Business leadership

Mission Statement

A short statement explaining what a company does, how it does it, and why, it defines the business’s purpose.

Vision Statement

A long-term aspirational goal describing what the organization wants to achieve or become.

Functional Structure

Employees are grouped by departments based on their roles or functions.

Divisional Structure

Teams are grouped by product lines, customer types, or geographic regions.

Matrix Structure

A hybrid structure combining functional and divisional groupings with dual reporting relationships.

Team-Based Structure

An organizational model with flat hierarchy where teams collaborate to complete projects or goals.

Network Structure

A decentralized model where internal units and external partners collaborate closely.

Boundaryless Structure

An open, tech-enabled structure that removes traditional barriers between departments and organizations.

Mechanistic Structure

A rigid, hierarchical structure with centralized decision-making and clearly defined roles.

Organic Structure

A flexible, decentralized structure promoting collaboration and innovation.

Span of Control

The number of employees directly managed by one supervisor.

Formalization

The degree to which jobs are standardized through rules, procedures, and policies.

Centralization

The extent to which decision-making is concentrated at the top levels of the organization.

SWOT Analysis

A tool used to identify Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats for strategic planning.

Job Design

The process of organizing work tasks, responsibilities, and systems to improve satisfaction and performance.

Job Analysis

Collecting data on job roles, tasks, and requirements to support recruitment, pay, training, and evaluation.

Job Enlargement

Increasing the number of tasks in a job to reduce monotony and boredom.

Job Enrichment

Adding responsibilities and decision-making power to a job to increase motivation.

Job Rotation

Switching employees between tasks or departments to develop skills and reduce boredom.

Job Simplification (Engineering)

Narrowly defined jobs focused on efficiency, ease of training, and low-cost labor.

Motivating Potential Score (MPS)

A formula that combines job characteristics to predict motivation and performance outcomes.

Ulrich HR Model

Framework with five HR roles: Strategic Partner, Change Agent, Admin Expert, Human Capital Developer, Employee Advocate.

HR Strategy

Long-term direction and goals for aligning HR activities with business objectives.

HR Strategic Plan

The blueprint that outlines major goals and initiatives for HR based on business needs.

HR Plan

Detailed short-term actions to execute the strategic plan (e.g., hiring, training schedules).

Recruitment

The process of attracting qualified candidates to apply for job openings.

Selection

The process of evaluating applicants and choosing the best person for the job.

Compensation

All forms of financial returns and benefits employees receive for their work.

Internal Hiring

Filling jobs with current employees of the organization.

External Hiring

Bringing in new employees from outside the organization.

Onboarding

The structured process of integrating a new hire into the company over weeks or months.

Orientation

Initial introduction to the company, policies, and role—usually completed in the first few days.

Preboarding

Activities done between offer acceptance and the employee's first day to build connection and prepare them.

Reboarding

Reintegrating employees after extended leave, transfers, or internal promotions.

30-60-90 Day Plan

Structured goals and milestones for a new employee’s first three months to ensure successful onboarding.