Which of the following does an organisational chart show?
The levels of hierarchy in a business
A large, complex business has many levels of hierarchy. What is a likely consequence of this structure?
Lines of communication are long, so change is slower
In a flat structure, managers have a wide span of control. What does this mean?
Each manager is responsible for a large number of staff
A supermarket chain's head office sets all prices and product ranges for every store. What is a likely drawback of this structure?
Stores cannot respond quickly to local customer needs
A franchise business lets each franchisee decide their own opening hours and local promotions. What is a benefit of this structure?
Decisions can be made to suit the local market
Employees are rarely told about changes to their work or how the business is performing. What is a likely effect?
Staff feel uninformed and their motivation falls
Staff are sent large numbers of emails and messages every day about minor issues. What is a likely effect on the business?
Time is wasted reading messages, which cuts efficiency
A manager explains a task to a new employee using technical terms the employee has never heard before. Which barrier to communication is this?
Using technical language the employee does not understand
A shop employs several staff on part-time contracts of 20 hours a week. What is a benefit to the shop?
Staff are paid only for the hours they work at busy times
What does working flexible hours mean for an employee?
The total hours are agreed but when they are worked can change
Which statement best describes the difference between permanent and temporary contracts?
A permanent contract has no end date and a temporary one has an agreed end date
What does working on a freelance contract mean?
Being self-employed and completing short-term work for other businesses
A business lets all its staff work from home permanently. Which is a likely drawback for the business?
Teamwork and communication between staff can become more difficult
What is meant by an organisational structure?
The way people are arranged in a business, including levels of authority
Which term describes the number of staff a manager is directly responsible for?
Span of control
What is meant by a centralised organisation?
A structure where most decisions are made by senior managers and passed down
Which term describes a structure with few levels of management, where managers have a wide span of control and lines of communication are short?
Flat structure
What is the name for anything that stops a message being received and understood in the way it was intended?
A barrier to communication
What is meant by a hierarchy?
The levels of authority in a business, from the most senior to the most junior staff
A building firm gives its site managers tablet computers so they can send photos and reports to head office from the building site. What is a likely benefit to the firm?
Information reaches head office faster, so decisions are made sooner
A chain of coffee shops keeps the same prices and menu in every branch. What is a likely benefit of this approach?
The brand image of the chain stays the same in every branch
A pizza chain lets every branch manager choose their own menu and prices. Which is a likely drawback of this approach?
Customers may get a different service in each branch
Which is a likely drawback for a worker on a freelance contract?
Their income can be irregular because they must find their own work
A hotel takes on six extra staff on temporary contracts for the summer season. Why is this a benefit to the hotel?
Staff costs are only paid for the weeks when demand is high
A manager phones a worker with an urgent instruction, but the mobile signal in the warehouse keeps cutting out. Which barrier to communication is this?
The message cannot be heard clearly over the phone line
Which term describes a document that summarises an individual's skills, experience and achievements and is often sent to an employer with a covering letter?
CV
What is meant by 'job description'?
A document that sets out the duties, responsibilities and working conditions of a particular job
What is the name for the document that details the type of person required for a job, including the qualifications and qualities needed to carry out the role?
Person specification
What is meant by 'internal recruitment'?
Filling a vacancy using an existing employee of the business, for example through promotion
Which term describes a standard document provided by a business that candidates complete with their personal details when they want to be considered for a vacancy?
Application form
What is meant by 'external recruitment'?
Advertising a vacancy to candidates outside the business
Which of these is the final stage of the recruitment process?
Integrating the new employee into the business
Which of these is normally included in a job description?
The main duties and responsibilities of the role
What is the main purpose of a person specification?
To describe the type of person required for the job
Why might a business ask all applicants to complete the same application form?
It makes it easier to compare candidates using the same information
Which of these is an external method of recruitment?
Placing an advert with a recruitment agency
A supermarket promotes an existing checkout assistant to team leader. Which is a likely disadvantage of using internal recruitment here?
The business gains no new ideas from outside
What is a director mainly responsible for?
Leading a specific function and its staff
What is a senior manager mainly responsible for?
Planning work and monitoring a department's performance
Which task is most likely to be carried out by a supervisor or team leader?
Making day-to-day decisions and solving routine problems
Which of these best describes operational staff?
They carry out the main day-to-day tasks of the business
Which of these is an example of support staff?
An IT technician
Why does a business write a job description before advertising a vacancy?
To set out the duties and responsibilities of the post for applicants
A business has analysed the requirements of a new post. What is the next stage of the recruitment process?
Attracting candidates to apply for the post
A garden centre fills a supervisor vacancy by promoting an existing sales assistant. Why might this benefit the garden centre?
The employee already knows how the business works
Why might an applicant send a CV rather than complete an application form?
It lets them present their skills and experience in their own words
A software business advertises a vacancy for a programmer in a specialist trade journal. Why is this likely to be an effective method?
It reaches people with the skills needed for that kind of work
A business writes a job description and a person specification for a vacancy. Which of these belongs in the person specification?
The qualifications and qualities needed for the post
Which term describes a casual way of learning that has no defined goals or outcomes and is often unplanned, such as observing colleagues or being given advice?
Informal training
What is meant by 'self-learning'?
Learning on the job by trial and error or independent study
Which term describes identifying particular goals to be achieved within a timeframe?
Target setting
What is meant by a 'performance review'?
A regular evaluation of an employee's job performance and contribution
Which term describes an organised way of delivering information and skills, often paid for by the business, which may lead to a recognised qualification?
Formal training
What is meant by 'ongoing training'?
Training that enables employees to regularly update their knowledge and skills
A new employee is shown how to use the till by an experienced colleague who gives advice as they work. Which type of training is this?
Informal training
Why should a business provide ongoing training for all of its employees?
It keeps their knowledge and skills up to date
What is the purpose of a performance review?
To evaluate an employee's job performance and contribution
How can training and development help employees to achieve the targets set for them?
It gives them the skills and knowledge to do the work
Why does investing in an employee's training and development motivate them?
It makes them feel valued by the business
How does training and development help a business to retain its employees?
Employees feel empowered and more loyal to the business
In which situation would a business most likely need to retrain its existing employees?
New technology is introduced into the production process
What is meant by training staff?
Equipping employees with knowledge and skills for their job
What is meant by developing staff?
Improving an employee's skills and future potential
A marketing assistant completes an online course at home in the evenings to learn new software. Which type of training is this?
Self-learning
Why can target setting improve a business's productivity and efficiency?
It gives employees clear goals
What can a performance review help an employee to do?
Identify new targets and training needs
Why might a business retrain existing employees rather than recruit new staff when new technology is introduced?
It keeps employees who already know the business
Which term describes a payment made to an employee based on a percentage of the value of the products they sell?
Commission
What is meant by 'autonomy'?
Giving an employee the freedom to make decisions about how they reach a goal
Which term describes a benefit of employment given by an employer that is not in the form of money, such as a company car or medical insurance?
Fringe benefit
What is meant by 'job rotation'?
Moving workers regularly around the business so that they work in different departments or on different tasks
What is motivation best described as?
The factors that stimulate a desire to work towards a goal
Why does a good reputation as an employer help a business to attract new staff?
It encourages more people to apply when a vacancy is advertised
Employees at a bakery become more motivated and produce more bread during each shift. What is the likely benefit to the bakery?
Its average cost per loaf falls
A restaurant keeps losing experienced chefs to rival businesses. What is the most likely result for the restaurant?
It will spend more on recruiting and training new chefs
What does remuneration mean?
The financial payment an employee receives for their work
What is the difference between a salary and a wage?
A salary is an annual amount and a wage varies with hours worked
A car salesperson is paid a low basic wage plus commission. What is a disadvantage of this for the salesperson?
Their income can fall sharply in a month when sales are low
How can offering fringe benefits such as a company car help to motivate employees?
Staff feel valued and are more likely to stay with the business
Why is promotion an example of a financial method of motivation?
A higher level job usually comes with a higher salary
What is a disadvantage to a business of using bonuses to motivate staff?
Employees may concentrate on the target and neglect their other duties
How can job rotation motivate employees?
It gives them variety by moving them between different tasks
What is job enrichment?
Giving employees greater challenge and responsibility in their work
A manager sets a team a target for cutting waste but lets the team decide how to achieve it. Which method of motivation is being used?
Autonomy
Which term describes an additional payment made to an employee for achieving a target or performing well?
Bonus
What is a disadvantage to a business of motivating staff with fringe benefits such as company cars and medical insurance?
They add to the business's costs
What is a disadvantage to a business of giving its employees autonomy?
Employees may make poor decisions
A charity has very little money to spend on motivating its staff. Which method is most suitable for it to use?
Giving staff more autonomy over their work
Why might a business pay its sales staff commission?
It encourages staff to sell more
What is a disadvantage to a business of using job rotation to motivate staff?
Productivity can fall while staff learn a new role