Fundamentals of Human Resources Lecture Notes

Vocabulary practice flashcards covering the fundamentals of Human Resources, VUCA concepts, cultural models, D.E.I., organizational strategy, and recruitment processes.

Human Resources

People working in the Organization

Human Resources Management

Process of employing people, train them, developing policies, and developing strategies to retain them

Volatility (VUCA)

The degree to which events and situations change quickly, often unpredictably.

Uncertainty (VUCA)

The degree to which outcomes of events and situations are unknown or unpredictable.

Complexity (VUCA)

When events and situations are composed of many interconnected parts, leading to unforeseen consequences.

Ambiguity (VUCA)

When events and situations have unclear meanings, making it difficult to determine the exact significance.

Norms

Written or unwritten rules of a group.

Value

What we personally think is important.

Diversity Wheel

A model showing different unique characteristics, divided into an inner circle (unchangeable like age/gender) and an outer circle (changeable like education/income).

Power Distance

A 6-Dimension Model factor where high means hierarchy is accepted and low means equality is preferred.

Individualism vs. Collectivism

A cultural dimension focused on whether people focus on themselves versus the group.

Uncertainty Avoidance

A measure of how comfortable people are with uncertainty and change.

Indulgence vs. Restrained

The degree to which people freely enjoy life versus controlling their desires according to social norms.

Linear-active (Lewis' Model)

Cultures characterized as cool, factual, decisive planners.

Multi-active (Lewis' Model)

Cultures characterized as warm, emotional, and impulsive.

Reactive (Lewis' Model)

Cultures characterized as courteous, amiable, accommodating, compromisers, and good listeners.

Shein's Basic underlying Assumptions

Deep unconscious beliefs that represent what employees actually believe based on values; like unwritten rules.

Diversity

The presence of differences within a given setting, encompassing attributes such as race, gender, age, sexual orientation, and disability.

Equity

Ensuring fairness and justice by recognizing and addressing the diverse needs of different individuals or groups; not necessarily treating everyone the same.

Inclusion

The intentional effort to create environments where all individuals feel valued, respected, supported, and welcomed regardless of differences.

Stereotyping

Putting somebody in a category and assuming characteristics ascribed to that category are applicable to every individual.

Bias

A tendency to show a more favorable or unfavorable view.

Prejudice

A mostly emotional negative bias towards a group based on specific characteristics or held stereotypes.

Strategy

The long-term direction of an organization, answering where it is now, where it wants to be, and how it gets there.

Prescriptive approach (Strategy)

A linear and rational strategic development where main elements are determined in advance; works well in predictable growth environments.

Emergent approach (Strategy)

A strategy that emerges over time and cannot be usefully summarized in a formal plan.

Mission

What you do now, for who, and how you do it.

Vision

Where you are going and what you ultimately want to achieve for your customers and society.

Stakeholder

People that have interest in the company, including employees, owners, investors, and society.

ESG

Framework for Environmental (protecting environment), Social (treating people fairly, diversity), and Governance (ethical management).

Divisional Structure

Organized by division, product, or location.

Flat Structure

An organizational structure with few levels of management and high employee autonomy.

Functional Structure

An organizational structure organized by function or department, such as Marketing, Finance, HR, or IT.

Job Description

A detailed, official document that is factual and legal, outlining title, purpose, tasks, and responsibilities.

Job Analysis

The process of collecting information about a job to create a job description or person requirements.

Recruitment

The process that provides the organization with a pool of qualified job candidates.

Validity (Selection)

Ensuring the selection process is job-related and questions are relevant to the position.

Reliability (Selection)

Consistency in the selection process, ensuring outcomes are the same regardless of who is interviewing, where, or when.

Onboarding

The journey of integration and welcoming new employees to make them feel comfortable.