Chapter 4 Flashcards
Job Analysis and Work Design
Define ‘Job’
A group of related activities and duties
Define ‘position’
The different duties and responsibilities performed by only one employee
Define ‘job family’
A group of individual jobs with similar characteristics
Job analysis is referred to as the ____ for HRM
bedrock
Define ‘job analysis’
the process of obtaining information about jobs by determining the duties, tasks, or activities of jobs
clearly and precisely the requirements of each job
Define ‘job specification’
A statement of the needed knowledge, skills, and abilities of the person who is to perform the job
Define ‘job descriptions’
A statement of the tasks, duties, and responsibilities of a job to be performed
What are KSAO’s
Knowledge Skills Abilities and Other factors
What is Instrumental Work
e.g., going to lead to financial success, prestige
What is Fundamental Work
the work feels inherently valuable, interesting
Can you legally make a job offer conditional on the candidate providing proof of their ability to work in Canada permanently?
Nope
common methods of analyzing jobs are through:
Interviews
Questionnaires
Observation
Diaries
The primarily personnel responsible for the job analysis program
job analyst
What is Position analysis questionnaire (PAQ)
a questionnaire covering 194 different tasks that, by means of a five-point scale, seeks to determine the degree to which different tasks are involved in performing a particular job
What is Critical incident method
a job analysis method by which important job tasks are identified for job success
What is Task inventory analysis
an organization-specific list of tasks and their descriptions used as a basis to identify components of jobs
What is The functional job analysis (FJA):
a job analysis approach that uses an inventory of the various types of work activities that can constitute any job
What is Competency-based analysis
this job analysis method relies on building job profiles that look at the responsibilities and activities of jobs and the worker competencies necessary to accomplish them (e.g., interpersonal communication skills, decision-making ability)
What is workflow analysis’ function
helps a firm determine the best processes, types, and mix of jobs, and how they should ideally be organized to execute the firm’s mission.
What do job descriptions usually contain:
job title
job identification section
job duties section
Issues with job descriptions
sometimes not updated yearly
limits the scope of activities of the jobholder
does not usually inquire competencies
What is “job design”
an outgrowth of job analysis that improves jobs through technological and human considerations to enhance organization efficiency and employee job satisfaction
What is ‘Job enrichment’
enhancing a job by adding more meaningful tasks and duties to make the work more rewarding or satisfying
Five factors for enriching jobs (motivating employees)
achievement
recognition
growth
responsibility
performance of the whole job versus only parts of the job
What is ‘Job characteristics model’
a job design theory that purports that three psychological states (experiencing meaningfulness of the work performed, responsibility for work outcomes, and knowledge of the results of the work performed) of a jobholder result in improved work performance, internal motivation, and lower absenteeism and turnover
What are the three psychological states in the Job Characteristics model
experiencing meaningfulness of the work performed
responsibility for work outcomes
knowledge of the results of the work performed
The five job characteristics of the Job Characteristics Model
Skill variety
Task identity
Task significance
Autonomy
Feedback
What is ‘Employee empowerment’
Granting employees power to initiate change, thereby encouraging them to take charge of what they do
What is ‘Job crafting’
a naturally occurring phenomenon whereby employees mould their tasks to fit their individual strengths, passions, and motives better. Bottom up usually
What is “Industrial engineering”
a field of study concerned with analyzing work methods and establishing time standards, but sometimes neglects behavioural considerations in job design
Define ‘Ergonomics’
an interdisciplinary approach to designing equipment and systems that can be easily and efficiently used by human beings
Define ‘Job Carving’
the job is amended not by the individual but by the employer or a vocational specialist to provide employment opportunities for individuals with autism and other disabilities
What is ‘Employee involvement groups (EIGs)
groups of employees who meet to resolve problems or offer suggestions for organizational improvement
Dynamics of Employee Involvement Groups (EIGs) steps:
- EIG members brainstorm ideas for organizational improvement
- EIG members prepare solutions and recommendations
- Managers evaluate EIG group recommendations & make decisions
- Recommendations are implemented and EIG members are rewarded
Reasons for Employee Involvement Groups (EIGs)
Employee gains knowledge of affected areas
Special skills and abilities of employees
Technical changes
Customer requirements
What is ‘Employee teams’
an employee contributions technique whereby work functions are structured for groups rather than for individuals and team members are given discretion in matters traditionally considered management prerogatives
What is ‘Psychological safety’
where team members are willing to take risks because they feel safe, where they could voice their opinions, and ask judgment-free questions
What is ‘Synergy’
occurs when the interaction and outcome of team members are greater than the sum of their individual efforts
What is ‘Virtual teams’
team with widely dispersed members linked together through computer and telecommunications technology
Common types of flexible work schedules
Flextime
Job sharing
Telecommuting
What is ‘Flextime’
flexible working hours that permit employees the option of choosing daily starting and quitting times provided that they work a set number of hours per day or week
What is ‘Job sharing’
the arrangement whereby two part-time employees perform a job that otherwise would be held by one full-time employee
What is ‘Telecommuting’
use of personal computers, networks, and other communications technology to do work in the home that is traditionally done in the workplace
