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Questions and Answers
What is a defining characteristic of a high-performance work system (HPWS)?
Which classical management model emphasizes the need for personal attention and cooperation among employees?
Which principle is NOT associated with Scientific Management as proposed by Taylor?
What assumption of Scientific Management has been heavily criticized in contemporary discussions?
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In the context of HPWS, what does 'internal fit' refer to?
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Which of the following is a common element identified in socio-technical systems theory?
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Which factor is NOT part of the high-performance work system model?
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What aspect reflects a limitation of Scientific Management according to modern views?
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What major theory contrasts with the traditional view of employees as lazy and unmotivated?
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Which of the following is NOT a component of a high-performance organization (HPO)?
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Which movement highlighted the importance of social relationships within organizations?
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Which of the following best describes the concept of job enrichment?
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What is a significant effect observed from the Hawthorne studies?
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Which statement best represents McGregor's Theory X view of employees?
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Which approach focuses on the integration of technical and social systems within an organization?
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What is a key tenet of lean management introduced in the 1980s?
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What does job enlargement refer to in organizational practices?
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Which type of team structure is characteristic of a socio-technical systems approach?
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Which of the following is considered a non-financial incentive that can motivate employees?
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Which component of high-performance organizations is critical for enhancing communication within teams?
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What aspect of work design is primarily linked to increasing employee flexibility and autonomy?
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What characterizes McGregor's Theory Y in workplace settings?
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What was a primary reason for the shift from personnel management to human resource management (HRM) in the 1980s?
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Which of the following is NOT considered a feature of high-performance work systems (HPWS)?
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What does the Six Sigma approach primarily aim to improve in business processes?
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Which characteristic differentiates HRM from traditional personnel management?
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How did the High-Performance culture aim to achieve organizational goals?
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What was a criticism leveled at the implementation of Six Sigma?
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What is the ultimate goal of continuous improvement in high-performance work systems?
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Which of the following practices is important for employee involvement in decision-making?
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Which strategy emphasizes narrowly defined jobs for accountability?
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Which of the following is a characteristic of high-commitment work systems?
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Which approach is best described by the ability-motivation-opportunity (AMO) model?
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Which factor is crucial for employees to perform well according to the content?
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What is a significant difference between control and commitment HR systems?
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Which HR practice is associated with the high-performance work systems (HPWS)?
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In high-involvement work systems, what aspect is emphasized?
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Which is NOT a characteristic of traditional control HR systems?
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What does job enlargement involve?
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Which of the following is NOT included in opportunity-enhancing practices?
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Which of these aspects is crucial for reducing status differences within organizations?
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How does the commitment strategy differ from the control strategy?
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How can performance-related pay be classified according to the AMO model?
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Which framework emphasizes the importance of integrating various HR practices?
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Study Notes
High-Performance Work Systems (HPWS)
- HPWS is a collection of HRM practices that improve organizational performance.
- HPWS focuses on the connection between HR practices and organizational performance, like labor productivity, service quality, and flexibility.
- Effective HPWS requires internal fit, where all individual HR practices work together as a cohesive system to generate greater performance than the sum of its parts.
- An ideal HPWS includes practices that develop employee knowledge and skills, motivate them through incentives, and provide opportunities for participation in decision-making.
Classical System Approaches
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Scientific Management (Taylor)
- Focuses on division of labor, direct supervision, good working conditions, and financial incentives linked to individual performance.
- Assumes employees are motivated solely by money, are naturally lazy, and lack responsibility.
- Disadvantages include criticism for being outdated and not considering employee well-being.
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Human Relations Movement (Mayo)
- Emphasizes employee needs and social interactions.
- Promotes personal attention from supervisors, cooperation, good communication, and financial & non-financial incentives.
- Recognized the influence of informal groups and communication on performance.
- Introduced the "Hawthorne Effect," where increased attention leads to improved worker performance.
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Revisionistic Perspective (McGregor)
- Focuses on integrating different aspects of labor relations.
- Emphasizes employee autonomy and involvement through decentralization, job enrichment, and performance appraisal.
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Socio-technical Systems Theory (Emery and Trist)
- Integrates technical production elements (organizational structure, systems, tasks) with social elements (people).
- Aims to create more flexible organizations by enriching employee jobs through teamwork, job enlargement/enrichment, and job rotation.
- Inspired quality of work-life approaches and the total quality management (TQM) movement.
Table of Key Approaches
Approach | Main Focus | Practices | System Approach |
---|---|---|---|
Scientific Management | Strong Leadership, Close Employee Monitoring | Labour Division | Direct Control |
Direct Supervision | |||
Good Work Conditions | |||
Financial Incentives | |||
Human Relations | Personal attention, Employee Social Needs | Personal Attention | Social Integration |
Cooperation | |||
Good Communication | |||
Information Sharing | |||
Financial & Non-Financial Incentives | |||
Revisionist | Employee Autonomy, Involvement, Challenge | Employee Autonomy | |
Employee Involvement | |||
Job Enlargement | |||
Job Enrichment | |||
Performance Appraisal | |||
Socio-technical Systems (STS) | New work design for production | Teamwork, Job Enlargement | Enrichment |
Job Enrichment | |||
Job Rotation | |||
Employee Autonomy | |||
Good Work Conditions | |||
Integration of Production & Work Systems |
Lean Management
- Emerged in the 1980s with a focus on customer value by streamlining the value chain and removing non-value-adding activities.
- Combines elements of scientific management, human relations, revisionism, and socio-technical systems.
- Emphasizes high-involvement systems, employee skills, and continuous improvement.
Athena Summary
- Athena is a theoretical model of human resource management (HRM) that combines concepts from various approaches to achieve high-performance organizational goals.
- Teamwork, continuous improvement, individual and team responsibility, long-term philosophy, standardized tasks, visual controls, leadership development and employee development (quality and efficiency), and consensus-driven decision-making are all key principles of Athena.
- Six Sigma is a system for minimizing costs and errors by focusing on reducing variability in manufacturing and business processes.
- Athena emphasizes a strategic approach to HRM, moving beyond traditional personnel management practices.
- Traditional personnel management focused on administrative tasks, translating labor legislation into organizational practices.
- The shift towards HRM was driven by the rise of global competition in the 1970s, particularly from Japanese companies who combined Total Quality Management (TQM) with new production techniques.
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High Performance Work Systems (HPWSs) are a set of HR practices designed to enhance the high-performance culture of an organization. They include:
- Teamwork
- Employee monitoring through regular appraisals
- Performance-related pay (PRP) based on individual and team performance
- Goal setting
- Employee involvement in decision-making
- Continuous improvement
- HPWSs focus on the strategic management of human resources, positioning employees as a source of competitive advantage.
- HRM transitioned from a focus on control to a focus on commitment, aiming to foster intrinsic motivation and employee engagement.
- Control strategies in management are characterized by narrowly defined jobs, direct supervision, and a focus on individual accountability (Theory X).
- Commitment strategies prioritize employee involvement, broader job definitions, and opportunities for skill development (Theory Y).
- HPWSs are considered a coherent system of HR practices that integrate different elements for a more effective impact on organizational performance.
- Internal or horizontal fit is important for successful implementation of HPWSs, ensuring that individual practices align with the overall system.
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Key HPWPs (High Performance Work Practices) include:
- Selective recruitment and selection
- Compensation and PRP
- Appraisal and performance management (PM)
- Training and development
- Employee involvement
- The AMO (abilities, motivation, opportunity) model highlights the critical role of employee capabilities, motivation, and opportunity for success.
- Ability-enhancing practices within HPWSs include selective recruitment and selection and training and development.
- Motivation-enhancing practices include performance appraisal, PRP, coaching, mentoring, and internal promotion opportunities.
- Opportunity-enhancing practices encompass autonomy, employee involvement, job rotation, job enlargement, job enrichment, self-directed teamwork, communication, and decentralization of decision-making.
- High-involvement work systems aim to combine different elements within a company to encourage high involvement from employees.
- Perception plays a crucial role in connecting HR practices with employee behaviour and ultimately organizational performance.
- Mini bundles of HPWPs may offer some benefits but lack the effectiveness and longevity of fully-integrated HPWSs.
Control versus Commitment HR Systems
- Control HR systems prioritize centralized decision-making, limited employee participation, and a focus on individual performance.
- Commitment HR systems emphasize decentralization, employee involvement, and a focus on team performance and development.
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Description
Test your knowledge on High-Performance Work Systems (HPWS) and classical system approaches in HRM. This quiz covers the components of HPWS and how effective practices can enhance organizational performance. Dive into scientific management principles and their implications for employee motivation and productivity.