Chapter 2

Question 1

What is job analysis?

Answer 1

Systematic study of a job to discover its specifications skill requirements and so on for wage-setting, recruitment, traning or job design purposes

Question 2

What is a job?

Answer 2

A group of related activities and duties (held by one or more people)

Question 3

What is a position?

Answer 3

A collection of tasks and responsibilities preformed by an individual

Question 4

What are the three job analysis phases?

Answer 4

1) Preperation for job analysis
2) Collection of job analysis information
3) Use of job analysis information

Question 5

What are the steps in job analysis phase 1: preperation for job analysis? Explain their purposes.

Answer 5

1) Become familiar with the organization
2) Determine uses of job analysis
3) Identify jobs to be analyzed

Question 6

What are the steps in job analysis phase 2: collection of job analysis information? Explain their purposes.

Answer 6

4) Determine sources of job data
5) Identify the data required
6) Choose method of data collection

Question 7

What are some sources of job data?

Answer 7

• Job experts
• Supervisors
• Customers
• Existing discriptions
• Manuals and training
• Internet
• National occupation classifications
  professional journals/ magazines

Question 8

What information is sought in a job analysis?

Answer 8

• Identification (title, department, reports to who? is this info still relevant?)
• Duties (the purpose and how the job is preformed)
• Responsibilities (more with management positions)
• Human characteristics (physical skills and education nessary to preform the task)
• Working conditions (environment, health & safety, training)
• Performance standards (measurable standards)

Question 9

What are some methods for collecting job data?

Answer 9

First analist must evaluate trade offs between the time cost and accuracy of the method. Methods include:
- questionnaires
- interviews
- focus groups
- employee logs
- observations
Many of these methods are use together.

Question 10

What are the ways that job analysis information can be used?

Answer 10

• Job discriptions
• Job specifications
• Job standards
• Competency models

This information together is the beginning of HR strategy formulation.

Question 11

What is a job description? and what are its key parts?

Answer 11

A recognized list of functions, tasks, accountabilities, working conditions, and competencies for a particular occupation or job. (usualy a statement or broken into sub parts)

Key parts: job identity, job summary, job duties, and working conditions and approvals.

Question 12

What is a job identity?

Answer 12

Job identity typically includes job title, job location, job code (for industry comparason), job grade (industry), etc.

Question 13

What are some examples of working conditions?

Answer 13

• Environment
• Hours of work
• Safety and health hazards
• Travel reqirements

Question 14

What is job specifications?

Answer 14

Focouses on the knowledge, skills and abilities of the job holder and what the job demands. Should include specific tools, actions, experiances, education and training needed.

Question 15

What is job performance standards? What functions do they serve?

Answer 15

The work performance expected from an employee on a particular job.

1) Serve as standards/targets/goals to motivate employees
2) Criteria on which job success is measured (good vs bad and corrective action)

Question 16

What is a competency, competency model and competency matrix?

Answer 16

1) Knowledge, skill, ability or behaviour assoicated with successful job performance (broad skills like leadership, creativity, communication, etc.)
2) A list of competencies required to do a job (typically 10 - 15 developed for individuals or teams)
3) A list of the different skill levels for a combination of competencies and indicates at what level of skill employees across the firm should have mastery of (based on developing skill)

Question 17

What is job design? and what are the five key considerations of effective job design?

Answer 17

The process of organizing tasks, responsibilities, and duties into a specific role or job position. identifying job duties, characteristics, competencies, and sequences, taking into consideration technology, workforce, organization character and environment.

1) Organizational considerations
2) Ergonomic considerations
3) Employee considerations
4) Job specialization considerations
5) Environmental considerations

Question 18

When discussing organizational considerations of job design what two interrelated concepts should be considered?

Answer 18

Efficiency, achieving max output
Workflow, sequence and balance

Question 19

What is workflow?

Answer 19

The sequence of and balance between jobs in an organization needed to produce the firms goods or services

Question 20

What is efficiency?

Answer 20

Achieving maximal output with minimal input

Question 21

When discussing job design what are ergonomic considerations?

Answer 21

The study of relationships between physical attrbutes of workers and their work environment to reduce physical and mental strain and increase productivity and quaity of work and safety. Must have attention to details of work setting is considered.

Question 22

When discussing job design what are employee considerations?

Answer 22

Job designers draw on behavioural research to provide a work environment that helps satisfy individual needs. (help achieve better work life balance)

Question 23

When discussing job design and employee considerations, what is the five characteristics model, what are the five characteristics and 3 phychological states?

Answer 23

When a job has these characteristics employees have more motivation and fel better about their jobs.

1) Variety (lack of it may cause boredom and fatigue)
2) Task indetity (employees want to see the job through to completion)
3) Task signfifcance (want to see their work is important)
4) Autonomy (assuming responsibility and decision making)
5) Feedback (help employees evaluate success and failure)

Phychological outcomes:
1) Meaningfulness of work
2) Responsibility for work outcomes
3) Knowledge of results of work

Question 24

When discussing job design and job specialization considerations, how do firms offer more oppertunities for accomplishment?

Answer 24

Job rotation (cross training/ half and half)
Job enlargement (expands tasks)
Job enrichment (add responsibility, autonomy and control)
Employeee involvment and work teams
Use of job families in HR decisions

Question 25

What are job families?

Answer 25

Groups of different jobs that are closely related by similar duties, responsibilities, skills or job elements.

Question 26

What environmental consideratons must job designers think about?

Answer 26

External environment that the firm operates in must also be considered when redesigning jobs:

• Workforce availability (people who can and will actually do the work)
• Social expectations (some working conditions are now unacceptable to younger generation)
• Work practices (set ways of preforming work, tridition or employee wishes)