Dictionary of Human Resources
Page 1 of 23 Contributed by: Salman Hafeez
Dictionary of Human Resources
Page 2 of 23 Contributed by: Salman Hafeez
Chapter 1: The Strategic Role of Human Resource Management
Key Terms
Management Process
The five basic functions of management are: planning,
Human Resource
The staffing functions of the management process. Or, the policies
Management
aspects of a management position, including recruiting, screening,
training, rewarding, and appraising.
and practices needed to carry out the "people" or human resource
Authority
The right to make decisions, to direct the work of others, and to
give orders.
Line Manager
Authorized to direct the work of subordinates-they're always
someone's boss. In addition, line managers are in charge of
accomplishing the organization's basic goals.
Staff Manager
managers are generally staff managers.
Assist and advise line managers in accomplishing the basic goals. HR
Line Authority
department.
The authority to direct the activities of the people in his or her own
Implied Authority
The authority exerted by virtue of others' knowledge that he or
she has access to top management.
Functional Control
The authority exerted by a personnel manager as a coordinator
of personnel activities.
Employee Advocacy
should be treating employees, make sure employees have the
mechanisms required to contest unfair practices, and represent the
interests of employees within the framework of its primary obligation to
senior management.
HR must take responsibility for clearly defining how management
Globalization
The tendency of firms to extend their sales or manufacturing to
new markets abroad.
Competitive Advantage
service from competitors to increase market share.
Factors that allow an organization to differentiate its product or
Cost Leadership
The enterprise aims to become the low-cost leader in an industry.
Differentiation
widely valued by buyers.
A firm seeks to be unique in its industry along dimensions that are
Dictionary of Human Resources
Page 3 of 23 Contributed by: Salman Hafeez
Chapter 3: Job Analysis
Key Terms
Job Analysis
requirements of a job and the kind of person who should be
hired for it.
The procedure for determining the duties and skill
Job Description
working conditions, and supervisory responsibilities--one
product of a job analysis.
A list of a job's duties, responsibilities, reporting relationships,
Job Specification
education, skills, personality, and so on--another product of a
job analysis.
A list of a job's "human requirements," that is, the requisite
Diary/Log
engage along with the time each activity takes.
Daily listings made by workers of every activity in which they
Position Analysis
the
A questionnaire used to collect quantifiable data concerning
Questionnaire (PAQ)
duties and responsibilities of various jobs.
Department of Labor
comparing
Standardized method for rating, classifying, and
Job Analysis
virtually every kind of job based on data, people, and things.
Functional Job Analysis
Department of Labor job analysis but additionally taking into
account the extent to which instructions, reasoning,
judgment, and verbal facility are necessary for performing the
job tasks. (page 97)
A method for classifying jobs similar to the
Dictionary of Human Resources
Page 4 of 23 Contributed by: Salman Hafeez
Chapter 4: Personnel Planning and Recruiting
Key Terms
Trend Analysis
years to predict future needs.
Study of a firm's past employment needs over a period of
Ratio Analysis
by using ratios between sales volume and number of
employees needed.
A forecasting technique for determining future staff needs
Scatter Plot
between two variables.
A graphical method used to help identify the relationship
Computerized Forecast
firm's sales, volume of production, and personnel required
to maintain this volume of output, using computers and
software packages.
The determination of future staff needs by projecting a
Qualifications Inventories
listing employees' education, career and development
interests, languages, special skills, and so on, to be used
in forecasting inside candidates for promotion.
Manual or computerized systematic records,
Personnel Replacement
promotability of inside candidates for the most important
positions.
Company records showing present performance and
Charts
Position Replacement
possible replacement candidates and their qualifications.
A card prepared for each position in a company to show
Cards
Job Posting
boards is an effective recruiting method.
Posting notices of job openings on company bulletin
Occupational Market
Labor publishes projections of labor supply and demand
for various occupations, as do other agencies.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of
Conditions
Application Form
work record, and skills.
The form that provides information on education, prior
Dictionary of Human Resources
Page 5 of 23 Contributed by: Salman Hafeez
Chapter 5: Employee Testing and Selection
Key Terms
Test Validity
purports to measure or fulfills the function it was designed to fill.
The accuracy with which a test, interview, and so on measures what it
Criterion Validity
are related to job performance.
A type of validity based on showing that scores on the test (predictors)
Content Validity
sample of the tasks and skills actually needed for the job in question.
A test that is content--valid is one in which the test contains a fair
Reliability
the same person when retested with the identical or equivalent tests.
The characteristic which refers to the consistency of scores obtained by
Expectancy Chart
performance for a large group of people.
A graph showing the relationship between test scores and job
Work Samples
Actual job tasks used in testing applicants' performance.
Work Sampling Technique
actual job tasks.
A testing method based on measuring performance on
Management Assessment
A situation in which management candidates are asked to make
Centers
performance. It usually also involves testing and the use of
management games.
decisions in hypothetical situations and are scored on their
Dictionary of Human Resources
Page 6 of 23 Contributed by: Salman Hafeez
Chapter 6: Interviewing Candidates
Key Terms
Nondirective Interview
pursues points of interest as they come up in response to questions.
An unstructured conversational-style interview. The interviewer
Directive Interview
An interview following a set sequence of questions.
Stress Interview
often rude questions. This technique helps identify hypersensitive
applicants and those with low or high stress tolerance.
An interview in which the applicant is made uncomfortable by a series of
Appraisal Interview
and employee discuss the employee's rating and possible remedial
actions.
A discussion following a performance appraisal in which supervisor
Situational Interview
candidate would behave in a given situation.
A series of job-related questions which focuses on how the
Job Related Interview
job-related behaviors.
A series of job-related questions which focuses on relevant past
Structured Sequential
An interview in which the applicant is interviewed sequentially by
Interview
several supervisors and each rates the applicant on a standard form.
Panel Interview
An interview in which a group of interviewers questions the applicant.
Candidate-Order Error
interviewing one or more very good or very bad candidates just before
the interview in question.
An error of judgment on the part of the interviewer due to
Dictionary of Human Resources
Page 7 of 23 Contributed by: Salman Hafeez
Chapter 7: Training and Developing Employees
Key Terms
Employee Orientation
information about the firm.
A procedure for providing new employees with basic background
Training
to perform their jobs.
The process of teaching new employees the basic skills they need
Task Analysis
appropriate training program may be instituted.
A detailed study of a job to identify the skills required so that an
Performance Analysis
correct it with new equipment, a new employee, a training
program, or some other adjustment.
Careful study of performance to identify a deficiency and then
On-The-Job Training (OJT)
Training a person to learn a job while working at it.
Job Instruction Training
Listing of each job's basic tasks, along with key points in order to
(JIT)
provide step-by-step training for employees.
Programmed Learning
questions or facts, allowing the person to respond, and giving the
learner immediate feedback on the accuracy of his or her
answers.
A systematic method for teaching job skills involving presenting
Vestibule or simulated
Training employees on special off-the-job equipment, as in
Learning
reduced.
airplane pilot training, whereby training costs and hazards can be
Management
Any attempt to improve current or future management
Development
increasing skills.
performance by imparting knowledge, changing attitudes, or
Succession Planning
and eventually filled.
A process through which senior-level openings are planned for
Job Rotation
from department to department to broaden his or her experience
and identify strong and weak points.
A management training technique that involves moving a trainee
Action Learning
to work full time analyzing and solving problems in other
departments.
A training technique by which management trainees are allowed
Case Study Method
written description of an organizational problem to diagnose and
solve.
A development method in which the manager is presented with a
Dictionary of Human Resources
Page 8 of 23 Contributed by: Salman Hafeez
Management Game
with one another by making computerized decisions regarding
realistic but simulated companies.
A development technique in which teams of managers compete
Role Playing
in a realistic management situation.
A training technique in which trainees act out the parts of people
Behavior Modeling
management techniques in a film, are then asked to play roles in
a simulated situation, and are then given feedback and praise by
their superior.
A training technique in which trainees are first shown good
Controlled
Formal methods for testing the effectiveness of a training
Experimentation
group.
program, preferably with before-and-after tests and a control
Dictionary of Human Resources
Page 9 of 23 Contributed by: Salman Hafeez
Chapter 8: Managing Organizational Renewal
Key Terms
Strategic Change
A change in a company’s strategy, mission and vision.
Cultural Change
A change in a company’s shared values and aims.
Structural Change
departmentalization, coordination, span of control, reporting
relationships, or centralization of decision making.
The reorganizing-redesigning of an organization’s
Technological Change
accomplish its tasks.
Modifications to the work methods an organization uses to
Organizational
HR-based techniques aimed at changing employees’ attitudes,
Development Interventions
values, and behavior.
Organizational
A method aimed at changing attitudes, values, and beliefs of
Development (OD)
employees so that employees can improve the organizations.
Sensitivity Training
Behavior by candid discussions in groups led by special trainers.
A method for increasing employees’ insights into their own
Team Building
and division directors through use of consultants, interviews, and
team-building meetings.
Improving the effectiveness of teams such as corporate officers
Confrontation Meetings
misconceptions and problems so that they can be resolved.
A method for clarifying and bringing into the open iner-group
Survey Research
providing feedback to the work groups as a basis for problem
analysis and action planning.
A Method That Involves Surveying Employees’ Attitudes And
Total Quality Management
satisfaction
A type of program aimed at maximizing customer