CHAPTER 2 - Analyzing and Evaluating Jobs

Job Analysis

*Process of gathering, analyzing, and structuring of information about a job's components (tasks), characteristics (conditions), and requirements (competencies or KSAOs).

*Process of determining the work activities and requirements

job description

*A written result of job analysis

*A brief summary of the tasks and job requirements or competencies

Peter Principle

The idea that organizations tend to promote good employees until they reach the level at which they are not competent—in other words, their highest level of incompetence.

performance appraisal

Performance evaluation of employees

job evaluation

The process of determiningn the monetary worth of a job

Job Design

Determining the optimal way in which a job should be performed

Job analysis interview

Obtaining information about a job by talking to a person performing it.

job title

Describes the nature of the job, its power and status level, and the competencies needed to perform the job

brief summary

This component of a job description should briefly describe the nature and purpose of a job in one paragraph

work activities

lists the task and activities in which the worker is involved

Job context

Describes the environment in which the employee works which includes the stress level, work schedule, physical demands, level of responsibility, degree of danger, etc.

Work performance

Outlines the standards of performance and how the employees are evaluated

Compensation information

Information on salary grade and the compensable factors used to determine salary

Job competencies

These are requirements needed to perform the job, aka job specifications or KSAOs

Grade

A cluster of jobs of similar worth

Job crafting

A process in which employees unofficially change their job duties to better fit their interests and skills.

Subject Matter Experts (SME)

Sources such as supervisors and incumbents who are knowledgeable about a job

Job analyst

the person conducting the job analysis

SME conference

A group job analysis interview consisting of subject-matter experts (SMEs)

Ammerman technique

A job analysis method in which a group of job experts identifies the objectives and standards to be met by the ideal worker.

Observations

A job analysis method in which the job analyst watches job incumbents perform their jobs

Job participation

a job analysis method in which the job analyst actually performs the job being analyzed

Task inventory

A questionnaire containing a list of tasks each of which the job incumbent rates on a series of scales such as importance and time spent.

task analysis

the process of identifying the tasks for which employees need to be trained

Knowledge

A body of information needed to perform a task

Skill

The proficiency to perform a learned task

Ability

The basic capacity for performing a wide range of tasks, aquiring a knowledge, or developing a skill

Other characteristics

Factors that are not knowledge, skills or abilities such as personality, willingness, interest, and degrees

Competency modelling

When competencies are tied to an organization's strategic initiatives and plans rather than to specific tasks

Position Analysis Questionnaire (PAQ)

A structured job analysis method developed by McCormick; contains 194 items organized into 6 dimensions

Job Structure Profile (JSP)

A revised version of the Position Analysis Questionnaire (PAQ) designed to be used more by the job analyst than by the job incumbent developed by Patrick and Moore

Six dimensions of PAQ

Information output

Mental processes

Work output

Relationships with other persons

Job context

Other job-related variables

Job Elements Inventory (JEI)

A structured job analysis technique developed by Cornelius and Hakel that is similar to the Position Analysis Questionnaire (PAQ) but easier to read (for employee with only a 10th-grade education)

Functional Job Analysis (FJA)

A job analysis method developed by Fine that rates the extent to which a job incumbent is involved with functions in the categories of data, people, and things.

Job Components Inventory (JCI)

A structured job analysis technique that concentrates on worker requirements for performing a job rather than on specific tasks; developed by Banks et al. with more than 400 questions covering 5 categories

AET (Ergonomic Job Analysis Procedure)

Developed in Germany by Rohmert and Landau; consists of 216 item and primarily concerned with the relationship between worker and work objects

Occupational Information Network (O*NET)

The job analysis system used by the federal government that has replaced the Dictionary of Occupational Titles (DOT)

Critical incident technique (CIT)

the job analysis method developed by John Flanagan that uses written reports of good and bad employee behavior

Threshold Traits Analysis (TTA)

A 33-item questionnaire developed by Lopez that identifies traits necessary to successfully perform a job

Fleishman Job Analysis Survey (F-JAS)

A job analysis method in which jobs are rated on the basis of the abilities needed to perform them.

Job Adaptability Inventory (JAI)

A job analysis method that taps the extent to which a job involves eight types of adaptability; 132-item inventory made by Pulakos et al.

Personality-Related Position Requirements Form (PPRF)

A job analysis instrument developed by Raymark et al. that helps determine the personality requirements for a job

Compensable job factors

Factors, such as responsibility and education requirements, that differentiate the relative worth of jobs

Internal pay equity

Involves comparing jobs within an organization to ensure that the people in jobs worth the most money are paid accordingly

Wage trend line

A line that represents the ideal relationship between the number of points that a job has been assigned (using the point method of evaluation) and the salary range for that job.

Salary surveys

A questionnaire sent to other organizations to see how much they are paying their employees in positions similar to those in the organization sending the survey

External pay equity

The worth of a job is determined by comparing the job to the external market (other organizations)

Direct Compensation

the amount of money paid to an employee (does not count benefits, time off, and so forth)

Comparable worth

the idea that jobs requiring the same level of skill and responsibility should be paid the same regardless of supply and demand

Position Analysis Questionnaire (PAQ)

PAQ

Job structure profile

JSP

Job elements inventory

JEI

Functional Job Analysis

FJA

Job components inventory

JCI

Ergonomic Job Analysis Procedure

AET

Occupationa Information Netword

O*NET

critical incident technique

CIT

Threshold Trait Analysis

TTA

Fleishman Job Analysis Survey

F-JAS

Job Adaptability Inventory

JAI

Personality-related Position requirements form

PPRF

PAQ

Most standardized job analysis

CIT

Least standardized job analysis

PAQ

Least costly method

CIT

Most costly method

PAQ

Least amount of time to complete

Task Analysis

Most amount of time to complete

CIT

Least amount of job analysis training

Task analysis

Most amount of job analysis training

Task Analysis

Has the High-quality results

TTA

Has the lowest quality results

Task analysis

Best overall job picture

PAQ

Worst overall job picture

CIT

rated the Most useful

PAQ

Rated the least useful