Deck 4: Designing and Analyzing Jobs

Question 1

Colin is a director of HR. He is restructuring the organization toward a top-down decentralized management approach with many levels of management, highly specified jobs, and a narrow focus. Colin is planning to move the structure from a ________ organization to a ________ organization.

A) bureaucratic; boundaryless
B) bureaucratic; flat
C) flat; bureaucratic
D) boundaryless; narrow
E) narrow; bureaucratic

Answer 1

B

Question 2

Pamela works in the accounting department of company. Originally, her job entailed inputting customer orders. She is now happier at her job as she has been given the responsibility to also call customers to clarify their orders and inform them of when shipment will occur. This is known as

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

Answer 2

A

Question 3

Which of the following is true of work simplification?

A) It increases autonomy.
B) It often leads to lower job satisfaction.
C) Among educated workers it often leads to lower job satisfaction.
D) It enhances skill variety.
E) Among educated workers it often leads to lower job satisfaction and a demand for premium pay.

Answer 3

E

Question 4

Job analysis provides data on job requirements that can be used to develop

A) a staffing table.
B) a skills inventory.
C) HR policies and procedures.
D) an organization chart.
E) a job description.

Question 5

Work simplification is an approach to job design. Which of the following statement is true of work simplification?

A) It can sometimes lead to a reduced demand for premium pay.
B) It may be very appropriate in settings employing highly educated persons.
C) It is effective in a changing environment.
D) It can be used to motivate highly educated employees.
E) It is based on the premise that work can be broken down into clearly defined tasks.

Question 6

Ergonomics aims to adapt the entire job system to match human characteristics. Doing so results in eliminating or minimizing

A) product defects.
B) worker injuries.
C) product defects, worker injuries, and task variability.
D) product defects, worker injuries, and negative psychological effects.
E) negative psychological effects.

Question 7

What does an organizational chart do?

A) Present a financial "snapshot" of the firm at a particular point in time
B) Indicate the types of departments established in the firm
C) Specify duties and responsibilities
D) Depicts the formal relationships among jobs in an organization
E) Identify by name all the employees within an organization

Question 8

The field of study concerned with analyzing work methods and establishing time standards is known as

A) ergonomics.
B) job analysis.
C) job design.
D) job evaluation.
E) industrial engineering.

Question 9

Lance primarily works in the receiving department for a manufacturer. Every month he does move around to other areas such as to production to help finish products and to shipping to help with packaging. This is known as

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

Question 10

Which of the following is true of industrial engineering?

A) It is about control and autonomy.
B) It is a field of study concerned with analyzing work methods.
C) It is a field of study emerging with scientific management which is concerned with analyzing work methods and making them more efficient.
D) It is a field of study focused on satisfying psychological needs.
E) It is a field of study focused on worker autonomy.

Question 11

The process of systematically organizing work into tasks is involved in

A) organizational design.
B) job design.
C) job analysis.
D) job evaluation.
E) writing job descriptions.

Question 12

In an office with one supervisor, one assistant, two clerks, and two data-entry operators, there are

A) four jobs and four positions.
B) six jobs and six positions.
C) four positions and four jobs.
D) four jobs and six positions.
E) four positions and six jobs.

Question 13

The definition of ________ is the formal relationships among jobs in an organization.

A) chain-of-command
B) organization chart
C) job hierarchy
D) organizational structure
E) organizational design

Question 14

Making jobs more rewarding or satisfying by adding more meaningful tasks is primarily associated with

A) industrial democracy.
B) job rotation.
C) co-determination.
D) job enlargement.
E) job enrichment.

Question 15

Candace has mixed feelings about the company she works for. She is able to make decisions at her level in the organization but there are few levels of management positions to be promoted into. Which type of organizational structure exists at the company Candace works for?

A) Bureaucratic organization
B) Hierarchical organization
C) Flat organization
D) Boundaryless organization
E) Decentralized organization

Question 16

Seeking to integrate and accommodate the physical needs of workers into the design of jobs is known as

A) industrial engineering.
B) job enrichment.
C) scientific management.
D) ergonomics.
E) job enlargement.

Question 17

The procedure for determining the tasks, duties, and responsibilities of a job and the human attributes required to perform it is known as

A) preparing a job description.
B) job design.
C) job evaluation.
D) job analysis.
E) writing a job specification.

Question 18

The collection of tasks and responsibilities performed by one person is known as

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

Question 19

Which of the following statements about organizational structures is true?

A) Flat structures are increasingly the norm.
B) Bureaucratic designs are becoming more common.
C) There are four types of organizational structure.
D) Emphasis on teams whose members cross organizational boundaries is a characteristic of flat structures.
E) An organization's structure should be appropriate to the organization's strategic goals.

Question 20

Job enlargement involves

A) vertical loading.
B) multi-skilling.
C) systematically moving employees from one job to another.
D) increased challenge.
E) horizontal loading.

Question 21

The most widely used method for determining the duties and responsibilities of a job is

A) direct observation.
B) a participant diary/log.
C) an interview.
D) a position analysis questionnaire.
E) a survey questionnaire.

Question 22

Collecting job analysis information generally involves

A) a union representative.
B) the jobholder's immediate supervisor.
C) a member from senior management.
D) peer groups.
E) an external consultant.

Question 23

Which of the following jobs could be analyzed effectively using direct observation?

A) Human resources manager
B) Lawyer
C) Accounting clerk
D) Design engineer
E) Publicist

Question 24

The blueprint that shows the flow of inputs to outputs for the job under study is known as

A) a process chart.
B) an organization chart.
C) a job description.
D) a job specification.
E) a pay grade.

Question 25

Which of the following should be addressed in a job analysis questionnaire?

A) Job enrichment
B) Job rotation
C) Skill variety
D) Individual competencies
E) The purpose of the job

Question 26

By comparing the knowledge, skills, and abilities that employees bring to the job with those that are identified through job analysis, managers can determine the gap that exists. This is particularly useful for

A) establishing recruitment criteria.
B) determining a job's pay range.
C) training and development.
D) designing the job.
E) union negotiations.

Question 27

The final step in job analysis involves

A) performance management.
B) developing a job description and a job specification.
C) developing a compensation policy.
D) communicating and updating the information.
E) collecting data on job activities.

Question 28

A quantitative approach to job analysis is more suitable when

A) the aim is to assign a value to each job for comparisons for pay purposes.
B) the organization exceeds 200 in number of staff.
C) the organization has limited time and financial resources.
D) the aim is to reduce the amount of data collection.
E) the organization is using external consultants for job analysis purposes.

Question 29

The first step in the job analysis process is

A) reviewing relevant organizational information.
B) designing a job analysis questionnaire.
C) developing a job description and job specification.
D) selecting the representative jobs and positions to be analyzed.
E) matching candidates to positions.

Question 30

Job analysis information should be verified by

A) jobholder(s).
B) comparison with the procedures manual.
C) comparison with the previous job description.
D) HR department staff members.
E) speaking to co-workers.

Question 31

The problem of exaggeration of some activities and underplaying of others is minimized by the detailed, chronological nature of

A) a participant diary/log.
B) a position analysis questionnaire.
C) an individual interview.
D) a survey questionnaire.
E) functional job analysis.

Question 32

Which job analysis technique is inappropriate for jobs requiring mental effort?

A) A survey questionnaire
B) Direct observation
C) An individual interview
D) A position analysis questionnaire
E) A participant diary/log

Question 33

The PAQ rates jobs on which of the following dimension?

A) Mental processes
B) Incumbent performance
C) Processing information
D) Safety risks
E) Pay scales

Question 34

What is a written statement of what the jobholder actually does, how he or she does it, and under what conditions the job is performed?

A) A position analysis
B) The job standards
C) A job specification
D) A job description
E) A job analysis questionnaire

Question 35

An HR department engaged in a job analysis exercise is conducting interviews with employees who hold the same job. Which type of interview is the HR department using?

A) Group interview
B) Supervisory interview
C) Analysis interview
D) Structured interview
E) Checklist interview

Question 36

A typical job analysis questionnaire has several

A) non-job-related questions.
B) questions regarding biographical data.
C) open-ended questions.
D) questions about the incumbent's educational background.
E) levels of pay and related responsibilities.

Question 37

A list of the knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to perform a particular job is known as

A) a position analysis.
B) a job description.
C) a job specification.
D) the job standards.
E) the human requirements.

Question 38

Direct observation is often combined with which other job analysis method?

A) Questionnaires
B) Participant diary/log
C) Functional job analysis
D) Position analysis questionnaire
E) Interviewing

Question 39

The job analysis technique that involves 194 items, each of which represents a basic element that may or may not play an important role in the job, is known as

A) functional job analysis.
B) a participant diary/log.
C) a structured survey.
D) the point factor method.
E) a position analysis questionnaire.

Question 40

Collecting job analysis data in a larger organization usually involves

A) the work of the HR specialist alone.
B) the work of the supervisor alone.
C) HR generalists who are not consultants.
D) a labour union.
E) a joint effort by an HR specialist, the incumbent, and the supervisor.

Question 41

Other than the physical effort involved in a job, the physical demands analysis identifies

A) mental/emotional demands.
B) height requirements.
C) age limitations.
D) senses used.
E) required experience.

Question 42

The job analysis method that rates each job in terms of the incumbent's responsibilities pertaining to data, people, and things is known as

A) functional job analysis.
B) direct observation.
C) a structured survey.
D) a participant diary/log.
E) PAQ.

Question 43

If an employee is unable to perform one or more of the essential duties of the job due to reasons such as physical disability or religious restrictions, accommodation is not required.

Question 44

Designing an organizational structure depends on the strategic goals of the company.

Question 45

The job identification section of a job description includes which of the following?

A) Working conditions
B) Position title
C) Performance standards
D) Job summary
E) Relationships

Question 46

The subsection of the job description that describes contact with others inside and outside the organization and both directly and indirectly is titled

A) relationships.
B) associations
C) links.
D) interactions.
E) connections.

Question 47

Work simplification can increase operating efficiency in a stable environment.

Question 48

Peter is promoted from a first line manager to a middle manager. He is reviewing his job description and in particular the level of expenditure in his budget. Which section of the job description is Peter reading?

A) Relationships
B) Duties and responsibilities
C) Authority
D) Working conditions
E) Performance standards

Question 49

Jim was recently hired as an HR assistant. As his first project, his supervisor requested that he put forward a proposal to develop job descriptions for some of the key positions within the organization. What do you think Jim would have proposed as the most common areas to be included in a job description?

A) Summary of performance evaluations
B) Job position within with organizational chart
C) Required skills and experience
D) Duties and responsibilities
E) Pay scale

Question 50

Job analysis is defined as the process of listing duties, responsibilities, reporting relationships, and working conditions of a job.

Question 51

The National Occupational Classification is a reference tool for writing job descriptions and job specifications. It classifies occupations based on two key dimensions which are skill level and skill type.

Question 52

An organizational chart identifies the employee, his or her position, and salary in relation to other employees.

Question 53

Jobs have become more cognitively complex, more team based, and more time pressured, which has led some organizations to focus on personal competencies and skills in job analysis, rather than specific duties and skills.

Question 54

"No more than three posting errors per month can occur on average." Which component of the job description would this statement belong to?

A) Job identification
B) Performance standards
C) Job summary
D) Relationships
E) Responsibilities and duties

Question 55

The document that results from an examination of the duties and responsibilities and answering the question, "What human traits and experience are required to do this job?" is the

A) job specification.
B) position analysis questionnaire.
C) job description.
D) job evaluation.
E) position description.

Question 56

Kyla is a new graduate of a college HR program and working for firm that is growing quickly. She is given the responsibility of creating job descriptions for positions that the company will need to fulfill. What resource will be most helpful for Kyle to develop these job descriptions?

A) HRDC Job Classification Dictionary
B) National Occupational Classification
C) Canadian Classification and Dictionary of Occupations
D) Dictionary of Occupational Titles
E) Standard Occupational Classification

Question 57

Once a job analysis is completed it should be rigid so that the employee clearly understands the responsibilities and expectations.

Question 58

Taking only industrial engineering concerns into consideration in job design is sufficient because research does not support the view that human considerations are also critical.

Question 59

The section of the job description in which the major functions or activities are briefly identified is the

A) job summary.
B) job identification.
C) job outline.
D) job chart.
E) job abstract.

Question 60

Job analysis is called the cornerstone of human resources management because information gathered through job analysis forms the basis for a number of interrelated HRM activities.

Question 61

List and describe the six steps involved in job analysis.

Question 62

Identify and briefly describe the three main types of organizational structure. Which type would you recommend for a retail convenience store?

Question 63

Among educated employees, simplified jobs often lead to lower satisfaction, higher rates of absenteeism, and turnover. Discuss three ways in which job content can be modified to improve employee engagement.