Job Analysis and Job Design

© 2012 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part, except for use as permitted in a license distributed with a certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use.© 2012 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part, except for use as permitted in a license distributed with a certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use.

Job Analysis and Job Design

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The Challenges of Human Resources Management

© 2012 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part, except for use as permitted in a license distributed with a certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use. 2 of 36© 2012 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part, except for use as permitted in a license distributed with a certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use. 2 of 26

Chapter ObjectivesAfter studying this chapter, you should be able to

Explain what a job analysis is, the parts that comprise it and how the information it generates is used in conjunction with a firm’s HRM functions.

Explain how the data for a job analysis typically is collected.

Identify and explain the various sections of job descriptions.

Provide examples illustrating the various factors that must be taken into account when designing a job.

Discuss the various job characteristics that motivate employees.

Describe the different group techniques used to broaden a firm’s job functions and maximize the contributions of employees.

Identify the different types of work schedules organizations are using today to motivate their employees.

LEARNING OUTCOME 1

LEARNING OUTCOME 2

LEARNING OUTCOME 3

LEARNING OUTCOME 4

LEARNING OUTCOME 5

LEARNING OUTCOME 6

LEARNING OUTCOME 7


What is Job Analysis

• A job analysis is the systematic process of collecting information about all of the parameters of a job—its basic responsibilities, the behaviors, skills, and the physical and mental requirements of the people who do it.

• A job analysis should also outline the tools needed to do the job, the environment and times at which it needs to done, with whom it needs to be done, and the outcome or performance level it should produce.

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Job Requirements

• Job Description Statement of the tasks, duties, and responsibilities

(TDRs) of a job to be performed

• Job Specification Statement of the needed knowledge, skills, and

abilities (KSAs) of the person who is to perform the job

Since Griggs v Duke Power and the Civil Rights Act of 1991, job specifications used in selection must relate specifically to the duties of the job.


HRM Functions Affected by a Job Analysis


Methods Used to Collect Job Analysis Data

• Five of the more popular methods are 1. The functional job analysis 2. The Position Analysis questionnaire system 3. The critical incident method4. A task inventory analysis5. A competency-based job analysis.


Key Elements of a Job Description

• Job Title Indicates job duties and organizational level

• Job Identification Distinguishes job from all other jobs

• Essential Functions (Job Duties) Indicate responsibilities entailed and results

to be accomplished

• Job Specifications Skills required to perform the job and physical

demands of the job


Highlights in HRM


Problems with Job Descriptions

1. If they are poorly written, using vague rather than specific terms, they provide little guidance to the jobholder.

2. They are sometimes not updated as job duties or specifications change.

3. They may violate the law by containing specifications not related to job success.

4. They can limit the scope of activities of the jobholder, reducing an organization’s flexibility.


Job Design

• Industrial Engineering A field of study concerned with analyzing work methods and

establishing time standards

• Job Design An outgrowth of job analysis that improves jobs through

technological and human considerations in order to enhance organization efficiency and employee job satisfaction

• Ergonomics The process of studying and designing equipment and

systems that are easy and efficient for people to use and that ensure their physical well-being.


Basis of Job Design


Job Characteristics Model: Designing Jobs to Motivate Employees

Job Characteristics Skill variety Task identity Task significance Autonomy Feedback

Psychological States Meaningfulness of

the work performed Responsibility for

work outcomes Knowledge of the

results of the work performed.

Job Outcomes Improved work

performance Increased Internal

motivation Lower

absenteeism and turnover


Enlargement, Rotation, & Enrichment

• Job enlargement The process of adding a greater variety of tasks

to a job.

• Job rotation a process whereby employees rotate in and out

of different jobs.

• Job enrichment Enhancing a job by adding more meaningful

tasks and duties to make the work more rewarding or satisfying


Empowerment, Crafting, & Engagement

• Employee Empowerment Granting employees power to initiate change, thereby

encouraging them to take charge of what they do

• Job Crafting A naturally occurring phenomenon whereby

employees mold their tasks to fit their individual strengths, passions, and motives better

• Employee Engagement A situation in which workers are enthusiastic and

immersed in their work to the degree that it improves the performance of their companies


Designing Work for Group/Team Contributions

• Employee Involvement Groups (EIs) Groups of employees who meet to resolve problems

or offer suggestions for organizational improvement Also known as quality circles (QCs) Success with EIs requires:

– Comprehensive training for group members– Recognition of the group’s contributions– Continuing input and encouragement by management– Use of a participative/democratic leadership style


Synergistic Team Characteristics


Forms of Employee Teams


Characteristics of Successful Teams

• A commitment to shared goals and objectives• Motivated and energetic team members• Open and honest communication• Shared leadership• Clear role assignments• A climate of cooperation, collaboration, trust,

and accountability• The recognition of conflict and its positive

resolution


Benefits of Employee Teams

• Increased integration of individual skills

• Better performance (quality and quantity) solutions to unique and complex problems

• Reduced delivery time

• Reduced turnover and absenteeism

• Accomplishments among team members


Flexible Work Schedules

• Flextime 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.

• Compressed Workweek Shortening the number of days in the workweek by

lengthening the number of hours worked per day.• Job Sharing

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

• Telecommuting The use of personal computers, networks, and other

communications technology such as fax machines to do work in the home that is traditionally done in the workplace.


Keys for Successful Telecommuting


Key Terms

critical incident methoddejobbingemployee empowermentemployee teamsergonomicsflextimeindustrial engineeringjobjob analysisjob characteristics modeljob crafting

job descriptionjob designjob enlargementjob enrichmentjob rotationjob specificationposition analysis questionnaire

(PAQ)task inventory analysistelecommutingvirtual team


Chapter 4 - Learning Outcomes

Learning Outcome Statements Related Outcomes from Body of the Text

1 Explain what a job analysis is, the parts that comprise it and how the information it generates is used in conjunction with a firm’s HRM functions.

Are there any HR functions that are not affected by the job analysis process? If so, what are they?

2 Explain how the data for a job analysis typically is collected. Answer the questions in Highlights in HRM 1 based on the job you currently hold or most recently held. Do the answers give you enough information to create a job analysis?

3 Identify and explain the various sections of job descriptions. Using your answers to the questions asked in Highlights in HRM 1, write a job description for your job or the job you most recently held. Are there elements of the job that are not reflected in the job description?

4 Provide examples illustrating the various factors that must be taken into account when designing a job.

Explain how industrial engineering and ergonomics can both clash with and complement each other in the design of jobs.

5 Discuss the various job characteristics that motivate employees.

Can a firm’s managers control the process of job crafting? What challenges does it present for them?

6 Describe the different group techniques used to broaden a firm’s job functions and maximize the contributions of employees.

Describe the types of teams you have worked in. Were some more successful than others? If so, why? How might what you have learned from being a team member be applied in an HR context?

7 Identify the different types of work schedules organizations are using today to motivate their employees.

Name some of the jobs people do at your school. Which of the jobs do you think could effectively incorporate flexible work schedules? Which could not?

Job Analysis and Job Design

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