Other
HRM3704 SU 5 REVIEW QUESTIONS
- Institution
- University Of South Africa (Unisa)
STUDY UNIT 5 REVIEW QUESTIONS
[Show more]
Content preview
Chapter 5 - Answers to review questions in textbook, page 1201. A major goal implicit in the idea of flexible labour is to render HRM
as a strategic activity. By this is meant a multi-fold process involving
a number of issues. Discuss briefly.
Answer: (Introduction to Chapter 5)
A major goal implicit in the idea of flexible labour is to render HRM as a
strategic, rather than merely a tactical activity. ... By this is meant a
multifold process involving one or many of the following:
(i) for any individual worker, a wider range of tasks and abilities and a
willingness to employ them on behalf of the organisation which
purchases them;
(ii) a greater variety in the time periods of employment;
(iii) a greater ability by the employer to dispense with certain workers
when not strictly essential to the production process (an ability
which may be grounded in the replacement of traditional contracts
of employment by franchise and subcontractor relations, and/or the
greater use of part-time and temporary employees); and
(iv) a greater capacity among workers (in both internal and external
labour markets) to be so deployed, necessitating changed attitudes
for all, and skill and time-management change for some.
The inference from the development of these work patterns and practices
is a new-found strategic focus by management, integrating both the 'hard'
or quantitative approach to human resources which emphasises the link to
organisational strategy and the 'soft' or qualitative approach which focuses
on the developmental aspects of managing human resources.
, 2. Explain the major differences between numerical flexibility and
functional flexibility.
Answer: (Section 5.1)
Numerical Flexibility Functional Flexibility
is a quantitative approach to the refers to management's ability to deploy
utilisation of the workforce and redeploy particular sections of the
workforce on a wide range of tasks, in
response to market demand, as and
when required
based on the principle of relating to ensure that this can be achieved
the size of the workforce to the efficiently, employees are trained in
levels of economic activity easily a wide range of skills. As Atkinson
and at short notice notes:
as the workload fluctuates, This might mean the
management has the option to deployment of multi-skilled craftsmen
adjust or redeploy its human from mechanical, electrical and
resources accordingly pneumatic jobs; it might mean moving
the use of seasonal, casual, part- workers between indirect and direct
time and subcontracted workers production jobs or it might mean a
typically provides this form of complete change of career. ...
flexibility As products and production methods
the pressures of unpredictable change, functional flexibility implies
short-term fluctuations in demand, that the same labour force changes
combined with increased with them, in both short and medium
competitiveness, make these work term.
patterns efficient and effective to the volatility of product markets and
sustain, as organisations are the blurring of skill boundaries
relieved of the cost of a fixed through technological change
labour force - while these patterns provide the environment for the
of work organisation have been development of this form of
traditional aspects of some flexibility.
segments of the labour market central to the development of
(e.g. the service and retail functional flexibility is the reversal of
sectors), the use of these work the Taylorist (or scientific
practices to externalise traditional management) practices of
core organisational activities is the fragmentation and de-skilling
major factor in increasing working practices which incorporate
enterprise efficiency through elements of functional flexibility
numerical flexibility include team working,
empowerment, multi-skilling, re-
skilling and project-working
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through EFT, credit card or Stuvia-credit for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying this summary from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller LLL56. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy this summary for R80,00. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.
Can Stuvia be trusted?
4.6 stars on Google & Trustpilot (+1000 reviews)
60904 documents were sold in the last 30 days
Founded in 2010, the go-to place to buy summaries for 14 years now