HR Commerce

What does HRM aim to ensure in an organization?

That the organization has the right number and mix of workers to achieve its goals, and that workers achieve those goals.

What is Strategic HRM?

The idea that HR policies should be integrated with organizational strategy to improve performance.

What is a capitalist economy in the context of HRM?

A system where capital is privately owned and workplaces are shaped by power differences between employers and workers.

What is "social production" in employment relations?

The process of maintaining and reproducing the workforce and workers’ acceptance of their roles.

What is the Unitarist perspective on workplace conflict?

Conflict is abnormal and usually caused by poor communication, bad leadership, or outside interference.

How does the unitarist view see unions?

As unnecessary or disruptive third parties.

What is the Pluralist perspective on workplace conflict?

Conflict is normal because employers and workers have different legitimate interests.

How does the pluralist view see unions?

As legitimate representatives of worker interests.

What is the Marxist perspective on workplace conflict?

Conflict is rooted in capitalism and the struggle over surplus value between labour and capital.

What is employment law?

The legal rules that govern the employment relationship and balance employer power with worker protection.

What is common law?

Judge-made law based on past court decisions.

When does common law apply in employment?

When contracts or statutes are silent on an issue.

What notice must employers give under common law?

Reasonable notice of termination.

What duty of loyalty do employees owe under common law?

The duty of good faith and fidelity.

What do employment standards legislation create?

A minimum floor of rights (wages, hours, overtime, leaves).

What is the purpose of Occupational Health and Safety laws?

To prevent workplace injury and illness.

What is workers’ compensation?

A no-fault system providing wage-loss benefits for workplace injuries.

What is direct discrimination?

Explicit unequal treatment based on a protected ground.

What is indirect discrimination?

A neutral rule that disadvantages a protected group.

What is the duty to accommodate?

The obligation to adjust workplace rules unless it causes undue hardship.

What does the Meiorin test determine?

Whether discriminatory standards are justified as bona fide occupational requirements.

What is job analysis?

The systematic study of a job’s tasks, duties, and required KSAs.

Why is job analysis important?

It informs hiring, training, pay, and performance evaluation.

What is job design?

The process of structuring tasks and responsibilities within jobs.

What does the Job Characteristics Model explain?

How job features influence motivation and satisfaction.

What is skill variety?

Using multiple skills in a job.

What is autonomy?

Having control over how work is done.

What is feedback in job design?

Information about performance effectiveness.

What is HR strategy?

A plan for managing people that aligns with business goals.

What is vertical fit in HR strategy?

Alignment between HR practices and business strategy.

What is horizontal fit?

Consistency among HR practices.

What is labour demand forecasting?

Predicting future staffing needs.

What is a labour surplus?

More workers than needed.

What is recruitment?

The process of attracting qualified applicants.

What is internal recruitment?

Filling jobs with current employees.

One advantage of internal recruitment?

Lower cost and lower risk.

One disadvantage of internal recruitment?

Limits new perspectives.

Why must recruitment avoid discrimination?

Because human rights law applies throughout the hiring process.

What is human capital?

Employee characteristics (knowledge, skills, abilities) that add economic value to an organization.

What is employee engagement?

The degree to which employees are fully involved in their work and committed to their organization.

What is employee experience?

The sum of all moments that shape an employee’s perception of their work environment throughout their time with an employer.

What are the 4 major HRM responsibility areas?

1. Ensuring strategy is achieved (job design, hiring, training, legal compliance)

2. Supporting performance (performance management)

3. Rewarding employees (compensation)

4. Creating healthy workplaces (employee relations, health & safety)

What does organizational sustainability mean?

Succeeding competitively without sacrificing responsibility to employees, society, or the environment.

What are the three pillars of ESG?

Environmental, Social, and Governance.

What is the triple bottom line?

Planet, People, Profit.

What is Strategic Human Resource Management?

Aligning HR policies and practices with organizational strategy to improve performance.

What is the Resource-Based View (RBV) of the firm?

Competitive advantage comes from resources that are valuable, rare, hard to imitate, and hard to substitute.

Name 4 types of intangible capital important in Strategic HRM.

Human capital, social capital, customer capital, intellectual capital.

What are High-Performance Work Systems (HPWS)?

Systems where technology, structure, people, and processes work together to create competitive advantage.

What are the 4 requirements for Strategic HRM to work?

1. Understand business strategy

2. Have input into strategy

3. Know current and needed workforce skills

4. Develop HR programs to build those skills

What is Human Resource Planning?

Ensuring the right people with the right skills are in the right place at the right time.

What causes a labour surplus?

When labour supply exceeds labour demand.

List two ways organizations handle a labour shortage.

Overtime, hiring, training, outsourcing, temporary workers.

What is succession planning?

Identifying and preparing high-potential employees to fill key positions in the future.

What is job analysis?

The process of collecting detailed information about job tasks and required worker attributes.

What is the difference between a job description and job specification?

Job description = tasks/duties; Job specification = required KSAOs.

What does KSAO stand for?

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities, and Other attributes.

Name three job analysis data collection methods.

Interviews, observation, self-monitoring (diaries/logs).

What is job design?

Structuring tasks, duties, and responsibilities into a productive unit of work.

What is job enlargement?

Adding more tasks at the same responsibility level.

What is job enrichment?

Adding more decision-making authority and responsibility.

What is job rotation?

Moving employees between different jobs to increase variety.

What is job crafting?

Employee-initiated changes to tasks, relationships, or perceptions to make work more meaningful.

What are the three main forms of law affecting employment?

Constitutional law, statutory law, common law.

What is common law in employment?

Judge-made law based on court decisions that fills gaps when statutes/contracts are silent.

What is a Bona Fide Occupational Requirement (BFOR)?

A job requirement that is reasonably necessary for job performance and may justify discrimination.

What is the duty to accommodate?

The obligation to adjust workplace rules to avoid discrimination unless it causes undue hardship.

What counts as undue hardship?

Significant cost, health/safety risks, or major operational disruption.

What is direct discrimination?

Explicit unequal treatment based on a protected ground.

What is indirect discrimination?

A neutral rule that has a negative effect on a protected group.

What is harassment?

Unwelcome conduct related to a protected ground that creates a hostile work environment.

What is sexual coercion (quid pro quo harassment)?

When sexual cooperation is tied to job consequences.

What are the two main goals of recruitment?

Attract a large enough applicant pool and ensure applicants have required qualifications.

One advantage of internal recruitment?

Lower cost and known employee performance.

One disadvantage of internal recruitment?

Limits new ideas and may reduce diversity.

What is a realistic job preview?

Providing candidates with accurate information about positive and negative aspects of a job.

What are yield ratios in recruitment?

The percentage of applicants who move from one stage of hiring to the next.