Role of human resource management Flashcards Preview

Business Studies > Role of human resource management > Flashcards

Flashcards in Role of human resource management Deck (41)
Loading flashcards...
1
Q

What is “Human resource management”?

A

Human resource management refers to systems that have been developed to manage people within an organisation or business.

2
Q

What is involved in the human management process?

A
  • The planning of staff needs
  • the acquisition and maintenance of employees
  • training and development
  • The supervision and management of the performance of all employees
  • The separation of employees when they leave the business
  • The management of issues such as conflict resolution and the changing nature of the workplace
3
Q

What is the Strategic role of Human resources (HR)?

A

To ensure that the productivity of a business or its outputs per person can achieve its fullest potential because the employees are effective and efficient in the way they go about their tasks.

4
Q

What are the three major areas of strategic HR management?

A

Best practice, Best fit, Resource-based view

5
Q

What is Best practice?

A

Includes employment security, merit selection in hiring, extensive training and development, sharing information, self-managed teams, high pay based on business performance and the reduction of levels of status within and organisation

6
Q

What is best fit?

A

Best fit, where it is argued that Hr management works best where there is a close relationship between HR methods and the strategy of the business

7
Q

What is a resource-based view?

A

Focuses on the internal resources of the organisation and the contribution that they make to the competitive advantage of the business

8
Q

What is the interndpendance between HR and Operaitons?

A

HR management contributes to the core business function of operations through planning staff needs, acquiring employees, training and developing them, supervision and maintained and conflict resolution

9
Q

What is the interdependence between HR and marketing?

A

A major part of the HR management function will be to hire and train employees of the business and this will be important in the marketing area. It will be the function of marketing to bring the product of the business to the customer and this will be performed successfully with the best Hr that have access to quality training and development.

10
Q

What is the interdependence between human resources and finance?

A

Fiancee is a key position to help HR achieve its objectives. This is because in many businesses finance is becoming the main source of performance measurement data. The information finance gathers on earnings, productivity and customer satisfaction provides tremendous insight into the staffing and development needs of a business. Unless this information is shared with HR, this key function will find it difficult to do its job

11
Q

Give three reasons as to why a business may choose to outsource business functions?

A
  • Outsourcing enables businesses to concentrate on their core business.
  • Outsourcing means a specialist business is managing that function. This gives access to the skills of a specialist rather than having to develop those skills in-house
  • It can reduce costs
12
Q

When a business chooses to outsource what does it do?

A

By outsourcing, a business enters into a contract with another business. This means that the outsourcing business can seek compensation if good or services are not delivered in terms of the contract

13
Q

Name three disadvantages of outsourcing HR

A
  • Cost savings are not always achieved
  • Employee unrest- Employees can be displaced when outsourcing occurs and there can be problems of incompatibility working with people from other businesses
  • Loss of control- once the HR function is outsourced, the business loses a degree of control over issues such as selection policy.
14
Q

What does a business need to have if it chooses to outsource?

A

If a business decides to outsource its HR function it needs to have clear objectives established in terms of what it wants to achieve

15
Q

When a business outsources what will it need to decide?

A

The outsourcing business needs to decide which functions are core business and which functions will be outsourced (for example, training and development may be considered core business while acquisition, payroll and pensions may not be and may be outsourced)

16
Q

What is the difference between a contractor and an employee?

A

With an employee, there is a contract of service that is established between the employee and the employer. Part of this contract will involve ‘exclusivity’. This does not happen with a contractor who is employed on a contract for services. Contractors have independence and are not subject to the regulations and directives of a business.

17
Q

What are some reasons a business may choose to employ a contractor?

A
  • A business may wish to fill a temporary position that may only exist for a short time
  • Employment ceases when the contract is completed
  • It can be less expensive to hire a contractor as they have less on-costs such as workers compensation
18
Q

What problems may arise from hiring a contractor?

A
  • Time lags may exist between the need for a contractor and the position being filled
  • Independent contractors do not necessarily have loyalty to the hiring business
  • Problems will arise if the work specified in the contract is not performed
19
Q

What is the advantage of hiring domestic contractors?

A

The main advantage of outsourcing to domestic contractors is that they have developed an expert knowledge of the HR function based on their knowledge of how Australian businesses operate

20
Q

What are three reasons a business may choose to use a global contractor over a domestic contractor?

A
  • Using a HR business in which locals will have confidence without minimising the global status of the outsourcing business
  • Using a business that is sensitive to local cultural issues: this would include training and development
  • Remaining globally competitive
21
Q

What will the outsourcing business need to instruct the local HR business on with regards to staff policy?

A

When employing staff in its overseas office or subsidiary, a business may adopt a policy of hiring from the parent country, hiring from the host country, or hiring the best person for the job

22
Q

What is the main problem with outsourcing to a global contractor?

A

The main problem with outsourcing to a global contractor is that instructions must be very clear and not lose anything by translation into local language

23
Q

What are the key influences in the processes of human resources?

A
  • Stakeholders
  • Legal influences including current legislation that governs the workplace
  • economic influences
  • the influence of technology
  • social influences
  • Ethics and corporate social responsibility
24
Q

In recent times what has been a major change in regards to the relationship between employees and employers?

A

A major change has been the move from a centralised highly regulated industrial relations system to a more decentralised system where the emphasis is on what is negotiated at individual workplaces

25
Q

What are some examples of a stakeholder?

A

Stakeholders include employees, employers, unions, employers organisations, government organisations and society as a whole.

26
Q

Why is each stakeholder important?

A

Each stakeholder is important as each contributes to the employer-employee relationship and will be affected by the nature and outcomes of this relationship

27
Q

What is there increasing recognition of among stakeholders?

A

There is increasing recognition among stakeholders of the connection between effective employment relations and improved productivity and profits of a business, and economic growth and social wellbeing for the country.

28
Q

What are some employer goals

A

Operating an efficient, profitable business, being a successful competitor and having employees who reach high levels of productivity.

29
Q

Why are employers vital?

A

They provide employment opportunities and contribute to determining wages and working conditions

30
Q

What are some employers responsibilities?

A

Legal responsibilities, such as operating a safe and healthy workplace under workplace health and safety laws, and management responsibilities, such as guidance and supervision of employees to encourage high quality performance of their duties

31
Q

What are some employees goals?

A

To earn the highest possible wage, have the best working conditions enjoy job security and have a sense of achievement and satisfaction

32
Q

What are some examples of Employers associations?

A

These may be industry-based, such as the National Farmer’s Federation, or broader organisations such as the Business Council of Australia.

33
Q

What is the main purpose of Employers associations?

A

The main purpose of these organisations is to represent the interests of employers in specific areas such as negotiations with employees and unions, to develop policies and strategies for effective employment relations and to act as lobby groups to further the interests of their members

34
Q

What is a union?

A

Unions are organisations that represent groups of employees on issues such as pay and conditions, health and safety and job security.

35
Q

What is the role of a union?

A

The role of the union is to support, advise and represent employees when making collective agreements and in wage negotiations and industrial conflicts to advise them on their legal rights and responsibilities, and to act as a pressure group to highlight workers, concerns.

36
Q

What is the peak union body?

A

The peak union body is the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU), which advocates issues that have an impact on workers on a countrywide basis

37
Q

How is the government a stakeholder in businesses?

A

Federal and state governments are actively involved in employment relations because of their role as an employer, as the manager of the economy and as the manager of the economy and as the developer and administrator of the laws related to employment relations

38
Q

What does the government develop?

A

The government develops the legal framework of employment and establishes independent organisations- such as the NSW industrial relations commission and Fair work Commission to support this legal framework

39
Q

What is the Fair Work commission?

A

The fair work commission is the national workplace relations tribunal.

40
Q

What are some of the functions of the Fair Work Commission?

A
  • Industrial action
  • The safety net of minimum wages and employment conditions
  • Termination of employment
41
Q
A