meet certain targets
139
What are the advantages of performance related pay?
1. Management easily monitor individual performance
2. Setting targets ensure they are closely focused on company objectives
140
What are the disadvantages of performance related pay?
1. Create unhealthy rivalry between managers
2. Difficult to accurately measure performance
3. Incentives not large enough to motivate
141
What are share options?
Common incentive for senior managers who are given shares in the company rather than a bonus/ membership of a profit sharing scheme
142
What are fringe benefits?
Items an employee receives in addition to their normal wage/ salary
E.g. company car, health insurance
143
What are piece rate payments?
Paid per item produced in a certain period of time
144
What are the advantages of piece rate payments?
1. Low level of supervision
2. High speed production
3. Good incentive if motivated by pay
145
What are the disadvantages of piece rate payments?
1. Focused on quantity not quality
2. Repetitive (demotivating)
146
What is job empowerment?
Delegating power to employees so they can make their own decisions
147
What is praise?
Recognition for good work
148
What is promotion?
Promoting employees to a position of higher responsibility
149
What is job enrichment?
Giving employees more challenging + interesting tasks
150
What is job enlargement?
Giving employees more tasks of a similar level of complexity
151
What is job rotation?
Moving employees through a range of related jobs + tasks in order to increase interest + motivation
152
Why is better communication/ consultation a non-financial incentive?
Employees have a chance to give feedbacks + advise to managers
153
Why is a working environment a non-financial incentive?
Providing a safe, clean, comfortable env. to work in
154
What is team working?
Offers employees an opportunity to meet their social needs + often accompanied by empowerment from team
155
What is flexible working?
A range of employment options that provide an alternative to full-time permanent employment
156
What are the advantages of flexible working?
1. Cost saving
2. Improving recruitment & staff retention
3. Reflect changing workstyle in UK
4. Development in tech change
5. Improved customer service
157
What is leadership?
Way in which one person influences the behaviour/ actions of other people
158
What is the role of leadership?
- Inspire employees
- Creating a vision
- Shaping core values & culture of business
- Building effective teams
159
What is the difference between a leader and a manager?
A leader inspires and drives vision/ focusing on innovation + change, while a manager organises + executes plans/ ensuring efficiency + stability in a business
160
What are the 3 core levels of management for a business?
1. Senior management
2. Middle management
3. Junior management
161
What does senior management do?
Set corporate objectives + strategic decision
Board responsible to shareholders (led by CEO)
162
What does middle management do?
Accountable for senior management
Run business functions + departments
163
What is junior management determined by?
- Way that the functions of leaderships carried out
- How leader behaves
164
What are the 4 traditional classifications of leadership styles?
1. Authoritarian
2. Paternalistic
3. Democratic
4. Laissez-faire
165
What is there in an authoritarian leadership style?
- Power focused with manager
- Communication top-down
- Use of reward/ penalties
- Little delegation
- Taylors theory
166
When should an authoritarian leadership style be used?
1. Business crisis
2. Unskilled new workers
167
What are the disadvantages of having an authoritarian leadership style?
1. Demotivating
2. Low staff retention
168
What is there in a paternalistic leadership style?
- Leader decide what's best for employees
- Little delegation
- Close relationship
- Mayos theory
169
What are the advantages of having a paternalistic leadership style?
1. Employees feel more involved (consulted before told what happens)
2. Increased motivation
170
What are the disadvantages of having a paternalistic leadership style?
1. Issues created as watered down authoritarian leadership
171
What is there in a democratic leadership style?
- Power focused with whole group
- Leadership functions shared with group
- Greater involvement in decision making
- Delegation & consultation
- Maslows theory
172
What are the advantages of having a democratic leadership style?
1. Increased motivation with staff
2. Frees up manager to make tougher decisions (easier decisions delegated)
173
What are the disadvantages of having a democratic leadership style?
1. Slow down decision making process
2. Are employees capable of making decisions?
174
What is there in a laissez-faire leadership style?
- Leader has little output in day-to-day decisions
- Conscious decision to delegate power
- Freedom to do what they think best
175
When could the laissez-faire leadership style be used?
1. Employees highly skills + competent
2. Decisions have to align with incentives (same goals as management)
176
What are the disadvantages of having a laissez-faire leadership style?
1. Inefficient if just a way of managers to 'shrink' responsibility
2. Dangerous to business
