Lecture 3 –(Chapter 5 of textbook) Job Analysis, Job Design

In this lecture you will able to learn to

• Explain what is meant by job analysis and job design.
• Understand the uses of job analysis.
• Describe the content of a job description and a job specification.
• Discuss the collection of job analysis data.
• Explain the major methods of job analysis.
• Discuss competency profiling.
• Understand the major approaches to job design.
• Discuss quality of work life, employee participation and industrial democracy.

This lecture introduces the concepts of job analysis, job design and quality of work life. It starts
with job analysis and examines the collection of data for the purposes of job analysis, the
methods of job analysis, problems that might be encountered, and the use of job analysis in
relation to other HRM functions. There will be some issues of job design and the characteristics
that should be considered when designing any job. The final section looks at the quality of work
life and the use of quality circles to improve employee job satisfaction.

Job analysis
A proper match between work and employee capabilities is now an economic necessity, and
organisations that fail to have the right people in the right place at the right time are at risk. Job
analysis focuses attention on what employees are expected to do. It can be defined as the process
by which jobs are divided to determine what tasks, duties and responsibilities they include, their
relationships to other jobs, the conditions under which work is performed, and the personal
capabilities required for satisfactory performance.

Purpose of job analysis

The purpose of job analysis is to determine why jobs exist, what tasks are required within the job,
when, where and how the job is performed, under what conditions, and what qualifications are
needed to perform the job.

Components of job analysis

Job analysis provides information about three basic aspects of a job.

• Job content: the duties and responsibilities of the job

• Job requirements: the formal qualifications, knowledge, skills, abilities and personal
characteristics which employees need to perform the content of the job
• Job context: situational and supporting information regarding the particular job

Approaches to job analysis

There are two basic approaches to job analysis:

• a job-oriented (or task) approach - A job-oriented approach is concerned with what gets
done — that is, the tasks, duties and responsibilities of the job (job content).

• an employee-oriented (or behaviour) approach. - The employee-oriented approach focuses on

how the job is done — that is, the human behaviour required to perform the job (job
requirements).
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Job analysis and job design

Job analysis is normally conducted after the job has been designed, the worker has been trained
and the work has been performed. It is a snapshot of the job that exists at that time, not what it
should be.

When to analyse a job

Job analysis is generally undertaken:
1. when the organisation commences and the job analysis program is started;
2. when a new job is created; and
3. when a job is changed significantly as a result of new methods, new procedures or new
technology.

Uses of job analysis

The information produced by job analysis is used extensively in HRM. For example it is used to
effectively hire, train, appraise, compensate or use its human resources. The information
gathered during the job analysis used in:

• Job descriptions
• Job specifications
• Job design
• organisational structure and design
• HR planning
• recruitment
• selection
• job orientation
• performance standards and performance appraisal
• training and development
• career planning and development
• job evaluation
• compensation and benefits
• healthy and safe working environment.
• industrial relations
• legal requirements

Job descriptions
A job description is a written statement explaining why a job exists, what the job-holder actually
does, how he or she does it, and under what conditions the job is performed.

Job description guidelines - Their use and organisational preference largely determine the style
and format of job descriptions. Clarity and simplicity of expression are prerequisites for job
descriptions and specifications.

Job specifications
The job specification or person specification is derived from the job description. It identifies the
experience, qualifications, skills, abilities and knowledge, personal qualities and special
requirements needed to successfully perform the job.

Job descriptions, job specifications and unions

The language used in writing job descriptions and job specifications is extremely important as it
may become part of an award or negotiated agreement involving a union. Badly written job
descriptions and job specifications restrict management’s freedom to change job tasks, duties and
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responsibilities and to assign work to employees. To avoid disputes, it is critical that job
descriptions and job specifications be clear, concise and understandable.

Criticism of job descriptions

The traditional job description has been criticised for being a straitjacket suitable only for
repetitive work; a static written description that ignores the dynamics of the job. Job fluidity
undermines the effectiveness of traditional job descriptions and means that they risk being out of
date and counterproductive as guides for selection, job evaluation and so on. Thus, job
descriptions are seen as being appropriate only for stable, predictable and bureaucratic
organisations. Finally, job descriptions are seen as archaic because the traditional job comprising
set tasks is disappearing. Project-based work instead of position-based work signals the demise
of the traditional job and traditional job description. Competition, technical innovation and
changing workplace values have created the need for a work environment where jobs are
re-invented totally.

Job analysis and EEO

To guarantee compliance with EEO requirements, managers must ‘know the job’. Job analysis
can provide the hard evidence of job relatedness and thus help the HR manager to establish
organisational adherence to EEO requirements.

Practical problems and theoretical criticisms of job analysis

Some problems that arise in job analysis are the product of human behaviour, while others stem
from the nature of the job analysis method. Traditional approaches to job analysis are mostly
criticised for their basic assumption that jobs are static, and the validity of the job concept itself.

Job design
Job design is the 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. A well-designed job promotes the achievement
of the organisation’s strategic business objectives by structuring work so it integrates
management requirements for efficiency and employee needs for satisfaction.

Methods of job design

• Job specialisation - involves using standardised work procedures and having employees
perform repetitive, precisely defined and simplified tasks.
• Job enlargement - seeks to horizontally load a job by adding to the variety of tasks to be
performed.
• Job rotation - increases task variety by periodically shifting employees between jobs
involving different tasks.
• Job enrichment - involves making basic changes in job content and level of responsibility.
• Socio-technical enrichment - focuses on the relationship between technology and groups of
workers. The aim is to integrate people with technology.
• Autonomous work teams - represent job enrichment at the group level. The employer sets
up self-managed work teams who are responsible for accomplishing defined performance
objectives.

Comprehensive job enrichment: the Hackman–Oldham Job Characteristics Model

The Job Characteristics Model (JCM) combines both horizontal and vertical improvements to
stimulate employee motivation and satisfaction. Employees perform better when they perceive
their work as being meaningful, have responsibility for outcomes and receive feedback on the
results of their activities. Five core job characteristics are especially important to job design:
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1. Skills variety - the degree to which a job holder must carry out a variety of different activities
and use a number of different personal skills in performing the job
2. Task identity - the degree to which performing a job results in the completion of a whole and
identifiable piece of work and produces a visible outcome that can be recognised as the result of
personal performance.
3. Task significance - the degree to which a job has a significant impact on the lives of other
people, whether those people are co-workers in the same organisation or individuals outside the
organisation.
4. Autonomy - the degree to which the job holder has the freedom, independence and discretion
necessary to schedule work and to decide which procedures to use in carrying it out.
5. Feedback - the degree to which performing the activities required by the job provides the
employee with direct and clear information about the effectiveness of his or her performance.

Quality of work life

Quality of work life (QWL) programs incorporate principles of job enrichment and
socio-technical enrichment in a comprehensive effort to improve the quality of the work
environment. QWL programs especially seek to integrate employee needs and wellbeing with the
organisation’s desire for higher productivity.

Quality circles
The exact meaning of quality circles can vary from organisation to organisation and country to
country. Quality circles usually consist of small groups of five to ten workers who meet on a
regular basis. The objective is to identify problems as a group, process suggestions and examine
alternatives for improving (at relatively low cost) productivity, raising product and service
quality, and increasing worker satisfaction.

Why quality circles fail

Quality circles often fail because:

• managers often feel threatened

• managers often pressure employees into starting quality circles instead of leaving
employees to initiate them
• high labour turnover and frequent job changes among quality circle members make it
difficult, if not impossible, to maintain any continuity of membership
• many groups focus on problems that they have no control over or that are beyond their
level of expertise to solve
• some organisations restrict the number of meetings and the time spent in meetings because
quality circle gatherings require members to be absent from their jobs
• quality circles are often beset with problems that derive from union management relations.

A short conclusion of this lecture:

Job analysis is a fundamental HRM activity. It is the process whereby jobs are studied to
determine their tasks, duties and responsibilities, their relationships to other jobs, the conditions
under which work is performed and the personal qualities required for satisfactory performance.
The major job analysis data collection methods include observation, interview, questionnaire,
employee diary/log, critical incident reporting and competency profiling. The products of job
analysis are job descriptions and job specifications: job descriptions provide a written summary
of the duties and responsibilities of the position; and job specifications focus on the personal
characteristics and qualifications that are required to successfully perform the job. Job design
identifies what work must be performed, how it will be performed, where it is to be performed
and who will perform it.
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Job specialisation involves using standardised work procedures and having employees perform
repetitive, precisely defined and simplified tasks. Job enlargement, in contrast, seeks to increase
the breadth of a job by adding to the variety of tasks to be performed. Job rotation increases task
variety by periodically shifting employees between jobs involving different tasks. Job
enrichment builds motivating factors such as achievement, recognition, responsibility and
opportunities for personal growth by vertical and horizontal loading. Autonomous work teams
represent job enrichment at the group level. QWL programs represent a comprehensive effort to
improve the quality of the work environment by integrating employee needs and wellbeing with
the organisation’s need for higher productivity. Quality circles attempt to overcome job
specialisation by giving employees the opportunity to participate in the management of their jobs
instead of modifying the job content.

Some questions for your review:

1. What is job analysis? Why is it important?

Job analysis is a basic HR activity because it focuses attention on what employees are expected to
do. Knowledge about jobs and their requirements is collected through job analysis. Job analysis
may be defined as the process by which jobs are divided to determine what tasks duties and
responsibilities they include, their relationships to other jobs, the conditions under which work is
performed, and the personal capabilities required for satisfactory performance. In larger
organisations, this systematic collection, evaluation, and organisation of job information is done
by HR specialists called job analysts. In smaller organisations it is generally part of the HR
Managers job portfolio.

Organisations today are becoming more dependent on their human resources. Revolutionary
change, complex techniques and global competition mean increasing vulnerability.
Organisations that fail to have the right people in the right place at the right time are at risk. A
proper match between work and employee capabilities is now an economic necessity. HR
Managers therefore need a good understanding of work and the way it is organised. Job analysis
and job design provide the foundations for this knowledge.

2. What steps are involved in job analysis? Who should be included in the job analysis
process?

The purpose of job analysis is to obtain answers to such questions as:

1. Why does the job exist?
2. What physical and mental activities does the worker undertake?
3. When is the job to be performed?
4. Where is the job to be performed?
5. How does the worker do the job?
6. What qualifications are needed to perform the job?
7. What are the job working conditions (such as the levels of temperature, light, offensive
fumes, and noise)
8. What machinery or equipment is used in the job?
9. What constitutes successful performance?

Job analysis provides information about 3 basic aspects of a job

• Job Content - describes the duties and responsibilities of the job in a manner that can range
from global statements to very detailed descriptions of tasks and procedural steps
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• Job Requirements - identify the formal qualifications, knowledge, skills abilities and
personal characteristics that employees need in order to perform the content of the job in a
particular situation or context.
• Job Context - refers to situational and supporting information regarding the particular job:
its purpose, where it fits within the organisation, scope data such as the magnitude of
financial, human or material resources managed; the availability of guidelines, the potential
consequences of error, the amount and closeness of supervision received or provided; and the
work setting, cultural context, physical demands and working conditions.

3. What are some problems you would expect to find in an organisation where jobs
have been designed for maximum efficiency without any consideration of employee
needs?

Two basic approaches to job analysis exist - a job (or task) oriented approach and an employee
(or behaviour) oriented approach. A job oriented approach is concerned with what gets done -
the tasks, duties and responsibilities of the job (job content). The job oriented approach usually
designs jobs for maximum efficiency. In contrast, the employee oriented approach focus is on
the human behaviour required (ie. how a job is done) to do the job (job requirement). This
approach has greater consideration for human needs. Job requirements (knowledge skills and
abilities) can be determined from a description of the job content. A description of knowledge,
skills and abilities however, does not permit an identification of tasks, duties and responsibilities.

Some of the problems that one would expect in an organisation where jobs are designed for
maximum efficiency without any consideration of human needs are
low levels of job enrichment
poor Quality of Work Life (QWL)
dissatisfaction with work
staff turnover
low motivation

4. What are the major uses of job analysis in HRM?

The information produced by job analysis is used extensively in HRM. It is difficult to imagine
how an organisation could effectively hire, train, appraises, compensate or utilise its human
resources without the kinds of information derived from job analysis"

1. Job Descriptions - job descriptions define what a job is by identifying its content,
requirements and context. Because job descriptions provide a written summary of the
duties and responsibilities of the job, they help managers and current and prospective
employees understand what the job is and how it is to be performed.

2. Job Specification - job specifications focus on the personal characteristics and

qualifications that an employee must possess to perform the job successfully.

3. Job Design - job design identifies what work must be performed, how it will be
performed, where it is to be performed and who will perform it. Job analysis information
is invaluable in determining which tasks should be grouped together to form a job and
structuring jobs so that employee satisfaction and performance can be enhanced.

4. Organisational Structure and Design - job analysis by clarifying job requirements and the
inter relationships among jobs means content and tasks duties and responsibilities at all
levels can be specified, thus promoting efficiency by minimising overlap or duplication.
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Job analysis information is invaluable in determining which tasks should be grouped

together to form a job and structuring jobs so that employee satisfaction and performance
can be enhanced.

5. HR Planning - HR or personnel planning involves "getting the right number of qualified

people into the right job at the right time". Job analysis information is essential for this if
the number and types of employees to be recruited or exited from the organisation are to
be accurately determined.

6. Recruitment - job analysis information helps the HR Manager attract better qualified
candidates by identifying who to recruit and how and where to recruit them by
establishing the job requirements that must meet. In addition, job analysis permits the
HR Manager to provide realistic job previews by highlighting irrelevant and or distorted
job information.

7. Selection - job analysis information identifies what the job is by defining what duties and
responsibilities must be performed. This facilitates the development of job related
selection techniques, helps ensure that EEO requirements are met, and increases the
likelihood of a proper matching of an applicant with a job. Finally, job analysis
information can be used to validate the selection techniques.

8. Orientation - Effective job orientation requires a clear understanding of the work to be

performed. A new employee cannot be properly taught how to do a job if job duties and
responsibilities are not clearly defined.

9. Performance Appraisal - Job analysis information is essential to the establishment of

performance standards. Through job analysis a thorough understanding of what the
employee is supposed to do is obtained. Without this, acceptable levels of performance
cannot be determined or an accurate measure of actual performance obtained.

10. Training and Development - Job analysis information is used to design and implement
training and development programs. The job specification defines the knowledge, skills
and abilities required for successful job performance. This allows the HR Manager to
establish training and development objectives, design programs and determine whether
or not a current or potential employee requires training.

11. Career planning and Development - HR Managers are better placed to offer career
guidance when they have a good understanding of the types of jobs existing in an
organisation. Similarly, by identifying jobs and job requirements, employees become
aware of their career options and what constitutes a realistic career objective for them in
the organisation.

12. Compensation and Benefits - the job description is the foundation of job evaluation. It
summarises the nature and requirements of the job and permits its evaluation relative to
other jobs. Once the relative worth of a job has been determined an equitable level of
compensation and benefits can be assigned.

13. Health & Safety - job analysis information helps create a healthy and safe working
environment. Jobs with hazardous conditions methods or procedures can be identified
and redesigned to eliminate or reduce exposure to health and safety hazards.
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14. Industrial Relations - Misunderstandings and disagreement among managers, employees

and unions over job content is a major source of grievance and demarcation disputes. Job
analysis information can help avoid such disputes by providing a clear description of
tasks and responsibilities and identifying the formal qualifications, skills, abilities,
knowledge and experience required to successfully perform the work.

5. Do you think job enrichment is just a fancy name for employee exploitation?
Explain your answer.

Job enrichment involves making basic changes in job content and level of responsibility.
Through vertical loading the employee is given the opportunity to experience greater
achievement, recognition, responsibility and personal growth and through horizontal loading the
complexity of work is increased to promote interest. Job enrichment thus builds motivating
factors into the job content by

- Combining tasks - factionalised tasks are combined to increase skill variety and task
identity.

- Creating natural work units - the job is changed so that the employee is responsible for or
"owns" an identifiable body of work so that he will view his work as important and
meaningful rather than irrelevant and boring.

- Establishing client relationships - wherever possible a direct relationship is established

between the employee and her client (ie. the user of the product or service that the
employee produces).

- Expanding jobs vertically - vertical loading gives employees responsibilities and control
formerly reserved for higher level positions. It seeks to close the gap between the "doing"
and the "controlling" aspects of the job and thus increase employee autonomy.

The above elements of job enrichment all sound like they are giving the worker more to do,
without any commensurate increase in remuneration. This can lead to claims of exploitation.

Job enrichment clearly is not for everyone. To avoid claims of exploitation, and to minimise the
risk of industrial disputation arising from the implementation of job enrichment, management
should consider the following:

The existing level of discontentment among employees.

The economic and technical feasibility of job enrichment.
Whether there is a natural unit of work.
Whether the employee can be given control over the job.
The employees’ perceptions about the meaningfulness of the job to society.
Whether there is a reward to the employee for assuming increased responsibility.
If performance feedback can be given.
If there is some form of consumer identification.
Whether management style is compatible with job enrichment.
If the employees want enriched jobs.
If there is union opposition to job enrichment.
If the jobs are easy to enrich.
Whether motivation is central to the problem.
If the compensation benefits and working conditions are satisfactory.
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6. What is job design? What factors influence job design? Give examples.

Australians today expect more from their jobs. Alas the gap between what employees want from
their jobs and what they actually get appears to be widening. Today significant numbers of
Australians are dissatisfied with the quality of their working lives. Human Resource Managers
must promote employee productivity by finding ways to unlock the potential that exists in the
overwhelming majority of employees. One way to do this is through better job design - as both
productivity and quality of work life are tied to job design. There is however, no one best way to
design a job. The different approaches to job design can emphasise either efficiency or employee
satisfaction. Because job design is influenced by numerous factors such as management
philosophy, government regulations, union requirements, economic conditions and employee
numbers and availability trade offs inevitably occur . This means that some jobs will be more or
less efficient or satisfying than others. Regardless poorly designed jobs result in lower
productivity, employee turnover, absenteeism, sabotage, resignations and unionisation. In
contrast, a well designed job promotes the achievement of the organisation's objectives by
structuring work in a way that integrates management requirements for efficiency and employee
needs for satisfaction. Effective job design thus presents a major challenge for the HR manager.
Job design is also affected by the nature of the task, the attributes of the worker, the cost of
re-design.

7. Imagine that you manage a fast-food franchise. If you wanted to decrease labour
turnover and absenteeism, would you (a) increase pay rates or (b) rotate, enlarge or enrich
jobs? Explain your answer.

* Increasing pay rates is probably not feasible because of the low margins that fast food
franchises operate on. Also, pay rates are usually determined in Australia by industrial
awards.
* Rotation is certainly feasible to break up the monotony that comes with performing low
skill tasks over and over.
* Job enlargement is another way to provide task variety. However, the confined space of
fast food franchises means that it may be impractical to have the workforce performing a
wide range of tasks simultaneously. Teamwork may also suffer if the workforce does not
have clear and specialised jobs to perform. There may also be union opposition to job
enlargement, especially in light of the low wages that are paid.
* A degree of Job Enrichment is possible, but its feasibility is limited. The nature of the
workforce may be such that too much enrichment will over stretch the capacity of
workers to accept extra responsibility. Combining tasks has been discussed above.
Creation of natural work units is encouraged in fast food franchises; one person might
"own" the drive-through order point, for example. Establishing client relationships is
possible to the extent that workers have direct interaction with customers. Vertical
expansion (loading) is often not feasible for various reasons. However, promotion is
quite possible for those who stay. Work related feedback is not feasible, but supervisor
initiated feedback can certainly be very motivating.

8. What are the relationships between job analysis, job descriptions and job
specifications?

The information produced by job analysis is used extensively in HRM. It is difficult to imagine
how an organisation could effectively hire, train, appraises, compensate or utilise its human
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resources without the kinds of information derived from job analysis. The two principle
components of the job analysis are job descriptions and job specifications.

Job Descriptions define what a job is by identifying its content, requirements and context.
Because job descriptions provide a written summary of the duties and responsibilities of the job,
they help managers and current and prospective employees understand what the job is and how it
is to be performed. A job description is a written statement explaining why a job exists, what the
job holder actually does, how he or she does it, and under what conditions job is performed.
There is no standard format used for writing a job description. The format, in fact, will vary
widely depending on management preference and the uses to which the job descriptions will be
put. Most job descriptions (in one form or another) do however contain information on job
identification, job summary, duties and responsibilities, relationships, know how, problem
solving, accountability, and special circumstances.

Job Specification - job specifications focus on the personal characteristics and qualifications that
an employee must possess to perform the job successfully. The job specification is derived from
the job description. It identifies the experience; qualifications, skills, abilities and knowledge,
personal qualities and special requirements needed to successfully perform the job. The job
specification shows the HR Manager what kind of candidate to recruit and identifies what factors
to assess the candidate on. The job specification may be incorporated into the job description
form or documented separately.

Job Descriptions and Job Specification should be reviewed on a regular basis to ensure that they
still accurately describe the job and the personal requirements needed. This maintains the
integrity of the documents and promotes employee confidence in the job analysis process

9. What are the differences between job rotation, job enlargement, job enrichment
and comprehensive job enrichment?

Job enlargement seeks to horizontally load a job by adding to the variety of tasks to be performed.
Task variety is assumed to offset some of the disadvantages of job specialisation and thereby
increase employee performance and satisfaction.

Job rotation increases task variety by periodically shifting employees between jobs involving
different tasks. It is closely related to job enlargement but instead of giving the employee more
tasks to do, the employee is rotated between different jobs. Job rotation aims to reduce boredom
through diversifying the tasks to be performed. If however, all the tasks are boring and routine,
similar problems to those found with job enlargement arise. In contrast, if job rotation is used to
place employees in more challenging jobs it can be effective for improving job satisfaction
helping an employee develop a generalist perspective, increasing skills and increasing workforce
flexibility.

Job enrichment involves making basic changes in job content and level of responsibility.
Through vertical loading the employee is given the opportunity to experience greater
achievement, recognition, responsibility and personal growth and through horizontal loading the
complexity of work is increased to promote interest.

Comprehensive job enrichment combines both horizontal and vertical improvements to stimulate
employee motivation and satisfaction. Employees perform better when they perceive their work
as being meaningful, have responsibility for outcomes and receive feedback on the results of
their activities.
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10. Identify and discuss the key influences from the diagnostic model that have significance
for job analysis and job design.

Internal and external influences:

Legal - Job design and the process of job analysis must conform with equal opportunity
requirements. It must also conform with occupational health and safety requirements. It must
also not contravene the requirements of relevant awards of enterprise deals.
Technological - Technology usually alienates workers from the product or service that they are
producing. Technology often also ensures that jobs are in need of more skilled people. Hence,
jobs have to be designed with clear skill implications stated, and with effort to build in more of
the motivating job characteristics.
Demographic - Job Design must take account of the differences between individuals. The job
must suit the person to be motivating; and the person must suit the job for the job to be performed
well.
Business - Job design has two basic rationales. the first is to produce a good or service. The
second is to increase individual motivation and commitment.
Industrial Relations - Job designs must not contravene awards or enterprise bargaining
provisions.

Because job design is influenced by numerous factors such as management philosophy,

government regulations, union requirements, economic conditions and employee numbers and
availability trade offs inevitably occur. This means that some jobs will be more or less efficient
or satisfying than others. Regardless poorly designed jobs result in lower productivity, employee
turnover, absenteeism, sabotage, resignations and unionisation. In contrast, a well designed job
promotes the achievement of the organisation's objectives by structuring work in a way that
integrates management requirements for efficiency and employee needs for satisfaction.
Effective job design thus presents a major challenge for the HR manager.