Unit 2.1 - Introduction to Human Resource Management Flashcards

Question

Explain flexible work structures due to migrant workers

Answer 1

Businesses bale to open longer hours due to workforce flexibility. Add to supply of staff willing to work part-time/shift work.

Answer 2

Migrant workers likely to have different habits and tastes from mass population. Can provide niche marketing opportunites such as provision of cultural goods and services

Answer 3

Allow business to employ flexible/dynamic workforce. May bring new ideas, experiences and ways of thinking. Skilled migrants can pose threat to less-skilled natives. This competition -> raise standard of skills in economy as domestic workers update skills to retain jobs.

Answer 4

Majority of migrants are working age. This means they are likely to pay income tax, also means they have income to spend on goods & services.

Answer 5

Form of flexible work that enables employees to work set nº of core hours per week, often at office during peak periods of the day and/or week. Employees have flexibility to choose when they work during rest of week as long as work gets completed

Answer 6

Suggested modern organizations would increasingly consist of three elements: Core Workers, Contracted Specialists, Flexible Workers

Answer 7

Retail and Fast-food industries

Answer 8

- Empowers workers: autonomy to complete work in own time when it best suits them - Flexibility in employees' personal schedule: e.g. parents can raise children - Improve morale and labour mobility

Answer 9

- Potential lack of accountability/productivity - Cost implications if managers have to check and approve hours full-time staff claim to have worked

Answer 10

On-demand economy. Refers to labour markets in which workers are given short-term/one-off contracts (freelance work) rather than long-term/permanent contracts

Answer 11

On-call, independent contractors who enter into formal agreements with on-demand businesses to provide services to firm's customers (usually digital platform)

Answer 12

For each individual job (gig) instead of traditional methods such as wages or salaries

Answer 13

National lockdowns / safety measures post-COVID

Answer 14

- Workers enjoy freedom/flexibility: can choose which jobs they want, as well as when and how long to work for. Ideal for those who prefer part-time employment -> better work/life balance - Potential to earn significant amount of income: gig workers often work for multiple businesses on job-by-job basis - Businesses gain from reduced COP as do not need to hire as many full-time workers (along with pay & benefits of full-time employment) and office space -> more price-competitive products to customers

Answer 15

- Reduces need of full-time workers -> possibly limiting people's potential for career development - No fixed employment contracts -> may lack job security and stable income - Set-up costs of their own for gig workers - Gig workers miss out on employee rights and benefits (paid sick leave, holiday pay, redundancy pay, maternity leave...)

Answer 16

- Self-Interest - Low Tolerance - Misinformation & Misunderstandings - Different Interpretations of Circumstances

Answer 17

- Employee interests > organizational interests - Perceived threat to job security, status/rank and financial position - Human nature to pursue self-interest: not always clear why organization's goals should take priority - Employees often more interested/worried about implications of change for themselves rather than possible benefits to organization - Hence, may feel change is unnecessary and/or requires too much effort on their part - Reason particularly strong if employees not committed to organization

Answer 18

- People tend to like stability/normality in personal/professional lives - Change often entails new policies/procedures (new ways of doing things in workplace) - Humans need element of security/predictablity/stability in lives - Hence, low tolerance of change (fearful of it). Might also worry they cannot adapt to change

Answer 19

- Reasons for change not clearly/effectively communicated -> lack of understanding -> misunderstandings -> resistance to change - Misperceptions widesperead because of informal communications in workplace -> belief that there are no compelling reasons for change - Hence, may feel change iis unnecessary especially if business is not in crisis

Answer 20

- Different people may have different interpretations of situation - Employees & employers may disagree on rationale/benefits of change - Employees may feel they have better solutions/would change things in different ways - Different assessments/perceptions -> conflict -> resistance to change

Answer 21

- Education and Communication - Participation and involvement - Facilitation and Support - Negotiation and Agreement - Maniuplation and Co-Option - Explicit and Implicit Coercion

Answer 22

Refers to processes and techniques used to plan, implement and evaluate changes in business operations.

Answer 23

- Aims to inform/educate staff (and other stakeholders) about change beforehand - Early communication/clarification -> help stakeholders see rationale for change and establish trust - Most importantly: approach reduces unsubstantiated claims/rumours about proposed change - Hence, helps limit misinformation & misunderstanding

Answer 24

- Links with several motivation theorists (Frederick Herzberg) -> argue employee involvement in decision-making can motivate and improve moral amongst workforce - Involving employees in change process (through consultations) -> more likely to accept change - Greater incentive to ensure change is succesfully implemented - Also help prevent misunderstandings/misinterpretations for purpose of change - However, also time-consuming

Answer 25

- Providing authentic support so people have skills/resources to cope with change - Paternalistic in style -> managers become supportive staff during difficult times -> avert potential resistance - Can come in numerous forms: re-training of staff, counseling workers to deal with fears/anxieties

Answer 26

- Managers use bargaining incentives to remove/limit resistance - E.g. 'inviting' coworkers to accept amendments in contracts to accomodate new change - Alternatively, staff who resist offered early retirement or redundancy incentives - Other times, managers may be willing to compromise to provide incentives for employees to settle for the change - Negotiations with workers -> slightly different/possibly better changes than originally intended

Answer 27

- Involves bringing representative of those resisting change into change process - Purpose: give key influential people representation in negotiations process - Underlying reason: convert representative's thinking so advantages of change can be communicated to resistors - Representatives (e.g. labour Union workers) given symbolic role -> their view will not affect desire of management to push for change - Unethical, can backfire if those resisting change find out management's intentions

Answer 28

- Typically last resort - Coercion (bullying tactics) -> force staff into accepting change - Might involve threatening disciplinary action, dismissals, job losses, redeployment, not promoting employees - Force change even if workers do not agree - Often, over time (especially if change proves to be successful) people may come to accept change - however, employment legislation (to protect employees) which deems coercion illegal means coercion can be carried out implicitly by senior managers.