Eduqas A-Level Business: people in organisations complete overview

People are a business's most important resource: well organised, recruited, trained, motivated and led, they drive productivity, quality and service; managed badly, they raise costs and stall performance. Eduqas examines this theme in Component 1 (the functional area) and Component 2 (HR strategy). This overview maps the theme; each section links to a full dot-point answer.

Organisational structure and design

Structure is shaped by the hierarchy, span of control, chain of command and delegation. Tall structures give close control but slow communication; flat structures give speed but stretch managers. Centralisation keeps decisions at the top; decentralisation pushes them down. Workforce planning matches staff to objectives.

Recruitment, selection and training

Internal recruitment is cheaper and motivating; external brings fresh skills. Selection uses application forms, interviews, tests and assessment centres. Training (induction, on-the-job, off-the-job) raises skills and productivity at a cost. Labour turnover ($\tfrac{\text{leavers}}{\text{average workforce}} \times 100$) is costly, so retention matters.

Motivation theory and practice

Taylor, Maslow, Herzberg and Mayo explain what motivates staff. Financial methods (piece rate, commission, bonuses) and non-financial methods (job enrichment, empowerment, teamworking) raise labour productivity ($\tfrac{\text{output}}{\text{employees}}$) and cut unit cost.

Leadership and management

Management plans and controls; leadership sets vision and inspires. Styles (autocratic, democratic, paternalistic, laissez-faire) suit different situations, and there is no single best style: effectiveness is contingent on the context.

Employee relations and HR strategy

Communication, trade unions and collective bargaining, and dispute resolution shape employee relations. Hard and soft HRM and flexible working reflect different approaches, and HR strategy must support the corporate objectives.

How to study this theme

1. Drill the calculations. Labour turnover and labour productivity carry quantitative marks.
2. Use theory to evaluate. Reference Taylor, Maslow, Herzberg and Mayo in motivation answers.
3. Apply leadership styles to the context. Match the style to the situation in the stimulus.
4. Link HR to strategy. Show how structure, motivation and HR approach support the firm's objectives.

For the full specification, see Eduqas.