Deck 4: Job Analysis and Work Design

Question 1

What is a key advantage of division of labour in organizations?

A) improved efficiency
B) less need for managers
C) greater creativity
D) increased employee autonomy

Answer 1

A

Question 2

What is the most important difference between competency-based analysis and all other forms of job analysis discussed in the textbook?

A) Competency-based analysis is better at keeping pace with the quickly changing nature of work.
B) Competency-based analysis relies solely on information obtained from job incumbents.
C) Competency-based analysis focuses on how the job is currently done.
D) Competency-based analysis requires a very high degree of training on the part of the analyst.

Answer 2

A

Question 3

In determining the pay for employees, what is the starting point in evaluating the relative worth of a job?

A) a job analysis
B) a market analysis
C) a person analysis
D) a skills analysis

Answer 3

A

Question 4

What do we call an analysis in which the emphasis is placed on characteristics of successful performers rather than standard duties?

A) a person-based job analysis
B) a competency-based analysis
C) a performance-based job analysis
D) a team-based analysis

Question 5

What type of analysis can be used to help determine the best processes, types, and mix of jobs, and how they should ideally be organized to execute the firm's mission?

A) a job analysis
B) a Markov analysis
C) a workflow analysis
D) a SWOT analysis

Question 6

In a newspaper ad, Company A stated that for the HRIS Supervisor's job, the following are required: an appropriate university degree, five years of corporate experience, and working knowledge of statistical analysis and software." What are these requirements an example of?

A) a job requirement
B) a job description
C) a position
D) a job specification

Question 7

There could be legal challenges if specific performance requirements of a job are NOT based on which of the following?

A) best practices in industry
B) peer evaluations
C) interview data
D) valid job-related criteria

Question 8

What is a key objective of the National Occupational Classification compiled by the federal government?

A) It helps to speed up audits by the government.
B) It allows for greater uniformity of job titles and job descriptions across the country.
C) It serves as the base for the Job Classification Guide.
D) It transforms career planning.

Question 9

What is a key expected benefit of reengineering and less bureaucracy in organizations?

A) improved access to government programs
B) accelerated decision-making
C) better access to markets
D) better leadership

Question 10

Which of the following is a method used to do job analysis?

A) workflow analysis
B) stacked incident method
C) position analysis questionnaire
D) divisional job analysis

Question 11

In doing its job analyses, ABC Company, interviews its accountants on the factors that contribute to their success as accountants in the firm. Which job analytic technique is being used by the company?

A) competency-based analysis
B) task inventory analysis
C) critical incident method
D) the position analysis questionnaire

Question 12

Why is job analysis considered the cornerstone of HRM?

A) because the information collected serves many HRM functions
B) because it is done in a scientifically sound and valid way
C) because the information comes from job incumbents who know the job the best
D) because it is required by law

Question 13

What is a position?

A) a group of related activities and duties
B) the different duties and responsibilities performed by one employee
C) a statement of the knowledge, skills, and abilities required to perform work
D) a statement of the tasks, duties, and responsibilities associated with work

Question 14

Which of the following is most correct when it comes to job analysis?

A) Artificial inflation of job duties must always be double-checked against the NOC.
B) A job analyst must weigh information obtained from the NOC above incumbent data.
C) A job analyst must weigh manager information more heavily than job incumbent data.
D) More information about the job is always better.

Question 15

"The IT specialist is responsible for the smooth running of all staff computers" is most likely an excerpt from which of the following?

A) a job description
B) a job specification
C) a job analysis
D) a job position

Question 16

Sally is interviewing an employee, asking him to describe his job, how it is performed, what work is done, and what tools and equipment are used. What style of job analysis is Sally performing?

A) the critical incidents style of job analysis
B) the task analysis style of job analysis
C) the PAQ style of job analysis
D) the occupation classification style of job analysis

Question 17

Which of the following is an example of a job specification?

A) To be a grocery store cashier, you need to know how to work a cash register, know the rules of the store, and know basic math.
B) To be a grocery store cashier, you have to deal with the public and be able to stand on your feet for long hours.
C) A grocery store cashier assists customers in paying for their grocery items and answering questions about products.
D) A grocery store cashier is responsible for making sure items are bagged or tagged, and that all customers pay for their items.

Question 18

Which of the following job analysis methods utilize "interviews"?

A) critical incidents, PAQ, and competency-based analysis
B) critical incidents and competency based analysis
C) task analysis and competency-based analysis
D) PAQ, task analysis, and critical incidents

Question 19

What is the best source of criteria for evaluating employee job performance?

A) job descriptions
B) balanced scorecards
C) training programs
D) special assignments

Question 20

What is a job specification?

A) a statement of the knowledge, skills, and abilities required to perform the job
B) a statement of the tasks, duties, and responsibilities associated with the job
C) a group of related activities and duties
D) the different duties and responsibilities performed by one employee

Question 21

Which job analytic method focuses on what workers do with regard to "information, people, and things"?

A) functional job analysis
B) position analysis questionnaire
C) critical incidents technique
D) task inventory analysis

Question 22

As part of its restructuring efforts, XYZ Company is redesigning its jobs. What should be a basic consideration in this process?

A) the impact on the environment
B) the costs to restructure
C) the benefits of redesigned jobs
D) the organizational objectives the job was created to fulfill

Question 23

What can result from generically written job descriptions?

A) restructuring
B) openness to change
C) role ambiguity
D) role precision

Question 24

Employee empowerment is a technique of involving employees in their work through which of the following processes?

A) development
B) inclusion
C) team building
D) banding

Question 25

An owner of a mall-based retail shop chain has asked front-line sales associates to attend a twice-yearly all-day meeting where they share ideas about possible new products, innovations, and ideas about improving work flow. What is the owner most likely attempting to implement?

A) job involvement
B) job enrichment
C) brainstorming
D) a culture audit

Question 26

What are the four phases in team development?

A) forming, storming, norming, and performing
B) forming, norming, performing and dying
C) forming, storming, norming and dying
D) forming, norming, storming and dying

Question 27

Which of the following is another term for employee involvement groups?

A) project teams
B) cross-functional teams
C) synergistic groups
D) quality circles

Question 28

Which organizational situation is most likely to result in employees who feel most empowered?

A) The employees are allowed to set their own work schedules so they can have better work-life balance.
B) The employees are allowed to spend a few minutes every day coming up with creative ideas for the suggestion box.
C) The employees have access to sensitive information so they can make more informed decisions about their work.
D) The employees have a large training budget and they are allowed to spend their training dollars on courses they choose and as they see fit.

Question 29

Which of the following is an example of an employee involvement group?

A) a group of employees who come together once a year to brainstorm new workflow ideas
B) a group of employees who meet after work hours to discuss their interest in hiking and other outdoor activities
C) a group of employees who are allowed to take specialized training courses in statistical analysis
D) a group of employees who meet weekly to brainstorm a sequel to a popular product line

Question 30

ABC Inc. wants to enrich its jobs vertically. Which of the following can this be accomplished through?

A) forming teams that have greater authority for self-management
B) providing performance results to employees
C) assigning less work to each employee
D) increasing salaries and benefits for employees

Question 31

What is often cited as the most important factor contributing to the success of employee involvement groups?

A) team pay and benefits
B) appropriate job design
C) organizational design
D) comprehensive training of employees

Question 32

What factors does Herzberg describe as key to enriching jobs?

A) pay, promotion, pension, purpose, and perks
B) achievement, recognition, growth, responsibility, and performance of the whole job
C) safety needs, social needs, self-esteem needs, and self-actualization
D) skill variety, task identity, task significance, autonomy, and feedback

Question 33

What is the concept called when "the interaction and outcome of team members are greater than the sum of their individual efforts"?

A) optimal performance
B) positive culture
C) energy
D) synergy

Question 34

Behavioural-based job design studies focus on two key simultaneous outcomes. What are these?

A) organizational efficiency and employee job satisfaction
B) organizational efficiency and effectiveness
C) organizational restructuring and job design
D) employee autonomy and job design

Question 35

According to the work of Herzberg, which of the following methods can managers use to enrich the jobs of employees?

A) improving pay
B) increasing benefits
C) adding more responsibility to jobs
D) improving leadership

Question 36

Kirk is learning a new job by watching his co-workers and asking questions. He notices that some of his co-workers stress the importance of certain tasks, while others don't do these tasks at all. This has left Kirk somewhat stressed by what he should and should not be doing in his new role. What does Kirk need?

A) a job description
B) a job analysis
C) information from the NOC
D) job specifications

Question 37

According to the job characteristics model, what three psychological states of a jobholder result in motivated, satisfied, and productive employees?

A) meaningfulness of work, responsibility for completion of a whole identifiable piece of work, and knowledge of work results
B) meaningfulness of work, task significance, and autonomy
C) meaningfulness of work, responsibility for outcomes, and fair compensation
D) meaningfulness of work, responsibility for outcomes, and knowledge of work results

Question 38

Which of the following is an accurate description of the five core job dimensions of Hackman and Oldham's job characteristics model?

A) skill variety, task identity, task significance, autonomy, and feedback
B) feedback, task identity, job identity, skill variety, and autonomy
C) autonomy, feedback, job security, task identity, and skill variety
D) skill variety, task identity, job security, autonomy, and feedback

Question 39

In which situation would a job design be recommended?

A) New technology has drastically changed the way that work is done in a manufacturing plant shop floor and employees are finding there is a lot more spare time.
B) Due to a recent change in upper management and benefit policies, several hundred highly skilled employees have recently left the organization and moved to a competitor.
C) The culture of the organization is deemed by an external consultant to be "stagnant" and in need of a change.
D) Members of the organization are trying to form a union.

Question 40

What is the main difference between job analysis and job design?

A) Job analysis looks at jobs as they currently are; job design is about reorganizing work.
B) Job analysis is required to ensure that HR functions are based on sound and valid data; job design is focused on compensation and the financial worth of the work.
C) Job analysis is a process; job design is a function.
D) Job analysis is the study of jobs as currently performed; job design is concerned with changing job structures to improve efficiency.

Question 41

A job consists of different duties and responsibilities performed by one person.

Question 42

A statement of the different duties, tasks, and responsibilities of a job is known as a job description.

Question 43

Scenario 4.1
Mike Brassington is the CEO of Canada Steel, a firm that produces steel products for a global market. To improve on one of its products that has received some criticisms on its quality, Canada Steel wants to put together a team that will involve different people in the organization, across different departments, so as to utilize their skills in a manner that would be more productive than if they worked separately. Mike has two ideas on how to design these teams. First, he can put together a group of experienced people from different departments . He also has to decide on how to measure the success of the team's efforts.
Refer to Scenario 4.1. Which of the following occurs when the interaction and outcome of team members is greater than the sum of their individual parts?

A) job sharing
B) cooperation
C) synergy
D) team enrichment

Question 44

What is the typical method used by organizations to design compressed work weeks?

A) giving employees the work to do at home
B) giving a free day off
C) increasing the number of hours worked per day
D) giving a week off every month

Question 45

Scenario 4.2
CanBank is a new financial institution with a workforce that values work-life balance. The CEO, Aren Ami, wants to experiment with different work schedules so as to address the needs of the employees. He is considering several options: a four-day, 40-hour workweek; allowing employees to choose start and end times for the workday provided they work a certain number of hours per week; allowing two or more employees to perform a job normally done by one person; and allowing some employees to do work from home that is normally done in the office. The CEO knows that there are pros and cons of each option that he has to weigh.
Refer to Scenario 4.2. What is the term for the option where employees work four-day, 40-hour workweeks?

A) flextime
B) telecommuting
C) job sharing
D) compressed workweek

Question 46

Which of the following is most likely to result in a successful telecommuting situation?

A) The telecommuters have to check in frequently throughout the day to let their managers know exactly what they are working on and how it is going.
B) The managers who are trained in formalized telecommuting procedures make random calls to the telecommuters at home to ensure all is going well and work is getting done.
C) The telecommuters are expected to attend regular on-site meetings and are trained in technical aspects of telecommuting.
D) Telecommuting is only allowed when the work at hand does not involve interaction of any kind.

Question 47

Scenario 4.2
CanBank is a new financial institution with a workforce that values work-life balance. The CEO, Aren Ami, wants to experiment with different work schedules so as to address the needs of the employees. He is considering several options: a four-day, 40-hour workweek; allowing employees to choose start and end times for the workday provided they work a certain number of hours per week; allowing two or more employees to perform a job normally done by one person; and allowing some employees to do work from home that is normally done in the office. The CEO knows that there are pros and cons of each option that he has to weigh.
Refer to Scenario 4.2. What is the term for the option where employees choose start and end times for their workdays provided they work a specified number of hours in the week?

A) job sharing
B) telecommuting
C) shortened workweek
D) flextime

Question 48

Which of the following is a downside of job sharing?

A) increased compensation
B) less innovation
C) potential distrust among employees
D) reduced employee appraisals

Question 49

Which of the following is a benefit of job sharing?

A) reduced employee layoffs
B) less turnover
C) less absenteeism
D) less conflict

Question 50

Scenario 4.2
CanBank is a new financial institution with a workforce that values work-life balance. The CEO, Aren Ami, wants to experiment with different work schedules so as to address the needs of the employees. He is considering several options: a four-day, 40-hour workweek; allowing employees to choose start and end times for the workday provided they work a certain number of hours per week; allowing two or more employees to perform a job normally done by one person; and allowing some employees to do work from home that is normally done in the office. The CEO knows that there are pros and cons of each option that he has to weigh.
Refer to Scenario 4.2. Which of the following is NOT a reason cited for flextime?

A) improving organizational culture
B) meeting the challenges of age diversity
C) improving customer service by extending operating hours
D) improving quality of employees' work

Question 51

Scenario 4.1
Mike Brassington is the CEO of Canada Steel, a firm that produces steel products for a global market. To improve on one of its products that has received some criticisms on its quality, Canada Steel wants to put together a team that will involve different people in the organization, across different departments, so as to utilize their skills in a manner that would be more productive than if they worked separately. Mike has two ideas on how to design these teams. First, he can put together a group of experienced people from different departments . He also has to decide on how to measure the success of the team's efforts.
Refer to Scenario 4.1. What is the term for the first type of team Mike is considering, where he will put together different people from different units (Team 1)?

A) a self-directed team
B) a process improvement team
C) a virtual team
D) a quality improvement team

Question 52

Company A is planning to set up a "virtual team" for a project. Which of the following is the best advice for this team to be successful?

A) Team members should be selected based on certain personal characteristics such as a collaborative mindset.
B) All team members should understand advanced computer and telecommunications technology so that breakdowns in communication do not occur frequently.
C) Team members should all have Skype accounts.
D) Team members should not meet in person.

Question 53

What is an important drawback of allowing employees to telecommute?

A) difficulty in developing appropriate performance standards
B) less work-life balance
C) increased work conflict
D) increased absenteeism

Question 54

Scenario 4.1
Mike Brassington is the CEO of Canada Steel, a firm that produces steel products for a global market. To improve on one of its products that has received some criticisms on its quality, Canada Steel wants to put together a team that will involve different people in the organization, across different departments, so as to utilize their skills in a manner that would be more productive than if they worked separately. Mike has two ideas on how to design these teams. First, he can put together a group of experienced people from different departments . He also has to decide on how to measure the success of the team's efforts.
Refer to Scenario 4.1. What does research demonstrate as key to ensuring the success of the team?

A) ensuring a common workplace "language" for team members
B) establishing ground rules to guide the team's work
C) ensuring cultural cohesion among team members
D) establishing a fair pay system

Question 55

What type of team is formed by management to resolve a major problem immediately?

A) a self-directed team
B) a project team
C) a process-improvement team
D) a task force team

Question 56

Scenario 4.1
Mike Brassington is the CEO of Canada Steel, a firm that produces steel products for a global market. To improve on one of its products that has received some criticisms on its quality, Canada Steel wants to put together a team that will involve different people in the organization, across different departments, so as to utilize their skills in a manner that would be more productive than if they worked separately. Mike has two ideas on how to design these teams. First, he can put together a group of experienced people from different departments . He also has to decide on how to measure the success of the team's efforts.
Refer to Scenario 4.1. According to the textbook, what is a potential challenge for Team 1?

A) different cultures among group members
B) leadership support
C) Web/Internet support
D) determining compensation for team accomplishments

Question 57

XYZ Corporation recently formed a team comprising a mix of specialists tasked with the specific objective of developing a new product. What is this type of team called?

A) a self-directed team
B) a specialist team
C) a cross-functional team
D) a process improvement team

Question 58

Scenario 4.1
Mike Brassington is the CEO of Canada Steel, a firm that produces steel products for a global market. To improve on one of its products that has received some criticisms on its quality, Canada Steel wants to put together a team that will involve different people in the organization, across different departments, so as to utilize their skills in a manner that would be more productive than if they worked separately. Mike has two ideas on how to design these teams. First, he can put together a group of experienced people from different departments . He also has to decide on how to measure the success of the team's efforts.
Refer to Scenario 4.1. Which of the following is NOT a way for Mike to measure the success of the team?

A) through the level of cooperation and trust of team members
B) through whether the goals of the team are achieved
C) through the pay increases of the team
D) through the way in which conflicts are resolved

Question 59

Which of the following is NOT a synergistic team characteristic?

A) support
B) consensus
C) acceptance
D) agreement

Question 60

What do we call the type of work schedule in which employees can adjust their daily starting and quitting times, provided that they work a certain number of hours per day or week?

A) a compressed workweek
B) a shorter workweek
C) a flextime arrangement
D) an adaptable schedule

Question 61

Common methods of analyzing jobs include interviews, questionnaires, observation, and diaries.

Question 62

Relying on generic job descriptions tends to reduce role ambiguity.

Question 63

A workflow analysis is a type of job analysis.

Question 64

The objective of the critical incident method is to identify critical job tasks.

Question 65

The job title is of psychological importance as well as descriptive.

Question 66

The competency-based approach to job analysis focuses on standard job duties, tasks, and the like.

Question 67

Diaries can be used to collect information for a job analysis.

Question 68

Job analysis is an important step toward ensuring an organization's HR practices are valid and job-related.

Question 69

Discrepancies between knowledge, skills, abilities, and other factors (KSAOs) and job requirements provide clues to training needs.

Question 70

Job analysis is the process of obtaining information about jobs by determining what the duties, tasks, or activities of those jobs are.

Question 71

To promote uniformity across organizations, the National Occupational Classification should be used as the sole source for classifying jobs.

Question 72

A job specification is a statement of the knowledge, skills, and abilities required of the person performing the job.

Question 73

Most job descriptions include a job title, a job identification section, and a job duties section.

Question 74

There are many methods of job analysis and many different ways of compiling the data, but all of the methods rely on some form of employee/job incumbent interview.

Question 75

The functional job analysis approach utilizes an inventory of the various types of work activities that can constitute any job.

Question 76

Job specifications usually cover two areas: (1) the skill required to perform the job and (2) the level of autonomy inherent in the position.

Question 77

The critical incident method focuses on employee behaviours critical to job success.

Question 78

The standard format for job descriptions is contained in the Dictionary of Occupational Titles.

Question 79

Job analysis is now considered outdated because it can't keep up with the current state of change in today's fast-paced work world.

Question 80

The position analysis questionnaire (PAQ) is a qualitative job analysis method.