11S 2.1., 2.2., 2.3. RECAP

a.    Define the term multinational company. 

• A multinational company (MNC) is a business that has operations in more than one country. As M&S has operations in 62 international markets and employs more than 78,000 workers in these markets, it is considered to be a MNC.

• A multinational company (MNC) is a business that has operations in more than one country. Any company that has operations in many international markets and employs a lot of people workers in these markets, is considered to be a MNC.

b.    In the context of M&S, outline the meaning of the recruitment and selection process.

• The recruitment and selection process refers to the different stages in which a business hires suitable workers to fulfill its human resource needs. By delivering each stage of the recruitment and selection process (such as shortlisting job applications, conducting interviews, and seeking references about the applicant's employment history), company is better able to attract and employ suitable workers.

• The recruitment and selection process refers to the different stages in which a business hires suitable workers to fulfill its human resource needs. By delivering each stage of the recruitment and selection process (such as shortlisting job applications, conducting interviews, and seeking references about the applicant's employment history), M&S is better able to attract and employ suitable workers.

The following answer is for which question?

Answer: 'Possible reasons could include an explanation of:

Vacancies are created when existing M&S employees leave the company, perhaps to pursue new job opportunities, to take a career break, to study full-time at university, or to retire.

Growth of the business, be it locally, nationally, and/or globally (M&S has 1,519 stores across the globe). M&S opening new branches or offices would mean a need for additional staff.

Changing job roles, e.g. internal promotions, such as a cashier being promoted to assistant supervisor, would create new openings in the company.

Systems change, e.g. due to the rise in e-commerce, M&S faces new/higher demand for specialist job roles, such as full stack engineers, technicians and software engineers. In other words, the company requires new and additional roles in order to maintain and to improve its overall online customer experience at M&S.

New vacancies may also be created due to new product development at M&S.

There could also be seasonal factors causing fluctuations in demand and leading to the requirement for temporary staff (such as during the busy Christmas trading period).'

• c.    Explain two reasons why M&S may need to recruit new workers.

• c.    Explain two reasons why M&S may need to dismiss new workers.

• c.    Explain two reasons why M&S may need to retain new workers.

• c.    Explain two reasons why M&S may need to appraise new workers.

The following answer is for which question? Answer: '_________ can, to some extent, help to improve employee motivation and hence productivity. For example:

Herzberg suggested that pay (financial motivation) is a hygiene factor and whilst it can cause ‘movement’, it does not in itself motivate.

Job enrichment, job enlargement and job rotation can boost employee morale. For example, they deal with the problem of monotony in the workplace and help to (professionally) develop the worker.

Effective teams can also help to improve productivity.

Praise can work wonders in the workplace (recognition helping to boost ego needs).

However, there are potential drawbacks in using __________ methods in an attempt to motivate.  These include:

Basic needs must be met first in order for people to survive and hence pay is paramount.  This suggests that non-financial methods alone will not be sufficient to motivated the staff.

Job empowerment, rotation, enlargement  and enrichment can add significantly to a manager’s planning and coordination time.

Conflict might exist within the team , thereby creating friction in the workplace.

Ineffective teams will add to a firm’s costs, e.g. procrastination, wastage and lower output.

The extent to which ___________ really do improve productivity will depend on a range of factors, such as:

The organizational culture – for example, whether the organization is innovative and its attitudes towards taking risks.

Management and leadership styles and perceptions.

The task under consideration, such as routine tasks versus crisis management.

The extent to which financial motivators meet the needs of employees.'

• c.    To what extent do non-financial motivators increase the productivity of a workforce?

• c.    To what extent do financial motivators increase the productivity of a workforce?

• c.    To what extent do hygiene factors increase the productivity of a workforce?

• c.    To what extent do motivators increase the productivity of a workforce?

The following is the definition of: '____________ is the continual process of assessing the current and future needs and priorities of an organization’s personnel requirements. It involves recruitment, training, appraisals and the three R’s (redundancy, retention and redeployment). Workforce planning must align with the organization’s overall aims and objectives.'

• Operations planning

• Employment planning

• Workforce planning

• Recruitment planning

Read the following question and answer and fill in the blanks.

b.    Examine the ____________to businesses that encourage ____________.

Answer: Advantages to a business that encourages_______________include:

Group dynamics – a greater range of skills, experiences and knowledge to solve problems.

The benefits of division of labour (e.g. the spreading of workloads and increased output) and synergy in decision making.

Motivational – ____________ can be a form of non-financial motivation for workers (as it addresses their social needs and promotes a sense of belonging).

Improved employee morale can also result in increased productivity, lower absenteeism and higher staff retention rates.

Improved communications – ____________ encourages communication  between people in the workplace (an increasingly sought after ‘soft’ skill being demanded by businesses).

• advantages, team working

• disadvantages, team working

• advantages, group work

• disadvantages, group work

 

workforce audit:

• a check on the skills and qualifications of all existing employees

• the strategic approach to the effective management of an organisation’s workers so that they help the business achieve its objectives and gain a competitive advantage

• analysing and forecasting the numbers of workers and the skills of those workers that will be required by the organisation to achieve its objectives

• numbers of workers and skills of those workers required over a future time period

'The pace of technological change in the industry, e.g. production methods and the complexity of the machinery used.The application of IT in offices has meant that traditional typists or clerks are now rarely required – skilled computer operators and web designers are in greater demand than ever.' falls under:

• Forecasting the skills required

• Forecasting the number of employees required

'The productivity levels of staff – if productivity (output per worker) is forecast to increase, perhaps as a result of more efficient machinery, then fewer staff will be needed to produce the same level of output.' falls under:

• Forecasting the number of employees required

• Forecasting the skills required

Labour turnover is measured by: ________ / _________ x 100

• number of employees leaving in 1 year / average number of people employed

• number of employees leaving in 1 year / average number of managers employed

• number of employers leaving in 1 year / average number of employers employed