Part 2: Staffing The Organization
Chapter 4: Redefining Jobs and Job
Analysis
Prepared by Linda Eligh, University of Western Ontario
Copyright © 2008 by Nelson, a division of Thomson Canada Limited.
4–1
Learning Objectives
After you have read this chapter, you should be able to:
1. Discuss workflow analysis and business process reengineering as approaches to organizational work,
define job design and the importance of using
teams.
2. Explain how work schedules and telework are
affecting jobs and work.
3. Describe job analysis, and the stages in and
methods used in the job analysis process.
4. Indicate how job analysis has behavioural aspects.
5. Identify the components of job descriptions and job
specifications.
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Changing Nature of Work and HR Management
• Dividing Work into Jobs
 Work

Effort directed toward producing or accomplishing results.
 Job

A grouping of tasks, duties, and responsibilities that
constitutes the total work assignment for an employee.
• Approaches to Understanding Jobs
 Workflow analysis
 Re-engineering
 Job design
 Job analysis
 Job descriptions and job specifications
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Influences
Affecting Jobs,
People, and
Related HR
Policies Fig. 4-1
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Changing Nature of Work and HR Management
• Workflow Analysis
 A study of the way work (inputs, activities, and
outputs) moves through an organization.
 Rapid growth of the Internet and web-based
information systems changes workflow in
organizations.
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Changing Nature of Work and HR Management
• Business Process Re-engineering (BPR)
 Measures for improving such activities as product
development, customer service, and service delivery.
 Phases of Reengineering
 Rethink
 Redesign
 Retool
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Job Design
• Job Design
 Organizing tasks, duties, and responsibilities into a
productive unit of work.
• Person/job Fit
 Matching characteristics of people with characteristics
of jobs.
Job Design
Job
Performance
Job
Satisfaction
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Physical and
Mental Health
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Person/Job Fit
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Fig. 4-2
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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 the
responsibility for planning, organizing , controlling,
and evaluating the job.
• Job Rotation
 The process of shifting a person from job to job.
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Job Design
Characteristics of Jobs (Hackman and Oldham):
• Skill Variety
 The extent to which the work requires several
different activities for successful completion.
• Task Identity
 The 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
 The impact the job has on other people.
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Job Design
• Autonomy
 The extent of individual freedom and discretion in the
work and its scheduling.
• Feedback
 Amount of information employees receive about how
well or how poorly they have performed.
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Job Characteristics Model
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Fig. 4-3
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Job Design
• Consequences of Job Design
 More likely to be viewed as positive by employees
 Helps to distinguish “good” and “bad” jobs
 Positively influences worker performance, job
satisfaction, and physical and mental health
• Using Teams in Jobs:
 Design jobs for teams where appropriate
 Types of Teams:

Special-Purpose Team

Self-directed Work Team

Virtual Team
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Factors Affecting Virtual Team Success
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Fig. 4-4
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Job Design, Work Schedules, and Telework
• A job consists of:




tasks an employee does
relationships required on the job
tools the employee works with
many other elements
• Two most important job issues today:
 when and how work is scheduled
 where an employee is located when working
Copyright © 2008 by Nelson, a division of Thomson Canada Limited.
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Work Schedules
• Global Work Schedule Differences
The number of work hours in a week varies from
country to country.
• Work Schedule Alternatives
Longer daily hours (e.g., 4-day, 40 hours)
• Shift Work
Shift differentials for evening or night shift work
(e.g. 5% premium for evening shift, 6% for night shift)
• Compressed Work Week
A work schedule in which a full week’s work is
accomplished in fewer than five 8-hour days.
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Work Schedules
• Flextime
A work scheduling arrangement in which employees
work a set number of hours per day but vary their
starting and ending times (e.g. employees work longer
Mon.–Thurs., leave early Friday).
• Job Sharing
A scheduling arrangement in which two employees
perform the work of one full-time job.
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Telework
• New information and communication technology
mean employees can work anywhere and
anytime.
A growing number of employers are allowing
employees to work from a wide variety of locations
(e.g. from home, or from home and office while sharing
space with other “office nomads.”)
• Telecommuting
The process of going to work via electronic computing
and telecommunications equipment.
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Telework Concerns of Management
and Employees Fig. 4-5
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The Nature of Job Analysis
• Job Analysis
A systematic way of gathering and analyzing information about the
content, context, and the human requirements of jobs. Analysis
may focus on tasks performed or competencies needed for job
performance. Information of interest includes:
 Work
activities and behaviours
 Interactions
with others
 Performance
standards
 Financial
and budgeting impact
 Machines
and equipment used
 Working
conditions
 Supervision
given and received
 Knowledge,
skills, and abilities needed
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Job Analysis in
Perspective
Fig. 4-6
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The Nature of Job Analysis
• Task-Based Job Analysis
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
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The Nature of Job Analysis
• Competency-Based Job Analysis
• Competencies
 Individual capabilities that can be linked to enhanced
performance by individuals or teams. Includes both
technical and behavioural competencies.
• Reasons for using a competency approach:
 To communicate valued behaviours within the
organization.
 To raise competency levels throughout the
organization.
 To emphasize people’s capabilities for enhancing the
competitive advantage of the organization.
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The Nature of Job Analysis
• Job Analysis vs. Competencies
 Traditional task based-analysis is a defensible basis
for such activities as compensation, selection and
training that may be the subject of legal action by
employees if they feel they have been wronged in
some way.
 Currently there is little legal precedent regarding
competency analysis, which leaves it open to legal
challenge as not being documented as well as the
traditional approach.
 For this reason, task based job analysis is more
widely used.
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Typical Division of HR Responsibilities in Job
Analysis Fig. 4-7
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Stages in the
Job Analysis
Process
Fig. 4-8
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Job Analysis Methods
Job Analysis
Methods
Observation
Work Sampling
Diary/Log
Interviewing
Questionnaires
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Specialized
Job Analysis
Methods
PAQ
MPDQ
Computerized
Job Analysis
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Typical Areas Covered in a Job Analysis
Questionnaire Fig. 4-9
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Job Analysis Methods
•
Functional Job Analysis (FJA)
 Distinguishes between what gets done on a job and
what workers do to get the job done.
 Examining data, people and things determines what
gets done.
 Involves at least seven steps.
•
Managerial Job Analysis
 Managerial jobs do not have a clearly observable
routine.
 Requires specialized questionnaires to examine
managerial dimensions such as decision making and
supervision.
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Job Analysis Methods
• Computerized Job Analysis
 Facilitates greater specificity when gathering and
compiling information into a job analysis database.
• National Occupational Classification (NOC)
 Federal government database containing classification
structure and descriptions of:
520 occupational unit groups
 30,000+ occupational titles

 Features
An intuitive search engine and an online training tutorial.
 NOC Matrix which shows both major and minor occupational
groups and relationships between skill types and skill levels.

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Behavioural Influences of Job Analysis
“Inflation” of Jobs and Titles
Behavioural
Influences
of Job
Analysis
Managerial Anxieties (Straitjacket)
Employee Fears and Anxieties
Current Incumbent Emphasis
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Determining Essential and Marginal Job Functions
Fig. 4-12
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Job Descriptions and Job Specifications
• Job Description
Identifies the tasks, duties, and responsibilities of a job.
• Performance Standards
Indicates what the job accomplishes and how
performance is measured in key areas of the job
description.
• Job Specification
Lists the knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) an
individual needs to perform a job satisfactorily.
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Sample Job Duty Statements and Performance Standards
Fig. 4-13
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Job Description Components
• Identification
Job title
Reporting relationships
Department
Location
Date of analysis
• General Summary
Describes the job’s
distinguishing responsibilities
and components
• Essential Functions and
Duties
Lists major tasks, duties and
responsibilities
• Job Specifications
Knowledge, skills, and
abilities
Education and experience
Physical requirements
• Disclaimer
Of implied contract
• Signature of approvals
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