week one - the role of HRM in business strategy Flashcards

1
Q

what are human resources

A

People who work in an organisation (also called staff)

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2
Q

what is a HR strategy

A

A firm’s deliberate use of human resources to help it to gain an edge against its competitors

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3
Q

what is a HR tactic

A

A particular HR policy or programme that helps to advance a firm’s strategic (HR-related) goal

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4
Q

what are some environmental HRM challenges

A
  • legislation
  • rapid change
  • natural disasters
  • globalisation
  • digitalisation
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5
Q

what are some organisational HRM challenges

A
  • competitive position
  • decentralisation
  • organisational culture
  • technology
  • organisational restructuring
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6
Q

what are some individual HRM challenges

A
  • matching people and organisation
  • ethical dilemma
  • productivity
  • brain drain
  • job insecurity
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7
Q

what is meant by classical school - ‘homo economicus’

A
  • early 20th century
  • people as a production factor and only financially motivated
  • strict separation between thinkers (managers) and doers (workers)
  • F. W. Taylor, H. Fayol
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8
Q

what is meant by the human relations school - ‘homo socialis’

A
  • 1920s onwards
  • people also have non-financial motivations
  • being valued is more important
  • E. Mayo - Hawthorne experiments
  • influence of the informal organisational structure
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9
Q

what is meant by the social systems school

A
  • 1930s onwards
  • deepening on studying intrinsic motivation
  • importance of organisational behaviour issues which contributed to laying out the foundations of HRM
  • C.I. Barnard, R. Cyert
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10
Q

what is meant by integrative approaches

A
  • from 1950s
  • broad diversity of management theories will different approaches to manage people in organisations; neoclassical school, socio-technical school, systems approach, contingent approach, strategic approach
  • A. P. Sloan
  • current relevance of strategic approach to HRM
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11
Q

what are the four stages in the evolution of the role of the HR function

A

1) classical model (up to 1960s)
2) legal-centric model (1960-80s)
3) organisational behaviour model (1980-90s)
4) business-strategic model (1990 onwards)

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12
Q

what is the purpose and unit name of the classical model

A
  • to maintain internal order and discipline and maximise efficiency of operations
  • unit name: personnel office, personnel department
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13
Q

what are the three characteristics of the classical model

A

1) orientation towards technical and clerical employees
2) strict supervision and control of operators’ work
3) focus on personnel paperwork, e.g. contracts, payroll etc.

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14
Q

what is the management style and professionals of the classical model

A
  • authoritarian
  • lawyers/labour relations specialists
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15
Q

what is the purpose and unit name of the legal-centric model

A
  • to apply labour law and reach agreements with (usually unionised) employees 9especially on salaries)
  • unit name: personnel department
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16
Q

what are the three characteristics of the legal-centric model

A

1) orientation towards technical and clerical employees
2) focus on complying with legislation (contracts, social security, wages, etc.) and collective bargaining
3) labour-related legal advisory services

17
Q

what is the management style and professionals of the legal-centric model

A
  • authoritarian
  • lawyers/labour relations specialists
18
Q

what is the purpose and unit name of the organisational behaviour model

A
  • to optimise activities related to people, using HR techniques developed in the field of organisational behaviour (selection, training etc.), in addition to labour relations issues
  • unit name: human resources department
19
Q

what are the three characteristics of the organisational behaviour model

A

1) little focus on managers
2) diversity of independent and disconnected HR practices
3) lack of connection to overall business strategy

20
Q

what is the management style and professionals of the organisational behaviour model

A
  • paternalistic –> participative
  • less % lawyers/more % of other specialists (especially psychologists)
21
Q

what is the purpose and unit name of the business strategic model

A
  • optimise employee contribution to fulfil the business strategy, combining economic rationality with people development
  • unit name: human resources department
22
Q

what are the four characteristics of the business strategic model

A

1) focus on all types of employees (including managers
2) HR strategy and business strategy are highly intertwined
3) HR function is developed following a strategic logic
4) focus on consistency among HR practices

23
Q

what is the management style and professionals of the business strategic model

A
  • contingent (mainly participative)
  • multidisciplinary teams (including economists)
24
Q

what are the three dimensions of the HRM scope

A
  • HR management
  • labour administration
  • HRM support tools
25
Q

what are the aims of the human resource managements organisational policies

A
  • achieving the proper human structure for meeting organisational goals
  • having people with the necessary competences
  • creating the necessary incentives to attract maximum interest from people towards the organisation
26
Q

what are the aims of the labour administration

A
  • application and monitoring of compliance with agreements of wages and working conditions, considering labour laws and obligations
  • occupational health and safety (OHS)
27
Q

what are the HRM support tools and what are some examples

A
  • specific activities and practices of managing people that have a direct effect on behaviour, attitude, satisfaction and commitment
  • e.g. leadership programmes
  • teambuilding activities
  • mentoring/coaching
  • these are usually developed by in line managers
28
Q

what are two types of human resource management

A
  • traditional (technical) HRM
  • strategic HRM
29
Q

what is traditional HRM

A
  • HR policies concentrate on satisfying needs of stakeholders
  • HR policies focused on recruitment and selection, training, assessment, compensation and labour administration
  • reactive: traditional view of the business and of employee relations
30
Q

what is strategic HRM

A
  • establishing a set of HRM practices so they can be implemented optimising two consistency criteria
    1) horizontal/internal fit: consistency among the different practices
    2) vertical/external fit: such practices help organisational goals to be achieved
  • proactive: forward looking view of the business and of employee relations
31
Q

why should we regard HRM as a strategic activity

A

1) because people are crucial for business success (or failure)
2) because people are a key source of competitive advantage
3) because strategic decisions, especially in rapidly changing environments need a proactive focus on HRM

i.e. people must be considered as an investment to be optimised