Deck 3: Analyzing Work and Designing Jobs

Question 1

If employees perform some of their work from a corporate office,some from home,and some from the road or from a community office they are engaging in "distributed work."

Answer 1

False

Question 2

The tool created by the federal government to provide a standardized source of information about jobs in Canada's labour market is the National Occupational Classification (NOC).

Answer 2

True

Question 3

While the job description focuses on the activities involved in carrying out a job,a job specification looks at the qualities or requirements that a person performing the job must possess.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

Jobs that involve teamwork or broad responsibility tend to require a structure based on functions.

Question 5

A pure focus on efficiency is usually enough to make jobs motivating to employees.

Question 6

A job is a set of related duties.A position is the set of duties performed by a particular person.

Question 7

Flexitime is a scheduling policy that allows full-time workers to complete their weekly hours in fewer than five days.

Question 8

Once a job description has been developed there is seldom a need to review or update it.

Question 9

A job specifications provides a list of the competencies an individual must have to perform a particular job.

Question 10

Job analysis is required in order to understand and match job requirements and people.

Question 11

An advantage of the Position Analysis Questionnaire is that it can be filled out by almost anyone.

Question 12

Many organizations have developed a competency framework that identifies the competencies the entire organization needs to be successful.

Question 13

The study of jobs to find the simplest way to structure work in order to maximize efficiency is known as job design.

Question 14

Although it is important to conduct a work flow analysis,it is not important to see how the work fits within the context of the organization's structure.

Question 15

Job analysis is the process of getting detailed information about job applicants.

Question 16

Classical industrial engineering looks for the simplest way to structure work to maximize efficiency.

Question 17

Competencies are observable only when individuals are carrying out the tasks,duties,and responsibilities of the job-and afterward,if they show the product of their labour.

Question 18

The final step in work flow analysis is to identify the inputs used in the development of the work unit's product.

Question 19

Work flow design is the process of analyzing the tasks necessary for the production of a product or service.

Question 20

The Fleishman Job Analysis System provides an accurate picture of the ability requirements of a job,but not the specific duties and tasks associated with the job.

Question 21

The Position Analysis Questionnaire (PAQ)contains 194 items that represent all of the following,EXCEPT:

A) categories of abilities.
B) work behaviours.
C) work conditions.
D) job characteristics.
E) All of the choices are items that are included in the PAQ.

Question 22

The final stage in work flow analysis is to identify the:

A) outputs of a particular work unit.
B) work relationships within the work unit.
C) work processes used to generate the outputs of the work unit.
D) inputs used in the development of the work unit's product.
E) job requirements.

Question 23

The set of duties (job)performed by a particular person is called:

A) job task duties.
B) job analysis.
C) job activity.
D) a position.
E) a job.

Question 24

A focus on efficiency alone can create jobs that are so simple and repetitive that workers ___________.

A) have additional time for development.
B) stay motivated.
C) see practical benefits.
D) see their work as meaningful.
E) get bored.

Question 25

To achieve high quality performance,organizations have to understand and match _______ and _________.

A) job requirements;people
B) job design;work flow
C) job analysis;work flow
D) work flow;people
E) job descriptions;job specifications

Question 26

If the organization's structure is strongly based on function:

A) workers tend to have low authority.
B) workers tend to work alone at highly specialized jobs.
C) workers tend to have broad responsibility.
D) workers tend to serve a particular group of customers or produce a particular product.
E) both "workers tend to have low authority" and "workers tend to work alone at highly specialized jobs."

Question 27

A competency framework identifies the competencies the entire _______ requires to be successful.

A) organization
B) HR department
C) business community
D) industry
E) range of competitors

Question 28

Through the process of ____________,managers analyze the tasks needed to produce a product or service.

A) business strategy
B) work flow design
C) HR strategy
D) operational analysis
E) organizational structure design

Question 29

The process of getting detailed information about jobs is known as:

A) industrial engineering.
B) work flow analysis.
C) job analysis.
D) job evaluation.
E) job specification identification.

Question 30

Which of the following is a category of inputs to work flow analysis?

A) Raw inputs e.g.materials,data,and information.
B) Equipment e.g.special equipment,facilities,and systems.
C) Human resources e.g.competencies needed by those performing the tasks.
D) Raw inputs e.g.materials,data,and information,"equipment e.g.special equipment,facilities,and systems," and "human resources e.g.competencies needed by those performing the tasks."
E) Only "raw inputs e.g.materials,data,and information" and "equipment e.g.special equipment,facilities,and systems."

Question 31

Facing temperature extremes on the job is considered an ergonomic job hazard.

Question 32

Which of the following refers to a list of the tasks,duties,and responsibilities that a particular job entails?

A) Competency requirements
B) Job design requirements
C) Work flow analysis requirements
D) Job description
E) Job analysis requirements

Question 33

Competency requirements of a job may be more stable and long-lasting than the ________________ associated with the job.

A) design
B) competitive pressures
C) tasks,duties,and responsibilities
D) personal preferences
E) efficiency requirements

Question 34

Which of the following sources of job analysis information generally provides the most accurate information regarding the importance of various job duties?

A) Supervisors
B) Incumbents
C) Customers
D) Subordinates
E) Human resource specialists

Question 35

Which one of the following sources of job analysis information generally provides the most accurate information regarding the time spent performing various job tasks?

A) Supervisors
B) Incumbents
C) Customers
D) Subordinates
E) Human resource specialists

Question 36

Job descriptions generally contain all but one of the following components.Name the exception.

A) Title of the job
B) Overview of the job
C) List of the main duties
D) Competencies required to perform the job
E) All of these would be including in a job specifications.

Question 37

As more and more work activities become information processing activities,the need to consider cognitive ergonomics is likely to be an emerging trend.

Question 38

A person's level of proficiency at performing a particular task is called:

A) Job specification
B) Job description
C) Job analysis
D) Job design
E) Competency framework

Question 39

Which of the following contains a list of the competencies that an individual must have to perform the job?

A) Job specifications
B) Job description
C) Job analysis
D) Job design
E) Competency framework

Question 40

Why was the National Occupational Classification (NOC)created?

A) To design jobs that motivate.
B) To replace job descriptions in Canadian organizations.
C) To provide standardized sources of information about jobs in Canada's labour market.
D) To support the development of flexible staffing options.
E) Both "to design jobs that motivate" and "to replace job descriptions in Canadian organizations."

Question 41

Moving employees among several different jobs is ________.

A) job enlargement
B) job extension
C) job rotation
D) job enrichment
E) flexible work scheduling

Question 42

Concerns about employees' ability to be "always reachable" relates to which specific job design approach

A) Design for motivation
B) Design for speed
C) Design for efficiency
D) Design for mental capabilities and limitation
E) Design for job satisfaction

Question 43

Which one of the following approaches to job design involves seeking the "one best way" to perform a job?

A) Design for motivation
B) Design for safety and health
C) Design for mental capacity
D) Design for efficiency
E) None of the choices are correct.

Question 44

As a manager,you decide to design a job based on the principles of industrial engineering.Which of the following outcomes would NOT likely be achieved?

A) Increased efficiency
B) Reduced complexity
C) Increased meaningfulness
D) Almost anyone can be trained quickly and easily
E) Boring and repetitive jobs

Question 45

Distributed work refers to work performed from:

A) the corporate office.
B) home.
C) a remote location e.g.cottage or coffee shop.
D) the corporate office,"home," and/or "a remote location e.g.cottage or coffee shop."
E) only "the corporate office" and "home."

Question 46

Which one of the following interventions would NOT be consistent with the motivational approach to job design?

A) Self-managing work teams
B) Task specialization
C) Job enrichment
D) Flexible work schedules
E) Job enlargement

Question 47

What is a competency model or competency framework? Discuss how organizations may benefit from developing such a model or framework.

Question 48

Define the following: job analysis,job description,and job specifications.

Question 49

If,as a manager,you decided to combine the jobs of receptionist,data entry clerk,and file clerk into jobs containing all three kinds of work,you would be using which one of the following job design techniques?

A) Job rotation
B) Dejobbing
C) Job enrichment
D) Job extension
E) Self-managing work teams

Question 50

Which of the following is NOT a way to simplify a job's mental demands?

A) Limit the amount of information and memorization the job requires.
B) Provide easy-to-understand gauges and displays.
C) Encourage the use of checklists.
D) Provide clear instructions.
E) Encourage employees to juggle information from several sources at once.

Question 51

Job analysis is so important that it has been called the "building block" of everything that HR does.Describe how job analysis information is used in four specific HR processes.

Question 52

If company XYZ requires its employees to be at work between the hours of 10 a.m.and 3 p.m. ,but allows employees to decide whether they will work their additional hours before or after this time period,it is using which one of the following?

A) Job sharing
B) Flexitime
C) Compressed workweek
D) Distributed work
E) Dejobbing

Question 53

Identify and briefly discuss the three major elements of work flow analysis.

Question 54

Frederick Herzberg is most associated with which job design technique?

A) Job extension
B) Job rotation
C) Job enrichment
D) Job enlargement
E) Designing efficient jobs

Question 55

Job sharing involves two part time employees carrying out tasks associated with _______________.

A) improving efficiency
B) decreasing costs
C) a single job
D) several jobs
E) distributed work

Question 56

A schedule in which full-time workers complete their weekly hours in fewer than five days is termed a:

A) right-to-work workweek.
B) compressed workweek.
C) substandard workweek.
D) flexible workweek.
E) reduced hours workweek.

Question 57

As manager of a local grocery store,you decide to allow customers to place items on a short conveyer belt rather than requiring the cashier to reach into the cart to retrieve the items before scanning them.This change would be in keeping with which job design approach?

A) Design for motivation
B) Design for mental capabilities and limitations
C) Design for safety and health (ergonomics)
D) Design for teamwork
E) None of the choices are correct.

Question 58

If,as a manager,you were to give the sales staff in your store the authority to resolve customer problems,including the authority to decide whether to issue refunds or replace the merchandise,you would be using the technique of:

A) job enlargement.
B) job extension.
C) job involvement.
D) job enrichment.
E) flexible work schedules.

Question 59

The objective of job enlargement is to:

A) make the job less repetitive and more interesting.
B) give employees more say in how their work is structured.
C) decrease the complexity of the job.
D) significantly increase the meaningfulness of the job.
E) engage workers by adding more decision making authority to their jobs.

Question 60

______________ focuses on job design for efficiency,while _____________ focuses on job design for safety and health.

A) Industrial engineering;ergonomics
B) Ergonomics;industrial engineering
C) Job enlargement;job extension
D) Design for mental capacity;ergonomics
E) Ergonomics;design for mental capacity

Question 61

What are the four major approaches to job design?

Question 62

Why do organizations need to be concerned about making jobs more motivating? Identify and briefly describe three ways to make jobs more motivating.

Question 63

Discuss three types of flexible work schedules organizations may typically offer.