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NSWBusiness StudiesQuick questions
Topic 4: Human Resource Management
Quick questions on Key influences on HRM: stakeholders, legal, economic, technological, social and ethical (HSC Business Studies)
15short Q&A pairs drawn directly from our worked dot-point answer. For full context and worked exam questions, read the parent dot-point page.
What is stakeholder influences?Show answer
Stakeholders are the parties with an interest in HRM decisions.
What is legal framework?Show answer
The most-examined category. Get this rock solid.
What is economic influences?Show answer
The state of the economy materially shapes HRM.
What is ethics and corporate social responsibility?Show answer
CSR in HRM goes beyond legal compliance.
What is fair Work Act 2009?Show answer
The umbrella federal law governing employment in the national workplace relations system (covering most Australian employees).
What is national Employment Standards?Show answer
Ten minimum standards that apply to every employee in the system. Cannot be reduced by award or enterprise agreement.
What is awards?Show answer
Industry- or occupation-specific minimum standards above the NES. Modern Awards cover most industries (Retail, Hospitality, Manufacturing, Banking and Finance, General Retail).
What is enterprise agreements?Show answer
Negotiated collectively between an employer and its employees (often with union representation) for an agreement period (commonly 3-4 years). Must pass the Fair Work Commission's "better off overall test" (BOOT) compared to the underlying award.
What is work Health and Safety?Show answer
State-based WHS Acts based on the Model WHS Act. Duty to provide a safe workplace, consult workers on WHS, manage hazards. Maximum penalties for serious breaches include imprisonment for officers.
What is anti-discrimination and EEO?Show answer
Federal and state laws prohibit discrimination on protected grounds (age, sex, race, religion, disability, sexual orientation, marital status, pregnancy, family responsibilities). Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) obligations exist for larger employers.
What is recent legislation?Show answer
The Fair Work Legislation Amendment (Closing Loopholes No. 1 and 2) Acts of 2023 and 2024 introduced "same job same pay" (labour-hire workers must be paid no less than directly-employed equivalents under the host enterprise agreement), a new definition of casual employment, regulated minimum standards for road-transport contractors and "employee-like" gig workers, and changes to sham contracting penalties.
What is plan?Show answer
Pick Qantas; cover the legal influence and the social influence (changing work patterns).
What is forgetting state-based WHS law?Show answer
WHS is state-based but harmonised. New South Wales businesses sit under the NSW WHS Act; Queensland under the QLD WHS Act; all derived from the Model WHS Act.
What is using outdated terminology?Show answer
It is the Fair Work Act (2009), not WorkChoices (2005, repealed). Awards exist under the Modern Award system.
What is conflating EEO with anti-discrimination?Show answer
Anti-discrimination is the prohibition; EEO is the positive obligation to promote equal opportunity. Both exist; they are not identical.