CMS1 Assignment 3: Achieving Employee Productivity Through Job Design

In order for employee empowerment to grow and thrive, organizations must encourage these conditions:

(1) Participation. Employees must be encouraged to take control of their work tasks. Employees, in turn, must care about improving their work process and interpersonal work relationships. (2) Innovation. The environment must be receptive to people with innovative ideas and encourage people to explore new paths and to take reasonable risks at reasonable costs. An empowered environment is created when curiosity is as highly regarded as is technical expertise. (3) Access to information. Employees must have access to a wide range of information. Involved individuals make decisions about what kind of information they need for performing their jobs. (4) Accountability. Empowerment does not involve being able to do whatever you want. Empowered employees should be held accountable for their behavior toward others, producing agreed-on results, achieving credibility and operating with a positive approach.

Complete training for the team would cover the importance of skills in

(1) team leadership (2) mission/goal setting (3) conduct of meetings (4) team decision-making (5) conflict resolution (6) effective communication (7) diversity awareness

Most job descriptions contain at least three parts:

(1) the job's title and location (2) a job "identification" section, which contains administration information such as a numerical code for the job, to whom the jobholder reports to, and wage information (3) job duties section

Characteristics identified with 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

Advantages of telecommuting:

- Increased flexibility for employees - a better work/life balance -Reduced absenteeism - Retention of valued employees who might otherwise quit -Reduced "carbon footprints" through minimizing daily commuting - Increased productivity, i.e., reduced wasted office time - Lower overhead costs and reduced office space

Purposes of selecting a job's title:

- Psychologically important because it provides status to the employee -Provides an indication of what the duties of the job entail -Indicate relative level occupied by its holder in the organizational hierarchy

Hackman and Oldham believe that five core job dimensions produce the three psychological states of the job characteristics model. The five job characteristics are as follows:

1. Skill variety 2. Task identity 3. Task significance 4. Autonomy 5. Feedback

HRM Functions affected by a job analysis:

1. Strategic HR planning 2. Workflow analysis and job design 3. Recruitment and selection 4. Performance appraisal process 5. Compensation management 6. Legal compliance

industrial engineering

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

job crafting

A naturally occurring phenomenon whereby employees mold their tasks to fit their individual strengths, passions, and motives better.

position analysis questionnaire (PAQ)

A questionnaire identifying approximately 200 different tasks that, by means of a 5 point scale, seek to determine the degree to which different tasks are involved in performing a job. - used to collect and analyze data since the 1970s -results are quantitative and can be subjected to statistical analysis. -requires a person to have a high level of reading ability and should be administered by a job analyst. -Firms must pay for the questionnaire.

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.

task inventory analysis

An organization-specific list of tasks and their descriptions used as a basis to identify components of jobs. -pioneered by the U.S. Air Force a list of tasks and their descriptions for different jobs are developed and then rated based on how important they are. -The goal is to produce a comprehensive list of task statements applicable to all jobs

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.

____________________ is the study of work cycles to determine which, if any, elements of work can be modified, combined, rearranged, or eliminated to reduce the time needed to complete the work cycle.

Industrial engineering

______________ is an outgrowth of job analysis, which focuses on restructuring jobs to capture the talents of employees, improve their work satisfaction, and enhance an organization's performance.

Job design

What is job sharing? Explain.

Job sharing is an arrangement whereby two part-time employees perform a job that otherwise would be held by one full-time employee. It is suited to the needs of married people who wish to work only part-time. Also, it may enable a firm to keep two good employees who otherwise would be lost. However, it involves potential problems with respect to training costs, supervising multiple employees and the prorating of employee benefits.

the U.S. Department of Labor's ____________ replaced the department's Dictionary of Occupational Titles which had over 12,000 job descriptions. The new online database classifies jobs into broader functional areas, from entry level to advanced, and across specialties. The O*Net contains comprehensive information about the tasks, tools and technology, KSAOs, education, interests, work styles, wages and the employment outlook associated with jobs.

Occupational Information Network Online system (O*Net)

Managers cite the following reasons for implementing compressed workweek schedules:

Recruitment and retention of employees Coordinating employee work schedules with production schedules Accommodating the leisure time activities of employees with facilitating employee personal appointments - medical, dental, financial Improvements in employee job satisfaction and morale

dejobbbing

Refers to a process of structuring organizations not around jobs but around projects that are constantly changing.

______ occurs when the interaction and outcome of team members is greater them the sum of their individual efforts.

Synergy

Skill variety

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

Feedback

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

Task significance

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

Autonomy

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

Task identity

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

List the four basic considerations involved in a job design.

The four basic considerations that are combined in a job design are: (1) The organizational objectives that the job was created to fulfill (2) The industrial engineering considerations, including ways to make the job technologically efficient (3) The ergonomic concerns (4) The behavioral concerns that influence an employee's job satisfaction.

Explain the nature of the job characteristics model that has emerged out of research concerning job design.

The job characteristics model is based on the premise that three psychological states of a jobholder result in improved work performance, internal motivation, and lower absenteeism and turnover. The three significant factors are identified as (1) experiencing meaningfulness of the work performed, (2) experiencing responsibility for the work outcomes and (3) having knowledge of the results of the work performed. The model is implemented by structuring jobs to incorporate these three factors. This is accomplished according to the proponents of the model by designing jobs that contain five key characteristics: (1) skill variety, (2) task identity, (3) task significance, (4) autonomy and (5) feedback.

Job emlargement

The process of adding a greater variety of tasks to a job.

job analysis

The process of obtaining information about jobs be determining their duties, tasks, or activities.

Describe the operation of the four-day workweek (compressed workweek).

Under the four-day (compressed) workweek, the number of days in a workweek is shortened by lengthening the number of hours worked per day. The reduced workweek typically is four days of ten-hour workdays (4/10 or 4/40). Others involve workweeks of 36 or 38 hours or a nine-day period of 80 hours (9/80) with one day off every other week.

telecommuting

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.

Job enrichment can be accomplished by

increasing the autonomy and responsibility of employees. -Can also be accomplished by organizing workers into teams and giving these teams greater authority for self management.

Project Teams

A group formed specifically to design a new product or service. The members are assigned by their managers on the basis of their ability to contribute to the team's success. The group normally disbands after the task is completed.

Job characteristics model

A 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 performed) of a job holder result in improved work performance, internal motivation, and lower absenteeism and turnover. -advanced by Richard Hackman and Greg Oldham

Identify the nature of a job specification and a job description, and the various human resources (HR) management functions to which job requirements are related.

A job specification is a statement of the specific knowledge, skills, abilities and other attributes (often referred to as KSAOs) required of the person performing the job. A job description is a statement of the different tasks, duties and responsibilities that make up a job. The following HR management functions require job specification and job description information: (a) Strategic HR planning (b) Workflow analysis and job design (c) Recruitment and selection of job applicants (d) Performance appraisal process (e) Compensation management (f) Legal compliance.

Human resources and compensation managers consider job descriptions to be valuable tools for performing their functions. However, several problems are associated with job descriptions.

First, they often are poorly written, providing little guidance for jobholders. Second, they may not be updated as job duties and specifications change. Third, they can be in violation of the law by containing specifications that are not related to job success. Fourth, they can limit the scope of activities of the jobholders, reducing organizational flexibility.

employee empowerment

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

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.

Job rotation

The process whereby employees rotate in and out of different jobs.

Self- directed teams are often championed as being the highest form of teams. Also called __________, ____________, or ___________, they consist of groups of employees who are accountable for an entire work process or segment that delivers a product or service to an internal or external customer.

autonomous work groups self-managed teams high-performance teams

The term ______ is used in connection with duties performed only by some workers on the job.

"may"

The term _________ is used to describe duties that are performed once in a while.

"occasionally"

Typically, a job specification section covers two areas:

(1) the skill required to perform the job (2) the physical demands the job places on the employee doing it

Cross-Functional Teams

A group staffed with a mix of employees from an organization's marketing, productions, engineering departments, and so forth and is formed to accomplish a specific objective.

critical incident method

A job analysis method by which important job tasks are identified for job success. -the objective is to identify critical job tasks -critical job tasks are important duties, responsibilities, and behaviors performed by the jobholder that lead to job success. -can be used to identify both positive and negative behaviors, combination of which shows path to effectiveness. -information can be collected through interviews or self report

job description

A statement of the tasks, duties, and responsibilities of a job to be performed.

Task Force Teams

A task force is formed by management to immediately resolve a major problem.

virtual team

A team that utilizes telecommunications technology to link team members who are geographically dispersed - often worldwide across cultures and across time zones.

_________________ is a technique of involving employees in their work through the process of inclusion.

Employee empowerment

State the nature of employee empowerment.

Employee empowerment is a method of involving employees in their work through the process of inclusion. Employees are encouraged to become innovators and managers of their own jobs in ways that give them more control. Essentially, it is a process of pushing down decision making to the people who are close to internal and external customers.

Job enrichment

Enhancing a job by adding more meaningful tasks and duties to make the work more rewarding or satisfying.

Describe the relationship of ergonomics to job design.

Ergonomics attempts to accommodate the human capabilities, preference and limitations of those who are to perform a job. It is used to adapt an entire job system—the work, the work environment, the machines, the equipment and the process—to match human characteristics. Thus it seeks to fit the job to the worker, rather than the worker to the job.

flextime

Flexible 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. There is a "core period" during which all employees are required to be on the job. Most common in service type organizations.

Explain how flextime operates.

Flextime is an approach to work scheduling that gives employees some discretion concerning when they will come to work in the morning and when they will leave in the afternoon. They must normally begin at some point within a stipulated morning band of time (7:00 to 10:00 a.m. is common) and are expected to stop at some point within a similar afternoon time span (3:00 to 6:00 p.m., for example). Thus, all employees are required to be at their jobs during a core work time. Employees also are required to work a certain number of hours per day or week.

Self-Directed Teams

Groups of highly trained individuals performing a set of interdependent job tasks within a natural work unit. The team members rely on consensus-type decision-making to perform their work duties, solve problems, or deal with internal or external customers.

Globalization and technology are drastically changing how employees do their jobs and the location in which they do their jobs; these developments are making the option of telecommuting more feasible for more workers. What are the advantages and disadvantages of telecommuting?

With personal computers, networks and other communications technology to do work in the home that is traditionally done in the workplace, telecommuting offers advantages such as: increased flexibility for employees, reduced absenteeism, retention of valued employees who might otherwise quit, reduced "carbon footprints" through minimizing daily commuting, increased productivity, lower overhead costs and reduced office space. Potential drawbacks of telecommuting are the loss of creativity as employees are not interacting with one another on a regular basis, the difficulty of developing appropriate performance standards and evaluation systems for telecommuters, and the need to formulate an appropriate technology strategy. In addition, traditional line managers accustomed to managing by observation may find stressful supervising distributed employees.

A job description is a written description of a job and the types of _____ it includes. Since there is no standard format for job descriptions, they tend to vary in appearance and content from one organization to another. However, most job descriptions will contain at least _____ parts: the job title, a job identification section and a job duties section. If job specifications are not prepared as a separate document, they usually are in the concluding section. The job identification section usually follows the job title and includes such items as the _____________ location of the job, the person to whom the jobholder reports and the date that the job description was last revised. Sometimes it also contains a payroll code number, the number of employees performing the job, the number of employees in the department and the______________.

duties three departmental O*NET code number

An_______ can be defined as a group of individuals working together toward a common purpose, in which members have complementary skills, members' work is mutually dependent, and the group has discretion over tasks performed.

employee team

A ______________ 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. studies have positively linked the job analysis process with improved performance on the part of employees and their organizations.

job analysis

Originally popularized by Frederick Herzberg in the 1960s, ______________ are designed to fulfill the high motivational needs of employees, such as self-fulfillment and self-esteem, while achieving long-term job satisfaction and performance goals.

job enrichment prrograms

Concerns with virtual teams include:

language and cultural barriers unclear objectives time conflicts due to diverse geographical locations and member's ability to work in a collaborative setting

Common team problems include:

power struggles uncertainty about the roles members should play a lack of resources conflicts of interest and personality differences

To comply with EEOC requirements, the physical demands of a job should

refer to how much walking , standing, reaching, lifting, bending, or talking must be done on the job.

The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Information Network Online System (O*Net)

- replaced the department's Dictionary of Occupational Titles -contains comprehensive information about the tasks, tools and technology, KSAs, education, interests, works style, wages, and employment outlook associated with jobs. -free resource

Job identification section of a job description

- usually follows the job title - Includes items like department location, payroll and code numbers, date job description was revised, and the person to whom the job holder reports - A "Statement of the Job" usually appears at the bottom of this section and distinguishes the job from other jobs in the organization

Five popular job analysis approaches:

1. Functional job analysis 2. The Position Analysis system 3. The critical incident method 4. A task inventory analysis 5. Competency-based job analysis

Several problems are frequently associated with job descriptions, including the following:

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.

Sources of job analysis data:

1. Interviews 2. Questionnaires 3. Observation 4. Diaries

The four elements examined as a part of job design:

1. Organizational objectives a job should fulfill 2. Industrial engineering considerations, including ways to make the job technologically efficient 3. Ergonomic concerns 4. Behavioral concerns that influence an employee's job satisfaction

Team synergy is heightened when team members engage in the following behaviors:

1. Support - The team exhibits an atmosphere of inclusion. All team members speak up and feel free to offer constructive comments. 2. Listening and Clarification - Active listening is practiced. Members honestly listen to others and seek clarification on discussion points. The team members summarize discussions held. 3. Disagreement - Disagreements are seen as natural and are expected. The members' comments are nonjudgmental and focus on factual issues rather than personality differences. 4. Consensus - The team's members reach agreements through consensus. Proposals that are acceptable to all team members are adopted, even if they are not the first choice of some of the individual members. Common ground among ideas is sought. 5. Acceptance - The team members value one another as individuals. They recognize that each person brings a valuable mix of skills and abilities to the team. 6. Quality - Each team member is committed to excellence. There is emphasis on continuous improvement and attention to detail.

The five factors discussed by Herzberg for enriching jobs and motivating employees:

1. achievement 2. recognition 3. growth 4. responsibility 5. performance of the whole job versus only parts of the job

Job design techniques being used today in an effort to remake jobs include:

1. job enlargement 2. job rotation 3. job enrichment

Process-Improvement Teams

A group made up of experienced people from different departments or functions. The group is charged with improving quality, decreasing waste, or enhancing the productivity of processes that affect all departments or functions. The members are normally appointed by management.

functional job analysis (FJA)

A job-analysis approach that utilizes an inventory of the various types of work activities that can constitute any job. Developed by the U.S. Training and Employment Service. Basic activities called worker functions are used to describe that workers do with regard to "data, people, and things" as part of this system.

job specification

A statement of the specific knowledge, skills, and abilities of a person who is to perform a job needs.

Describe the characteristics that are common to all of the several forms of successful employee teams.

All successful employee teams, regardless of the structure or purpose of the team, share the following characteristics: (1) Commitment to shared goals and objectives (2) Motivated and energetic team members (3) Open and honest communication (4) Shared leadership (5) Clear role assignments (6) Climate of cooperation, collaboration, trust and accountability (7) Recognition of conflict and its positive resolution.

employee teams

An employee contribution technique whereby work functions are structured for groups rather then for individuals and team members are given discretion in matters traditionally considered management prerogative, such as process improvements, product or service development, and individual work assignments.

Describe the importance of clearly written job descriptions and job requirements.

Clearly written job descriptions and job specifications help human resources and compensation managers to perform their duties. Also, employees are helped in learning their jobs and are reminded of the results that are expected of them. Moreover, employers have a basis for avoiding or eliminating misunderstandings between supervisors and employees concerning job requirements, and they also have a basis for taking corrective action when duties are performed inconsistently with job descriptions. Federal guidelines and court decisions now require that the specific performance requirements of a job be based on valid job-related criteria. Human resource decisions that involve either job applicants or employees and that are based on criteria that are vague or not job related are increasingly successfully challenged.

What is industrial engineering? Explain.

Industrial engineering is concerned with analyzing work methods and establishing time standards. It involves both analyzing the elements of the work cycle that compose a particular job activity and determining the time required to complete each element.

Describe how job data is gathered to conduct a job analysis.

Job data can be obtained in several ways. The most common methods are interviews, questionnaires, observation and diaries. Job analysts use interviews, questionnaires and observation to obtain the data concerning job duties, tasks and responsibilities. It is important to collect information from a representative sample of individuals doing the same job, not just one or two jobholders. Once a job analysis is done, it should be checked for accuracy by the jobholders and their managers.

What is job enrichment? Explain.

Job enrichment involves efforts to make work more satisfying or rewarding by adding more meaningful tasks to jobs. The overall approach is to make work more meaningful by focusing on five job factors: achievement, recognition, growth, responsibility and performance of the whole job in an endeavor to improve employee job satisfaction and performance goals. For example, managers can use these five factors to enrich the jobs of employees by increasing the level of difficulty and responsibility of their jobs and allowing them to become more involved in planning, organizing, directing and controlling their own work. It is important to remember, though, that job enrichment programs are not a panacea that can solve all workflow and personnel problems.

competency-based analysis

Often seen in organizations who operate in a fast-moving environment. This job analysis method relies on building job profiles that look at not only the responsibilities and activities of jobs a worker does currently, but the competencies or capabilities he or she needs to do them well and to adapt to new job challenges. -objective is to identify key competencies -competencies can be identified through focus groups, surveys, or interviews

Describe the nature of a self-directed employee team.

Self-directed teams (which are also called autonomous work groups, self-managed teams or high-performance teams) are groups of employees who are accountable for a whole work process or segment that delivers a product or service to an internal or external customer. Typical team functions include setting work schedules, dealing directly with external customers, training team members, setting performance targets, budgeting, inventory management, and purchasing equipment or services. Team members acquire multiple skills enabling them to perform a variety of job tasks.

Distinguish between the essential functions (job duties) section and the job specifications section of a job description.

The essential functions section of a job description typically sets forth the duties of a job in their order of importance, indicating the weight and value of each duty. Also, the responsibilities that all the duties entail and the results they are to accomplish are stressed. Federal legislation (including the Americans with Disabilities Act) and court rulings require employers to show that the job criteria they use to select employees for a particular position relate specifically to the duties for that job. Moreover, the duties must be essential functions for success on the job. The job specifications section of a job description typically covers the skills required to perform the job and the physical demands that the job places on the person performing it. The skills that are relevant to a job include education or experience, specialized training, personal traits or abilities and manual dexterities. The physical demands refer to the amount of walking, standing, reaching, lifting or talking that must be done on the job. The physical work environment and the hazards associated with a job are also among the physical demands of a job. The job specifications section should also include interpersonal skills if a competency-based job analysis approach is used.

KSAOs

The job specification or description of knowledge, skills, abilities, and other attributes.

Four of the more popular methods of job analysis are the position analysis questionnaire (PAQ) system, the critical incident method, the task inventory analysis and the competency-based analysis. Briefly describe the nature of each.

The position analysis questionnaire (PAQ) system of conducting a job analysis employs the use of a worker-oriented questionnaire that covers about 200 different tasks. Using a five-point scale, the system is used to determine the degree, if any, to which the different tasks, or job elements, are involved in performing a particular job. The critical incident method of job analysis focuses on identifying the critical tasks of a job. On the basis of interviews and jobholder reports, a job analyst will write five to ten important task statements for each job. These written statements focus on the employee behaviors that are critical to job success. The task inventory analysis method is a job-oriented type of job analysis. Unlike the PAQ, which uses a standardized form to analyze jobs in different organizations, a task inventory questionnaire can be tailor-made to a specific organization. The goal is to produce a comprehensive list of task statements that are applicable to all jobs. Task statements then are listed on a task inventory survey form to be completed by the person analyzing the job under review. As for the fourth method, the competency-based analysis relies on building job profiles that look at the responsibilities and activities of jobs and the worker competencies necessary to accomplish them. The objective is to identify "key" competencies for organizational success. How is the work done (and therefore can be improved) becomes more of the focus than just what work is done. Competencies can be identified through focus groups, surveys or interviews and might include such things as interpersonal communication skills, decisionmaking ability, conflict resolution skills, adaptability or self-motivation.

Job design is an outgrowth of job analysis. It is concerned with__________ jobs in order to improve organizational efficiency and ________ job satisfaction. Specifically, jobs should be designed to facilitate the achievement of organizational ________. At the same time, the design should recognize the capabilities and needs of those who are to perform the job.

structuring employee objectives