Human Resource Management - Chapter 5 Vocabulary

A set of vocabulary flashcards defining key terms and concepts from Chapter 5, covering planning, strategy, job-analysis techniques, legal issues, and data analytics.

Human resource planning

The process of forecasting the supply and demand for human resources within an organization and developing action plans for aligning the two.

Glass ceiling

An invisible barrier preventing women from progressing to higher levels in a firm.

Executive succession

The process of systematically planning for future promotions into top management positions.

Efficiency wages

Higher wages paid above the going market rate by firms seeking to be the employer of choice to attract the best, most productive employees and reduce turnover.

Human capital investments

Investments made by individuals in themselves, through training and education, to increase their value to employers and yield higher wages.

Job analysis

The process of gathering and organizing detailed information about various jobs within the organization so that managers can better understand the processes through which jobs are performed most effectively.

Job families

Groups of jobs that have task and knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA) requirements that are quite similar.

Subject matter expert (SME)

An individual knowledgeable about a job, such as an incumbent, supervisor, or higher-level manager, who provides information during job analysis.

Occupational Information Network (O*NET)

A computerized job classification system and database containing continually updated information regarding the KSAs required for virtually every job in the U.S. economy.

Fleishman Job Analysis System

A structured approach to job analysis that relies on a taxonomy of 52 abilities (cognitive, psychomotor, and sensory) to indicate the importance and level of ability required for a job.

Task inventory

A job-analysis method where one set of SMEs generates a list of all possible tasks performed by any job in an organization, and another SME completes or rates the inventory for a specific job.

Critical incidents approach

A job-analysis method that focuses on identifying specific examples of particularly effective or ineffective performance.

Functional Job Analysis

An approach to job analysis where all jobs are rated in terms of their level of involvement with people, data, and things.

Position Analysis Questionnaire (PAQ)

A standardized job-analysis instrument consisting of 187 items reflecting work behavior, working conditions, and job characteristics described in terms of what the worker does.

Management Position Description Questionnaire

A 197-item standardized job-analysis instrument designed for higher-level managerial jobs that breaks them down into 13 essential components.

Job description

A written listing of the tasks, duties, and responsibilities that a particular job entails, focusing on observable actions required for effective performance.

Job specification

A document indicating the knowledge, abilities, skills, and other characteristics (KSAs) that an individual must have to perform a job.

Competencies

Characteristics of employees or teams of employees that lead to success on the job, emphasizing flexibility, teamwork, and task accomplishment over static job descriptions.

Essential functions

Job tasks and duties that take up a significant part of an employee's time, are performed regularly, and have consequences for other parts of the job.

Analytics

The discovery and communication of meaningful patterns in data, relying on statistics, computer programming, and operations research to quantify performance.