How does job analysis differ from job design?
Job analysis has a more proactive orientation toward changing the job.
Job design has a more passive orientation toward changing the job.
Job design functions usually precede the functions of job analysis.
Job analysis supports human resource practices through data collection.
Job design focuses only on creating new jobs and not on existing jobs.
Job analysis supports human resource practices through data collection.
Job analysis has focused on analyzing existing jobs to gather information for other human resource management practices such as selection, training, performance appraisal, and compensation. Job design, on the other hand, has focused on redesigning existing jobs to make them more efficient or more motivating to jobholders.
Which of the following is true of the steps performed during a work-flow analysis?
- Work inputs need to be analyzed before work processes and work outputs.
- Work outputs should be analyzed after work processes.
- Work outputs should be analyzed before work inputs and work processes.
- Work-process analysis is the first step in the analysis.
- Work-input analysis should precede work-process analysis, but follow work-output analysis.
Work outputs should be analyzed before work inputs and work processes.
Identifying an output or set of outputs and specifying the standards for the quantity or quality of these outputs is the first step. Once the outputs of the work unit have been identified, it is possible to examine the work processes used to generate the output. The final stage in work-flow analysis is to identify the inputs used in the development of the work unit's product.
While developing a work-unit activity analysis, which of the following questions is likely to be addressed during the activity stage?
- What materials, data, and information are needed?
- What special equipment, facilities, and systems are needed?
- What knowledge, skills, and abilities are needed by those performing the task?
- What tasks are required in the production of the output?
- What product, information, or service is provided?
What tasks are required in the production of the output?
While developing a work-unit activity analysis, an organization focuses on the tasks that are required in the production of the output during the activity stage. The remaining questions are answered during the output stage, raw inputs stage, equipment stage, and the human resources stage.
An efficiency expert is likely to:
- introduce processes that overburden the employees.
- increase the human capital for higher productivity.
- shift production practice from lean production to mass production.
- introduce processes that overburden the machines.
- eliminate inconsistent production processes that create excess inventories.
eliminate inconsistent production processes that create excess inventories.
When efficiency experts first come into a company, they are looking for three different kinds of waste, (1) movement that creates no value, (2) the overburdening of specific people or machines, and (3) inconsistent production that creates excessive inventories.
A _____ structure is most suitable for organizations that compete on differentiation.
- mechanistic
- functional
- divisional
- centralized
- bureaucratic
Divisional structures are most appropriate in unstable, unpredictable environments, where it is difficult to anticipate demands for resources, and coordination requirements between jobs are not consistent over time. This type of structure also helps support organizations that compete on differentiation or innovation because flexible responsiveness is central to making this strategy work.
Job analysis aids the job evaluation process by:
- identifying the behaviors that distinguish effective performance from ineffective performance.
- identifying the tasks performed in a job to ensure that the training provided will prepare individuals to perform their jobs effectively.
- providing accurate information about the levels of skills required in various jobs to ensure that enough individuals are available in the organization.
- providing information about different jobs to determine which jobs deserve higher pay than others.
- determining the knowledge, skills, and abilities an individual must have to perform the job effectively.
providing information about different jobs to determine which jobs deserve higher pay than others.
The process of job evaluation involves assessing the relative dollar value of each job to the organization to set up internally equitable pay structures. To put dollar values on jobs, it is necessary to get information about different jobs to determine which jobs deserve higher pay than others.
Job analysis supports the process of _____ by providing information on the knowledge, skills, and abilities the individual must have to perform the job effectively.
- work redesign
- work-flow design
- selection
- training
- job evaluation
Human resource selection identifies the most qualified applicants for employment. To identify which applicants are most qualified, it is first necessary to determine the tasks that will be performed by the individual hired and the knowledge, skills, and abilities the individual must have to perform the job effectively. This information is gained through job analysis.
_____ deals with getting information about how well each employee is doing his job in order to reward those who are effective.
- Work redesign
- Job evaluation
- Selection
- Performance appraisal
- Career planning
Performance appraisal deals with getting information about how well each employee is performing in order to reward those who are effective, improve the performance of those who are ineffective, or provide a written justification for why the poor performer should be disciplined.
_____ is a list of the knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics that an individual must have to perform a job.
- Job description
- Work-flow design
- Job specification
- Career planning
- Job design
Job specification is a list of the knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics (KSAOs) that an individual must have to perform the job.
Which section of the Position Analysis Questionnaire (PAQ) covers the physical and social settings where the work is performed?
- Work output
- Work process
- Relationships
- Job context
- Information input
Job context covers the physical and social contexts where the work is performed.
Which of the following statements is true about a Position Analysis Questionnaire (PAQ)?
- The items in the questionnaire represent work conditions and not work behaviors.
- The items in the questionnaire can be generalized across a variety of jobs.
- Job incumbents do not require the reading level of a college graduate level to fill out the test.
- PAQ's objective analysis does not demand an understanding of the work context.
- The PAQ fails to cover work context, inputs, outputs, and processes.
The items in the questionnaire can be generalized across a variety of jobs.
The PAQ is a standardized job analysis questionnaire containing 194 items. These items represent work behaviors, work conditions, and job characteristics that can be generalized across a wide variety of jobs.
Which of the following statements is true about Occupational Information Network (O*NET)?
- O*NET describes more occupations than the Dictionary of Occupational Titles (DOT).
- It is of value only to employers and employment agencies.
- O*NET was replaced by the Dictionary of Occupational Titles (DOT).
- It was also designed to help job seekers to improve themselves.
- It relies on fixed job titles and narrow task descriptions.
It was also designed to help job seekers to improve themselves.
The O*NET was also designed to help job seekers. Individuals who want to improve their ability to find employment can obtain relatively accurate information about what jobs they are qualified for given their current literacy level from the O*NET. They can also see how much their literacy skills would have to improve if they wanted to apply for higher-level jobs characterized by higher levels of complexity.
Specialization, skill variety, and work methods autonomy are the major elements of the _____ approach to job design.
- motivational
- mechanistic
- biological
- perceptual-motor
- elementary
Specialization, skill variety, and work methods autonomy are the major elements of the mechanistic approach to job design. The mechanistic approach focuses on designing jobs around the concepts of task specialization, skill simplification, and repetition.
Keith, a manager at a large firm, designs jobs around sociotechnical systems, making them more meaningful. He plans to use a different approach to job design that requires skill simplification and repetition. What type of approach to job design is Keith using, and what is he planning to use?
- Keith is using the mechanistic approach to job design and plans to use the perceptual–motor approach to job design.
- Keith is using the motivational approach to job design and plans to use the mechanistic approach to job design.
- Keith is using the perceptual–motor approach to job design and plans to use the biological approach to job design.
- Keith is using the mechanistic approach to job design and plans to use the motivational approach to job design.
- Keith is using the motivational approach to job design and plans to use the biological approach to job design.
Keith is using the motivational approach to job design and plans to use the mechanistic approach to job design.
The motivational approach to job design focuses on increasing the meaningfulness of jobs through such interventions as job enlargement, job enrichment, and the construction of jobs around sociotechnical systems. The mechanistic approach focuses on designing jobs around the concepts of task specialization, skill simplification, and repetition. Keith is using the motivational approach to job design and plans to use the mechanistic approach to job design.
The goal of the _____ approach is to design jobs in a way that ensures they do not exceed people's mental capabilities.
- perceptual-motor
- biological
- scientific management
- mechanist
- motivational
The goal of the perceptual-motor approach is to design jobs in a way that ensures they do not exceed people's mental capabilities. The perceptual–motor approach to job design has roots in human-factors literature. It focuses on human mental capabilities and limitations.