TEST 2 Managing employees Total marks: 30 marks Suggested writing time: 60 minutes Section A: Short-answer questions Specific instructions to students • Answer all questions in the spaces provided. Shutterstock.com/goodluz Case study Pennington College is an independent secondary school in Melbourne’s south-eastern suburbs. The school is keen to enhance its reputation as a 21stcentury school and aims to attract more students from overseas and from the local community. The human resources manager is keen to promote the school as ‘an employer of choice’, with the goal of attracting the highest quality teachers to the staff. The school has recently adopted a 1:1 digital technology plan. Students and staff use iPads in the classroom and the school has increased the number of desktop computers and other hardware available for students throughout the school. When employing new staff, the human resources manager has a preference for people experienced in technology and the use of technology in the classroom. Existing staff members are being offered both internal and external professional development in digital technologies and classroom strategies. At the end of each year, staff undergo appraisal designed to identify and link to opportunities for training and development. Many staff members are challenged by the demands of a digital curriculum and are concerned about the changes occurring in the school. 6 A+ Business Management Exam VCE Units 3 & 4 ISBN 9780170414623 QUESTION 1 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 = 4 marks Define the following terms: QUESTION 2 2 + 2 + 2 = 6 marks Human resource management involves the management Describe the human resources manager’s role in a business. 2 marks The human resources manager is responsible for managing of the relationship between employees and the business employees and other participants in the workplace to maximise productivity or profit for the business. (such as volunteers and contractors). This role includes The human resources manager develops strategies to responsibility for training and professional development, maximise employee motivation and engagement so that responsibility for payroll, workplace relations, termination the employee remains loyal to the business. For example, arrangements and other interactions between the the manager might aim to provide employees with regular employer and its employees. a human resource management a 1 mark feedback and praise for work well performed. b performance management 1 mark Performance management involves the review of a business and individual performance to ensure that performance aligns with the business’s goals and objectives. b Identify two issues that a human resources manager may face in his/her role. 2 marks Human resources managers are sometimes asked by c business objectives 1 mark Business objectives are quantifiable goals that contribute to the realisation of the business’s vision, mission and employees to assist them to resolve a conflict between them and the employer. This can potentially cause conflict because often the human resources manager is also on the senior management or executive team and therefore may goals. It is important that employee management be also representing the employer in some areas. strategies relate to and contribute to the business In the appraisal process or in performance management, objectives of the business. the human resources manager may be asked to make judgments about fellow employees. This may require the HR manager to set aside his or her personal views and be fair and consistent in the handling of fellow employees. d motivation 1 mark The term ‘motivation’ refers to the drivers that commit an See the appendix for other possible answers. employee or employees to the goals and objectives of the business. Increased motivation contributes to employee performance and therefore improves business results and productivity. ISBN 9780170414623 Test 2 7 c Describe Locke and Latham’s theory of goal setting. QUESTION 4 2 marks Locke and Latham argue that employees are more motivated and perform better if they set specific and challenging goals. Performance is also enhanced if employers give appropriate feedback to employees. They identified five principles of goal setting: clarity, challenge, commitment, feedback and complexity. 3 marks Using an example, explain how HR strategies could be used to help the school achieve its goal to become an ‘employer of choice’. The school could set up learning syndicates to help staff learn how to use technology more effectively in the curriculum. This would help to motivate staff by providing them with the training and professional learning they need to be able to keep up with the changes. It will also make their jobs more interesting, more creative and motivate them to remain in their jobs in the future. This HR strategy will help the school achieve its objective of introducing digital technology so that it becomes a school of the 21st century. See the appendix for other possible answers. As you work through each key knowledge area TIP from the Study Design, consider the corporate responsibility issues that businesses face in each area of study. This is an important part of the course, and some students struggle to think of these issues unless they have prepared for these types of questions in advance. HOT QUESTION 3 2 marks Identify and describe two expectations that employees have of employers. Employees have a fundamental right to expect that they will receive fair pay and conditions from their employers. These conditions are often set down in an industry award or an Enterprise Bargaining Agreement. Employees also have an expectation that their employer will support them to have a fair work/life balance. Employee expectations must be realistic and fair to ensure this. See the appendix for other possible answers. 8 A+ Business Management Exam VCE Units 3 & 4 ISBN 9780170414623 QUESTION 5 2 marks Explain why employee motivation is important in the achievement of business objectives. To be successful, businesses must motivate and engage their employees to align themselves with the goals and objectives developed by management. Research shows that employees who are motivated and challenged by their roles will remain longer at the business and commit themselves to it. Motivated employees are happier, more efficient and effective, and therefore more productive. QUESTION 7 6 marks Identify and justify a motivational strategy that could be used to motivate the teachers employed at the school to deal with and embrace the changes being embarked on by the school management. Pennington College could adopt Locke’s goal-setting theory and incorporate digital learning and classroom strategies as goals in the appraisal program for staff for the following year. Individual realistic goals can be set for each staff member, based on their professional learning or training needs. These needs can be identified in the appraisal They take less sick leave and there by save money for process and linked to an annual learning plan for each the business. They can focus on the job or tasks they employee. The advantage of this approach is that each undertake and perform better. employee feels encouraged and supported to develop the skills required. See the appendix for other possible answers. QUESTION 6 3 marks Explain employee motivation with reference to one theory of motivation. Research suggests that motivated employees work more productively, adding to the business’s productivity and improving profits. There are several theories of motivation. Maslow suggests that employers must take their employees’ needs into account. He views employees’ needs in a hierarchical pyramid, depending on the level of the need. He starts at the bottom of the pyramid with basic physiological needs, building up to the need for self-esteem and finally self-actualisation at the top. Maslow theorises that, by recognising employees’ needs and the position of their needs in the hierarchy, employers are better able to understand and meet those needs. Maslow argues that if their needs are met, employees are more likely to be loyal to the organisation and work harder to meet the business objectives of the organisation. See the appendix for other possible answers. ISBN 9780170414623 When asked to ‘identify and justify’, you must TIP consider strengths and limitations of each theory so that the response is comprehensive and weighs up both sides of the equation. See the ‘Exam preparation’ section in the Introduction for an explanation of ‘identify and justify’. HOT Test 2 9 QUESTION 8 4 marks Identify one strength and one limitation of goal-setting as a motivating factor. Setting measurable and easily achievable goals for employees is probably the simplest way of aligning employee goals and objectives with those of the organisation. It is relatively cheap, and employees value their employers spending time with them setting goals and following up on them after an agreed period of time. However, not all employees will readily accept the objectives set by management, particularly if their basic needs are not attended to. Some employees regard goal-setting as a tedious task and irrelevant to their needs. 10 A+ Business Management Exam VCE Units 3 & 4 ISBN 9780170414623
