Mini-Lesson
People in business
This mini-lesson covers Cambridge Section 2 — People in business : motivation , organisation and management , recruitment, selection and training , and internal & external communication .
motivation (theory) structure & recruitment training & communication
how a business organises and rewards its people
Work through each screen, answer the questions as you go (some are wordy, some are calculations) and collect ⭐ stars. Press Start when you're ready.
2.1 Motivating employees
Motivating employees
Well-motivated workers are more productive, give better service and are less likely to leave.
Financial methods: wages/salary, piece rate, commission, bonus, profit-sharing, fringe benefits.Non-financial methods: job rotation, job enrichment, teamworking, praise, promotion.
Motivation theory: Cambridge references Taylor (money/piece rate), Maslow (hierarchy of needs) and Herzberg (motivators vs hygiene factors).
Quick check
Financial or non-financial?
? A factory pays workers a set amount for each unit they make. Which method of motivation is this?
Piece rate (a financial method) ✅
Job enrichment ❌
Job rotation ❌
Praise ❌
Calculate
Your turn — piece-rate pay
1 A worker is paid $0.50 per unit and makes 240 units in a shift. Calculate their pay for the shift.
$
Check ✓
Hint: pay = rate per unit × units = 0.50 × 240.
2.2 Organisation & management
Organisation & management
An organisation chart shows the structure of a business.
Hierarchy & chain of command — levels of authority from top to bottom.Span of control — how many people one manager directly supervises.Delegation — passing authority for a task down the hierarchy.
Managers plan, organise, coordinate, command and control . Leadership styles include autocratic, democratic and laissez-faire.
Calculate
Your turn — span of control
2 A supervisor has 9 staff reporting directly to them. State the span of control.
people
Check ✓
Hint: span of control = the number of direct reports = 9.
Sort it
Financial motivation, non-financial motivation, or a management role?
Tap an item, then the group it belongs to.
2.3 Recruitment & training
Recruitment, selection & training
Recruitment fills vacancies:
Internal (from existing staff — cheaper, quicker) vs external (fresh skills, slower and costlier).Documents: job description (the role) and person specification (ideal candidate).
Training — induction, on-the-job and off-the-job — raises skills and productivity.
Match it
Match the term to its meaning
Tap a statement on the left, then the correct term on the right.
Calculate
Your turn — staff turnover
3 A business employs 60 staff and 9 leave in a year. Calculate the staff turnover rate.
%
Check ✓
Hint: turnover = (staff who left ÷ average staff) × 100 = (9 ÷ 60) × 100.
2.4 Communication
Internal & external communication
Communication is sending and receiving information.
Internal — within the business; external — with customers, suppliers and others.One-way vs two-way (which allows feedback).Barriers to communication include jargon, noise, too-long chains and unclear messages.
Good communication improves motivation, coordination and decision-making; poor communication causes mistakes and low morale.
Calculate
Your turn — commission
4 A salesperson earns 6% commission on sales of $30,000 . Calculate their commission.
$
Check ✓
Hint: commission = sales × rate = 30,000 × 0.06.
Calculate
Your turn — total wage bill
5 A shop employs 12 staff, each paid $1,500 a month. Calculate the total monthly wage bill.
$
Check ✓
Hint: total = pay per person × number of staff = 1,500 × 12.
Quick check
Two-way communication
? Why might a manager prefer two-way communication over one-way when introducing a big change?
It allows feedback, so staff can raise concerns and feel involved ✅
It is always faster than any other method ❌
It removes the need for any manager ❌
It guarantees profit ❌
Quick check
Reducing staff turnover
? A business has high staff turnover. Which action is most likely to improve retention?
Improving motivation, pay and working conditions ✅
Making communication one-way only ❌
Widening every span of control to 50 ❌
Removing all training ❌
Recap
The big ideas to know
Motivation: financial (piece rate, commission, bonus) & non-financial (enrichment, praise); Taylor, Maslow, Herzberg
Organisation: hierarchy, chain of command, span of control, delegation; leadership styles
Recruitment: internal vs external; job description & person specification; training
Communication: internal/external, one/two-way, barriers
Retention: good motivation and conditions lower staff turnover
You've covered Cambridge Section 2 — People in business. Press Finish to see your score.
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