Syllabus: AQA - AS and A Level Business
Module: 3.6 Human Resource Management
Lesson: 3.6.4 Making Human Resource Decisions: Improving Motivation and Engagement

Introduction

This unit from the AQA AS and A Level Business specification focuses on Making Human Resource Decisions: Improving Motivation and Engagement (3.6.4). It is a core topic within the Human Resource Management strand of the curriculum and plays a vital role in understanding how businesses optimise workforce performance.

Students are expected to explore how motivated and engaged employees contribute to business success, applying theories, financial and non-financial methods, and evaluative thinking to real-world scenarios. It aligns strongly with the wider aim of developing commercial awareness and decision-making skills essential for career readiness and workplace confidence.

Key Concepts

According to the AQA specification, this module covers:

• The benefits of employee motivation and engagement: Higher productivity, improved retention, better customer service.

• Motivational theories:

  • Taylor – Scientific management and piece-rate pay.

  • Maslow – Hierarchy of needs.

  • Herzberg – Hygiene and motivator factors.

• Financial motivation methods:

  • Piece rate, commission, performance-related pay, salary schemes.

• Non-financial motivation methods:

  • Empowerment, team working, job enrichment, job rotation, flexible working.

• Evaluation of effectiveness:

  • How context, individual needs, and organisational culture affect the impact of different strategies.

Students should be able to assess these methods, apply them to different business contexts, and recommend suitable approaches to improve engagement and performance.

Real-World Relevance

Workforce motivation is a live issue for most businesses, particularly in sectors facing retention crises like healthcare, retail, and hospitality.

Case Example: John Lewis Partnership
The retailer is well-known for its employee ownership model, using non-financial motivators such as democratic decision-making and job enrichment to foster engagement. During the pandemic, it introduced flexible working schemes and mental health support to sustain morale.

Tech Sector
Companies like Google and Salesforce use Herzberg’s motivator factors extensively—offering personal development, flexible workspaces, and purpose-driven projects to attract and retain talent.

These examples show how motivational strategies aren’t just academic—they’re essential for business survival and competitive advantage.

How It’s Assessed

In AQA exams, this topic is assessed across multiple question formats:

• Short answer questions (Knowledge recall): E.g., “State one financial method of motivation.”

• Data response/application questions: Students apply theories to provided scenarios and interpret the effectiveness of various approaches.

• 20-mark evaluative essays: These typically require balanced argumentation and a well-supported judgement. For instance:

  • “To what extent is performance-related pay an effective method of improving motivation?”

Key command words include analyse, evaluate, justify, recommend, and assess. Emphasis is placed on applying theory to context and offering commercial judgement, a skill directly fostered by Enterprise Skills simulations and tools.

Enterprise Skills Integration

This unit naturally intersects with three core strategic themes from the Enterprise Skills framework:

• Commercial Awareness: Students learn how motivation impacts organisational productivity, cost efficiency, and overall strategy.

• Decision-Making & Problem-Solving: Evaluating motivation methods requires analysing trade-offs, assessing risk, and weighing financial vs. non-financial implications.

• Workplace Readiness: Understanding how businesses engage their workforce builds student confidence in navigating future employment.

Simulation tools within Skills Hub Business and Skills Hub Futures reinforce this by immersing students in decision-making roles where they allocate budgets for training, choose motivational strategies, and evaluate employee outcomes.

Careers Links

This topic is tightly aligned with Gatsby Benchmarks 4, 5, and 6:

• Benchmark 4 – Linking curriculum to careers: Students connect HR theory with real-life business practices and organisational roles.

• Benchmark 5 – Employer Encounters: Virtual simulations and embedded case studies introduce students to HR professionals’ decision-making.

• Benchmark 6 – Workplace Experiences: Through scenario-based simulations, students simulate HR tasks and consequences, deepening understanding of professional roles.

Related Career Pathways:

• Human Resources Officer

• Talent Acquisition Specialist

• Organisational Development Consultant

• Business Manager

• People & Culture Officer

These roles exist across nearly every sector, reinforcing the universal relevance of this topic in preparing students for future employment.

Teaching Notes

Tips for Delivery:

• Blend theory with application: Start with Maslow or Herzberg, then present a real company case. Ask students to evaluate the strategy’s success.

• Use active learning: Apply mini-simulations or decision-making tasks. E.g., “You’re a manager with a limited budget—how will you motivate your team?”

• Cross-curricular links: Link to psychology when exploring motivational theories or ethics when considering performance-related pay.

• Peer teaching: Have groups take a motivation theory and teach it to the class with examples.

Common Pitfalls:

• Over-reliance on theory without contextual application.

• Confusing motivation with job satisfaction—ensure students understand the difference.

• Treating financial vs. non-financial methods as binary rather than interconnected.

Suggested Extension Activities:

• Analyse the effectiveness of Amazon’s employee motivation strategy using Herzberg’s theory.

• Debate: “Money is the main motivator—discuss.”

• Track news reports of strikes or staff shortages and evaluate what motivational issues may be present.