3 - Achieving Employee Productivity Through Job Design

Question 1

A __________ is the systematic process of collecting information about all of the parameters of a job—its basic responsibilities, the behaviors, skills and the physical and mental requirements of the people who do it. studies have positively linked this process with improved performance on the part of employees and their organizations.

Answer 1

job analysis

Question 2

A job _______ is a statement of the specific knowledge, skills, abilities and other attributes (often referred to as KSAOs) required of the person performing the job. A job ________ is a statement of the different tasks, duties and responsibilities that make up a job.

The following HR management functions require this information:

(a) Strategic HR ______
(b) _______ analysis and job design
(c) Recruitment and ______ of job applicants
(d) Performance ______ process
(e) _________ management
(f) ______ compliance.

Answer 2

specification

description

• planning
• Workflow
• selection
• appraisal
• Compensation
• Legal

Question 3

Job data can be obtained in several ways. The most common methods are _______, questionnaires, observation and diaries. Job analysts use interviews, questionnaires and observation to obtain the data concerning job duties, tasks and responsibilities. It is important to collect information from a representative ______ of individuals doing the same job, not just one or two jobholders. Once a job analysis is done, it should be checked for ______ by the jobholders and their managers.

Answer 3

interviews

sample

accuracy

Question 4

the U.S. department of Labor’s Occupational Information Network Online system (O*Net) replaced the department’s dictionary of occupational titles which had over 12,000 _______s. The new online database classifies jobs into broader functional areas, from entry level to advanced, and across _______. the O*Net contains comprehensive information about the tasks, tools and technology, KSAOs, education, interests, work styles, wages and the employment outlook associated with jobs.

Answer 4

job description

specialties

Question 5

The ____________ system of conducting a job analysis employs the use of a worker-oriented questionnaire that covers about 200 different tasks. Using a five-point scale, the system is used to determine the degree, if any, to which the different tasks, or job elements, are involved in performing a particular job.

Answer 5

position analysis questionnaire (PAQ)

Question 6

The _________ method of job analysis focuses on identifying the critical tasks of a job. On the basis of interviews and jobholder reports, a job analyst will write five to ten important task statements for each job. These written statements focus on the employee behaviors that are critical to job success.

Answer 6

critical incident

Question 7

The ____________ method is a job-oriented type of job analysis. Unlike the PAQ, which uses a standardized form to analyze jobs in different organizations, this questionnaire can be tailor-made to a specific organization. The goal is to produce a comprehensive list of task statements that are applicable to _____. Task statements then are listed on a task inventory survey form to be completed by the person analyzing the job under review

Answer 7

task inventory analysis

all jobs

Question 8

The ________ analysis relies on building job profiles that look at the responsibilities and activities of jobs and the worker competencies necessary to accomplish them.

The objective is to identify “key” competencies for organizational success. How is the work done (and therefore can be improved) becomes more of the focus than just what work is done.

Competencies can be identified through focus groups, surveys or interviews and might include such things as interpersonal communication skills, decision- making ability, conflict resolution skills, adaptability or self-motivation.

Answer 8

competency-based

Question 9

Four of the more popular methods of job analysis are the

Answer 9

1. position analysis questionnaire (pAQ) system
2. the critical incident method
3. the task inventory analysis
4. competency-based analysis.

Question 10

A job description is a written description of a job and the types of ______ it includes. Since there is no standard format for job descriptions, they tend to vary in appearance and content from one organization to another. however, most job descriptions will contain at least three parts: the job ______, a job _______ section and a job ______ section. if job specifications are not prepared as a separate document, they usually are in the concluding section. the job identification section usually follows the job title and includes such items as the departmental location of the job, the person to whom the jobholder reports and the date that the job description was last revised. sometimes it also contains a payroll code number, the number of employees performing the job, the number of employees in the department and the O*NET code number

Answer 10

duties

title / identification / duties

Question 11

The __________ section of a job description typically sets forth the duties of a job in their order of importance, indicating the weight and value of each duty. Also, the responsibilities that all the duties entail and the results they are to accomplish are stressed. Federal legislation (including the Americans with Disabilities Act) and court rulings require employers to show that the job criteria they use to select employees for a particular position relate speci cally to the duties for that job. Moreover, the duties must be essential functions for success on the job.

Answer 11

essential functions

Question 12

The job _________ section of a job description typically covers the skills required to perform the job and the physical demands that the job places on the person performing it. The skills that are relevant to a job include education or experience, specialized training, personal traits or abilities and manual dexterities. The physical demands refer to the amount of walking, standing, reaching, lifting or talking that must be done on the job. The physical work environment and the hazards associated with a job are also among the physical demands of a job. Should also include interpersonal skills if a competency-based job analysis approach is used.

Answer 12

specifications

Question 13

Human resources and compensation managers consider job descriptions to be valuable tools for performing their functions. however, several problems are associated with job descriptions.

1. First, they often are poorly _______, providing little _______ for jobholders.
2. Second, they may not be ______ as job duties and specifications change.
3. Third, they can be in violation of the law by containing specifications that are not related to _______.
4. Fourth, they can limit the scope of activities of the jobholders, reducing organizational _______

Answer 13

1. written / guidance
2. updated
3. job success.
4. flexibility

Question 14

___________ is concerned with analyzing work methods and establishing time standards. It involves both analyzing the elements of the work cycle that compose a particular job activity and determining the time required to complete each element

Answer 14

Industrial engineering

Question 15

Job design is an outgrowth of job analysis. it is concerned with _______ jobs in order to improve organizational efficiency and employee job satisfaction. specifically, jobs should be designed to facilitate the achievement of organizational _________. At the same time, the design should recognize the capabilities and needs of those who are to perform the job.

Answer 15

structuring

objectives

Question 16

The four basic considerations that are combined in a job design are:

(1) The organizational ________ that the job was created to fulfill
(2) The __________ considerations, including ways to make the job technologically efficient
(3) The _______ concerns
(4) The _______ concerns that influence an employee’s job satisfaction.

Answer 16

1. objectives
2. industrial engineering
3. ergonomic
4. behavioral

Question 17

_________ attempts to accommodate the human capabilities, preference and limitations of those who are to perform a job. It is used to adapt an entire job system—the work, the work environment, the machines, the equipment and the process—to match human characteristics. Thus it seeks to fit the job to the worker, rather than the worker to the job.

Answer 17

Ergonomics

Question 18

The job characteristics model is based on the premise that three psychological states of a jobholder result in improved work performance, internal motivation, and lower absenteeism and turnover. The three significant factors are identified as

• (1) experiencing ________ of the work performed
• (2) experiencing _________ for the work outcomes
• (3) having _________ of the results of the work performed.

Answer 18

meaningfulness

responsibility

knowledge

Question 19

The job characteristics model is implemented by structuring jobs to incorporate these three factors. This is accomplished according to the proponents of the model by designing jobs that contain five key characteristics:

• (1) _____ variety
• (2) _____ identity
• (3) task ______
• (4) _______
• (5) ________.

Answer 19

1. skill
2. task
3. significance
4. autonomy
5. feedback

Question 20

Job enrichment involves efforts to make work more satisfying or rewarding by adding more meaningful tasks to jobs. The overall approach is to make work more meaningful by focusing on five job factors:

Answer 20

1. achievement
2. recognition
3. growth
4. responsibility
5. performance

Question 21

___________ is a method of involving employees in their work through the process of inclusion. Employees are encouraged to become innovators and managers of their own jobs in ways that give them more control. Essentially, it is a process of pushing down decision making to the people who are close to internal and external customers.

Answer 21

Employee empowerment

Question 22

In order for employee empowerment to grow and thrive, organizations must encourage these conditions:

• (1) _________. Employees must be encouraged to take control of their work tasks. Employees, in turn, must care about improving their work process and interpersonal work relationships.
• (2) _________. The environment must be receptive to people with ideas and encourage people to explore new paths and to take reasonable risks at reasonable costs. An empowered environment is created when curiosity is as highly regarded as is technical expertise.
• (3) Access to ___________. Employees must have access to a wide range. Involved individuals make decisions about what kin they need for performing their jobs.
• (4) ________. Empowerment does not involve being able to do whatever you want. Empowered employees should be held accountable for their behavior toward others, producing agreed-on results, achieving credibility and operating with a positive approach.

Answer 22

1. Participation
2. Innovation
3. information
4. Accountability

Question 23

__________(which are also called autonomous work groups, self-managed teams or high-performance teams) are groups of employees who are accountable for a whole work process or segment that delivers a product or service to an internal or external customer. Typical team functions include setting work schedules, dealing directly with external customers, training team members, setting performance targets, budgeting, inventory management, and purchasing equipment or services. Team members acquire multiple skills enabling them to perform a variety of job tasks.

Answer 23

Self-directed teams

Question 24

All successful employee teams, regardless of the structure or purpose of the team, share the following characteristics:

(1) Commitment to shared ______ and objectives
(2) _________ and energetic team members
(3) Open and honest ________
(4) Shared ________
(5) Clear ______ assignments
(6) Climate of ________, collaboration, trust and accountability
(7) Recognition of _______ and its positive resolution.

Answer 24

1. goals
2. Motivated
3. communication
4. leadership
5. role
6. cooperation
7. conflict

Question 25

_________ is an approach to work scheduling that gives employees some discretion concerning when they will come to work in the morning and when they will leave in the afternoon. They must normally begin at some point within a stipulated morning band of time (7:00 to 10:00 a.m. is common) and are expected to stop at some point within a similar afternoon time span (3:00 to 6:00 p.m., for example). Thus, all employees are required to be at their jobs during a core work time. Employees also are required to work a certain number of hours per day or week.

Answer 25

Flextime

Question 26

Under the four-day (_________) workweek, the number of days in a workweek is shortened by lengthening the number of hours worked per day. The reduced workweek typically is four days of ten-hour workdays (4/10 or 4/40). Others involve workweeks of 36 or 38 hours or a nine-day period of 80 hours (9/80) with one day off every other week.

Answer 26

compressed

Question 27

_________ is an arrangement whereby two part-time employees perform a job that otherwise would be held by one full-time employee. It is suited to the needs of married people who wish to work only part-time. Also, it may enable a firm to keep two good employees who otherwise would be lost. However, it involves potential problems with respect to _______ costs, supervising multiple employees and the prorating of employee benefits.

Answer 27

Job sharing

training

Question 28

With personal computers, networks and other communications technology to do work in the home that is traditionally done in the workplace, telecommuting offers advantages such as: increased flexibility for employees, reduced absenteeism, retention of valued employees who might otherwise quit, reduced “carbon footprints” through minimizing daily commuting, increased productivity, lower overhead costs and reduced of ce space.

Potential drawbacks of telecommuting are the loss of _______ as employees are not interacting with one another on a regular basis, the difficulty of developing appropriate performance standards and evaluation systems for telecommuters, and the need to formulate an appropriate ________ strategy. In addition, traditional line managers accustomed to managing by observation may find stressful supervising distributed employees.

Answer 28

creativity

technology