AQA A-Level Business 3.6 Decision-making to improve human resource performance: objectives, structure, motivation, training and relations

What section 3.6 actually demands

Section 3.6 Decision-making to improve human resource performance is the people-focused functional area. It runs from HR objectives, through how the workforce is structured, what motivates staff, how they are recruited and trained, and finally how relations between employer and employee are managed. The big theory content here is the four motivation theories, and the main calculation is labour turnover.

This guide walks through the five dot points of the section, then sets out the exam patterns AQA repeats.

HR objectives and organisational design

HR objectives include employee engagement, talent development, diversity, value alignment and workforce planning, pursued through either a hard approach (labour as a resource to control) or a soft approach (employees as assets to develop). Performance is tracked with metrics such as labour turnover $\left(\dfrac{\text{leavers}}{\text{average staff}} \times 100\right)$, absenteeism and retention. Organisational design sets the hierarchy, span of control, chain of command, delegation and the choice between centralisation and decentralisation, and between tall and flat structures.

Motivation theories

The four named theories are: Taylor (money motivates, piece rates), Mayo (social needs and teamwork from the Hawthorne studies), Maslow (a hierarchy of physiological, safety, social, esteem and self-actualisation needs), and Herzberg (hygiene factors prevent dissatisfaction while motivators create satisfaction). Firms apply these through financial methods (pay, bonuses, profit share) and non-financial methods (job enrichment, empowerment, delegation, teamworking).

Recruitment, training and relations

Recruitment attracts candidates (internal or external) and selection chooses between them, starting from a job description and person specification. Training can be induction, on-the-job or off-the-job, raising productivity, quality, motivation and retention. Employer-employee relations cover representation, individual and collective bargaining, trade unions, and resolving disputes through negotiation, conciliation, arbitration or, as a last resort, industrial action.

How section 3.6 is examined

A typical AQA profile for HR:

• Definitions and short answers. Span of control, delegation, the levels of Maslow, and hard versus soft HRM.
• Calculation. Labour turnover.
• Analysis. How job enrichment motivates, or why a firm might delayer.
• Evaluation. Whether to recruit internally or externally, or which motivation method suits a named firm, with a justified judgement.

Check your knowledge

A mix of recall, calculation and application questions covering section 3.6. Attempt them under timed conditions, then check against the solutions.

1. State the five levels of Maslow's hierarchy of needs in order. (3 marks)
2. Distinguish between hard and soft HRM. (4 marks)
3. A firm with 250 staff loses 40 in a year. Calculate its labour turnover. (2 marks)
4. Define the term "span of control". (2 marks)
5. Distinguish between on-the-job and off-the-job training. (4 marks)
6. Explain Herzberg's distinction between hygiene factors and motivators. (4 marks)
7. Distinguish between individual and collective bargaining. (4 marks)
8. Explain one benefit of recruiting internally. (4 marks)