Human Resource Management Core Concepts Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards generated from the Human Resource Management lecture notes, covering core concepts, legal frameworks, job analysis methods, and separation strategies.

Human Resource Management (HRM)

The constellation of decisions and actions associated with managing individuals across the entire employee life cycle, with the aim of maximizing both employee and organizational effectiveness in reaching goals.

Employee Life Cycle

The period running from the moment an individual is recruited to the moment they exit an organization, voluntarily or involuntarily.

Availability Bias

A cognitive bias of relying more heavily on information that is readily at hand while discounting alternative information.

Anchoring Bias

A cognitive bias of relying too heavily on the first piece of information received.

Overconfidence Bias

Being more confident in your own beliefs than reality warrants, which short-circuits exploration of the full range of options.

A-S-A Framework

Benjamin Schneider's attraction-selection-attrition framework describing how an organization's culture is defined through who is attracted to join, who is selected to join, and who chooses to stay or leave.

Human Capital

The knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics (KSAOs) embodied in people.

Organizational Culture

The shared, "taken-for-granted" assumptions members of an organization hold, which affect how they act, think, and perceive their environment.

Clan Culture

A culture type in the Competing Values Framework oriented toward collaboration, featuring values of cohesion, people orientation, team players, and employee empowerment.

Adhocracy Culture

A culture type in the Competing Values Framework oriented toward creating, featuring values of entrepreneurship, flexibility, risk taking, and creativity.

Market Culture

A culture type in the Competing Values Framework oriented toward competing, featuring values of aggressiveness, competitiveness, and customer orientation.

Hierarchy Culture

A culture type in the Competing Values Framework oriented toward controlling, featuring values of efficiency, timeliness, and consistency.

Gig Economy

An economy characterized by the prevalence of temporary employment positions, in which individuals are employed as independent workers rather than as actual employees of an organization.

Gig

A single project or task a worker is hired to do on demand.

Moore's Law

A law put forward in 1965 by Intel cofounder George E. Moore holding that computer chip capacity would roughly double every two years at about the same cost.

Big Data

Data large in volume, variety, and velocity.

Business Ethics

A system of principles governing how businesses operate, how decisions are made, and how people are treated across both individual conduct and the whole organization.

Descriptive Analytics

Backward-looking analytics focused on describing what has happened in an organization.

Predictive Analytics

Forward-looking analytics focused on estimating what is likely to happen given what is known.

Prescriptive Analytics

Forward-looking analytics focused on recommending what should be done in the future based on what is known.

HR Specialist

An HR professional who attends to all aspects of one specific human resource management function, such as recruitment, compensation, or training.

HR Generalist

An HR professional whose responsibilities span multiple human resource functions.

HR Business Partner (HRBP)

An HR professional who serves as a consultant to management on HR issues, aligning business objectives with employees and management in designated business units.

Competency

A cluster of knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics (KSAOs) necessary to be effective at one's job.

Diversity

Real or perceived differences among people with respect to sex, race, ethnicity, age, physical and mental ability, sexual orientation, religion, and other attributes affecting interactions.

Inclusive Environments

Organizations or groups in which individuals, regardless of background, are treated with dignity and respect, are included in decision making, and are valued for who they are and what they bring.

Similarity-Attraction Hypothesis

A hypothesis holding that individuals prefer others who are similar to them, posing a major challenge to workplace diversity and inclusion.

Stereotypes

Overly simplified and generalized assumptions about a particular group that may not reflect reality.

Unconscious Bias

Stereotypes an individual holds that reside beyond their conscious awareness.

Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Laws

Federal laws prohibiting discrimination in employment decisions based on protected characteristics.

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)

An independent federal agency that ensures compliance with EEO laws, investigates charges, and conducts outreach to prevent discrimination.

Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP)

A division of the Department of Labor that monitors equal employment opportunity compliance of federal contractors.

Equal Pay Act of 1963 (EPA)

A federal law prohibiting employers from paying men and women differently when performing similar jobs requiring similar skills under similar working conditions.

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act

Comprehensive federal legislation applying to employers with 15 or more employees that prohibits employment discrimination based on sex, race, color, national origin, and religion.

Disparate Treatment

Intentional discrimination where different groups of applicants or employees are treated differently because of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.

Disparate Impact

Discrimination occurring when an employer uses seemingly neutral criteria that have a discriminatory effect on a protected group, without requiring evidence of intentional bias.

Bona Fide Occupational Qualification (BFOQ)

A defense in discrimination claims where a normally protected characteristic is shown to be an essential necessity for performing the job.

Uniform Guidelines on Employee Selection Procedures

Guidelines adopted in 1978 by federal agencies outlining how selection systems can be designed and validated to comply with EEO laws.

4/5ths Rule

A statistical guideline stating that a protected group's selection ratio may not be less than 80% (or 4/5ths) of the majority group's selection ratio.

Harassment

Unwelcome behaviors based on protected characteristics that would be offensive to a reasonable person and occur frequently enough to create a hostile work environment.

Sexual Harassment

Unwanted advances and other harassment sexual in nature, encompasses both quid pro quo and hostile work environment conduct.

Quid Pro Quo Harassment

Making employment decisions contingent on sexual favors.

Hostile Work Environment

Conduct of a sexual or discriminatory nature that contributes to a workplace environment a reasonable person would find offensive.

Reasonable Accommodation

An accommodation provided to employees to help them perform their jobs that is reasonable given the firm's resources.

Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 (ADEA)

A federal act protecting individuals 40 years of age or older from employment discrimination by employers with 20 or more workers.

Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA)

A federal act prohibiting discrimination against individuals with disabilities who are able to perform major job functions with or without accommodations.

Essential Functions

Core tasks expected of all incumbents that are important for effective and safe performance of a job.

Marginal Functions

Nonessential job duties that can be reassigned to other workers.

Pregnancy Discrimination Act (PDA) of 1978

An amendment to Title VII prohibiting employment discrimination based on pregnancy or assumptions about pregnant individuals.

Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA)

A 2008 law prohibiting employment and health insurance discrimination based on genetic tests and family health history.

Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009

An act amending EEO legislation to restart the 180-day filing window for pay discrimination claims with each discriminatory paycheck received.

Affirmative Action Plans (AAPs)

Plans designed to increase hiring and labor participation of demographic groups that suffered past discrimination.

Job Analysis

The analysis of work and the employee characteristics needed to perform that work successfully.

Tasks

Elements of a job analysis typically used to describe the job itself, formatted with an action verb, an object, and a description of conditions/purpose.

KSAOs

Knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics employees need to carry out their work effectively.

Subject Matter Experts (SMEs)

Individuals who provide detailed information about a job, typically job incumbents or direct supervisors.

Competency Modeling

A job analysis approach aimed at understanding what KSAOs and behaviors are required across a group of jobs or an entire organization.

Job Classification

A group of related duties within an organization, distinct from a position.

Position

The specific set of duties that can be carried out by one individual person.

Job Description

A brief overview document providing the title, purpose, and general outline of essential tasks, duties, and responsibilities of a job.

Job Specification

A document focusing on the employee characteristics (KSAOs, physical, or emotional requirements) required for a job.

Workflow Analysis

A broad, organization-level analysis of work processes performed in reverse order by evaluating desired outputs, necessary tasks, and required inputs/resources.

Task-KSAO Analysis

A detailed job analysis method that defines specific job tasks and identifies the critical KSAOs needed to complete them.

Critical Incidents Technique

A job analysis method where SMEs describe critical job situations and generate examples of effective and ineffective employee responses.

Position Analysis Questionnaire (PAQ)

A standardized off-the-shelf job analysis survey consisting of 195 generic worker-oriented statements scored online.

Occupational Information Network (O*NET)

An online database maintained by the U.S. Department of Labor providing standardized job analysis information across occupations.

Job Design

The process of identifying how job characteristics are experienced from the employee's perspective to enhance well-being and performance.

Job Enlargement

Adding more responsibilities to a job to make it less repetitive and more motivating.

Job Enrichment

Granting workers greater autonomy and decision-making power over their work.

Job Rotation

Systematically rotating employees across different jobs to relieve boredom and develop new skills.

Job Characteristics Model (JCM)

Hackman and Oldham's model explaining how core job dimensions influence critical psychological states to produce individual and work outcomes.

Job Demands-Resources Model (JDR)

A job design framework showing that workplace stress from job demands can be counteracted by job resources like autonomy, participation, and supervisor support.

Job Crafting

The process whereby employees proactively redesign their own jobs to align with their abilities, interests, and personalities within organizational limits.

Flextime

A work schedule arrangement giving employees choices regarding their daily arrival and departure times.

Telecommuting

A flexible work arrangement where an employee performs job duties away from the central office location.

Contingent Employees

Workers hired for a limited, fixed term under short-term or project-based employment contracts.

Voluntary Turnover

Employee-initiated departure from an organization, typically driven by a desire to leave and ease of movement in the market.

Dismissal

Organization-initiated employment termination resulting from an employee's failure to meet job expectations or performance standards.

Layoffs

Involuntary, organization-initiated terminations caused by economic, downsizing, or strategic reasons through no fault of the employees.

Retention Rate

The percentage of employees present at the beginning of a measuring period who remain employed at the end of that period.

Unfolding Model of Turnover

A model showing that turnover decisions frequently stem from specific jarring workplace or personal events called "shocks" rather than long-term job dissatisfaction.

Job Embeddedness Model

A model explaining employee retention based on links to others, fit with work and community contexts, and the sacrifices required to leave.

Sentiment Analysis

The computational analysis of written text or natural language to identify and extract the underlying mood or emotional tone.

Exit Interviews

Structured discussions held with departing employees to uncover reasons for turnover and gather actionable organizational feedback.

Realistic Job Preview (RJP)

A hiring tool that provides job candidates with accurate, balanced details regarding both positive and challenging aspects of a job.

Boomerang Employees

Former employees who rejoin an organization after having previously separated.

Bridge Employment

Employment chosen by an older worker that reduces hours or job demands before full departure from the workforce.

Progressive Discipline System

A formal process utilizing step-by-step, increasingly severe administrative actions to help an employee correct performance or behavioral issues.

Employment at Will

A U.S. legal rule stating that employers may terminate employment or employees may quit at any time, for any reason, unless restricted by law or contract.

Wrongful Dismissal

An employment termination that violates statutory laws, public policy, or employment contract provisions.

Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act

A federal law requiring employers with 100 or more employees to provide 60 days' advance written notice prior to plant closings or mass layoffs.

Severance Pay

Financial compensation provided to departing workers during organizationally initiated employment separations.

Outplacement Assistance

Services provided by an employer to help laid-off workers transition and secure new employment rapidly.

Layoff Survivors

Employees who remain employed with an organization following a workforce reduction or layoff.