Is defined as a degree to which the job requires completion of a whole and identifiable piece of work that is doing a job from beginning to end with a visible outcome?

A group of related activities and duties 

The different duties and responsibilities performed by only one employee

A group of individual jobs with similar characteristics 

Statement of the needed knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs) of the person who is to perform the job 

Statement of the tasks, duties, and responsibilities (TDRs) of a a job to be performed 

• The process of obtaining information about jobs by determining what the duties, tasks, or activities of jobs are.
  
• HR managers use the data to develop job descriptions and job specifications that are the basis for employee performance appraisal and development.
• The ultimate purpose of job analysis is to improve organizational performance and productivity

Section 14.C.2 of the Uniform Guidelines states:

There shall be a job analysis which includes na analysis of the important work behaviors required for successful performance...Any job analysis should focus on work behavior(s) and the tasks associated with them." 

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

• Requires that job duties and responsibilities be essential functions for job success.
  
• The purpose of essential functions is to help match and accommodate human capabilities to job requirements.
  

• Statements in the job description of job duties and responsibilities that are critical for success on the job.
  
• A job function is essential if:
• The reason that the position exists is to perform the function
• A limited number of employees are available to perform the function.
• The function is specialized, requiring neeede expertise or ability to complete the job

1. Select Jobs to study
2. Determine information to collect: Tasks, respnosiblities, skill requirements
3. identify sources of data
4. Methods of data collection
5. Evaluate and verify data collection:
6. Write job analysis report
7. Gathering Job Information

Performing Job analysis cont'd 

• Interviews
• Questionnaires
• Observation
• Diaries

Factors influencing the accuracy of job Information

-Self-reporting exaggerations and omissions by employees and managers

-Collecting information from representative sample of employees

-Capturing all important job information

Dictionary of Occupational Titles (DOT)

A systematic occupational classification structure based on interrelationships of job tasks and requirements Contains standardized comprehensive descriptions of twenty thousand jobs

A online database of all DOT occupations plus an update of over 3,500 additional DOT occupations .Data are collected and published continuously 

Popular approaches to Job Analysis- 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. 

• Job analysis method by which job tasks are identified that are critical to job success.
• The job analyst writes five to ten important task statements for each job under study
• 
  

Is an organization-specific analysis developed by identifying--with the help of employees and mangers a list of tasks and their descriptions that are components of different jobs. 

Competency-based analysis 

involves constant development of job profiles of current worker tasks, duties and responsibilities that are "key" competencies for use in creating job descriptions, setting recruitment requirements, and in performance evaluation. 

Human resource information systems (HRIS) and specialized software help automate job analysis

Key Elements of Job Description

1. Job Title 2. Job Identification 3. Essential Functions (duties) 4. Job Specifications (skills) 5. Job Descriptions

Job Identification Section

• departmental location of the job
• person to whom he jobholder reports
• date the job descriptions was last revised
• payroll or code number
• number of employees performing the job
• numb of employees in the department where the job is located
• Onet Code number
• Statement of the job

Job Specifications Section 

Personal qualifications an individual must possess in order to perform the duties and responsibilities 

Problems with Job Description 

• If poorly written, they provide little guidance to the jobholder.
• They are not always updated as job duties or specifications change.
• They may violate the law by continuing specifications not related to job success.
• They can limit ht escape of activities of the jobholder, reducing organizational flexibility.

Writing clear and specific Job Descriptions :

• are terse, direct, simply worded; eliminate unnecessary words or phrases
• describe duties with a present tense verb, the implied subject being the employee performing the job.
• use "occasionally or "May" for some workers
• state the specific performance requirements of a job based on valid job related criteria.

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

Enhancing a job by adding more meaningful tasks and duties (vertical expansion) to make the work more rewarding or satisfying. Providing opportunities for achievement, recognition, growth, responsibility, and performance.

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 preformed) of a jobholder result in improved work performance, internal motivation, and lower absenteeism and turnover. 

The degree to which a job entails a variety of different activities, which demand the use of a number of different skills and talents by the jobholder.

The degree to which the job requires completion of a whole and identifiable piece of work, that is doing a job from beginning to end with a visible outcome. 

The degree to which the job has a substantial impact on the lives or work of other people, whether in the immediate organization or in the external environment 

The degree to which the job provides substantial freedom, independence, and discretion to the individual in scheduling the work in determining the procedures to be used in carrying it out 

The degree to which carrying out the work activities require by the job results in the individual being given direct and clear information about the effectiveness of his or her performance. 

• skill variety
• task identity
• task significance
• autonomy
• feedback

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

Organizational conditions favoring empowerment

• Participation and autonomy
• Innovation and acceptance of risk taking
• access to information
• accountability for results
• cultural openness to change

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

Employee involvement Groups 

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

Success with Els requires 

• Comprehensive training for group members
• Recognition of the group'scontributions
• containing input and encouragement by management
• use of participative/ democratic leadership style.

Beenfits 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

Occurs when the interaction and outcome of team members is greater than the sum of their individual efforts 

Syngergistic team member behavior characteristics 

• Is supporting and inclusive
• listens and clarifies
• disagrees but remains nonjudgemental
• engages in consensus building
• is accepting of others
• is focused on quality and continuous improvement

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

A 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 

Groups of highly trained individuals performing a set of interdependent job tasks within a natural work unit 

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

A group 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 

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

Characteristics successful Teams

• commitment to shared goals and objectives
• Motivated and energetic team members
• open and honest communication
• shared leadership
• clear role assignments
• climate of cooperation, collaboration, trust, and accountability
• Recognition of conflict and its positive resolution
  

Obstacles to effective Team function

• Overly high expectations
• Group compensation
• training
• creed movement
• power

Training Team members: complete skills training in: 

• Team leadership
• mission/goal setting
• conduct of meetings
• team decision making
• conflict resolution
• effective communication
• diversity awareness

Flexible work schedules- compressed workweek

Shrotening the number of days in the workweek by lengthening the number of hours worked per day. 

Benefits of flexible work schedules

• Recruitment and retention of employees
• coordinating employee work schedules with production schedules
• accommodating the leisure time activities of employees while facilitating employee personal appointments
• improvements in employee job satisfaction and morale

Disadvantagesof Flexible work schedules 

• overtime payments required by the fairl labor standards act for employees working over 40 hours in one week
• additional stress on managers and employees, and long workdays can be exhausting

• 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.
  
• All employees are required to be present during a designated "core period "
• Flexible hours reduce absenteeism and tardiness
• Employees can schedule their working hours for the time of day when they are most productive.

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 

The arrangement whereby two part-time employees performa a job that otherwise would e held by one full-time employee. Job sharers may work three days a week, creating an overlap day for extended face to face conferencing.

Advantages of telecommuting 

• increased flexibility for employees
• ability to attract workers who might not otherwise be available
• lessened burden on working parents
• less time and money wasted on physical commuting
• increased productivity
• reduced absenteeism

Which of the following is the core job dimension which refers to the degree to which a job requires a variety of different activities?

What is the degree to which the job allows an individual to make decisions about the way the work will be carried out?

Which of the following defines task identity?

Is the extent to which to job includes whole identifiable unit of work that is carried out from start to finish and that results in a visible outcome?