Chapter 4 HRM
21) Job analysis provides data on job requirements that can be used to develop: A) a job description. B) a staffing table. C) a skills inventory. D) an organization chart. E) HR policies and procedures.
A. A JOB DESCRIPTION
63) Identifying human requirements for a job can be accomplished through: A) a judgmental approach. B) questionnaires. C) supervisorʹs interviews. D) an interview approach. E) none of the above.
A. A JUDGMENTAL APPROACH
45) The job analysis technique that involves 194 items, each of which represents a basic element that may or may not play an important role in the job, is known as: A) a position analysis questionnaire (PAQ). B) the point factor method. C) a structured survey. D) a participant diary/log. E) functional job analysis.
A. A POSITION ANALYSIS QUESTIONNAIRE (PAQ)
38) Which of the following jobs could be analyzed effectively using direct observation? A) accounting clerk B) design engineer C) human resources manager D) lawyer E) Any of the above jobs could be analyzed using direct observation
A. ACCOUNTING CLERK
56) The part of the job description in which budgetary limitations are identified is titled: A) authority. B) working conditions. C) duties and responsibilities. D) performance standards. E) relationships.
A. AUTHORITY
58) Which of the following would not be included in the subsection of the job description titled ʺworking conditionsʺ? A) equipment failure B) hazardous conditions C) frequency of interruptions D) noise level E) amount of travel
A. EQUIPMENT FAILURE
12) Job enlargement involves: A) horizontal loading. B) multi-skilling. C) systematically moving employees from one job to another. D) vertical loading. E) increased challenge.
A. HORIZONTAL LOADING
43) The following data collection method of job analysis can be used structured, unstructured or in combination. When structured, questions are read to job holders and supervisors and/or fixed response choices are provided. When unstructured, questions are posed to job holders and supervisors and/or general response choices are provided. This is called the: A) individual interview method. B) group interview method. C) observation method. D) questionnaire method. E) diary/log method.
A. INDIVIDUAL INTERVIEW METHOD
39) Direct observation is often combined with which other job analysis method? A) interviewing B) questionnaires C) position analysis questionnaire D) functional job analysis E) participant diary/log
A. INTERVIEWING
6) The process of systematically organizing work into tasks is involved in: A) job design. B) writing job descriptions. C) job analysis. D) job evaluation. E) organizational design
A. JOB DESIGN
60) The document that results from an examination of the duties and responsibilities and answering the question, ʺWhat human traits and experience are required to do this job?ʺ is the: A) job specification. B) position description. C) job description. D) job evaluation. E) position analysis questionnaire.
A. JOB SPECIFICATION
37) A typical job analysis questionnaire has several: A) open-ended questions. B) non-job-related questions. C) questions regarding biographical data. D) questions about the incumbentʹs educational background. E) closed-ended questions.
A. OPEN-ENDED QUESTIONS
64) A survey instrument designed to assist managers in identifying potential personality-related traits that may be important in a job is called a: A) PPRF. B) FAQ. C) PAQ. D) SPSS. E) all of the above
A. PPRF
23) A list of the knowledge, skills and abilities needed to perform a particular job is known as: A) the human requirements. B) a position analysis. C) a job specification. D) a job description. E) the job standards.
C. A JOB SPECIFICATION
50) A written statement of what the jobholder actually does, how he or she does it, and under what conditions the job is performed, is known as: A) a job specification. B) a job description. C) the job standards. D) a job evaluation. E) a job analysis.
B. A JOB DESCRIPTION
7) The collection of tasks and responsibilities performed by one person is known as: A) a job specification. B) a position. C) a job. D) a job description. E) a job analysis.
B. A POSITION
15) Which of the following is true of work simplification? A) It enhances skill variety. B) Among educated workers it often leads to lower job satisfaction and a demand for premium pay. C) It increases autonomy. D) It often leads to lower job satisfaction. E) Among educated workers it often leads to lower job satisfaction.
B. AMONG EDUCATED WORKERS IT OFTEN LEADS TO LOWER JOB SATISFACTION AND A DEMAND FOR PREMIUM PAY
5) James Martini is the Director of HR for Study Inc. He is working on a project to restructure the organization. At the moment, the organization has a top-down management approach with many levels of management. Jobs are highly specified with a narrow focus. It wants to move into a more decentralized management approach with a high focus on teams and customer service. The organization is planning to move from a ________ organization to a ________ organization. A) boundaryless, flat B) bureaucratic, flat C) flat, bureaucratic D) bureaucratic, boundaryless E) none of the above
B. BUREAUCRATIC, FLAT
41) Which job analysis technique is meaningless for jobs requiring mental effort? A) an individual interview B) direct observation C) a position analysis questionnaire D) a participant diary/log E) a survey questionnaire
B. DIRECT OBSERVATION
48) The job analysis method that rates each job in terms of the incumbentʹs responsibilities pertaining to data, people, and things is known as: A) PAQ. B) functional job analysis. C) a structured survey. D) direct observation. E) a participant diary/log.
B. FUNCTIONAL JOB ANALYSIS
20) The procedure for determining the tasks, duties, and responsibilities of a job and the human attributes required to perform it is known as: A) writing a job specification. B) job analysis. C) job evaluation. D) job design. E) preparing a job description.
B. JOB ANALYSIS
13) Amal works for a production line. His task is to sew a button to the button hole of winter jackets. Since last month he was also given the task of creating the button hole in addition to attaching the button to the hole of the jacket. This is known as: A) job enrichment. B) job enlargement. C) vertical loading. D) job rotation. E) skill variety.
B. JOB ENLARGEMENT
1) The definition of ________ is the formal relationships among jobs in an organization. A) job hierarchy B) organizational structure C) organizational design D) organization chart E) chain-of-command
B. ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE
62) When writing job specifications it is important to list all bona fide occupational requirements based on job duties and responsibilities, because: A) job specifications are limited to specific jobs. B) organizations are required to comply with human rights legislation. C) organizations are required to comply with federal employment legislation. D) organizations are required to provide reasonable accommodation. E) none of the above.
B. ORGANIZATIONS ARE REQUIRED TO COMPLY WITH HUMAN RIGHTS LEGISLATION
19) Ergonomics aims to adapt the entire job system to match human characteristics. Doing so results in eliminating/minimizing: A) negative psychological effects. B) product defects, worker injuries, and negative psychological effects. C) product defects. D) product defects, worker injuries, and task variability. E) worker injuries.
B. PRODUCT DEFECTS, WORKER INJURIES, AND NEGATIVE PSYCHOLOGICAL EFFECTS
28) The HR department of a company is engaged in conducting a job analysis. A number of the HR representatives are collecting data on job activities, required employee behaviours, work conditions and human traits and abilities needed to perform the jobs. Which step of the job analysis process is the company in? A) step 5 B) step 4 C) step 1 D) step 2 E) step 3
B. STEP 4
32) Collecting job analysis information generally involves: A) a member from senior management. B) the jobholderʹs immediate supervisor. C) peer groups. D) a union representative. E) an external consultant.
B. THE JOBHOLDER'S IMMEDIATE SUPERVISOR
55) Something that should be avoided in writing a job description is: A) a description of the working conditions. B) a definition of the limits of the jobholderʹs authority. C) a general statement such as ʺperforms other duties as assigned.ʺ D) an indication of which tasks are most important. E) a separate listing of each major duty.
C. A GENERAL STATEMENT SUCH AS "PERFORMS OTHER DUTIES AS ASSIGNED"
11) Making jobs more rewarding or satisfying by adding more meaningful tasks is primarily associated with: A) job rotation. B) industrial democracy. C) job enrichment. D) co-determination. E) job enlargement.
C. JOB ENRICHMENT
52) The job identification section of a job description includes which of the following? A) performance standards B) relationships C) job title D) job summary E) working conditions
C. JOB TITLE
54) The subsection of the job description that describes contact with others, inside and outside the organization, is titled: A) working conditions. B) authority. C) relationships. D) job identification. E) job summary.
C. RELATIONSHIPS
44) You are the Director of Human Resources at a software development firm. With respect to the position of software developer the disadvantage of using the group interview job analysis method is: A) it is a good method when the survey sample is widely scattered. B) it focuses more on reality than on perceptions. C) reliability/validity tends to be high. D) highly detailed information can be collected over the entire job cycle. E) it is relatively inexpensive.
C. RELIABILITY/VALIDITY TENDS TO BE HIGH
61) A physical demands analysis identifies: A) senses used and amount of mental effort involved in the job. B) the work environment. C) senses used, and the type, frequency and amount of physical effort involved in the job. D) mental/emotional demands involved in the job. E) type and frequency of motions used.
C. SENSES USED, AND THE TYPE, FREQUENCY AND AMOUNT OF PHYSICAL EFFORT INVOLVED IN THE JOB
46) A qualitative approach to job analysis is more suitable when: A) the organization has limited time and financial resources. B) the organization is using external consultants for job analysis purposes. C) the aim is to assign a value to each job for comparisons for pay purposes. D) the aim is to reduce the amount of data collection. E) the organization exceeds 200 in staff strength.
C. THE AIM IS TO ASSIGN A VALUE TO EACH JOB FOR COMPARISONS FOR PAY PURPOSES
35) Which of the following should be addressed in a job analysis questionnaire? A) job enrichment B) job rotation C) the general purpose of the job D) skill variety E) individual competencies
C. THE GENERAL PURPOSE OF THE JOB
22) A list of a jobʹs duties, responsibilities, reporting relationships, and working conditions is known as A) a job specification. B) a position analysis. C) a job analysis questionnaire. D) a job description. E) the job standards.
D. A JOB DESCRIPTION
24) Collecting job analysis data in a larger organization usually involves: A) the work of the supervisor alone. B) a labour union. C) the work of the HR specialist alone. D) a joint effort by a HR specialist, the incumbent, and the supervisor. E) HR generalists who are not consultants.
D. A JOINT EFFORT BY A HR SPECIALIST, THE INCUMBENT, AND THE SUPERVISOR
40) The problem of exaggeration of some activities and underplaying of others is minimized by the detailed, chronological nature of: A) a position analysis questionnaire. B) a survey questionnaire. C) an individual interview. D) a participant diary/log. E) functional job analysis.
D. A PARTICIPANT DIARY/LOG
33) The most widely used method for determining the duties and responsibilities of a job is: A) a participant diary/log. B) direct observation. C) a position analysis questionnaire. D) an interview. E) a survey questionnaire.
D. AN INTERVIEW
2) An organization chart is often used to depict the structure of an organization. The chart is also used to: A) specify duties and responsibilities. B) present a ʺsnapshotʺ of the firm at a particular point in time. C) indicate the types of departments established in the firm. D) clarify the chain of command and show who is accountable to whom. E) There are no exceptions listed above.
D. CLARIFY THE CHAIN OF COMMAND AND SHOW WHO IS ACCOUNTABLE TO WHOM
51) Jim was recently hired as an HR assistant. As his first project his immediate supervisor requested that he put forward a proposal to develop job descriptions for some of the key positions within the organization. What do you think Jim would have identified in the proposal as most common areas to be included in a job description? A) job holderʹs name B) company name C) summary of performance evaluations D) duties and responsibilities E) work culture
D. DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
65) The traditional meaning of a ʺjobʺ as a set of well-defined responsibilities is changing. This is because: A) of reduced hierarchical structures. B) work is becoming more team based. C) employees are expected to adapt to changes infrequently. D) employees are expected to adapt to changes frequently. E) all of the above.
D. EMPLOYEES ARE EXPECTED TO ADAPT TO CHANGES FREQUENTLY
3) Which of the following statements about organizational structures is true? A) Boundaryless organizations are good for top-down management style. B) There are four types of organizational structure. C) Bureaucratic designs are becoming more common. D) Flat structures are increasingly the norm. E) Emphasis on teams whose members cross organizational boundaries is a characteristic of flat structures.
D. FLAT STRUCTURES ARE INCREASINGLY THE NORM
8) In an office with one supervisor, one assistant, two clerks, and two data-entry operators, there are: A) four positions and six jobs. B) four jobs and four positions. C) four positions and four jobs. D) four jobs and six positions. E) six jobs and six positions.
D. FOUR JOBS AND SIX POSITIONS
36) The job analyst and supervisor should work together to: A) identify the top-performing employee, since he or she should be involved. B) answer the questionnaire. C) analyze the data collected from job analysis techniques. D) identify the employees who know the most about the job and are likely to be objective. E) prepare the job analysis questionnaire.
D. IDENTIFY THE EMPLOYEES WHO KNOW THE MOST ABOUT THE JOB AND ARE LIKELY TO BE OBJECTIVE
27) The first step in the job analysis process is: A) selecting the representative jobs and positions to be analyzed. B) reviewing relevant background information about positions and jobs. C) developing a job description and job specification. D) identifying the use to which the information will be put. E) designing a job analysis questionnaire.
D. IDENTIFYING THE USE TO WHICH THE INFORMATION WILL BE PUT
9) Work simplification is an approach to job design. Which of the following statement is true of work simplification? A) It is effective in a changing environment. B) It can be used to motivate highly educated employees. C) It can sometimes lead to a reduced demand for premium pay. D) It is based on the premise that work can be broken down into clearly defined tasks. E) It may be very appropriate in settings employing highly educated persons.
D. IT IS BASED ON THE PREMISE THAT WORK CAN BE BROKEN DOWN INTO CLEARLY DEFINED TASKS
17) Which of the following statements is true? A) Job redesign efforts can correct almost all job dissatisfaction problems. B) Unions are generally very supportive of job enrichment. C) Managers tend to be very supportive of job enrichment because it makes their jobs easier. D) Job enrichment programs are more successful in some jobs and settings than others. E) Most employees today want additional responsibilities.
D. JOB ENRICHMENT PROGRAMS ARE MORE SUCCESSFUL IN SOME JOBS AND SETTINGS THAN OTHERS
53) The section of the job description in which the major functions or activities are briefly identified is the: A) job duties. B) job identification. C) working conditions. D) job summary. E) relationships.
D. JOB SUMMARY
31) Job analysis information should be verified by: A) speaking to co-workers. B) HR department staff members. C) a comparison with the procedures manual. D) jobholder(s). E) a comparison with the previous job description
D. JOBHOLDER(S)
57) ʺNo more than three posting errors per month occur on average.ʺ Which component of the job description would this statement belong to? A) job identification B) relationships C) job summary D) performance standards E) responsibilities and duties
D. PERFORMANCE STANDARDS
26) By comparing the knowledge, skills and abilities that employees bring to the job with those that are identified through job analysis, managers can determine the gap that exists. This is particularly useful for: A) establishing recruitment criteria. B) designing the job. C) determining a jobʹs pay range. D) training and development. E) union negotiations.
D. TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT
16) Which of the following is true of industrial engineering? A) It is a field of study focused on worker autonomy. B) It is about control and autonomy. C) It is a field of study concerned with analyzing work methods. D) It is a field of study focused on satisfying psychological needs. E) It is a field of study emerging with scientific management which is concerned with analyzing work methods and making them more efficient.
E. IT IS A FIELD OF STUDY EMERGING WITH SCIENTIFIC MANAGEMENT WHICH IS CONCERNED WITH ANALYZING WORK METHODS AND MAKING THEM MORE EFFICIENT.
29) The blueprint that shows how the flow of inputs to outputs for the job under study is known as: A) a pay grade. B) a job specification. C) a job description. D) an organization chart. E) a process chart.
E. A PROCESS CHART
30) During a job analysis process it is important to consider the following: A) reviewing the organization chart, process charts and existing job descriptions. B) collecting data on identified jobs using job analysis techniques. C) reviewing information with job holders and immediate supervisors. D) selecting representative positions and jobs to be analyzed. E) all of the above.
E. ALL OF THE ABOVE
25) The final step in job analysis involves the following: A) developing a compensation policy. B) collecting data on job activities. C) performance management. D) reviewing the information collected with job incumbents. E) developing a job description and a job specification.
E. DEVELOPING A JOB DESCRIPTION AND A JOB SPECIFICATION
18) Seeking to integrate and accommodate the physical needs of workers into the design of jobs is known as: A) scientific management. B) industrial engineering. C) job enrichment. D) job enlargement. E) ergonomics.
E. ERGONOMICS
4) Maria is the Vice President of Operations for a company in the retail industry. She has 10 store managers and 200 associates. The associates report to the store managers and they in turn report to Maria. Management has a decentralized approach towards individual stores. This company has the structure of a: A) hierarchical organization. B) boundaryless organization. C) decentralized organization. D) bureaucratic organization. E) flat organization.
E. FLAT ORGANIZATION
34) An HR department engaged in a job analysis exercise is conducting interviews with employees who hold the same job. Which type of interview is the HR department using? A) checklist interview B) supervisory interview C) structured interview D) individual interview E) group interview
E. GROUP INTERVIEW
59) Which of the following statements related to legal compliance is true? A) Canadian employers are legally obligated to have job descriptions. B) When assessing suitability for employment, employers can assess factors other than those related to the knowledge, skills and abilities required for the essential job duties. C) If a candidate is unable to perform one or more of the essential job duties due to a physical disability, it is legally permissible for an employer to refuse to hire that individual. D) If a candidate is unable to work on Friday evenings due to religious beliefs, and rotating shifts are a job requirement specified in the working conditions subsection of the job description, the reasonable accommodation provisions of human rights legislation do not apply. E) Indicating the percentage of time spent on each duty can help to differentiate between essential and nonessential tasks and responsibilities.
E. INDICATING THE PERCENTAGE OF TIME SPENT ON EACH DUTY CAN HELP TO DIFFERENTIATE BETWEEN ESSENTIAL AND NONESSENTIAL TASKS AND RESPONSIBILITIES
10) The field of study concerned with analyzing work methods and establishing time standards is known as: A) ergonomics. B) job evaluation. C) job design. D) job analysis. E) industrial engineering.
E. INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERING
14) Lee has been with a financial institution for over a year now as a call centre specialist. During his time he has had the opportunity to work in two other departments. The organization adopts a similar technique with other employees in the call centre. This is known as: A) job enlargement. B) job enrichment. C) skill variety. D) vertical loading. E) job rotation.
E. JOB ROTATION
47) The PAQ rates jobs on the following dimension: A) safety risks. B) job context. C) processing information and incumbent performance. D) incumbent performance. E) mental processes and job context.
E. MENTAL PROCESSES AND JOB CONTEXT
49) An individual preparing a job description for the first time would find it helpful to refer to the: A) Dictionary of Occupational Titles . B) Canadian Classification and Dictionary of Occupations. C) Standard Occupational Classification. D) HRDC Job Classification Dictionary. E) National Occupational Classification.
E. NATIONAL OCCUPATIONAL CLASSIFICATION
42) You are the Director of Human Resources at a software development firm. With respect to the position of software developer the disadvantage of using the questionnaire method of job analysis is: A) the amount of double-checking required. B) the fact that it is more costly than interviewing hundreds of workers. C) the length of time involved. D) the fact that it is labour-intensive. E) the time and expense involved in development and testing
E. THE TIME AND EXPENSE INVOLVED IN DEVELOPMENT AND TESTING
67) Taking only industrial engineering concerns into consideration in job design is sufficient, because research does not support the view that human considerations are also critical.
FALSE
70) Job analysis is defined as the process of listing duties, responsibilities, reporting relationships and working conditions of a job.
FALSE
74) If an employee is unable to perform one or more of the essential duties of the job due to a physical or mental disability, accommodation is not required.
FALSE
66) Designing an organizational structure depends on the strategic goals of the company.
TRUE
68) Work simplification can increase operating efficiency in a stable environment.
TRUE
69) Job analysis is called the cornerstone of human resources management, because information gathered through job analysis forms the basis for a number of interrelated HRM activities.
TRUE
71) In order to overcome the disadvantages of qualitative techniques of job analysis, it is important to use a quantitative method.
TRUE
72) National Occupational Classification is a reference tool for writing job descriptions and job specifications. It classifies occupations based on two key dimensions-skill level and skill type.
TRUE
73) A job description should not include phrases such as ʺother duties as assignedʺ because it can leave open the nature of the job and can be subject to abuse.
TRUE
75) Jobs have become more cognitively complex, more team based and more time pressured, which has led some organizations to focus on personal competencies and skills in job analysis, rather than specific duties and skills.
TRUE
