Glaossary

Question 1

(G) job

Answer 1

A group of related activities and duties.

Ideally, the duties of a job should consist of natural units of work that are similar and related. They should be clear and distinct from those of other jobs to minimize misunderstanding and conflict among employees and to enable employees to recognize what is expected.

Question 2

(G) position

Answer 2

The different duties and responsibilities performed by only one employee.

In a city library, for example, four employees (four positions) may be involved in reference work, but all of them have only one job (reference librarian).

Question 3

(G) job family

Answer 3

A group of individual jobs with similar characteristics.

Where different jobs have similar duties and responsibilities, they may be grouped into a job family for the purposes of recruitment, training, compensation, or advancement opportunities.

Question 4

(G) job specification

Answer 4

A job specification is a statement of the knowledge, skills, and abilities required of the person performing
the job.

Under Recruitment - They serve an essential role in the recruiting function. These qualifications are typically contained in the notices of job openings.

Question 5

(G) job descriptions

Answer 5

A statement of the tasks, duties, and responsibilities of a job to be performed.

Is a written description of a job and the types of duties 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: a job title, a job identification section, and a job duties section.

Selection: In addition to job specifications, managers and supervisors use job descriptions to select employees and orient them to jobs. A job description is a statement of the tasks, duties, and responsibilities of a job. In the past, job specifications used as a basis for selection sometimes bore little relation to the duties to be performed under the job description. Examples: Applicants for the job of labourer were required to have a high school diploma. Firefighters were required to be at least six feet tall, and applicants for skilled craft positions—plumbers, electricians, machinists— were required to be male. These kinds of job specifications discriminated against members of designated groups, many of whom were excluded from these jobs.

Question 6

(G) job analysis

Answer 6

The process of obtaining information about jobs by determining the duties, tasks, or activities of jobs.

Job analysis is sometimes called the cornerstone of HRM because the information it collects serves so many HRM functions In contrast to job design, which reflects subjective opinions about the ideal requirements of a job, job analysis is concerned with objective and verifiable information about the actual requirements of a job.

Question 7

Gathering information for Job analysis

Answer 7

Job data may be obtained in several ways. The more common methods of analyzing jobs are through interviews, questionnaires, observation, and diaries

Question 8

NOC (National Occupation Classification)

Answer 8

Is compiled by the federal government. Purpose is to compile, analyze, and communicate information about occupations.

This information can be used for employment equity, HR planning, and occupational supply-and demand forecasts and analyses.

Is a composite of the Canadian labour market and has helped bring about a greater degree of uniformity in the job titles and descriptions used by employers in different parts of the country. This uniformity has facilitated the movement of workers from regions that may be experiencing widespread unemployment to areas where employment opportunities are greater. Also, the NOC code numbers facilitate the exchange of statistical information about jobs and are useful in reporting research in the HR area, in vocational counselling, and in charting career paths

Question 9

(G) position analysis questionnaire (PAQ)

Answer 9

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.

The results obtained are quantitative and can be subjected to statistical analysis. Also permits
dimensions of behaviour to be compared across a number of jobs and permits jobs to be grouped on the basis of common characteristics.

Question 10

(G) critical incident method

Answer 10

A job analysis method by which important job tasks are identified for job success.

Critical job tasks are those important duties and job responsibilities performed by the jobholder that lead to job success.

Process: Information about critical job tasks can be
collected through interviews with employees or managers or through self-report statements written by employees — The interviewer will ask the employee to describe the job on the basis of what is done, how the job is performed, and what tools and equipment are used. — After the job data are collected, the analyst then writes separate task statements that represent important job activities. Typically, the job analyst writes 5 to 10 important task statements for each job under study. — The final product comprises written task statements that are clear, complete, and easily understood by those unfamiliar with the job.

The critical incident method is an important job analysis method because it teaches the analyst to focus on employee behaviours critical to job success.

Question 11

(G) task inventory analysis

Answer 11

An organization-specific list of tasks and their descriptions used as a basis to identify components of jobs.

Can be considered a job-oriented type of job analysis. The technique was pioneered by the U.S. Air Force to analyze jobs held by Air Force specialists. Unlike the PAQ, which uses a standardized form to analyze jobs in different organizations, a task inventory questionnaire can be tailor-made to a specific organization.

Process: identifying with the help of employees and
managers, a list of tasks and their descriptions that are components of different jobs. — The goal is to produce a comprehensive list of task statements that are applicable to all jobs. — Task statements are then listed on a task inventory survey form to be completed by the person analyzing the job. — The job analysis would also note the importance and frequency of use of the task

Question 12

Competency-Based Analysis

Answer 12

In dynamic and fast-moving environment, managers may adopt a competency-based approach to job 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. Competencies can be identified through focus groups, surveys, or interviews.

The traditional approach to job analysis assumes a static job environment in which jobs remain relatively stable apart from incumbents who might hold these
jobs.

Question 13

Job Title

Answer 13

is of psychological importance, providing status to the employee. For instance, “sanitation engineer” is a more appealing title than “garbage collector.” should provide some indication of what the duties of the job entail. Titles such as meat inspector. should indicate the relative level occupied by its holder in the organizational hierarchy. For example, the title junior engineer

Question 14

Job Identification Section

Answer 14

description usually follows the job title. It includes items such as:
1. departmental location of the job,
2. the person to whom the jobholder reports,
3. and the date the job description was last revised.
“Job Statement” usually appears at the bottom of this section and distinguishes the job from other jobs—something the job title may fail to do so.

Question 15

Job Duties, or Essential Functions, Section

Answer 15

Statements covering job duties are typically arranged in order of importance.
1. should indicate the weight, or value, of each duty. Usually, but not always, the weight of a duty can be gauged by the percentage of time devoted to it.
2. should stress the responsibilities all the duties entail and the results they are to accomplish.
3. It is also general practice to indicate the tools
and equipment used by the employee in performing the job.

Remember, the job duties section must list only the essential functions of the job.

Question 16

Job Specification Section

Answer 16

the personal qualifications an individual must possess to perform the duties and responsibilities contained in a job description are compiled in the job specification. Typically, this section covers two areas:

(1) the skill required to perform the job and
(2) the physical demands the job places on the employee performing it.

Question 17

Problems With Job Descriptions

Writing Clear and Specific Job Descriptions

Answer 17

Text book

The term occasionally is used to describe duties that are performed once in a while. The term may is used in connection with duties performed only by some
workers on the job.

Question 18

(G) job design

Answer 18

An outgrowth of job analysis that improves jobs through technological and human considerations to enhance
organization efficiency and employee job satisfaction

JA is the study of jobs as currently performed by employees. It helps with the job description, which identifies job duties and the requirements needed to perform the work successfully.

Job design is concerned with structuring jobs to improve organization efficiency and employee job satisfaction. It is concerned with changing, modifying, and enriching jobs to capture the talents of employees while improving organizational performance.

It should facilitate the achievement of organizational objectives. At the same time, the design should recognize the capabilities and needs of those who are to perform the job.

It is a combination of four basic considerations:

(1) the organizational objectives the job was created to fulfill
(2) behavioural concerns that influence an employee’s job satisfaction;
(3) industrial engineering considerations, including ways to make the job technologically efficient
(4) ergonomic concerns, including workers’ physical and mental capabilities

Question 19

(G) job enrichment

Answer 19

Enhancing a job by adding more meaningful tasks and duties to make the work more rewarding or satisfying.

Popularized by Frederick Herzberg, job enrichment is touted as fulfilling the high motivational needs of employees, such as self-fulfillment and self-esteem, while achieving long-term job satisfaction and performance goals.

Job enrichment, or the vertical expansion of jobs, may be accomplished by increasing the autonomy and
responsibility of employees.

Herzberg discusses five factors for enriching jobs
and thereby motivating employees:
achievement, recognition, growth, responsibility,
and performance of the whole job versus only parts of the job.

it must not be considered a panacea for overcoming production problems and employee discontent. They are not the solution to problems such as dissatisfaction with pay, employee benefits, or employment security. Moreover, not all employees object to the mechanical pacing of an assembly line, nor seek additional responsibility or challenge.

Question 20

job characteristics model

Answer 20

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.

this research is the one advanced by Richard Hackman
and Greg Oldham.

(1) Hackman and Oldham believe that five core job
dimensions:
1. Skill variety
2. Task Identity
3. Task significance
4. Autonomy
5. Feedback —->
(2) produce the three psychological states:
1. experiencing meaningfulness of the work performed
2. responsibility for work outcomes,
3. knowledge of the results of the work performed —>
(3) Which results in improved work performance, internal motivation, and lower absenteeism and turnover

work best when certain conditions are met - employees must have the psychological desire for the autonomy, variety, responsibility, and challenge of enriched jobs.
In addition, job redesign efforts almost always fail when employees lack the physical or mental skills, abilities, or education needed to perform the job. Forcing
enriched jobs on individuals lacking these traits can result in frustrated employees.

Question 21

Employee Empowerment

Answer 21

Granting employees power to initiate change, thereby encouraging them to take charge of what they do.

Job enrichment and job characteristics are specific programs by which managers or supervisors can formally change the jobs of employees. A less structured method is to allow employees to initiate their own job changes through the concept of empowerment. Employee empowerment is a technique of involving employees in their work through the process of inclusion.

Question 22

(G) industrial engineering

Answer 22

A field of study concerned with analyzing work methods and establishing time standards.

involves the study of work cycles to determine which, if any, elements can be modified, combined, rearranged, or eliminated to reduce the time needed to complete the cycle. —> Next, time standards are established by recording the time required to complete each element in the work cycle, using a stopwatch or worksampling
technique. —> By combining the times for each element, observers can determine the total time required. This time is subsequently adjusted to allow for the skill and effort demonstrated by the observed worker and for interruptions that may occur in performing the work.

The adjusted time becomes the time standard for that particular work cycle

Is a disciplined and objective approach to job
design. May cause the behavioural considerations
in job design to be neglected. Thus, to be effective,
job design must also provide for the satisfaction of behavioural needs.

Question 23

Ergonomics

Answer 23

An interdisciplinary approach to designing equipment and systems that can be easily and efficiently used by human beings.

It is the study of people at work and the practice of matching the features of products and jobs to human capabilities, preference, and the limitations of those who are to perform a job. It focuses on ensuring that jobs are designed for safe and efficient work while improving the safety, comfort, and performance of users. In short, it seeks to fit the job to the person rather than the person to the job. Additionally, ergonomics attempts to minimize the harmful effects of carelessness, negligence, and other human fallibilities product defects, damage to equipment, or even the injury or death of employees. Designing
equipment controls to be compatible with both the physical characteristics and the reaction capabilities of the people. Ergonomics has recently focused on
the elimination, or at least reduction, of many repetitive-motion injuries, particularly those related to the back and wrist.

Question 24

Designing Work For Groups and Teams

Answer 24

all of these techniques have two characteristics
in common: enhancing collaboration and increasing synergy. Two collaborative techniques: employee involvement groups and employee teams

Question 25

(G) employee involvement groups (EIs)

Answer 25

Groups of employees who meet to resolve problems or offer suggestions for organizational improvement

Groups of 5 to 10 employees doing similar or related work who meet regularly to identify, analyze, and suggest solutions to shared problems are often referred to as employee involvement groups (EIs). Also known as quality circles (QCs), EIs are used principally as a means of involving employees in the larger goals of the organization through their suggestions for improving product or service quality and cutting costs. Generally, EIs recommend their solutions to management, which decides whether to implement them.

Process: begins with EI members brainstorming
job-related problems or concerns and gathering data about these issues. The process continues through the generation of solutions and recommendations,
which are then communicated to management. If the solutions are implemented, the results are measured, and the EI and its members are usually recognized
for the contributions they have made. EIs typically meet four or more hours per month, and the meetings are chaired by a leader chosen from the group. The
leader does not hold an authority position but instead serves as a discussion facilitator.

Problems/critics:
1. must receive comprehensive training (problem
identification, problem analysis, and various decision-making tools, such as statistical analysis and cause-and-effect diagrams)
2. managers should recognize the group when a recommendation is made, regardless of whether the recommendation is adopted
3. some organizations have found that EIs run out of ideas, and management must feed them ideas to keep the process going.
4. Most importantly, managers and supervisors must exhibit a participative/democratic leadership style in which employees are encouraged to work collaboratively

Question 26

(G) employee teams

Answer 26

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, such as process improvements, product or service development, and individual work assignments.

are a logical outgrowth of employee involvement and
the philosophy of empowerment. Although many definitions of teams exist, we define a work team as a group of individuals working together toward a common purpose, in which members have complementary skills, members’ work is mutually
dependent, and the group has discretion over tasks performed. make members of the work group share responsibility and accountability for their group’s performance. Inherent in the concept of employee teams is that employees, not managers, are in the best position to contribute to workplace performance. also embraces the concept of synergy. Synergy occurs when the interaction and outcome of team members are greater than the sum of their individual efforts.

self-directed teams, is often championed as being the highest form of team structure. 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.

Challenges with work teams: including overly
high expectations, group compensation, specialized team training, career movement, and conflict resolution., compensation systems must be constructed to reward individuals for team accomplishment, they alter the traditional manager–
employee relationship. Managers often find it hard to adapt to the role of leader rather than supervisor and sometimes feel threatened by the growing power of
the team and the reduced power of management.

Question 27

Cross-functional team

Answer 27

a group staffed with a mix of specialists (e.g., marketing, production, engineering) and formed to accomplish a specific objective

Question 28

Project team

Answer 28

group formed specifically to design a new
product or service. Members are assigned by management on the basis of their ability to contribute to success. The group normally disbands after task completion.

Question 29

Self-directed team

Answer 29

a group of highly trained individuals performing a set of interdependent job tasks within a natural work unit. Team members use consensus decision making to perform work duties, solve problems, or deal with internal or external customers.

Question 30

Task force team

Answer 30

task force formed by management to
immediately resolve a major problem. The group is responsible for developing a long-term plan for problem resolution, which may include a charge for implementing the solution proposed

Question 31

Process improvement team

Answer 31

a group made up of experienced people from different departments or functions and charged with improving quality, decreasing waste, or enhancing productivity in processes that affect all departments or functions involved. Team members are normally appointed by management.

Question 32

(G) virtual teams

Answer 32

A team with widely dispersed members linked together through computer and telecommunications technology.

concerns with virtual teams: language and cultural barriers, unclear objectives, time conflicts due to diverse geographic locations, and selecting people who can work in a collaborative setting. People can also lose the intimacy of physically meeting.

Question 33

four stages of team development

Answer 33

extensive attention must be given to training team members as they move through the four stages of team development: forming, storming, norming, and performing

Question 34

Compressed Workweek

Answer 34

the number of days in the workweek is shortened
by lengthening the number of hours worked per day. This schedule is best illustrated by the 4-day, 40-hour week, generally referred to as 4/10 or 4/40. Other compressed arrangements include reducing weekly hours to 38 or 36 or scheduling 80 hours over 9 days (9/80), taking one day off every other week.

Question 35

Flextime

Answer 35

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.

However, there is a “core period” during the morning and afternoon when all employees are required to be on the job. Flexible working hours are most common in service-type organizations— financial institutions, government agencies, and other organizations with large clerical operations.

Question 36

job sharing

Answer 36

The arrangement whereby two part time employees perform a job that otherwise would be held by one fulltime employee

Question 37

telecommuting

Answer 37

Use of personal computers, networks, and other communications technology to do work in the home that is traditionally done in the workplace