Dictionary-of-Human-Resources-Management

authoritarian 21 average
ity to do something to authorise
someone to act on the company’s behalf
authoritarian /ɔθɒrIteəriən/ adjective
demanding a high level of discipline
or obedience The employees
disliked the authoritarian management
style. The managing director is very
authoritarian and expects immediate
obedience.
authority /ɔθɒrIti/ noun the power
to do something a manager with authority
to sign cheques He has no authority
to act on our behalf. Without
the necessary authority, the manager
could not command respect. Only senior
managers have the authority to initiate
these changes.
authority chart /ɔθɒrIti tʃɑt/
noun a diagram that shows who has authority
over whom and who is accountable
to whom within an organisation
(NOTE: an authority chart is similar to
an organisation chart.)
autocratic management style
/ɔtəkrtIk mnIdʒmənt staIl/
noun a style of management where
the managers tell the employees what
to do, without involving them in the
decision-making processes (NOTE: the
opposite is democratic management
style)
automated /ɔtəmeItId/ adjective
worked automatically by machines a
fully automated car assembly plant
automatic /ɔtəmtIk/ adjective
which works or takes place without any
person making it happen There is an
automatic increase in salaries on January
1st.
automatically /ɔtəmtIkli/ adverb
working without a person giving
instructions Addresses are typed in
automatically. automatically unfair
dismissals dismissals which are always
unfair, whatever the circumstances
(such as when a woman employee is
dismissed for being pregnant or someone
is dismissed for belonging to a trade
union)
automatic data processing
/ɔtəmtIk deItə prəυsesIŋ/ noun
data processing done by a computer
automatic sanction /ɔtəmtIk
sŋkʃən/ noun a penalty which is applied
automatically, outside the legal
process, to an employee taking part in
industrial action The fear of automatic
sanction stopped many employees going
on strike for better working conditions.
automatic telling machine
/ɔtəmtIk telIŋ məʃin/ noun a
machine which gives out money
when a special card is inserted and
special instructions given
automatic wage progression
/ɔtəmtIk weIdʒ prəɡreʃ(ə)n/
noun an automatic increase in wages
according to the time a person has
worked in the organisation Automatic
wage progression was seen as a way of
motivating employees to stay in the
company.
automation /ɔtəmeIʃ(ə)n/ noun
the use of machines to do work with
very little supervision by people
autonomous /ɔtɒnəməs/ adjective
which rules itself The workforce in
the factory is made up of several autonomous
work groups.
autonomous bargaining /ɔ-
tɒnəməs bɑɡInIŋ/ noun direct bargaining
between management and employees,
without involving trade unions
autonomous learning /ɔtɒnəməs
lnIŋ/ noun learning by yourself,
without teachers
autonomous teamworking /ɔ-
tɒnəməs timwkIŋ/, autonomous
working group /ɔtɒnəməs wkIŋ
ɡrup/ noun a group of employees
who can work independently, taking
decisions together as a group (NOTE:
also called self-managing team)
autonomy /ɔtɒnəmi/ noun working
by yourself, without being managed
available capital /əveIləb(ə)l
kpIt(ə)l/ noun capital which is ready
to be used
AVCs abbr additional voluntary
contributions
average /v(ə)rIdʒ/ noun 1. a number
calculated by adding several figures
together and dividing by the number of
figures added the average for the last
three months or the last three months’