Making HR decisions: improving organisational design and managing the HR flow

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Define job design
The way in which jobs are arrange in the workplace. Its used to improve motivation+job satisfaction+a sense of personal achievement by reducing repetitive+mechanistic aspects of work. EG= Job rotation/enlargement, enrichment+teamwork.
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What is Hackman and Oldman's core job characteristics.
Includes core job characteristics: Skill variety, task identity,+task significance, autonomy, and feedback from the job.
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What is Hackman and Oldman's critical psychological states
Meaningfulness, responsibility, and knowledge of results.
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What is Hackman and Oldman's outcomes in his model
Work motivation, growth satisfaction, general satisfaction, and work effectiveness.
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What are the influences on job design?
The attitude of management to workers (link to Theory X and Y), the nature of work, the skill level+experience of existing employees, and the firms circumstances (i.e. profitable vs unprofitable).
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Define organisational design and organisational structure
Design-Defines how a firm unifies its departments+individuals in order to achieve company objectives. Structure-The way in which the workforce within a firm is organised, including job roles+communication flows, span of control etc.
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Define span of control
The number of subordinates a manager is required to supervise directly. The greater the degree of similarity in what a group of workers do, the wider the span of control. Enlarging SofC makes workers more autonomous+capable of managing themselves.
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Define organisational hierachy
The vertical division of authority and accountability in an organisation. Each line links 2 different levels of management hierarchy which represents a relationship where instructions are passed downwards, and reports+feedback are passed upwards.
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What is a line manager
The person immediately above someone in the organisation chart.
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Define levels of hierarchy in an organisation chart
The number of different supervisory+management levels between the shop floor+the chief executive in an organisation. Within each function there are a number of layers of hierarchy. When an organisation grows, it needs to formalise that hierarchy.
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What are the features of tall structures with narrow spans of control
May be more promotional opportunities, However, more layers mean more staff+higher overhead costs. Less delegation might mean less stress but could have low morale+commitment. Likely to increase workload.
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What are the features of flat structures with wide spans of control
Individual managers may have less time for each subordinate+must therefore delegate effectively. More delegation means that staff are given greater responsibility. Vertical communication improves. Greater efficiency within operations.
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Define delegation, authority and responsibility
Delegation-passing of authority down the hierarchy from a manager to a subordinate. Authority- Right of power assigned to a particular role. Responsibility- Person that is responsible for a department.
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Define accountability
The extent to which a named individual is held responsible for the success/failure of a particular policy. An individual is answerable for the performance+duties assigned to them. Subordinates are responsible to manager but they aren't accountable.
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Advantages and disadvantages of delegation
Frees up management time, motivating for employees, subordinates may have better knowledge, allows better flexibility. BUT, customers expectations (want to deal with manager), quality of staff, crisis situations, attitudes+approach of management.
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How to improve the effectiveness of delegation?
Delegation should be based on mutual trust. They should select the most suitable person to delegate to. Interesting+challenging tasks should be delegated - not just tasks that managers don't like. Tasks need to be explained clearly to avoid mistakes.
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Define a centralised structure (centralisation)
Organisations that keep their decision-making power firmly at the top of the hierarchy, rather than delegating decisions to local levels or further down the hierarchy.
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Advantages+Disadvantages of centralisation
Decision can be made quicker, every branch of retail is identical, enables tight financial control (lower overheads), corporate view can be clearly emphasised. BUT, manager at local branch has more knowledge, low morale, inflexibility+poor decisions.
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Define a decentralised structure (decentralisation)
Where the power+authority to make decision is delegated from head office to management in the local branches. It involves less uniformity in how things are done, as decisions are likely to made in relation to local circumstances+opportunities.
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Advantages+Disadvantages of decentralisation
Empowers local managers+improves job satisfaction, better local knowledge, flexibility, reduces day-to-day comm between head+local branches. BUT customers may not like uniformity, local managers may not see the big picture+miss opportunities or trend
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State the different kind of organisational structures
Functional- Departments organised according to different functions present. Geographical- Based on location+operations (i.e. in a diff country). Product-line based- According to products made. Customer/market based. Matrix- Hierarchal+functional.
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What are the influences on organisation design, structure, delegation, centralisation+decentralisation.
Business objectives, size of the organisation, nature of the organisation, culture+attitudes of senior management, skills+experience of workforce, external environment, stakeholders, HR processes+systems.
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Define HR flow
The process of staff joining a business, their career development within the business, and the way in which staff leave the business. Split into inflow (recruitment), internal flow (i.e.induction, appraisal, training), + outflow (i.e redundancy)
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Deine HR plans
Anticipating the future needs of the business+organising the supply of people+skills in order to meet future requirements. Will include recruitment, training+development, and structuring.
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What are the internal influences on HR plans
An organisations corporate or strategic plan including corporate objectives. An organisation's marketing+production plans. The financial position of the firm. The internal labour supply.
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What are the external influences on HR plans
Market conditions, Labour market+demographic trends. Economy and government policy. Legislation and legal factors.
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What are the issues of implementing a HR plan
Employer/employee relations (involves consultation with employees for effecting HR planning), Corporate image, Cost (sufficient financial resources must be guaranteed), Training (ensuring successful implementation of a HR plan requires training).
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What are benefits and drawbacks of HR planning
Makes it more likely that a firm will have a capable workforce of delivering corporate objectives, helps management take a proactive approach, improves relations with workforce. BUT, based on estimates, + doesn't account for unforeseen circumstances.
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Define recruitment
Identifying the need for new employees, attracting the 'best' candidates for the job and then selecting the most suitable candidate.
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Define a job description
Can be produced by job analysis which reviews the tasks, skills, responsibilities, duties+performance level required. Tells candidates what is expected. Consists of a job title, main purpose, who they are answerable to, any authority they will have.
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Define a person (job) specification
Drawn up after JD. Provides details of the ideal candidates by listing essential+desirable characteristics of that person (i.e. skills, aptitude, knowledge, qualifications+expertise).
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State arguments in favour of recruiting internal candidates
Employees abilities are known already, internal promotional opportunities may motivate the workforce, less expensive, recruitment+selection process is quicker, shorter induction period is required.
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State arguments in favour of recruiting external candidates
Often provides a larger choice of well-qualified applicants, brings 'new blood' with new ways of thinking, overcomes jealousies from internal members due to promotion, help a firm improve its understanding of how other firms operate.
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What other methods of assessment are used in recruitment, than just interviews
Aptitude+attainment tests=measure how the applicant corps in a particular business situation. Psychometric or personality tests=measures aptitude, and character of applicants. Assessment centres= observed performing a range of tasks.
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What factors affect the methods of recruitment and selection?
Level of the job in the organisation, size of the organisation, supply of labour, cost of a particular method, resources available for funding, culture of the organisation.
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What is the importance of effective recruitment and selection?
Ineffective selection=increased labour turnover, which leads to additional costs in terms of further advertising+training as well as its impact on productivity+employee motivation.
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Define training
When employees are taught new skills or improving skills they already have. It is often a response to a sort of change (external or internal) such as: legislation, low morale, high labour turnover, changes to procedure, restructuring the firm etc.
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What are the benefits of training
Helps new employees reach the level of performance expected. Allows them to have the right skills, knowledge+qualifications for the job. Can identify employees' potential. Reduces costs in the LT. Improves company image. Helps them achieve objectives
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Define induction training
Aims to help new employees settle in quickly, includes familiarising new recruits with the labour of an organisation, health+safety issues, security systems, key personnel etc.
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Define internal/external training
External- i.e. at a college course for only a few employees with specific training need. Gives employees the opportunity to meet people from other organisations. Internal- appropriate if training needs are specific to the individual organisation.
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Define on-the-job training and its strengths+weaknesses
When employees learn a job by seeing how it is carried out by experienced workers. It is cheaper, takes place in realistic environment, no loss of output. BUT, depends on the ability+willingness of the instructor+time available.
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Define off-the-job training and its strengths+weaknesses
Involves all forms of employee eduction apart from that at the immediate workplace (internally-conference room, externally-college). Contains more generic skills that are useful for work, uses specially trained experts to teach, but can be expensive.
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Define redeployment
The process of moving existing employees to a different job, or different location within the same organisation. It may be offered due to certain jobs being made redundant+vacancies elsewhere in a business are available, or organisational change.
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What are advantages of redeployment
Maintaining job security for employees whose current jobs are at risk, improving morale of workforce, retaining valuable skills+knowledge in an organisation, reducing the cost+time associated with recruitment+selection and time needed for induction.
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Define redundancy
When an employer dismisses an employee because their job no longer exists. This might be because the business is changing what is does, changing location or closing down. Can be compulsory or non-compulsory.
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What is the factors of choosing who to make redundant
Length of service, attendance records, disciplinary records, skills, competencies+qualifications, work experience, performance records.
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Other cards in this set

Card 2

Front

What is Hackman and Oldman's core job characteristics.

Back

Includes core job characteristics: Skill variety, task identity,+task significance, autonomy, and feedback from the job.

Card 3

Front

What is Hackman and Oldman's critical psychological states

Back

Preview of the front of card 3

Card 4

Front

What is Hackman and Oldman's outcomes in his model

Back

Preview of the front of card 4

Card 5

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What are the influences on job design?

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Preview of the front of card 5
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