Chapter 4: Job Analysis & Job Design Assignment
(a) Ergonomics
A construction company is concerned about worker safety and accidents that have occurred with machine operators. Based on this, the company has hired a consulting firm to analyze the best ways for workers to operate machinery as part of their jobs in the safest manner possible. This is an example of which job design approach? (a) Ergonomics (b) Empowerment (c) Enrichment (d) Industrial Engineering
(d) Critical Incidents Method
A job analyst has been asked to conduct a series of job analyses for a small number of customer service jobs in a call center of a major retailer. It is important that the job analysis focus on identifying specific examples of exceptional and poor service so that the resulting job descriptions can be used to design effective customer service training. Which method should the job analyst use in this situation? (a) Position Analysis Questionnaire (PAQ) X(b) Competency-Based Approach (c) Functional Job Analysis (d) Critical Incidents Method The critical Incidents Method is the best approach in this situations since it specifically focuses on identifying examples of high and low performance for a given job. The PAQ and functional job analysis capture information about job duties but not about levels of performance, and the competency-based approach collects information on skills and abilities, not job performance.
(d) Industrial engineering
A package delivery company needs to maximize efficiency and minimize costs at its package handling and distribution centers. In order to achieve these objectives, the company has worked on analyzing the package handler's job to identify the most efficient way to perform this job to maximize worker efficiency. This is an example of which job design approach? (a) Enrichment (b) Ergonomics (c) Empowerment (d) Industrial engineering
(a) Empowerment
An online clothing retailer wants to provide superior customer service in its call centers. Based on an analysis of customer satisfaction surveys, the company decided to give customer service representatives as much discretion as possible in terms of taking appropriate actions to delight customers. This included making exceptions to policies on returns and refunds among other things. This is an example of which job design approach? (a) Empowerment (b) Specialization (c) Industrial engineering (d) Ergonomics
(a) Position Analysis Questionnaire (PAQ)
As an HR manager, if you wanted to identify the most important tasks associated with each position in your company and produce quantifiable results to report to management, which method should you use? (a) Position Analysis Questionnaire (PAQ) (b) Competency-Based Approach (c) Knowledge-Based Approach (d) Critical Incidents Method
(b) manager or HR manager/job analyst
It is typically the responsibility of the ______ to conduct a job analysis for a given job. (a) employee (b) manager or HR manager/job analyst
(a) systematic process for collecting information about
Job analysis refers to the ______ all parameters of the job. (a) systematic process for collecting information about (b) write-up that outlines
(a) Self-directed team
Management at a large retail store wants to encourage its associates to view their departments as their own business that they need to manage on their own. Which type of team should be used in this situation? (a) Self-directed team (b) Committee (c) Task force team (d) Virtual team
(b) Flextime
Management at a publishing company based in Cleveland is concerned that many of their employees are married and have young children. In particular, many employees struggle to get their kids to school in the morning and then to pick them up in the afternoon. Management would like to offer a work option to its employees to address this situation. What would you recommend? (a) Job sharing (b) Flextime (c) Dejobbing (d) Telecommuting
(a) It can be used to identify the appropriate criteria for evaluating employee job performance. (d) It can be used to design the format and rating format for a performance appraisal.
The CEO of a national restaurant chain wants to create a new and improved performance appraisal system. She meets with the vice president of HR to ask her to design the new system. How can the vice president of HR use job analysis in this situation? Select all that apply. (a) It can be used to identify the appropriate criteria for evaluating employee job performance. (b) It can be used to determine career paths for various jobs. (c) It can be used to determine the salary range for a job. (d) It can be used to design the format and rating format for a performance appraisal.
(c) Ensuring fair treatment and valid employment practices
The HR management team at a consumer products company is analyzing information contained in the company's new job description/specification system in order to identify specific ways in which this information can be used to support alignment with other HR processes. When looking at how job description information could be used to support recruiting and selection, they might focus on: (a) Enriching or expanding jobs to develop and motivate employees further (b) Job evaluation of the skills, effort required, etc., that are rewarded (c) Ensuring fair treatment and valid employment practices (d) Identifying hiring criteria for evaluating candidates who apply for open positions
(c) Increase task significance
The business analyst job at a major retailer does not motivate many of the individuals who hold this job because they feel it does not posses a compelling purpose or add value to the long-term success of the company. Based on the job characteristics mode;, what would you do to address these issues if you were the manager? (a) Increase feedback (b) Increase autonomy (c) Increase task significance (d) Reduce task identity
(d) Increase autonomy
The customer service representatives in the call center of a wireless phone company are dissatisfied with their jobs because they feel that they do not have any decision-making authority to resolve customer issues, such as removing charges from phone bills and giving promotions to customers who are eligible. Based on the job characteristics model, what would you do to address these issues if you were the manager? (a) Increase task significance (b) Reduce task identity (c) Increase feedback (d) Increase autonomy
(c) It can be used to develop appropriate content for job announcements. (d) It can be used to identify the most appropriate recruitment places or sources of qualifies candidates.
The director of staffing at a start-up consumer products firm that has been growing rapidly needs to create a formal recruiting process. How can he use job analysis in this situation? Select all that apply. (a) It can be used to conduct a training needs analysis. (b) It can be used to determine the salary for jobs. (c) It can be used to develop appropriate content for job announcements. (d) It can be used to identify the most appropriate recruitment places or sources of qualifies candidates.
(a) employees and their supervisors
The job analysis process typically needs the input of ______ in order to collect information about all parameters of a job. (a) employees and their supervisors (b) external consultants
(c) Job rotation
The manager of a high performing sales associate at an upscale retail store wants to groom her to become a store manager. Given this, she wants to design the sale associate's job so that the sales associate spends a month working in each department in the store. By doing this, the sales associate will learn how the store functions and be prepared for a promotion in the next one to two years. Which approach to job design should the manager use in the situation? (a) Job crafting (b) Job enlargement (c) Job rotation (d) Job enrichment
(c) Job enrichment
The manager of a package delivery company wants to redesign his clerk's job to make it more intrinsically rewarding. The manager wants clerks to feel that they are doing interesting work that makes a difference in the company. Which approach to job design should the manager use in this situation? (a) Job crafting (b) Job specialization (c) Job enrichment (d) Job enlargement
(a) Job enlargement
The manager of a social media specialist at a public relations firm wants to redesign the job so that it contains a much wider range of job duties. Which approach to job design should the manager use in this situation? (a) Job enlargement (b) Job rotation (c) Job enrichment (d) Job crafting
(a) Increase task identity
The new cars sales professional's job at a major car dealer network does not motivate many of the individuals who hold this job because they feel that the scope of the job is too narrow. Specifically, current and past sales professionals have said that while they are able to show customers various options for vehicles, they cannot get involved in negotiating the final selling price of the vehicle, nor can they handle the business side of the transaction in terms of getting loan approvals, completing the final paperwork for the sale, etc. Based on the job characteristics model, what would you do to address these issues if you were the manager? (a) Increase task identity (b) Increase feedback (c) Increase skill variety (d) Decrease autonomy
(c) Setting goals, duties, and activities that defines desired performance
The vice president of HR and her management team are analyzing information contained in the company's new job description/specification system in order to identify specific ways in which this information can be used to support alignment with other HR processes. When looking at how job description information could be used to support workforce analysis and job design, they might focus on: (a) Establishing equal employment requirements (b) Conducting job evaluation in terms of responsibilities and working conditions (c) Setting goals, duties, and activities that defines desired performance (d) Sequencing or grouping related jobs
(d) Setting goals, duties, and activities that define desired performance
The vice president of HR at a financial services firm and her management team are analyzing the information contained in the company's new job description/specification system in order to identify specific ways in which this information can be used to support alignment with other HR processes. When looking at how job description information could be used to support the performance appraisal process, they might focus on: (a) Posting advertisements of jobs to fill (b) Setting equal employment requirements (c) Sequencing or grouping related jobs (d) Setting goals, duties, and activities that define desired performance
(b) It can be used to ensure that the jobs in the organization are aligned with the needs of the company and its strategy. (d) It can be used to assign tasks that need to be performed with specific jobs.
The vice president of HR at a financial services firm is participating in the strategic planning process with other members of the senior management team. How can the vice president pf HR use job analysis t ad value to the strategic planning process? Select all that apply. (a) It can be used to develop an overall recruiting strategy for the company. (b) It can be used to ensure that the jobs in the organization are aligned with the needs of the company and its strategy. (c) If can be used to develop training objectives for a workshop. (d) It can be used to assign tasks that need to be performed with specific jobs.
(c) Use listening and clarification.
You have been hired as an HR consultant to help a cross-functional product development team enhance its effectiveness. The team is highly dysfunctional with a lot of internal conflict, disorganization, and a lack of strong team leadership. based on the synergistic team characteristics, what would you recommend to the current leader of this team? (a) Decrease team member autonomy. (b) Eliminate all team conflict. (c) Use listening and clarification. (d) Use a virtual team structure.
