Chapter 4 Workers, Jobs, and Job Analysis

1. Chapter 4Workers, Jobs, and Job Analysis

2. Workforce composition • Diversity reflects the differences in human character – PepsiCo example • Business case for diversity must be linked to key business goals and strategies and organizational results • Race, ethnicity, and immigrant workers • Generational differences: matures, baby boomers, generation X, generation Y • Multigenerational workforce • Women

3. Nature of jobs and work • Work – effort directed toward accomplishing results • Work flow analysis – study of the way work inputs(people, material, information, data, equipment), activities(tasks and jobs) and outputs(goods and services) moves through an organization • Job – grouping of tasks, duties, and responsibilities that constitutes the total work assignment for an employee • Business process reengineering (BPR) – measures for improving such activities as product development, customer service, and service delivery • Rethink: examine how the current organization of work and jobs affects customer satisfaction and service • Redesign: analyze how jobs are put together, the work flow, and how results are achieved; then redesign the process as necessary • Retool: look at new technologies (equipment, computers, software, etc.) as opportunities to improve productivity, service quality, and customer satisfaction

4. Job design – organizing tasks, duties, responsibilities, and other elements into a productive unit of work influences performance affects job satisfaction impacts both physical and mental health

5. Workers and job design • Full, part, independent contractor, temporary, and contingent workers • Contingent worker – not an employee but a temporary or part time worker for a specific period of time and type of work • Person-job fit – matching characteristics of people with characteristics of jobs • Job-person match – matching people with jobs they like and fit

6. Common approaches to job design • Job enlargement – broadening the scope of a job by expanding the number of different tasks to be performed • Job enrichment – increasing the depth of a job by adding responsibility for planning, organizing, controlling, or evaluating the job • Job rotation – process of shifting a person from job to job • Job sharing – scheduling arrangement in which two employees perform the work of one full-time job

7. Characteristics of jobs • Skill variety – extent to which the work requires several different activities for successful completion • Task identity – extent to which the job includes a “whole” identifiable unit of work that is carried out from start to finish and that results in a visible outcome • Task significance – impact the job has on other people • Autonomy – extent of individual freedom and discretion in the work and its scheduling • Feedback - the amount of information employees receive about how well or how poorly they have performed

8. Using worker teams in jobs • Special purpose team – organizational team formed to address specific problems, and enhance the overall quality of products and services • Self-directed team – organizational team composed of individuals who are assigned a cluster of tasks, duties, and responsibilities to be accomplished • Virtual team – organizational team composed of individuals who are separated geographically but linked by communications technology.

9. Jobs and work scheduling • Telework – employees work with technology via electronic, telecommunications, and internet means pros and cons, figure 4.6 • Shift work – for up to 24 hour coverage. Ex: firemen, police, drillers, etc. with flexible schedules • Working from home • Electronic monitoring of work • Work life balance – and get ahead???

10. Job analysis • Systematic way of gathering and analyzing information about the content, context, and human requirements of jobs • Performance standards • Financial and budgeting impact • Machines and equipment • Working conditions • Supervision given and received • Knowledge, skills, and abilities needed • Figure: 4.8

11. Task based job analysis – legally defensible • Task – a distinct, identifiable work activity composed of motions • Duty – a larger work segment composed of several tasks that are performed by an individual • Responsibilities – obligations to perform certain tasks and duties

12. Competency based job analysis • Competencies – individual capabilities that can be linked to enhanced performance by individuals or teams • Technical competencies – specific knowledge and skills of employees • Behavioral competencies – customer focus, team orientation, technical expertise, results orientation, communication effectiveness, leadership, conflict resolution, innovation, adaptability, decisiveness

13. Implementing job analysis • Figure 4.9 • Planning the job analysis • Preparing for the introducing job analysis • Conducting the job analysis • Developing job descriptions and job specifications • Maintaining and updating job descriptions and job specifications

14. Job analysis methods • Observation - Work sampling and Employee diary/log • Interviewing using subject matter experts (SMEs) • Questionnaires – Position analysis questionnaires (PAQ), focusing on worker oriented behaviors necessary to do the job versus job oriented elements that describe the technical aspects of the work • Managerial job analysis questionnaire – (MPDQ)

15. Computerized job analysis • Combination method • Job analysis and O*Net • US Dept. of Labor • 800 occupations • Functional job analysis generated by examining 3 components: data, people, and things

16. Behavioral and legal aspects of job analysis • Current incumbent – don’t focus on current employee but on core duties • Inflation of jobs and job titles • Employee and managerial anxieties - employee fears and managerial straitjackets versus other duties as assigned • Legal aspects of job analysis – ADA (must identify essential job functions; physical demands; Marginal job functions are duties that are part of the job but are incidental or ancillary; essential: 5 of time spent on tasks, frequency tasks done, and importance of tasks performed • Job analysis and wage/hour regulations : exempt or non exempt • Exempt from overtime see Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA): if you are exempt from overtime, the employee must perform their primary duties as executive, administrative, professional, or outside sales at least 50% of the time.

17. Job descriptions and job specifications • Job descriptions – identification of the tasks, duties, and responsibilities of a job • Job specifications – the knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) an individual needs to perform a job satisfactorily • Performance standards – indicators of what the job accomplishes and how performance is measured in key areas of the job description

18. Job description components • Identification • General summary • Essential job functions and duties • Job specifications • Disclaimers and approvals