Motivation
The factors that influence the behaviour of workers towards achieving set business goals.
Labour productivity
A measure of the efficency of workers by calculating the output per worker.
Absenteeism
Workers' non-attendance at work without good reason.
Labour turnover
The rate at which workers leave a business.
The theory of the economic man
The view that humans are only motivated by money.
Piece-rate
Paying workers for each unit produced
Hygiene factors
The factors that must be present in the workplace to prevent job dissatisfaction.
Motivatiors
The factors that influence a person to increase their efforts.
Job dissatisfaction
How unhappy and discontent a person is with their job
Financial rewards
Cash and non-cash rewards paid to workers which are often used to motivate workers to increase their efforts.
Non-financial rewards
Methods used to motivate workers that do not involve giving any financial rewards.
Hourly wage rate
Payment to workers based on a fixed amount for each hour worked.
Salary
Fixed annual payment to certain grades and types of staff not based on hours worked on output.
Piece-rate
Payment to workers based on the number of units products
Commission
Payment to staff based on the value of the items they sell.
Bonus
An additional reward paid to workers for achieving targets set by managers.
Performance-related pay
A bonus scheme used to reward staff for performance to the required standard.
Fringe benefits
Non-cash rewards often used to recruit or retain workers and to recognise the status of certain employees.
Profit-sharing
An additional payment to workers based on the profits of the business.
Job rotation
Increasing variety in the workplace by allowing workers to switch from one task to another.
Job enlargement
Increasing or widening tasks to increase variety for workers.
Job enrichment
Organising work so that workers are encouraged to use their full abilities.
Job satisfaction
How happy and content a person is with their job.
Quality circles
Groups of workers who meet regularly to discuss work-related problems.
Team-working
Organising production so that groups of workers complete the whole unit of work.
Delegation
Passing responsibility to perform tasks to workers lower down in the organisation.
Organisational structure
The formal, internal, framework of a business that shows how it is managed and organised.
Functional departments
The main activities of business: finance, marketing, operations, human resources and research and development.
Hierarchy
The number of levels in an organisational structure
Chain of command
The route through which authority is passed down through an organisation.
Subordinate
An employee who is below another employee in the organisation's hierarchy.
Span of control
The number of subordinates reporting to each supervisor/manager
Delayering
Reducing the size of the hierarchy by removing one or more levels - most often middle management.
Centralised organisation
One where all the important decision-making power is held at Head Office, or the centre.
Decentralised organisation
One where the decision-making powers are passed down the organisation to lower levels.
Directors
Appointed or elected members of the Board of Directors of a company who have the responsibility for determining and implementing the company's policy
Annual General Meeting
A meeting for shareholders that limited companies must hold once every year.
Chief Executive Officer
The most senior manager responsible for overall performance and success of a company.
Manager
An individual who is in charge of a certain area or department of a business, for example the factory.
Supervisor
An individual who checks and controls the work of subordinates.
Autocratic leadership
A leadership style where the leader makes all the decisions
Democratic leadership
A leadership style where workers take part in decision-making
Laissez-faire leadership
A leadership style where most of the decisions are left to the workers.
Trade union
An organisation of workers aimed at improving pay and working conditions and providing other services, such as legal advice, for members.
Internal recruitment
Filling a vacant post with someone already in the business.
External recruitment
Filling a vacant post with somebody not already employed in the business.
Job description
A list of the key points about a job, job title, key duties, responsibility and accountability.
Person specification
A list of of the qualifications, skills, experience and personal qualities looked for in a successful applicant.
Shortlist
A list of candidates who are chosen from all of the applicants to be interviewed for the job.
Induction training
A training programme to help new recruits become familiar with their workplace, the people they work with and the procedures they need to follow.
On-the-job training
Training at the place of work. Watching or following an experienced worker.
Off-the-job training
Training that takes place away from the workplace, for example at college, university or specialist training provider's premises.
Resignation
termination of employment by the worker, perhaps because they have found a job with a different employer.
Retirement
Termination of employment due to the worker reaching an age beyond which they do not need to work.
Redundancy
Termination of employment by the employer because the job is no longer needed.
Dismissal
Termination by the employer because the worker has broken company rules or is not performing work to the required standard.
Communication media
The methods used to communicate a message
Feedback
The receiver's response to a message
Effective communication
Information passed between two or more people or groups, with feedback to confirm that the message has been received and understood.
Two-way communication
The receiver is allowed to respond to the message and the sender listens to the response.