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7. Human resource management

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  1. 7.1 Organisational structure

    1. 7.1.1Objectives and structure

      • The relationship between business objectives and organisational structure - the purpose and attributes of an organisational structure such as flexibility, meeting the needs of the business, allowing for growth and development and encouraging intrapreneurship

    2. 7.1.2Types of structure

      • Types of structure: functional, hierarchical (flat and narrow), matrix - the advantages and disadvantages of the different types of structure - why some organisations are structured by product and others by function or geographical area - the reasons and ways structures change e.g. due to growth or delayering - the features of a formal structure: levels of hierarchy, chain of command, span of control, responsibility, authority, delegation, accountability, centralised, decentralised

    3. 7.1.3Delegation and accountability

      • Delegation and accountability - the relationship between delegation and accountability - the processes of accountability in a business - the impact of delegation on a business

    4. 7.1.4Control, authority and trust

      • Control, authority and trust - the relationship between span of control and levels of hierarchy - the difference between authority and responsibility - the conflicts between control and trust that might arise when delegating

    5. 7.1.5Centralisation vs decentralisation

      • Centralisation and decentralisation - the impact of centralisation and decentralisation on a business

    6. 7.1.6Line and staff

      • Line and staff - examples of and distinctions between line and staff functions and the conflicts between them

  2. 7.2 Business communication

    1. 7.2.1Purposes of communication

      • Purposes of communication - situations in which communication is essential

    2. 7.2.2Methods of communication

      • Methods of communication - the standard methods of communication used in business: spoken, written, electronic, visual - the strengths and weaknesses of the different methods of communication

    3. 7.2.3Channels of communication

      • Channels of communication - how communication works within a business - the difference between one- and two-way communication; the difference between vertical and horizontal communication - problems associated with different channels of communication

    4. 7.2.4Barriers to communication

      • Barriers to communication - barriers to communication and how to overcome them

    5. 7.2.5Management communication role

      • The role of management in facilitating communication - the role of informal communications within a business - ways in which communication can influence the efficiency of a business - ways of improving communication in a given situation

  3. 7.3 Leadership

    1. 7.3.1Leadership

      • Leadership - the purpose of leadership - leadership roles in business (directors, managers, supervisors, worker representatives) - the qualities of a good leader

    2. 7.3.2Theories of leadership

      • Theories of leadership - key leadership theories: trait, behavioural, contingency, power and influence and transformational

    3. 7.3.3Emotional intelligence

      • Emotional intelligence/emotional quotient (EQ) - Goleman's four competencies of emotional intelligence: self-awareness, social awareness, self- management and social skills

  4. 7.4 Human resource management (HRM) strategy

    1. 7.4.1

      • Approaches to human resource management (HRM) - the difference between 'hard' and 'soft' HRM - flexible working contracts: advantages and disadvantages of temporary contracts or flexible contracts including zero hours contracts, part-time, full-time, annualised hours, flexi-time, home working, shift working, job sharing, compressed working hours, the gig economy - the measurement, causes and consequences of poor employee performance - strategies for improving employee performance - Management by Objectives (MBO) - implementation and usefulness - the changing role of Information Technology (IT) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) in HRM