Human Resources Management Vocabulary

Flashcards covering key vocabulary from the Human Resources Management lecture.

Human Resource Management (HRM)

Policies, practices, and systems that influence employees’ behavior, attitudes, and performance.

High-Impact HR Functions

Integrated with the business, skilled at attracting and retaining employees, adaptable, identifies and promotes talent, understands employee motivation, and continuously builds talent and skills.

Shared service model

A central place for administrative and transactional tasks including centers of expertise or excellence, service centers, and business partners.

HR Analytics

The use of HR or workforce analytics to show that HR practices influence the organization’s bottom line, including profits and costs.

Evidence-Based HR

Making decisions based on data and research rather than intuition or personal experience.

Big data

Information merged from HR databases, corporate financial statements, employee surveys, and other data sources to result in evidence-based HR decisions.

HR Generalist

HRM proffesionals with primary activities involve that includes the HR generalist role.

Sustainability

A company’s ability to meet its needs without sacrificing the ability of future generations to meet their needs.

Intangible assets

Non-physical assets such as human capital, customer capital, social capital, and intellectual capital.

Knowledge workers

Employees who contribute specialized knowledge, skills, or expertise to an organization.

Learning organization

An organization that gives employees responsibility and authority and holds them accountable, allowing them to share in the rewards and losses.

Employee Engagement

Employees being passionate about their work, committed to the company and its mission, and working hard to contribute.

Employee value proposition (EVP)

The common focus on employee experience to maximize employee engagement.

Gig Economy

Where workers set own schedule and do not work for a company.

Balanced Scorecard

Demonstrates performance to stakeholders.

Total quality management (TQM)

Five core values where methods and processes are designed to meet internal and external customers’ needs.

Internal labor force

An organization's workers includes its employees and people who have contracts to work at the organization.

External labor market

Individuals who are actively seeking employment.

Ethics

Fundamental principles of right and wrong.

Virtual teams

Formed within one company or via partnerships with suppliers or competitors.

HRIS

Stores large quantities of employee data.

Strategic Management

Having the goal to deploy and allocate resources for competitive advantage, integrally involving the HRM function, and using a business model to create value for customers.

Business Model

Story of how a firm will create value for customers and how it will do so profitably.

Strategic Human Resource Management (SHRM)

A process and approach to addressing competitive challenges organizations face.

Strategy formulation

Strategic planning groups decide on strategy.

Strategy implementation

Organization follows through on strategy.

Vertical alignment

Occurs when HR practices and processes address strategic needs of the business.

Job analysis

Process of getting detailed information about jobs.

Job design

Addresses what tasks should be grouped into a particular job.

Downsizing

Trend has increased significantly during March 2020 due to the lockdown of the economy.

Emergent Strategies

Strategies that evolve from grassroots of the organization.

Work-Flow Design

Important in understanding how to bundle tasks into discrete jobs.

Lean production

Operating strategy focused on eliminating waste in all areas of manufacturing.

Centralization

Degree to which decision-making authority resides at the top of the organization.

Departmentalization

Degree to which work units are grouped based on functional similarity or similarity of workflow.

Functional structure

High levels of centralization and efficient with little redundancy.

Divisional structure

Low levels of centralization, more flexible and innovative but not efficient.

Job descriptions

Tasks, duties, and responsibilities (TDRs).

Job specifications

Knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics (KSAOs).

Position Analysis Questionnaire (PAQ)

Information input, mental processes, work output, relationships with other persons, job context, and other characteristics.

Mechanistic Approach

Identify simplest way to structure work to maximize efficiency and scientific management.

Biological Approach

Goal is to minimize physical strain by structuring the physical work environment around how the body works.

Perceptual-Motor Approach

Design jobs that don’t exceed people’s mental capabilities and limitations.