Business Management HL
Human resource management — Unit 2 HL
- 1.
A software company's junior developers report that their pay is fair but that they feel bored and see no path for advancement. (a) Using a motivation theory of your choice, identify which need or factor is most clearly unmet for these employees. (b) Suggest one specific HR action the company could take to address this. (c) Explain how it addresses the identified need.
[4 marks] · no calculator - 2.
Marking analysis: A learner attempts the following task: “A software company's junior developers report that their pay is fair but that they feel bored and see no path for advancement. (a) Using a motivation theory of your choice, identify which need or factor is most clearly unmet for these employees. (b) Suggest one specific HR action the company could take to address this. (c) Explain how it addresses the identified need.” Their response addresses only this point: “Identifies a relevant unmet need or factor using a named theory, such as Maslow's esteem/self-actualisation needs or Herzberg's motivator relating to advancement and growth, correctly noting that pay (a hygiene factor/lower-order need) is already satisfied.” Evaluate the response against the complete 4-mark task. Identify what earns credit and state every additional requirement needed for full marks.
[4 marks] · no calculator - 3.
A logistics company currently employs 240 warehouse staff. Workforce planning forecasts that automation will reduce the number of staff needed to 200 over the next two years, while a new contract will require an additional 30 staff with specialised skills the current workforce does not have. (a) Calculate the net change in total staff numbers required. (b) State one method the company could use to reduce headcount that avoids compulsory redundancy. (c) State one method the company could use to obtain the specialised skills required. (d) Explain one advantage of that method over compulsory redundancy followed by external recruitment.
[5 marks] - 4.
Marking analysis: A learner attempts the following task: “A logistics company currently employs 240 warehouse staff. Workforce planning forecasts that automation will reduce the number of staff needed to 200 over the next two years, while a new contract will require an additional 30 staff with specialised skills the current workforce does not have. (a) Calculate the net change in total staff numbers required. (b) State one method the company could use to reduce headcount that avoids compulsory redundancy. (c) State one method the company could use to obtain the specialised skills required. (d) Explain one advantage of that method over compulsory redundancy followed by external recruitment.” Their response addresses only this point: “Calculates the reduction from automation: 240 − 200 = 40 fewer staff needed.” Evaluate the response against the complete 5-mark task. Identify what earns credit and state every additional requirement needed for full marks.
[5 marks] - 5.
A fast-growing technology start-up has operated with a flat organisational structure and an informal culture since its founding. As it grows past 150 employees, senior managers notice slower decision-making, unclear reporting lines, and inconsistent quality across teams. (a) Explain one way the flat structure, which worked well when the company was small, is now contributing to these problems. (b) Recommend one specific change to the organisational structure to address the problems described. (c) Evaluate one likely drawback of implementing your recommended change, specifically in relation to the company's existing informal culture.
[6 marks] · no calculator - 6.
Marking analysis: A learner attempts the following task: “A fast-growing technology start-up has operated with a flat organisational structure and an informal culture since its founding. As it grows past 150 employees, senior managers notice slower decision-making, unclear reporting lines, and inconsistent quality across teams. (a) Explain one way the flat structure, which worked well when the company was small, is now contributing to these problems. (b) Recommend one specific change to the organisational structure to address the problems described. (c) Evaluate one likely drawback of implementing your recommended change, specifically in relation to the company's existing informal culture.” Their response addresses only this point: “Explains that a flat structure gives each manager a very wide span of control, which becomes harder to manage effectively as headcount grows.” Evaluate the response against the complete 6-mark task. Identify what earns credit and state every additional requirement needed for full marks.
[6 marks] · no calculator - 7.
A factory manager must respond immediately and decisively to a safety incident, giving clear direct orders with no time for discussion, while a creative agency's manager gives her team of experienced designers broad freedom to decide how to approach each project themselves. (a) Identify the leadership style shown by the factory manager. (b) Identify the leadership style shown by the creative agency's manager. (c) Explain why each style is well suited to its specific situation.
[4 marks] · no calculator - 8.
Marking analysis: A learner attempts the following task: “A factory manager must respond immediately and decisively to a safety incident, giving clear direct orders with no time for discussion, while a creative agency's manager gives her team of experienced designers broad freedom to decide how to approach each project themselves. (a) Identify the leadership style shown by the factory manager. (b) Identify the leadership style shown by the creative agency's manager. (c) Explain why each style is well suited to its specific situation.” Their response addresses only this point: “Identifies the factory manager's style as autocratic.” Evaluate the response against the complete 4-mark task. Identify what earns credit and state every additional requirement needed for full marks.
[4 marks] · no calculator - 9.
A manager announces a new company policy purely through a printed memo posted on a noticeboard, with no opportunity for employees to ask questions or give feedback. (a) Identify this as an example of one-way or two-way communication. (b) Explain one disadvantage of relying on this form of communication for an important change affecting employees directly.
[3 marks] · no calculator - 10.
Marking analysis: A learner attempts the following task: “A manager announces a new company policy purely through a printed memo posted on a noticeboard, with no opportunity for employees to ask questions or give feedback. (a) Identify this as an example of one-way or two-way communication. (b) Explain one disadvantage of relying on this form of communication for an important change affecting employees directly.” Their response addresses only this point: “Identifies this as one-way communication.” Evaluate the response against the complete 3-mark task. Identify what earns credit and state every additional requirement needed for full marks.
[3 marks] · no calculator - 11.
Rather than each individual worker negotiating their own pay and conditions separately with the employer, workers at a factory are represented by a trade union, which negotiates pay and conditions on behalf of all its members at once. (a) Identify this process. (b) Explain one advantage for workers of negotiating this way rather than individually.
[3 marks] · no calculator - 12.
Marking analysis: A learner attempts the following task: “Rather than each individual worker negotiating their own pay and conditions separately with the employer, workers at a factory are represented by a trade union, which negotiates pay and conditions on behalf of all its members at once. (a) Identify this process. (b) Explain one advantage for workers of negotiating this way rather than individually.” Their response addresses only this point: “Identifies this as collective bargaining.” Evaluate the response against the complete 3-mark task. Identify what earns credit and state every additional requirement needed for full marks.
[3 marks] · no calculator - 13.
After failing to reach an agreement with management over pay, a trade union's members decide to continue working but strictly follow every rule and procedure to the letter, deliberately slowing down normal operations, rather than stopping work entirely. (a) Identify this specific form of industrial action. (b) Distinguish it from a strike. (c) Suggest one way a neutral third party could help resolve this dispute.
[3 marks] · no calculator - 14.
Marking analysis: A learner attempts the following task: “After failing to reach an agreement with management over pay, a trade union's members decide to continue working but strictly follow every rule and procedure to the letter, deliberately slowing down normal operations, rather than stopping work entirely. (a) Identify this specific form of industrial action. (b) Distinguish it from a strike. (c) Suggest one way a neutral third party could help resolve this dispute.” Their response addresses only this point: “Identifies this as a work-to-rule.” Evaluate the response against the complete 3-mark task. Identify what earns credit and state every additional requirement needed for full marks.
[3 marks] · no calculator - 15.
A manufacturing company invites elected employee representatives to sit on a joint works council alongside management, giving employees a formal, ongoing voice in decisions about working conditions before those decisions are finalised. (a) Identify the HR concept illustrated here. (b) Explain one way this could benefit employee motivation, compared with employees having no formal input into such decisions.
[3 marks] · no calculator - 16.
Marking analysis: A learner attempts the following task: “A manufacturing company invites elected employee representatives to sit on a joint works council alongside management, giving employees a formal, ongoing voice in decisions about working conditions before those decisions are finalised. (a) Identify the HR concept illustrated here. (b) Explain one way this could benefit employee motivation, compared with employees having no formal input into such decisions.” Their response addresses only this point: “Identifies this as employee participation (industrial democracy), e.g., via a works council.” Evaluate the response against the complete 3-mark task. Identify what earns credit and state every additional requirement needed for full marks.
[3 marks] · no calculator - 17.
A company has an unexpected, urgent need to fill a senior management vacancy and decides to promote an existing employee who already understands the company's culture and operations, rather than hiring someone new from outside. (a) Identify this as internal or external recruitment. (b) Explain one advantage of this choice for the company. (c) Explain one drawback of this choice for the company.
[3 marks] · no calculator - 18.
Marking analysis: A learner attempts the following task: “A company has an unexpected, urgent need to fill a senior management vacancy and decides to promote an existing employee who already understands the company's culture and operations, rather than hiring someone new from outside. (a) Identify this as internal or external recruitment. (b) Explain one advantage of this choice for the company. (c) Explain one drawback of this choice for the company.” Their response addresses only this point: “Identifies this as internal recruitment.” Evaluate the response against the complete 3-mark task. Identify what earns credit and state every additional requirement needed for full marks.
[3 marks] · no calculator - 19.
Before advertising a vacancy, an HR department prepares two separate documents: one listing the specific duties and responsibilities of the role, and another listing the qualifications, skills, and personal qualities an ideal candidate should have. (a) Identify the first document. (b) Identify the second document. (c) Explain the specific purpose of each document in the recruitment and selection process.
[4 marks] · no calculator - 20.
Marking analysis: A learner attempts the following task: “Before advertising a vacancy, an HR department prepares two separate documents: one listing the specific duties and responsibilities of the role, and another listing the qualifications, skills, and personal qualities an ideal candidate should have. (a) Identify the first document. (b) Identify the second document. (c) Explain the specific purpose of each document in the recruitment and selection process.” Their response addresses only this point: “Identifies the first document as a job description.” Evaluate the response against the complete 4-mark task. Identify what earns credit and state every additional requirement needed for full marks.
[4 marks] · no calculator - 21.
A new employee spends their first two weeks shadowing an experienced colleague at their actual desk, learning the job by directly doing it under supervision, rather than attending an external training course away from the workplace. (a) Identify this as on-the-job or off-the-job training. (b) Explain one advantage and one disadvantage of this type of training compared with the alternative.
[3 marks] · no calculator - 22.
Marking analysis: A learner attempts the following task: “A new employee spends their first two weeks shadowing an experienced colleague at their actual desk, learning the job by directly doing it under supervision, rather than attending an external training course away from the workplace. (a) Identify this as on-the-job or off-the-job training. (b) Explain one advantage and one disadvantage of this type of training compared with the alternative.” Their response addresses only this point: “Identifies this as on-the-job training.” Evaluate the response against the complete 3-mark task. Identify what earns credit and state every additional requirement needed for full marks.
[3 marks] · no calculator - 23.
A company hires most of its retail staff on zero-hours contracts, under which employees are not guaranteed a minimum number of working hours each week and are called in only when needed. (a) Explain one advantage of zero-hours contracts for the employer. (b) Explain one disadvantage of zero-hours contracts for the employees.
[2 marks] · no calculator - 24.
Marking analysis: A learner attempts the following task: “A company hires most of its retail staff on zero-hours contracts, under which employees are not guaranteed a minimum number of working hours each week and are called in only when needed. (a) Explain one advantage of zero-hours contracts for the employer. (b) Explain one disadvantage of zero-hours contracts for the employees.” Their response addresses only this point: “States a valid advantage for the employer, such as maximum flexibility to match staffing levels precisely to fluctuating customer demand, avoiding paying for idle staff during quiet periods.” Evaluate the response against the complete 2-mark task. Identify what earns credit and state every additional requirement needed for full marks.
[2 marks] · no calculator - 25.
A company closes down one of its regional offices because the work it performed is no longer needed, and the employees who worked there lose their jobs through no fault of their own. Separately, another employee at a different company is dismissed specifically because of repeated poor performance despite warnings. (a) Identify the first situation as redundancy or dismissal. (b) Identify the second situation as redundancy or dismissal. (c) State one obligation an employer typically has towards employees made redundant.
[3 marks] · no calculator - 26.
Marking analysis: A learner attempts the following task: “A company closes down one of its regional offices because the work it performed is no longer needed, and the employees who worked there lose their jobs through no fault of their own. Separately, another employee at a different company is dismissed specifically because of repeated poor performance despite warnings. (a) Identify the first situation as redundancy or dismissal. (b) Identify the second situation as redundancy or dismissal. (c) State one obligation an employer typically has towards employees made redundant.” Their response addresses only this point: “Identifies the first situation as redundancy, since the role itself is no longer needed, through no fault of the employees.” Evaluate the response against the complete 3-mark task. Identify what earns credit and state every additional requirement needed for full marks.
[3 marks] · no calculator - 27.
A company introduces a formal annual performance appraisal system, in which each employee's manager rates their performance against agreed objectives and discusses areas for development. (a) State one benefit of this system for the business. (b) Explain one potential drawback of appraisal systems, referring to the risk of subjective bias.
[2 marks] · no calculator - 28.
Marking analysis: A learner attempts the following task: “A company introduces a formal annual performance appraisal system, in which each employee's manager rates their performance against agreed objectives and discusses areas for development. (a) State one benefit of this system for the business. (b) Explain one potential drawback of appraisal systems, referring to the risk of subjective bias.” Their response addresses only this point: “States a valid benefit, such as identifying training needs, informing decisions about promotion or pay, or giving employees clear feedback and direction for improvement.” Evaluate the response against the complete 2-mark task. Identify what earns credit and state every additional requirement needed for full marks.
[2 marks] · no calculator - 29.
Before deciding how to fill any staffing gap, an HR department first forecasts the number and type of employees the business will need in the future (demand) and compares this with the number and type of employees it expects to have available (supply), including expected retirements and staff turnover. (a) Identify this overall process. (b) Explain why comparing forecast demand with forecast supply, rather than looking at either figure alone, is essential to effective workforce planning.
[4 marks] · no calculator - 30.
Marking analysis: A learner attempts the following task: “Before deciding how to fill any staffing gap, an HR department first forecasts the number and type of employees the business will need in the future (demand) and compares this with the number and type of employees it expects to have available (supply), including expected retirements and staff turnover. (a) Identify this overall process. (b) Explain why comparing forecast demand with forecast supply, rather than looking at either figure alone, is essential to effective workforce planning.” Their response addresses only this point: “Identifies this as (human resource) workforce planning.” Evaluate the response against the complete 4-mark task. Identify what earns credit and state every additional requirement needed for full marks.
[4 marks] · no calculator