Unit 4: Human Resources

Question 1

What is Human Resources?

Answer 1

Its the staff of a firm that makes sure all employees are working as effectively as possible

Question 2

What is Internal Organisational Structure?

Answer 2

It is how a Business Organises its employees to know everyone’s roles and responsibilities.

Question 3

What is Chain of Command?

Answer 3

A chain connecting directors to operatives

Question 4

What is a Tall Structure?

Describe a Pro and a Con.

Answer 4

A long chain of command with more layers of management.

Pro: Managers can monitor employees more closely
Con: Difficulty to pass messages to higher-ups

Question 5

What is a Flat Structure?

Describe a Pro and a Con.

Answer 5

A short chain of command with a manager having a wide span of control.

Pro: Communication between employees and higher ups is easier
Con: Managers can struggle to simultaneously manage a lot of employees effectively

Question 6

What is a Centralised Organisation.

Describe a Pro and a Con

Answer 6

When all major decisions are made by one person or directors.

Pro: Directors have plenty of experience and are capable of overviewing the whole business
Con: React slow to change as communication of decision can take a long time to filter through employees

Question 7

What is Decentralized Organisation.

Describe a Pro and a Con

Answer 7

When the authority to make decisions is shared out.

Pro: Changes are made quickly as employees don’t always need to communicate these decisions with managers above them
Con: Not all decisions may be the most efficient for business

Question 8

What does it mean for a Business to be organised by Function

Answer 8

Businesses are organised according to their roles and skills into smaller departments [One person is head of Sales, below him are other Salesmen of the business etc…]

Question 9

Advantage and Disadvantage of a Business being organised by Function

Answer 9

Advantage: Specialist can concentrate on their role
Disadvantage: May not necessarily work well together

Question 10

What does it mean for a Business to be organised by Product

Answer 10

Organised via the production of product [Example; Head of ‘iPhone’ , then ‘iPhone Engineers, iPhone designers etc…]

Question 11

Advantage and Disadvantage of a Business being organised by product

Answer 11

Advantage: Managers make decisions that are relevant to each product
Disadvantage: Can be a possibility of Wasteful Duplication of resources between sectors

Question 12

What does it mean for a Business to be organised by region.

Answer 12

Divided by Regions [Head of McDonalds in Europe, Then another Head of McDonalds in Asia etc…

Question 13

Advantage and Disadvantage of a Business being organised by Region

Answer 13

Advantage: Most efficient decisions can be made to improve business in specific region
Disadvantage: Wasteful Duplication of resources between regions

Question 14

What is a Contract Employment?

Answer 14

A legal agreement between an employee and an employer

Question 15

What is Full-time?

Answer 15

Working 35-40 Hours a week

Question 16

What is Part-Time?

Answer 16

Working 10-30 Hours a week [less than full time]

Question 17

What are Job shares?

Answer 17

When some Employees share the work and pay received from a full time job

Question 18

What are Zero Hour Contracts?

Answer 18

When Businesses call to offer employee work at any moment.

[the employer doesn’t have to offer work at all and the employee doesn’t have to accept it either]

Question 19

What must a Business include in a Job offer

Answer 19

1) Job Description; the duties and responsibilities of job
2) Person Specification; the qualification and experience needed for the job

Question 20

What is Internal Recruitment?

State an Advantage and a Disadvantage.

Answer 20

Recruiting from current employees into new jobs.

(+) Cheap, Candidates already know about the business.
(-) No New Ideas, Candidates past job will need to be filled

Question 21

What is External Recruitment?

State an Advantage and a Disadvantage.

Answer 21

Recruiting from outside the company

(+) New Ideas
(-) Costly; advertisement is expensive

Question 22

Why is it Important that a Business invests into finding the ‘right person’ for a job?

Answer 22

• Increase Productivity
• Quality Output
• Increase Staff retention [minimising having to recruit new people regularly, which can be costly]

Question 23

What is a CV [Curriculum vitae]?

Answer 23

A summary of applicants’ details, skills, qualifications and interests.

Question 24

What is Induction Training?

Answer 24

Training for new employees to help them settle in and ensure they have the knowledge to perform their role.

Question 25

What is on-the-Job Training?

Answer 25

Training that takes place while working

Question 26

What is off-the-Job Training?

Answer 26

Training that takes place outside work [going to Uni, in order to have the knowledge required to take on a senior position]

Question 27

Benefits of firms providing training the workforce

Answer 27

• Workers are more likely to be Efficient and Productive
• Helps staff to stay up to date with changes in business [Eg; New technology]

Question 28

Financial Methods to keep staff motivated?

Answer 28

• Increase in Wages
• Commission based work
• Profit sharing schemes; when a percentage of the company’s profits is divided between employees.

Question 29

Non-Financial Methods to keep staff motivated?

Answer 29

• Training; Employees learn new skills that can help them take on more senior positions
• Style of Management; whether they have input in decision-making
• Fringe Benefits; Free gym memberships, staff discount etc…

Question 30

Benefits of Motivated Staff?

Answer 30

• More Productive
• High Level of Staff retention
• Less Money spent having to recruit and train new workers