People in Business

2.1 Motivating workers

2.1.1 The importance of a well-motivated workforce:

• Why people work and what motivation means
• The concept of human needs – Maslow’s hierarchy
• Key motivational theories: Taylor and Herzberg

2.1.2 Methods of motivation:

• Financial and non-financial rewards and methods
• Recommend and justify appropriate method(s) of motivation in given circumstances

2.2 Organisation and management

2.2.1 Draw, interpret and understand simple organisational charts:

• Simple hierarchical structures: span of control, hierarchy, chain of command and delegation
• Roles, responsibilities and inter-relationships between people in organisations

2.2.2 The role of management:

• Functions of management – planning, organising, co-ordinating, commanding and controlling
• Importance of delegation; trust versus control

2.2.3 Leadership styles:

• Features of the main leadership styles – autocratic, democratic and laissez-faire
• Recommend and justify an appropriate leadership style in given circumstances

2.2.4 Trade unions:

• What a trade union is and the benefits of workers being union members

2.3 Recruitment, selection and training of workers

2.3.1 The methods of recruiting and selecting workers:

• Recruitment and selection
• Difference between internal and external recruitment
• Main stages in recruitment and selection of staff
• Benefits and limitations of part-time and full-time workers

2.3.2 The importance of training and the methods of training:

• Importance of training to a business and workers
• Benefits and limitations of induction training, on-the-job training and off-the-job training

2.3.3 Why reducing the size of the workforce might be necessary:

• Difference between dismissal and redundancy with examples to illustrate the difference
• Understand situations in which downsizing the workforce might be necessary, e.g. automation or reduced demand for products
• Recommend and justify which workers to recruit/make redundant in given circumstances

2.3.4 Legal controls over employment issues and their impact on employers and employees:

• Legal controls over employment contracts, unfair dismissal, discrimination, health and safety, legal minimum wage

2.4 Internal and external communication

2.4.1 Why effective communication is important and the methods used to achieve it:

• Effective communication and its importance to business
• Benefits and limitations of different communication methods including those based on information technology (IT)
• Recommend and justify which communication method to use in given circumstances

2.4.2 Demonstrate an awareness of communication barriers:

• How communication barriers arise and problems of ineffective communication; how communication barriers can be reduced or removed