management human capital exam 1

What is the primary reason for the rising importance of HR?

As companies place greater emphasis on talent acquisition, development, employee engagement, and organizational culture, HR has become central to driving performance, innovation, and adaptability in an ever-changing business environment.

Understand human resource strategies and human resource tactics.

human resource strategy: refers to a firm’s
deliberate use of human resources to help it gain
or maintain an edge against competitors in the
marketplace

human resource tactic: is a particular policy or
program that helps to advance a firm’s strategic
goal
– Strategy precedes and is more important than
tactics

How does an HR strategic plan fit within organizational strategies?

corporate strategy, business unit strategy, porters business unit strategies, miles and snow’s business strategies

What is decentralization?

distributing HR functions and decision-making authority away from a central HR department and delegating them to individual departments, business units, or locations

Know the difference between a bureaucratic, flat, and boundaryless organizational structure.

Bureaucratic
• Top-down management
approach
• Many levels of
management
• Hierarchical career paths
within one function
• Highly specialized jobs
• Narrowly specified job
descriptions
• Rigid boundaries
between jobs and units
• Employees or individuals
working independently

Flat
• Decentralized
management approach
• Few levels of management
• Horizontal career paths
that cross functions
• Broadly defined jobs
• General job descriptions
• Flexible boundaries
between jobs and units
• Emphasis on teams
• Strong focus on the
customer

Boundaryless
• Joint ventures with
customers, suppliers,
and competitors
• Emphasis on teams
whose members may
cross organizational
boundaries
• Shares many
characteristics of flat
organizational structure

Know the difference between the terms 'prospector and defender' in relation to organizational structures.

A prospector organization is one that focuses on innovation, exploration, and growth. a defender organization is one that focuses on efficiency, stability, and protecting its current market position.

What is a job analysis?

The systematic gathering and organization of
information concerning jobs
• Identifies the following of a job:
– Task
– Duty
– Responsibility

What are the 5 steps in conducting a job analysis?

1. Determine the desired applications of the job
analysis
2. Select the jobs to be analyzed
3. Gather the job Information
4. Verify the accuracy of the job information
5. Document the job analysis by writing a job
description

What is the job characteristics theory, and how does it relate to your Individual Behavior Project?

a framework that identifies key aspects of jobs that can influence employees' motivation, satisfaction, performance, and overall well-being. The theory posits that certain job characteristics can enhance intrinsic motivation, leading to better job outcomes.

The theory suggests that five core job dimensions affect an employee's motivation and satisfaction. These dimensions influence three critical psychological states that ultimately impact work outcomes.

This relates to our individual behavior project because we were able to analyze our psychological states to view our motivation, satisfaction, performance, and overall well being.

How do the critical psychological states affect personal and work outcomes?

they help employees feel that their work is valued and worthwhile, employees feel personally responsible for the outcomes of their work, which increases their sense of accountability and motivation to perform well, and When employees receive regular feedback, they are aware of how well they are performing, which helps them improve and feel competent in their work.

what is the goal-setting theory?

a well-known motivational theory that emphasizes the importance of setting specific, challenging, and achievable goals to improve performance and motivation in the workplace. The core idea is that specific and difficult goals, when accepted by the individual, lead to higher performance than vague or easy goals.

What is the difference between a specific and general job description?

Specific job description
▪ Detailed summary of job’s tasks, duties, and
responsibilities
– General job description
▪ Associated with work-flow strategies that
emphasize innovation, flexibility, and loose
work planning

What are the core responsibilities of HR managers?

job analysis and design, recruitment and sourcing, interviewing and hiring, training and development, orientation programs, conflict resolution, employee engagement and satisfaction, evaluations and feedback, development plans, legal compliance, health and safety, dei

Understand the environmental, organizational, and individual factors that impact HR. How does rapid change play a role?

Environmental Challenges
• Rapid change
• The Web economy
• Workforce diversity
• Globalization
• Legislation
• Evolving work and family roles
• Skill shortages and the rise of the service sector
• Natural disasters and terrorism

Organizational Challenges
• Competitive position: Cost, quality, or distinctive
capabilities
– Decentralization
– Downsizing
– Organizational restructuring
– Self-managed work teams
– Organizational culture
– Technology
– Internal security
– Data security
– Outsourcing
– Product integrity

Individual Challenges
• Matching people and organizations
• Ethics and social responsibility
• Productivity
• Empowerment
• Brain drain
• Job insecurity

What does the degree of certainty and uncertainty have to do with 'prospector and defender' strategies?  

A prospector organization thrives in an uncertain environment. This is because the prospector strategy involves actively seeking out new opportunities, markets, and innovations, often through exploration, experimentation, and risk-taking. A defender organization, on the other hand, tends to be more successful in an environment with high certainty. In this type of environment, the market conditions, customer needs, and competitive dynamics are relatively stable and predictable.