Unit 4 Outcome 1a

Question 1

What is human resource management?

Answer 1

This is the function responsible for the efficient and effective management of of the relationship between the employees and the organisation. It includes recruitment, maintenance and termination of the employees.

Question 2

The connection between the human resources function and business objectives.

Answer 2

Human resources management is related to wider business objectives in that without employees, organisations can’t achieve their objectives. The effective and efficient management of these human resources is therefore vital to the achievement of these corporate objectives.

Question 3

How can the human resources management function help to achieve business objectives?

Answer 3

In large scale organisations thee needs to be a balance between making a profit and satisfying shareholders with a regard for the wellbeing of employees. This can be achieved through motivating employees, this could lead to an increase in productivity which should keep costs to a minimum so the organisation can compete with other organisations and achieve the objectives of the organisation.

Question 4

Human resources management and POLC.

Answer 4

. Planning - establishing HR objectives and a process for how these will be achieved.
. Organising - ensuring the right employees are matched with the right tasks, and by offering training and support programs for staff.
. Leading - motivating and inspiring staff to achieve objectives organisational objectives. Financial awards, recognition and promotion are some of the strategies that can be used to motivate staff.
. Controlling - establishing measures to monitor employee performance.

Question 5

What do employee’s expect from organisations?

Answer 5

. Honest and fair treatment
. A clean and safe working environment 
. Opportunities for training, development and promotion
. Constructive feedback
. A sense of satisfaction
. Correct payment 
. A secure but flexible work arrangement
. A workplace free of abuse, harassment and discrimination

Question 6

What do organisation’s expect of employees?

Answer 6

. Be committed to their job
. Be punctual
. Follow reasonable requests
. Work corporately in teams
. Provide excellent customer service
. Complete projects on time 
. Act honestly and fairly

Question 7

What are the main employee expectations?

Answer 7

Employee expectations refer to the specific elements of work wanted by an organisations workforce. They include:
. Conditions of employment
. Work-life balance
. Occupational Health and Safety
. Job security

Question 8

Explain the following employee expectation: Conditions of employment

Answer 8

This refers to what an employee receives on return for the work they agree to complete. Some basic conditions include the number of expected hours, leave entitlements and redundancy pay. This is agreed upon in the beginning of employment.

Question 9

What do basic conditions of employment include?

Answer 9

. The number of hours an employee is expected to work
. Annual leave entitlements such as sick leave and long services leave
. Public holidays
. Other entitlements such as redundancy pay
. Flexible working conditions - job sharing, work-from-home, flexitime, maxiflex

Question 10

What is flexitime?

Answer 10

When an employee nominates starting and finishing times to suit their needs.

Question 11

What is maxitime?

Answer 11

When an employee builds up sufficient hours or overtime to take more time off.

Question 12

Explain the following employee expectation: Work-life balance.

Answer 12

This is the right amount of time between work and life away from work such as leisure, family and other personal pursuits, and may involve time off, childcare facilities and flexible working conditions.

Question 13

Explain the following employee expectation: Occupational Health and Safety

Answer 13

This refers to the responsibility the employer has to ensure the workplace is safe for employees and that steps are taken to minimise harm. Employees expect to work in a safe and healthy environment. This includes having appropriate training to ensure they know how to work safely.

Question 14

What is a human resources manager?

Answer 14

They coordinate all the activities involved in acquiring, developing, maintaining and terminating employee’s from an organisation’s human resources. A human resource manager is part of middle management.

Question 15

OH&S continuation.

Answer 15

It is supported by government policies and laws. Th Human Resources manager must have OH&S policies to protect their staff. If OH&S issues arise, employees expect management to communicate clearly and immediately to minimise danger.

Question 16

What is the work (occupational) health and safety legislation?

Answer 16

. Work Health and Safety ACT 2011
. This act provides a nationally consistent framework to ensure the health and safety of workers.
. In Victoria, workplaces need to comply with Victoria’s OH&S laws, including the Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004

Question 17

Explain the following employee expectation: Job Security

Answer 17

This is the belief that the employee will not lose their job. This can impact on the way the employee feels about their workplace. Job security can no longer be taken for granted.

Question 18

What is motivation?

Answer 18

This is what drives a person to apply individual effort over a sustainable period of time. HR managers need to go through a process of ensuring that there is continuing commitment to a common set of goals or single goal.

Question 19

Motivation for a human resource manager.

Answer 19

They must understand what motivates employees and also support along with advise front line in their endeavours to achieve this.

Question 20

How can a human resource manager motivate employees?

Answer 20

By having a rewards system, appropriate management style, positive corporate culture and the organisation is structured to allow for employees to work to their optimum level.

Question 21

What are the three motivational theories?

Answer 21

. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory
. Hertzberg’s two factor theory
. Locke’s goal based theory

Question 22

What is Maslow’s theory?

Answer 22

This is the representation of human needs in the form of a pyramid or hierarchy. Where an employee sits on this hierarchy is determined by what needs have been substantially satisfied because that determines whether employees move to the next level.

Question 23

What are the levels of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs?

Answer 23

Level 5 --- Self-actualisation needs
Level 4 --- Self-esteem needs
Level 3 --- Social needs
Level 2 --- Safety needs
Level 1 --- Physiological needs

Question 24

Explain the following level of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs: Physiological needs

Answer 24

Meaning:
. Basic things like food, water, air and shelter
Relevance to HRM:
. A job, remuneration

Question 25

Explain the following level of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs: Safety needs

Answer 25

Meaning:
. Security and protections from physical and emotional harm
Relevance to HRM:
. Benefits, job security, safe and healthy work conditions, superannuation and insurance

Question 26

Explain the following level of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs: Social needs

Answer 26

Meaning:
. Affection, affiliation, acceptance and friendship in peer groups
Relevance to HRM:
. Friendly work associates, supportive management and empowerment

Question 27

Explain the following level of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs: Self-esteem needs

Answer 27

Meaning:
. External needs of status, recognition and attention. Internal needs of self respect, autonomy and achievement
Relevance to HRM:
. Job title and task responsibilities, promotion, recognition, pay link to status of position, prestigious work place facilities

Question 28

Explain the following level of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs: Self-actualisation needs

Answer 28

Meaning:
. Ultimate need, personal growth, achieving own potential, self-fulfilment and using own creative talent
Relevance to HRM:
. Challenging work allowing for creativity, participative decision making, growth and development, setting and achieving goals

Question 29

What is Hertzberg’s theory?

Answer 29

A belief that motivation is likened to intrinsic factors related to work itself rather than the hygiene factors that relate to conditions of work.

Question 30

What is intrinsic motivation?

Answer 30

Where the motivation occurs in the work itself because it is interesting and highly valued and the workers enjoy doing the task associated with it.

Question 31

What is extrinsic motivation?

Answer 31

A form of outside motivation that needs to be applied to occupations where the work itself is not interesting, or is dirty or dangerous.

Question 32

How is Hertzberg’s theory related to Maslow’s theory?

Answer 32

Level 1 and 2 of Maslow’s theory are the same as Hertzberg’s lower-level hygiene factors (extrinsic)
. Safety, working conditions, company policy, administration, personal life, job security and quality of supervision

Level 3-5 of Maslow’s theory are the same as Hertzberg’s high-level motivating factors (intrinsic)
. Achievement, recognition, responsibility, challenging work and work itself

Question 33

What does Hertzberg believe?

Answer 33

That hygiene factors aren’t motivators (whilst Maslow does)

Question 34

What are the two factors of Hertzberg’s theory?

Answer 34

. Hygiene factors

. Motivation factors

Question 35

Explain the following factor of Hertzberg’s theory: Hygiene

Answer 35

They are lower level needs which are often seen as preventing motivation however the absence of these can result in job dissatisfaction. They are usually extrinsic motivators that relate to the work environment which managers have direct control over.

Question 36

What are examples of hygiene factors?

Answer 36

. Salary
. Working conditions
. Company policy
. Personal life 
. Job security
. Status
. Quality of supervision
. Relationship with supervisor and peers

Question 37

Explain the following factor of Hertzberg’s theory: Motivation

Answer 37

These are higher order needs that are linked to job satisfaction and performance. They are intrinsic to the job itself and may be difficult for the manager to control for every employee.

Question 38

What are examples of motivation factors?

Answer 38

. Sense of achievement
. Recognition
. Challenging work
. Responsibility
. Opportunity for advancement

Question 39

Relevance of Hertzberg’s theory to human resource management.

Answer 39

Management should make hygiene factors as good as possible to allow employees to perform their jobs and reduce the level of dissatisfaction. The hygiene factors would only motivate employees in short term, for long term motivation the motivational factors must be there.

Question 40

How do you apply Hertzberg’s theory?

Answer 40

. The hygiene factors that act to dissatisfy employees must be eliminated and then you need ti help them find satisfaction
. This could be done by removing poor and restrictive company policies, ensuring wages are competitive, building status in a job by providing meaningful work and ensuring job security
. This creates satisfaction the manager needs to introduce motivators

Question 41

What is Locke’s theory?

Answer 41

This is a goal based theory where employees are motivated to achieve objectives they have helped to set. Goals must be clear, specific, and challenging, but not impossible to achieve.

Question 42

What can assist with Locke’s theory?

Answer 42

Appropriate feedback regarding their achievement and recognition is an important part of the process, furthermore employees must be committed to meeting the challenge.

Question 43

Why can’t goals be too challenging?

Answer 43

Because if the task seems impossible the employee will lose motivation.

Question 44

Why is Locke’s theory effective?

Answer 44

By using the goal-setting theory, employees will develop a sense of purpose, motivation improves and performance improves as a result. If the employee doesn’t achieve the goal then this may highlight that the employee needs further training.

Question 45

Why might Locke’s theory be ineffective?

Answer 45

It is time consuming to implement as the manager needs to discuss and negotiate the goals with employees on an individual or team basis. Additionally the goals set by the employee may not aline with the organisational objectives.

Question 46

Similarities and differences between hertzberg and locke.

Answer 46

Similarities:
. Motivator 
. Locke = intrinsic needs/motivating factors 
. Recognition 
Differences:
. Locke is time consuming
. Locke is goal based (all intrinsic)
. Hertzberg is intrinsic and extrinsic 
. Hertsberg is 2 factors

Question 47

Similarities and differences between maslow and locke.

Answer 47

Similarities:
. Motivator
. Locke challenging goal fits into level 5 Maslow (self-actualisation) 
. Time consuming   
Differences:
. Locke is goal based 
. Maslow is hierarchy based
. Recognition needed through all of locke whilst only on level 4 of maslow

Question 48

Similarities and differences between maslow and hertzberg.

Answer 48

Similarities:
. Motivator
. Hygiene factors = level 1 and 2 of maslow
. Motivating factors = levels 3-5 of maslow
Differences:
. Hertzberg believes hygiene factors arent motivators whilst maslow believes 1 and 2 do spark motivation
. Maslow believe employees need to move up this hierarchy whilst hertzberg belives there needs to be simultaneous hygiene and motivating factors
. Maslows ordered importance vs hertzbergs equal performance to ensure satisfaction and motivation

Question 49

Ethical and socially responsible management.

Answer 49

Acting ethically and being socially responsible should be part of the culture of any organisation. The HRM has a role to play in ethical and socially responsible management.

Question 50

What are some specific Human Resource dilemmas?

Answer 50

Recruitment - does an organisation have a responsibility to tell a job applicant if it is facing financial difficulty and may have to dismiss some employees?

Representation - A HRM can sometimes be called to act as an employee’s representative in conflict involving the employee and another manager.

Electronic privacy - Does the manager have the right to read and print email messages between other employees?

Performance evaluation - HRMs must observe and judge employee’s performance. Judgements can be influenced by personal feelings.

Employee promotion or dismissal - A HRM is normally expected to keep confidential any information regarding the promotion or dismissal of an employee. However, what does a HRM do if they know that the nominated employee is planning to resign.