mg248 exam 1 (chapters 1,2,4,6,7)
realistic job preview (RJP)
a preview of a job that provides both positive and negative information about the job and the company -> fewer unexpected resignations by new employees
unstructured problem
a problem that is new or unusual for which information is ambiguous or incomplete
employee counseling
a process designed to help employees overcome performance-related problems
programmed decision
a repetitive decision that can be handled using a routine approach
human resource inventory
a report listing important information about employees such as name, education, training, skills, languages spoken, and so forth
procedure
a series of interrelated, sequential steps used to respond to a structured problem
layoff-survivor sickness
a set of attitudes, perceptions & behaviors of employees who survive involuntary staff reductions symptoms: job insecurity, perceptions of unfairness, guilt, stress, etc.
decision-making processing
a set of eight steps that includes identifying a problem, selecting a solution, and evaluating the effectiveness of the solution
certainty
a situation in which a decision maker can make accurate decisions because all outcomes are known
uncertainty
a situation in which a decision maker has neither certainty nor reasonable probability estimates available
risk
a situation in which a decision maker is able to estimate the likelihood of certain outcomes
structured problem
a straightforward, familiar, and easily defined problem; use procedures, rules & policies
project structure
a structure in which employees continuously work on projects; more flexible organizational designs
matrix structure
a structure in which specialists from different functional departments are assigned to work on projects led by a project manager; dual chain of command
team structures
a structure in which the entire organization is made up of work teams; no line of managerial authority from top to bottom
performance management system
a system that establishes performance standards that are used to evaluate employee performance
organization
a systematic arrangement of people brought together to accomplish some specific purpose (goals, people, structure)
electronic meeting
a type of nominal group technique in which participants are linked by computer - anonymity, honesty, & speed; more effective & increase efficiency
nonprogrammed decision
a unique and nonrecurring decision that requires a custom-made solution; ex: creation a new organizational strategy
telecommuting
a work arrangement in which employees work at home and are linked to the workplace by computer
flextime (flexible work hours)
a work scheduling system in which employees are required to work a specific number of hours per week but can vary when they work those hours within certain limits
compressed workweek
a workweek where employees work longer hours per day but fewer days per week
job specification
a written statement of the minimum qualifications that a person must possess to perform a given job successfully
job description
a written statement that describes a job (content, environment, conditions of employment)
design thinking
approaching management problems as designers approach design problems; opening up perspectives & gaining insight by using observation & inquiry skills, not relying simply on rational analysis
strong cultures
cultures in which the key values are deeply held and widely shared; guardrails; can create predictability, orderliness, and consistency
many organizations are giving greater emphasis to ____
customer departmentalization
most critical role for HRM & increased importance of HR managers
hiring talented people
departmentalization
how jobs are grouped together
formalization
how standardized an organization's jobs are and the extent to which employee behavior is guided by rules and procedures
managers spend a significant portion of their time ________
in meetings
mechanistic organization organic organization
m: bureaucratic; a structure that's high in specialization, formulation & centralization o: a structure that's low in specialization, formalization, and centralization
identifying a problem
make a comparison between current reality & some standard (past performance, previously set goals, performance of some other unit within the organization or others)
intuitive decision making
making decisions on the basis of experience, feelings & accumulated judgement; unconscious reasoning
bounded rationality
making decisions that are rational within the limits of a manager's ability to process information
non managerial employees
people who work directly on a job or task and have no responsibility for overseeing the work of others
culture is...
perceived, descriptive & shared
downsizing
planned elimination of jobs in an organization (improving profits)
components of the external environment
political/legal, demographics, economic, sociocultural, technological, global
authority comes from the ____, not the person
position
staff authority
positions with some authority that have been created to support, assist, and advise those holding line authority
authority versus power
power includes centrality (3d), as well as functional & hierarchical dimensions; one's distance from the organization's core authority is 2d
how are organizations controlling their health-care costs?
providing opportunities for employees to lead healthy lifestyles (financial incentives, health & wellness programs)
skilled-based pay systems
reward employees for job skills & competencies they have; job titles doesn't define pay, skills do; more successful in manufacturing organizations
8 important HRM activities
safety & health, strategic human resource planning, recruitment & downsizing, selection, orientation, training & development, performance management, compensation & benefits
selection process
screening job applicants to ensure that the most appropriate candidates are hired
performance-simulation tests
selection devices based on actual job behaviors; job analysis data; work sampling (mini replica of the job) & assessment centers (simulating real problems); better predictor of short-term job performance
sexual harassment
single largest financial risk facing companies today; can result in decreases in a company's stock price
cross-functional teams
teams made up of individuals from various departments and that cross traditional departmental lines
flexible work arrangements
telecommuting, compressed workweeks, flextime, job sharing, contingent work force
contingent workers
temporary, freelance, or contract workers whose employment is contingent upon demand for their services
creativity
the ability to produce novel and useful ideas; seeing problems others can't see; identify all viable alternatives
demographics
the characteristics of a population used for purposes of social studies; the size and characteristics of a country's population can have a significant effect on what it's able to achieve; age is important
the higher one moves in an organization (increase in authority)
the closer one moves to the power core one can move horizontally inward toward the core without moving up (ex: assistants)
environmental uncertainty
the degree of change and complexity in an organization's environment
reliability
the degree to which a selection device measures the same thing consistently
centralization
the degree to which decision making takes place at upper levels of organization
decentralization
the degree to which lower-level managers provide input or actually make decisions
the entire HRM process is influenced by...
the external environment
the higher the KSAs and the greater the authority and responsibility
the higher the pay
primary determinant of pay
the kind of job an employee performs
chain of command
the line of authority extending from upper organizational levels to lower levels, which clarifies who reports to whom
selection decision outcomes
the major intent of any selection activity is to reduce the probability of making reject errors or accept errors while increasing the probability of making correct decisions
human resource management
the management function concerned with getting, training, motivating, and keeping competent employees
environmental complexity
the number of components in an organization's environment and the extent of the knowledge that the organization has about those components
span of control
the number of employees a manager can efficiently and effectively supervise; favor small span; increases in some organizations; determined by contingency variables
future human resource needs are determined by...
the organization's strategic goals and direction
employment planning
the process by which managers ensure they have the right numbers and kinds of people in the right places at the right time -> translates the organization's missions and goals into an HR plan 1. assessing current human resources & future human resource needs 2. developing a plan to meet those needs
management
the process of getting things done, effectively and efficiently, through and with other people
unit production
the production of items in units or small batches; least complex
validity
the proven relationship between a selection device and some relevant criterion (application forms, tests, interviews, physical exams)
authority
the rights inherent in a managerial position to give orders and expect the orders to be obeyed; one element of power
organizational culture
the shared values, principles, traditions, and ways of doing things that influence the way organizational members act
big data
the vast amount of quantifiable information that can be analyzed by highly sophisticated data processing; high volume, high velocity , and high variety information assets; basically a wasted effort
omnipotent view of management
the view that managers are directly responsible for an organization's success or failure
symbolic view of management
the view that much of an organization's success of failure is due to external forces outside managers' control
staffing & HRM decisions and actions are critical...
to ensuring that the organization hires & keeps the right people
training methods
traditional: on-the-job, job rotation, mentoring/coaching, experiential exercises, workbooks/manuals, classroom lectures technology-based: cd/dvd/videos/podcasts, videoconferencing, e-learning, mobile learning
six basic elements of organizational structure
work specialization, departmentalization, authority & responsibility, span of control, centralization versus decentralization, & formulation
simple approach to allocating weight
give the most important criterion a weight of 10 and then assign weights to the rest against that standard
work unit orientation
goals of the work unit, specific job contributions, provides introduction to coworkers
3 approaches to multi person comparison
group-order ranking, individual ranking approach, paired comparison approach
customer departmentalization
grouping activities by customer (retail, wholesale, government)
functional departmentalization
grouping activities by functions performed; achieve economies of scale
product departmentalization
grouping activities by major product areas; increases accountability for product performance
geographic departmentalization
grouping activities on the basis of geography or territory
process departmentalization
grouping activities on the basis of work or customer flow
work councils
groups of nominated or elected employees who must be consulted when management makes decisions involving personnel
human resource management
having the right number of the right people in the right place at the right time
recruitment (or downsize)
locating, identifying, and attracting capable applicants
2 main ways an organization's culture affects managers
1. its effect on what employees do & how they behave 2. its effect on what managers do
what can a company do to protect itself?
1. did the organization know about, or should it have known about, the alleged behavior? 2. what did managers do to stop it?
first 3 activities in HRM process (employment planning)
1. addition of staff through recruitment 2. reduction in staff through downsizing 3. selection -> identification & selection
how do employees learn the culture?
1. organizational stories: narrative tales of significant events or people 2. corporate rituals: repetitive sequences of activities 3. material symbols or artifacts: layout of facilities, dress, size of offices, material perks, etc 4. language: special acronyms, unique terms, etc
where does culture come from?
1. reflects the vision or mission 2. what the organization should be & what its values are 3. founders "impose" their vision on employees because of new organization's small size 4. members create a shared history that binds them into a community
personal judgements by a decision maker are reflected in..
1. the criteria chosen in step 2, 2. the weights given to the criteria, 3. the evaluation of alternatives
managerial decisions can be influenced by
1. the organization's culture 2. internal politics 3. power considerations 4. escalation of commitment
3 ways the external environment constrains and challenges managers
1. through its impact on jobs and employment 2. through the environmental uncertainty that is present 3. through the various stakeholder relationships that exist between an organization and its external constituencies
next 2 activities (4 &5) in HRM process
4. orientation 5. training
last 2 (6 & 7) in HRM process
6 & 7. identify performance goals, correct performance problems if necessary, & help employees sustain a high level of performance (performance appraisal, compensation & benefits)
ringisei
Japanese consensus-forming group decisions
problem
a discrepancy between an existing and a desired state of affairs
policy
a guideline for making decisions; establishes parameters; ethical standards
employee training
a learning experience that seeks a relatively permanent change in employees by improving their ability to perform on the job
advantages and disadvantages of group decision making
a: more complete info, diversity, more alternatives, increased acceptance of a solution, increased legitimacy d: time-consuming, minority domination, ambiguous responsibility, pressures to conform
satisfice
accepting solutions that are "good enough"
discipline
actions taken by a manager to enforce an organization's standards and regulations
360-degree appraisal
an appraisal device that seeks feedback from a variety of sources for the person being rated
job analysis
an assessment that defines jobs and the behaviors necessary to perform them; used to develop or revise job description & specifications
sharing economy
an economic environment in which asset owners share with other individuals through a peer-to-peer service, for a set fee, their underutilized physical assets or their knowledge, expertise, skills or time; collaborative consumption
rule
an explicit statement that tells employees what can or cannot be done
brainstorming
an idea-generating process that encourages alternatives while withholding criticism
escalation of commitment
an increased commitment to a previous decision despite evidence that it may have been wrong
power
an individual's capacity to influence decisions
responsibility
an obligation to perform assigned duties
learning organization
an organization that has developed the capacity to continuously learn, adapt, and change
boundary less organization
an organization whose design is not defined by, or limited to, boundaries imposed by a predefined structure; ideal structure is not having a rigid, bounded & predefined structure
dimensions of organizational culture
an organization's culture may be shaped by one particular cultural dimension more than the others
functional structure
an organizational design that groups similar or related occupational specialities together; functional departmentalization applied to the entire organization (finance, HR, operations, product R&D)
simple structure
an organizational design with low departmentalization, wide spans of control, authority centralized in a single person, and little formalization; smaller businesses; fast, flexible and inexpensive to maintain
divisional structure
an organizational structure made up of separate business units or divisions
stakeholders
any constituencies in an organization's environment that are affected by that organization's decisions and actions
technology
any equipment, tools, or operating methods that are designed to make work more efficient
sexual harassment
any unwanted action or activity of a sexual nature that explicitly or implicitly affects an individual's employment, performance or work environment; makes a fellow employee uncomfortable
line authority
authority that entitles a manager to direct the work of an employee
make groupthink more creative
brainstorming, nominal group technique, electronic meetings
planning
defining goals, establishing strategy, developing plans to coordinate activities (part of achieving the organization's stated purpose)
supply & demand
challenge & important for companies
types of power
coercive, reward, legitimate, expert, referent
virtual organization
consists of a small core of full-time employees and outside specialists temporarily hired as needed to work on projects
process production
continuous flow or process production; most complex
groups most effective
creativity, degree of acceptance, better decisions
nominal group technique
decision-making technique in which group members are physically present but operate independently
decision-making practices differ from country to country
degree of risk is different; managers who accommodate the diversity in decision-making philosophies and practices can expect a high payoff if they capture the perspectives and strengths that a diverse workforce offers
rational decision making
describes choices that are consistent and value-maximizing within specified constraints
organizing
determining what needs to be done, how it will be done, and who is to do it (part of achieving the organization's stated purpose)
different jobs require
different kinds and levels of knowledge, skills & abilities (KSAs) that have varying value to the organization
leading
directing and coordinating the work activities of an organization's people (part of achieving the organization's stated purpose)
economies and diseconomies of work
diseconomies: boredom, fatigue, stress, etc
work specialization
dividing work activities into separate job tasks also called division of labor
effectiveness
doing the right things, or completing activities so that organizational goals are attained
efficiency
doing things right, or getting the most output from the least amount of inputs
a relevant strategy for meeting the demands of a dynamic environment
downsizing
traditional manager-employee performance evaluation systems may be outdated due to...
downsizing & involvement
HRM issues - managers
downsizing, workforce diversity, sexual harassment & HR costs
corporate pension...
fundamentally broken; eliminated from many companies; hard to afford
non-cash compensation from employers
employee benefits - important & varied non financial rewards designed to enrich employee's lives; social security, unemployment compensation, paid time off from work, life insurance, etc.
recruiting sources
employee referrals generally produce the best applicants
board representatives
employees who sit on a company's board of directors and represent the interests of the firm's employees
HR costs are high - organizations must try to control them
especially associated with employee health care & pensions smokers & obese employees are of concern
decision making is the ____ of management
essence
types of departmentalization
functional (work performance), product (major product areas), customer (problems & needs), geographic (location served), process (basis of customer work flow)
job orientation
expands on the information the employee obtained during the recruitment and selection stages, clarifies specific duties & responsibilities & how performance will be evaluated, correct unrealistic expectations
impede creativity
expected evaluation, surveillance, external motivators, competition, constrained choices
effective and efficient span depends on
experience & training (larger span), similarity of tasks (larger span), complexity of tasks (smaller span), etc
intuition
experience-based decisions, affect-initiated decisions, cognitive-based decisions, subconscious mental processing, values or ethics-based decisions
individual creativity requires
expertise, creative-thinking skills & intrinsic task motivation
decision criteria
factors that are relevant in a decision
external environment
factors, forces, situations, and events outside the organization that affect its performance
downsizing options
firing, layoffs, attrition (not filing openings), transfer, reduced workweeks, early retirements, job sharing
variable pay systems
individual's compensation is contingent on performance
managers
individuals in an organization who direct the activities of others
top managers
individuals who are responsible for making decisions about the direction of the organization and establishing policies that affect all organizational members
middle managers
individuals who are typically responsible for translating goals set by top managers into specific details that lower-level managers will see get done
effectiveness of group decision making
influenced by the size of the group (5-7 is the best)
organization orientation
informs new employees about goals, history, philosophy procedures, rules, clarifies relevant HR policies, tour of facilities
organizational stakeholders
internal & external
boundaries
internal: horizontal imposed by work specialization & departmentalization & vertical that separate employees into levels and hierarchies external: boundaries that separate the organization from customers, suppliers & stakeholders
orientation
introducing a new employee to the job and the organization; reduce initial anxiety, familiarize new employees with the job, facilitate the outsider-insider transition
the source to recruit should reflect the...
local labor market, the type or level of position, and the size of the organization
determining whether training is needed
is there a need for training? -> what are the organization's strategic goals? -> what tasks must be completed to achieve organizational goals? -> what behaviors are necessary for each job holder to complete his or her job duties? -> what deficiencies, if any, do job holders have in terms of skills, knowledge, or abilities required to exhibit the essential and necessary job behaviors productivity, job redesign, technological breakthrough
when employee's performance is not up to par
job mismatch, inadequate training, lack of desire to do job (discipline problem)
most decisions involve...
judgements
heuristics
judgmental shortcuts or "rules of thumb" used to simplify decision making; may lead to errors and biases in processing & evaluating information
organizational design challenges
keeping employees connected, managing global structural issues, building a learning organization & designing flexible work arrangements
mass production
large-batch manufacturing
HRM practices are governed by... & they are not the same globally
law
organizations need to be more organic
lean, flexible & innovative
"ready-fire-aim"
managers take action & then analyze what has been done
"ready-aim-fire"
managers will study and analyze proposed projects before committing to them
more routine technology
mechanistic structure
groupthink
minimize: cohesiveness, open discussion, impartial leader
inflated information
mismatched applicants withdraw, unrealistic expectations -> dissatisfaction & resignation, disillusionment & less commitment, mislead during hiring process -> problem employees
controlling
monitoring activities to ensure that they are accomplished as planned (part of achieving the organization's stated purpose)
traditional organizational designs
more mechanistic in nature
the trend over the decades
movement toward more decentralization
decision-making issues
national culture, creativity & design thinking, big data
at the top level, most problems that managers face are ____
nonprogrammed
many organizations help layoff victims by...
offering job-help services
most training takes place...
on the job - simple & costs less traditional & technology-based (training methods)
you do not need to be a manager to have power & power is not perfectly correlated with one's level in the _____
organization
characteristics of a learning organization
organizational design (boundary less, teams, empowerment) information sharing (open, timely, accurate), leadership (shared vision, collaboration), organizational culture (strong mutual relationships, sense of community, caring, trust)
common decision-making errors & biases
overconfidence, immediate gratification, anchoring effect, selective perception, confirmation, framing, availability, representation, randomness, sunk costs, self-serving, hindsight
compensation
pay for doing a job; reflect the changing nature of work and the workplace
decision implementation
putting a decision into action
many organizations rely less on strict rules & standardization to guide & regulate employee behavior
some formalization is necessary for consistency & control
sometimes the term line is used to differentiate line managers from ____
staff managers
the "if": 4 contingency variables -> structure
strategy: goals are important, structure should facilitate goal achievement; simple strategy -> simple structure (passionate pursuit of innovation -> organic) (passionate pursuit of cost control -> mechanistic) size: size affects structure (magic number -> 2,000 employees); large >2,000 (mechanistic) <- size is less influential technology: concert inputs into outputs environment: constraint on managerial discretion; stable -> mechanistic, dynamic/uncertain -> organic
line versus staff authority
strict adherence to unity of command creates a degree of inflexibility that hinders an organization's performance
unity of command
structure in which each employee reports to only one manager
to be effective predictors, interviews need to be...
structured, well organized, relevant questions
first-line managers
supervisors responsible for directing the day-to-day activities of non managerial employees
network organiation
uses its own employees to do some work activities and networks of outside suppliers to provide other needed product components or work processes; modular organization
groupthink
when a group exerts extensive pressure on an individual to withhold his or her different views in order to appear to be in agreement
organization design
when managers develop or change the organization's structure; decisions about specialized jobs, rules to behaviors, level of decision making
job sharing
when two or more people split a full-time job
improving workforce diversity requires managers to...
widen their recruiting net - nontraditional recruitment sources
orientation is difficult for...
women & minorities
specific performance appraisal methods
written essay, critical incidents, adjective rating scales, BARS, MBO, 360-degree appraisal, multi person
selection devices
written tests (internet based), performance-simulation tests, interview, behavioral/situation interview