Deck 5: Job Analysis, Job Design and Quality of Work Life

Question 1

A systematic investigation of the tasks, duties, responsibilities of a job and the necessary knowledge, skills and abilities a person needs to perform a role adequately, is known as:

A) task differentiation.
B) human resource analysis.
C) job analysis.
D) position classification.

Answer 1

job analysis.

Question 2

The job-oriented approach to job analysis is most likely to be concerned with:

A) job enrichment techniques.
B) performance appraisal methods.
C) tasks, duties and responsibilities.
D) career planning and development.

Answer 2

tasks, duties and responsibilities.

Question 3

The approach to job analysis that is based upon identifying the skills and behaviours needed to perform a job is described as a(n):

A) behavioural approach.
B) employee-oriented approach.
C) task-oriented approach.
D) employee-centred approach.

Answer 3

employee-oriented approach.

Question 4

The written statement of why a job exists, what the job holder actually does, how they do it and under what conditions the job is performed, is known as the:

A) job evaluation.
B) job context.
C) job description.
D) job specification.

Question 5

Which of the following is NOT a component of job descriptions?

A) Job identification
B) Duties and responsibilities
C) Remuneration and benefits
D) Performance standards

Question 6

Which of the following is NOT a standard guideline for writing effective job descriptions?

A) Begin each sentence with an action verb
B) Use specific rather than vague terms
C) Use quantitative terms where possible to achieve greater objectivity and clarity
D) Provide a comprehensive list of all duties, including routine tasks

Question 7

The heart of a job description is/are the:

A) duties and responsibilities of the position.
B) terms and conditions of employment.
C) authority and accountability clauses.
D) clear and unambiguous job title.

Question 8

Job analysis for standardised, repetitive short job cycles, or manual jobs will primarily use which of the following data gathering methods?

A) Interviews
B) Observations
C) Questionnaires
D) Employee diary

Question 9

Management Position Description Questionnaire is an approach to job analysis that:

A) uses a behaviourally oriented, structured questionnaire to describe, compare, classify, and evaluate management positions.
B) uses unique descriptions of each position to emphasise the importance or significance of all positions within the organisation.
C) relies upon the position holder to correctly identify all tasks related to their position and the relevance of these tasks to the achievement of the organisation's objectives.
D) requires a job analysis to be undertaken at an agreed-upon time every year so that the job description and job specification documents are always up-to-date.

Question 10

The job analysis instrument and scoring/reporting service developed by Purdue University and marketed commercially is:

A) The Job Review Service.
B) the Position Analysis Questionnaire.
C) the Job Orientation Review.
D) the Position Description Report.

Question 11

Which of the following is NOT a generally accepted method of data collection for the purposes of job analysis?

A) Position Classification Inventory
B) Position Analysis Questionnaire
C) Hay Guide Chart Profile
D) Job Characteristics Model

Question 12

The Hay Guide Chart Profile Method expresses job content in terms of three major factors. They are:

A) know-how, problem solving, accountability.
B) qualifications, performance standards, authority.
C) knowledge, qualifications, level of decision making.
D) know-how, authority, performance standards.

Question 13

Which one of the following job-related competencies can be described as a visible competency?

A) Self-concept
B) Traits
C) Knowledge
D) Motives

Question 14

Which of the following is NOT one of the questions that HR managers typically ask in developing a competency standard?

A) What actions must the employee demonstrate?
B) What performance standards must be met?
C) What training does this employee need?
D) What are the conditions under which the action must be carried out?

Question 15

The Behavioural Event Interview (BEI) is a development of:

A) the Management Position Description Questionnaire.
B) functional job analysis.
C) critical incident reporting.
D) Position Analysis Questionnaire.

Question 16

Specification of the content of a job, the material and equipment required to do the job, and the relation of the job to other jobs is:

A) job description.
B) job design.
C) job ranking.
D) job specialisation.

Question 17

The horizontal expansion of a job by adding similar level responsibilities is known as:

A) job enrichment.
B) job rotation.
C) vertical loading.
D) job enlargement.

Question 18

Job enrichment builds motivating factors into the job content by:

A) opening feedback channels, combining and rotating tasks.
B) establishing client relationships, creating natural work units, and performing precisely defined and repetitive tasks.
C) combining tasks, creating natural work units, and expanding jobs vertically.
D) giving employees opportunity to work as external consultants.

Question 19

Job specialisation, job enlargement, and job rotation are all methods of:

A) job enrichment.
B) job description.
C) job analysis.
D) job design.

Question 20

Socio-technical enrichment aims to:

A) change the technology of existing operations and systems.
B) improve the environment to allow increased social interaction among employees.
C) design production processes that are viewed as more acceptable by society.
D) integrate people with technology.

Question 21

Autonomous work teams are a form of:

A) quality circle.
B) job enrichment.
C) workforce flexibility.
D) task diversification.

Question 22

Hackman and Oldham identified five core job characteristics that are especially important for job design. Which of the following is NOT included in their list of core characteristics?

A) Task significance
B) Skills variety
C) Task specialisation
D) Feedback

Question 23

An example of comprehensive job enrichment which combines both horizontal and vertical loading to stimulate employee motivation and satisfaction is:

A) the Job Characteristics Model.
B) Socio-technical enrichment.
C) autonomous work teams.
D) the Volvo model.

Question 24

In the JCM model, the extent to which the job provides the employee freedom to plan, schedule and decide about work procedures is referred to as:

A) task significance.
B) skills variety.
C) task specialisation.
D) autonomy.

Question 25

Quality of work life programs incorporate principles of job enrichment and socio-technical enrichment in a comprehensive effort to improve the quality of the work environment. They aim to:

A) integrate employee needs and wellbeing with the organisation's desire for higher productivity.
B) increase productivity at the lowest possible cost to the organisation's budget.
C) provide an environment where employees like coming to work and mixing socially.
D) develop a culture which attracts and retains high calibre staff.

Question 26

The major criteria for improving quality of work life (QWL) include:

A) above average remuneration, autonomy, social relevance.
B) adequate remuneration, safe and healthy environment, social integration.
C) growth and security, task identity, feedback systems.
D) above average remuneration, variety of work, growth and security.

Question 27

A system that allows employees to choose their own starting and finishing times within a broad range of available hours:

A) flexitime.
B) job sharing.
C) quality of work life.
D) total life space.

Question 28

The study of the relationship between a worker's physical characteristics and their work environment:

A) occupational health and safety.
B) ergonomics.
C) critical work space.
D) work place integration.

Question 29

The extent to which the job permits the employee to obtain clear and direct knowledge about how well they are doing:

A) autonomy.
B) performance review.
C) audit.
D) feedback.

Question 30

Organisations that change their existing strategies, or develop new business strategies need to:

A) reassess their structures.
B) retain their existing structures.
C) undertake a job evaluation.
D) introduce competency profiling.

Question 31

Which of the following is NOT an occasion when job analysis is generally undertaken?

A) When an employee is not performing their role adequately
B) When a new job is created in the organisation
C) When a job is changed significantly as a result of new methods, new procedures, or new technology
D) When the organisation commences and the job analysis program is started

Question 32

Traditional job descriptions have been criticised for being:

A) inaccurate and inflexible documents.
B) out of date employee wish lists.
C) straitjackets, suitable only for repetitive work.
D) vague performance guidelines.

Question 33

Traditional job descriptions are not seen as appropriate for jobs that are:

A) project-based.
B) routine and repetitive.
C) varied and autonomous.
D) casual positions only.

Question 34

The purpose of the job analysis, the types of information to be collected, the sources of information, and the way in which the data are to be analysed and reported determines:

A) who gathers the information for the study.
B) the most appropriate data collection method.
C) the importance of accuracy in the data collected.
D) how the process is received by employees.

Question 35

When using a questionnaire to gather data for a job analysis which of the following should be avoided?

A) Using a short questionnaire to save time and expense
B) Explaining how the questionnaire results are to be used
C) Using simple, easy to understand language
D) Using a long questionnaire to gather as much detail as possible

Question 36

Competency profiling has been criticised for:

A) only dealing with employee attitudes.
B) promoting a mismatch between organisation needs and employee skills.
C) emphasising technical competencies.
D) not addressing the real issues facing employee performance.

Question 37

Despite some criticisms of competency profiling, its proponents argue that by identifying specific occupational requirements that facilitate the achievement of the organisation's strategic objectives it:

A) creates a standard that allows comparisons to be made between departments.
B) fosters competitiveness and a more strategic approach to HRM.
C) allows the organization to conduct job analysis more effectively.
D) prevents competitors from luring away highly valued employees.

Question 38

Job analysis helps to establish organisational adherence to EEO requirements by:

A) providing hard evidence of job relatedness.
B) allowing an organisation to give preference to a particular group of employees.
C) identifying clear lines of promotion and career development that are communicated to all employees.
D) ensuring that job descriptions and job specifications are detailed.

Question 39

A problem with job analysis might be that:

A) multiple methods of job analysis are used in the organisation.
B) there is a lack of trade union support for the job analysis.
C) employees are not made aware of the importance of job analysis.
D) multiple sources are used for collecting job information.

Question 40

One of the criticisms of job analysis is that older and less-educated workers typically:

A) describe their work as less important and less complex.
B) describe their work as more important and more complex.
C) overstate their decision making responsibilities.
D) understate their decision making responsibilities.

Question 41

A well-designed job promotes the achievement of the organisation's strategic business objectives by restructuring work so that:

A) there is less need to conduct regular job analysis exercises using consultants.
B) significant and transparent budget savings can be achieved across the organisation.
C) it integrates management's needs for efficiency and employee needs for satisfaction.
D) human resource managers can have more effective job appraisal systems.

Question 42

Problems with job specialisation might be:

A) no sense of identifiable end product, and training costs are increased.
B) vertical loading, and no recognised employee involvement.
C) higher absenteeism, increased turnover, and increased skill variety.
D) repetition, mechanical pacing, and little social interaction.

Question 43

Job enlargement is often resisted because:

A) flexibility is limited.
B) it requires further job specialisation.
C) it requires additional employees to implement effectively.
D) it justs adds more routine, boring tasks to the job.

Question 44

A possible drawback of job rotation is:

A) demotivation of intelligent and ambitious trainees.
B) lack of suitable jobs that can be included in the rotation.
C) difficulty of maintaining an accurate record of employee performance.
D) inability to ensure consistent quality of output.

Question 45

Job enrichment can lead to:

A) increased specialisation.
B) improvements in job performance and job satisfaction.
C) less flexibility.
D) limited opportunities for social interaction among employees.

Question 46

The critical psychological states that experienced meaningfulness of work, experienced responsibility for work outcomes, and knowledge of results, determine:

A) the level of employee motivation, job satisfaction, performance, and absenteeism and turnover.
B) the extent to which employees have an understanding of the requirements of their position.
C) whether or not allocated tasks are completed on time and on budget.
D) the likelihood of an employee remaining motivated with the organisation.

Question 47

Before the HR manager or line manager attempts to change the job characteristics of a position it is important to:

A) make employees aware of the impending changes.
B) trial the changes to see if they are appropriate.
C) change job titles to reflect job changes.
D) assess the personality and situation of employees.

Question 48

If the introduction of a QWL program results in productivity and financial gains:

A) then it can deemed a success.
B) then this should be reinvested in training and development programs.
C) then the organisation should be prepared to share these gains with employees.
D) then this can be passed on to customers as price cuts, thereby enabling the company to gain market share.

Question 49

Organisational benefits of introducing flexible working hours may include:

A) easier personal scheduling.
B) lower absenteeism.
C) less commuting time
D) higher job satisfaction.

Question 50

Individual benefits of introducing flexible working hours may include:

A) lower absenteeism.
B) reduced tardiness.
C) reduced turnover.
D) less commuting time.

Question 51

Discuss the role that job analysis plays in the successful implementation of other HRM policy functions.

Question 52

Identify and explain the different approaches used to gather job related information, and provide examples of the situations in which each approach could be used.

Question 53

What are the main criticisms that have been levelled at job analysis?

Question 54

Stone has identified three occasions on which job analysis is undertaken. Critically discuss why it is essential that a job analysis is undertaken at these times and how reviewing jobs benefits both the organisation and the employee.

Question 55

Outline the strengths and weaknesses of competency profiling.

Question 56

Discuss and outline the Jobs Characteristics Model. Identify the three critical psychological states that this model in turn influences.