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Human resources

4 dot points across 4 inquiry questions. Click any dot point for a focused answer with worked past exam questions where available.

How do businesses set human-resource goals and structure their people?

Human-resource objectives, the design of organisational structure including tall and flat structures, span of control, chain of command, centralisation and decentralisation, and the calculation and interpretation of labour productivity, labour turnover and absenteeism.
A focused answer to the OCR A-Level Business human-resources theme on objectives and structure, covering HR objectives, tall and flat structures, span of control, chain of command, centralisation and decentralisation, and the calculation of labour productivity, turnover and absenteeism.
11 min answer →

How do leadership and employee relations affect a business?

Leadership styles including autocratic, paternalistic, democratic and laissez-faire, the influence of organisational culture, and the management of employee relations including communication, trade unions, collective bargaining and the resolution of disputes.
A focused answer to the OCR A-Level Business human-resources theme on leadership and relations, covering autocratic, paternalistic, democratic and laissez-faire leadership styles, organisational culture, communication, trade unions, collective bargaining and the resolution of disputes.
10 min answer →

What motivates employees, and how do businesses apply it?

Theories of motivation including Taylor, Maslow, Herzberg and McGregor, and the financial and non-financial methods firms use to motivate employees, including piece rate, commission, bonuses, job enrichment, empowerment and teamworking.
A focused answer to the OCR A-Level Business human-resources theme on motivation, covering the theories of Taylor, Maslow, Herzberg and McGregor, and the financial and non-financial methods firms use to motivate, with their benefits and limitations.
11 min answer →

How do businesses find, choose and develop their people?

Workforce planning and the processes of recruitment and selection, internal and external recruitment, the methods and benefits of training including on-the-job and off-the-job training and induction, and the use and purpose of appraisal.
A focused answer to the OCR A-Level Business human-resources theme on recruitment and development, covering workforce planning, the recruitment and selection process, internal versus external recruitment, on-the-job and off-the-job training, induction and the purpose of appraisal.
10 min answer →