Lecture 4: Job design and quality management

Question 1

What is a human resource strategy?

Answer 1

The objective of this strategy is to manage labor and design jobs so peopel are effectively and efficiently utilized. Tasks should be designed so people are busy but the quality of work life in an atmosphere of commitment and trust is also important

Question 2

What is job design?

Answer 2

Specifying tasks that a job consist of for an individual or group

Question 3

What is job expansion?

Answer 3

Job expansion means that the job is enlarged or enriched

Question 4

What is job enlargement?

Answer 4

This means that there are extra tasks without extra possibilities

Question 5

What is job enrichment?

Answer 5

This means employees get more tasks and more responsibility

Question 6

What is empowerment?

Answer 6

Giving lower-level employees more space to make their own decisions

Question 7

What are self-directed teams?

Answer 7

Teams where there is no hierarchy. These teams can work through motivation and incentive systems.

Question 8

What are labor standards?

Answer 8

This is the amount of time required to perform a job. Accurate labor standards help determine job requirements.

Question 9

What is quality?

Answer 9

This is the totality of features of a product that bears on its ability to satisfy stated or implied needs of customers

Question 10

What is Total Quality Management?

Answer 10

This is a concept where the entire organization strives for excellence in all aspects of products/services important to customers

Question 11

What are the seven concepts of TQM?

Answer 11

1. Continuous improvement
2. Six sigma
3. Employee empowerment
4. Benchmarking
5. Just-in-time
6. Taguchi concepts
7. Knowledge of TQM tools

Question 12

Describe the steps in Skewhart s PDCA model?

Answer 12

1. Plan: identify the improvement and make a plan
2. Do: Test the plan
3. CheckL is the plan working
4. Act: implement the plan

Question 13

What is Six Sigma?

Answer 13

This is a structured approach to process improvement

Question 13

Give the two meanings of six sigma?

Answer 13

1. Stratistical definition meaning 99.9997% of products is good, only 3.4 defects in a million
2. This is a program designed to reduce defects, lower costs and improve customer satisfaction.

Question 14

What are knowledge of TQM tools?

Answer 14

These are tools for generating ideas, organizing data and identifying problems

Question 14

Describe the five steps in Six Sigma DMAIC approach?

Answer 14

1. Define critical outputs and identify gaps for improvement
2. Measure work and collect process data
3. Analyze data
4. Improve the process
5. Control new process to ensure new performance is maintained.

Question 15

Name two tools for organizing data?

Answer 15

1. Pareto charts
2. Flow charts

Question 15

Name three tools for generating ideas?

Answer 15

1. Check sheets
2. Cause and effect diagrams
3. Scatter diagrams

Question 16

Name two tools for identifying problems?

Answer 16

1. Histogram
2. Statistical process control chart

Question 17

What is a cause and effect diagram?

Answer 17

This is a tool that identifies process elements that might effect an outcome

Question 18

What are pareto charts?

Answer 18

Graphs to identify and plot problems or defects in descending order or frequency.