Ageing population
A higher average age of the population.
Demography
The statistical study of population trends, such as birth rates, death rates, age distribution, and net migration rates.
Dismissal
The employer's decision to terminate a worker's employment contract, usually due to the worker's incompetence and/or a breach of their employment contract.
External factors
The issues or factors that are beyond the control of the organization, e.g., national minimum wage legislation.
Flexitime
A form of flexible work practice that enables employees to work a set number of core hours each week, often at the office during peak periods of the day and/or week.
Geographical mobility
The ability and willingness of employees to relocate to another location or country for work reasons.
Gig economy
Labour markets in which people are on short-term, impromptu, temporary contracts. This includes freelance worker and independent contractors.
Homeworking
Also referred to as work from home (WFH), this is an aspect of flexitime that involves people using their homes to conduct their jobs.
Human resource management
HRM is a broad term used to describe the overall management of an organization's workforce, e.g. attracting, selecting, training, assessing, rewarding and retaining workers.
Human resource planning
Also known as workforce planning, this is the management process of anticipating the organization's current and future human resource needs.
Internal factors
The issues or features that are within the control of the organization, e.g., staff remuneration and approaches to training.
Labour mobility
Measures the extent to which workers have the ability and willingness to move between geographical locations and/or occupations for their employment.
Migrant workers
People who move to other countries in search of better job opportunities.
Net migration
This measures the difference between the number of people from abroad who enter a country (immigration) and the number of people who leave (emigration), usually for employment purposes.
Occupational mobility
The ability and willingness of employees to do another job or pursue a different career.
Portfolio workers
People who carry out several different jobs, often for different contractors, at the same time and usually on a temporary basis.
Redundancy
Occurs when an organization no longer has a job for the employee or when the employer can no longer afford to hire the employee, i.e., the job ceases to exist.
Teleworking
Flexible working practice that involves employees being away from the office as they rely on the use of telecommunications technologies, e.g. Internet and mobile technologies.
Training
This is the provision of work-related education, either on-the-job or off-the-job, such as instructing and teaching (or mentoring) employees how to perform certain tasks in their job.
Workforce
The total number of employees in a business organization at any particular point in time.
Workforce planning
Also known as human resource planning, this refers to the ongoing process through which the current and future human resource needs of a business are identified and anticipated.
Demography
The statistical study of population trends, such as birth rates, death rates, age distribution, and net migration rates.
Accountability
The extent to which a person is held responsible for the success or failure of a task, job, or project. It allows senior managers to have better control over the running of their organizations.
Bureaucracy
The administrative systems within an organization, such as the formal policies and procedures of the business. It includes the formal rules, regulations, and procedures of the organization.
Centralization
The situation where decision-making is predominantly made by a very small group of senior managers at the top of the organizational hierarchy.
Chain of command
The formal lines of authority in an organization. It can be seen via an organizational chart, which shows the formal path through which commands and decisions are communicated from senior managers to subordinates.
Communication
The transfer of information from one entity to another. It is vital to how a business operates.
Decentralization
The situation in an organization where decision-making authority is delegated throughout, rather from a central authoritative group.
Delayering
This occurs when an organization removes one or more layers in its hierarchical structure, i.e., the number of layers of management is reduced, or made flatter.
Delegation
The act of line managers entrusting and empowering employees with authority to successfully complete a particular task, project, or job role.
Flat organization
Also known as a horizontal structure, this type of organizational structure has only a few layers of management.
Flat structure
Type of organizational structure that has few levels in the organizational hierarchy.
Hierarchical (hierarchy)
A type of organizational structure that is tall/vertical, with many levels in terms of ranks.
Levels of hierarchy
The number of layers of formal authority in an organization. It is represented in an organizational chart.
Line manager
The person directly above an employee in the organizational structure of a business.
Managers
People responsible for the day-to-day running of the business or a department within the business.
Matrix structure
A form of flexible organizational structure that uses teams of employees with suitable skills and qualifications drawn from different departments or divisions of the business.
Organization by function
Structuring a workforce according to business functions, i.e., specialised roles or tasks.
Organization by product
Structuring a workforce according to the goods or services sold. Each department focuses on a different product within the organization's overall product portfolio.
Organization by region
Structuring a workforce according to different geographical areas based on where the firm's operations are.
Organizational chart
A diagrammatic representation of an organization's formal organizational structure.
Organizational structure
The formal interrelationships and hierarchical arrangements within a firm.
Responsibility
Refers to a line manager's level of concern in term of the people they are in charge of. An organization chart shows the breadth and depth of a person's roles and responsibilities in the business.
Span of control
Refers to how many workers are directly accountable to (or under the authority of) a particular line manager.
Tall organization
Also known as a vertical structure, this type of organizational structure has many layers in the organizational hierarchy.
Tall structure
Type of organizational structure that has many levels of hierarchy, so the span of control is likely to be narrow.
Autocratic management (leadership)
Management style that involves centralised and autonomous decision-making, without input from others in the organization.
Democratic management (leadership)
Management style that actively involves the participation of employees in the decision-making process.
Functions of management
The various roles and responsibilities of managers, i.e., coordinating, commanding, and controlling business operations.
Laissez-faire leadership (management)
A hands-off approach to leadership by devolving decision-making power to the workforce.
Leadership
The art of inspiring and motivating other people towards achieving a common organizational aim or vision.
Leadership style
Refers to the way in which managers and leaders provide direction for others.
Management
The art of getting things done through others by setting clear objectives and organising organizational resources.
Manager
Someone with decision-making authority in an organization and has responsibility for problem-solving in order to achieve specific organizational goals.
Paternalistic management (leadership)
Management style that involves treating workers as family members, so managers make decisions believed to be in the best interest of the workforce
Scientific thinking (management)
A relatively long approach to management based on objectivity, facts, and empirical evidence. This approach to management and leadership follows a formal and prescribed procedure.
Situational leadership
Leadership style that requires leaders to change and adapt their approach in response to different situations and circumstances.
SMART objectives
Peter Drucker's framework for setting organizational objectives, which must be specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and timely.
Commission
Type of financial payment system that rewards workers a certain percentage of the sales of each good or service that they are responsible for completing.
Differentiated piece rate
Financial payment system advocated by F.W. Taylor to reward workers based on the level of their output or productivity.
Division of labour
The process of splitting up different parts of a job or task and assigning different employees or teams to each particular part of the work. This helps to improve operational efficiency and output.
Employee share ownership scheme
Type of financial payment system that involves giving workers shares in the company they work for, either free of charge or at a discounted price.
Empowerment
The delegation of decision-making power to workers, granting them the autonomy and authority to be in charge of their own jobs and to execute their own ideas.
Esteem needs
In Maslow's hierarchy of needs, this refers to the desire of people to feel respected, having value and having self-respect.
Fringe benefits
Also known as perks, these are financial benefits of a job in excess of the basic pay (wage or salary).
Gratuity pay
Financial reward for long-term service or for the completion of a fixed-term contract.
Hierarchy of needs
A. Maslow's theory of motivation that people are motivated by different levels of needs: physiological, safety, social (love and beginning), esteem and self-actualization.
Hygiene factors
Also known as maintenance factors, these are the factors that F. Herzberg argued cause dissatisfaction in the workplace (rather than motivation), so must be addressed.
Induction training
Type of training intended for new employees in order to help them acclimatise with the people, policies, and processes of the organization.
Internal recruitment
The approach or process of hiring people who already work for the organization to fill a vacant post, e.g., internal promotion to a managerial post.
Job enlargement
A type of non-financial motivation that takes place when more tasks or activities are added to a worker's job description.
Job enrichment
Type of non-financial reward, involving enhancing the experiences of workers, giving workers a wide range of challenging tasks and more responsibility at work.
Job rotation
Type of non-financial motivation that involves workers switching between jobs (tasks) for a period of time.
Job security
The assurance given to employees that they will keep their current job for the foreseeable future, usually stated in an employment contract.
Mentoring
The training process of pairing, or attaching, an employee (the trainee or mentee) with a more experienced colleague (the mentor) who acts as a coach, trainer, or advisor.
Motivation
The intrinsic desire to do something, which exists when workers do something because they actually want to, rather than because they have to.
Motivators
Also known as growth factors, these factors address the higher-level needs in Herzberg's motivation theory and are based around the job itself, e.g., achievement, purpose, and responsibility.
Off the job training
Type of training led by external specialists and takes place away from the place of work.
On the job training
Type of training that takes place within the organization, so employees are performing tasks at the place of work.
Performance-related pay (PRP)
Type of financial payment system used to pay people a bonus for reaching or exceeding a set target.
Physiological needs
Also known as basic needs, these are the requirements for human survival in Maslow's hierarchy of needs.
Piece rate payment
Financial reward system that pays workers based on their output or productivity, e.g., $8 per unit of output.
Productivity
Refers to the operational efficiency of employees by calculating levels of output per worker. The more motivated employees are, the more productive they will be.
Profit-related pay
Type of financial reward system which remunerates workers a certain percentage of the annual profits that the business earns.
Purpose
An intrinsic, non-financial type of motivation involving people doing genuinely meaningful work, making a difference on a personal, professional or social level.
Remuneration
The overall financial package of a person, e.g., salaries, commission, profit-related pay, performance-related pay, share ownership schemes, and fringe benefits.
Safety needs
Also known as security needs, these are the requirements in Maslow's hierarchy of needs that make people feel safe, such as job security.
Salary
Type of financial payment that rewards workers a fixed annual amount of money but paid in monthly instalments.
Scientific Management
F.W. Taylor's theory of motivation, that people are, above all things, motivated by higher wages. Hence, there is one best way to motivate these employees.
Self-actualisation
This is the highest level of needs in Maslow's hierarchy of needs, which occurs when people become the very best that they can be and fulfil their potential.
Social needs
Also known as love and belonging needs, this refers to the requirements in Maslow's hierarchy of needs about being accepted by others.
Teamwork
A form of non-financial motivation, involving the combined efforts of a group of workers to achieve of an organizational goal.
Time-rate payment
Financial reward system that pays workers based on their time input in the production process, e.g., $10 per hour.
Training
The process of providing opportunities for employees to grow and develop by learning and acquiring employment-related skills, knowledge, and experiences.
Wages
Type of financial reward payment system based on time or output. Wages are paid as time rate (hours) or piece rate (output).
Barriers to communication
Refers to the various factors that can prevent information being transferred effectively or accurately.
Channel of communication
This refers to the method or means through which communications take place between the sender and recipient.
Communication
The transfer of information from one entity to another. It is vital to how well a business operates.
Cultural barriers to communication
These obstacles to effective communications stem from differences in social norms, beliefs, and values in different communities and countries
Electronic mail (email)
A form of written communication that uses computer wide area networks (WAN) as a mailing system