Deck 4: Defining, Analyzing, and Designing the Work

Question 1

In the act of designing a role, who provides critical information about the job and its requirements?

A) head of HR
B) job analyst
C) job incumbent
D) CEO

Answer 1

C

Question 2

How does job analysis differ from job design?

A) Job analysis is concerned with verifiable and objective information while job design is subjective in nature.
B) Job analysis can be done by an HR professional whereas job design requires a subject matter expert.
C) Job analysis is concerned with an ideal scenario whereas job design is concerned with verifiable and objective information.
D) Job analysis and job design can be used interchangeably.

Answer 2

A

Question 3

Which of the following is accomplished through job analysis?

A) ensuring the organization is complying with employment equity legislation
B) eliminating discrepancies between internal wage rates and market rates
C) providing criteria for evaluating the performance of an employee
D) identifying ideal requirements for the job

Answer 3

C

Question 4

What do the duties of a job consist of?

A) the related tasks among various jobs
B) the tasks and activities that are distinct from each other
C) the natural units of work that are similar and related
D) a blend of complex and routine tasks

Question 5

Which of the following best defines the term "job"?

A) a group of related work activities and duties
B) the specific duties and responsibilities performed by one employee
C) the knowledge, skills, and abilities required to perform work
D) the tasks, duties, and responsibilities that need to be completed

Question 6

"The process of obtaining information about jobs by determining what the duties, tasks, or activities of those jobs are and the necessary skills, knowledge, training, and abilities to perform the work successfully" is the definition of which HRM process?

A) job analysis
B) job assessment
C) job specification
D) performance evaluation

Question 7

Which of the following best defines the term "work"?

A) a group of related job activities and duties
B) the specific duties and responsibilities performed by one employee
C) the knowledge, skills, and abilities required to perform work
D) the tasks, duties, and responsibilities that need to be completed

Question 8

Which of the following best defines the term "position"?

A) a collection of positions with related job activities and duties
B) the specific duties and responsibilities performed by one employee
C) the knowledge, skills, and abilities required to perform work
D) the tasks, duties, and responsibilities that need to be completed

Question 9

What is the manager's role in defining work?

A) to rank order of positions in the organization
B) to method of job analysis to be used
C) to rate of pay for jobs and career path for new hires
D) to tasks and activities to be performed and their order

Question 10

Who are the people typically involved in job analysis?

A) experts outside of the company are brought in
B) manager, incumbent, and an objective third-party
C) trained HR people, manager, and incumbent
D) trained HR people, manager, and an objective third-party

Question 11

Who does the term "incumbent" refer to?

A) employee hired to do a job
B) best employee for a task
C) applicant who is being considered for a position
D) previous employee to hold a given role within an organization

Question 12

What is a risk associated with conducting incumbent interviews as part of the job analysis process?

A) It is less effective than asking the incumbent to log his activities.
B) The incumbent may feel he is being replaced.
C) Conducting interviews is inefficient.
D) The incumbent may inflate his job description.

Question 13

Who determines what tasks and activities need to be performed, and in which order, to reach the company's objectives?

A) CEO
B) manager
C) head of HR
D) team leader

Question 14

Which term refers to the process of obtaining information about job-duties, tasks, or activities?

A) job design
B) job analysis
C) job search
D) job description

Question 15

In the future, what will companies use to describe the work to be done instead of focusing on job descriptions?

A) work profiles
B) roles
C) competencies
D) position

Question 16

What is the name of the Canadian federal government standardized job description online database, containing over 25,000 occupational profiles?

A) Job Occupational Guide (JOG)
B) Dictionary of Careers (DOC)
C) National Occupational Classification (NOC)
D) Job Classification Guide (JCG)

Question 17

Why is job analysis called the cornerstone of HRM?

A) It links HR strategy with HR processes.
B) The information obtained is proactive.
C) The information it collects serves so many HRM functions.
D) It is required by law.

Question 18

What are reasons the line manager should take the primary role in defining work?

A) The line manager is responsible for defining performance standards and rate of pay.
B) The line manager determines the duties to be performed and knows what skills the job requires.
C) The line manager knows what knowledge the job requires and the rate of pay.
D) The line manager determines the tasks to be performed and the rate of compensation.

Question 19

When conducting a job analysis, how can the job-related information be obtained?

A) by determining what the duties of those jobs are and the skills necessary to perform the work successfully
B) by interviewing job incumbents and recording their responses
C) by breaking down each job into its requisite tasks and assigning those jobs to employees
D) by deciding who does what in an organization

Question 20

What is the ultimate purpose of job analysis?

A) to ensure job descriptions accurately reflect the role
B) to improve organizational performance and productivity
C) to determine where redundancy exists within the organization
D) to benefit from additional training to improve efficiency

Question 21

Which of the following provides an indication of the general nature of the job?

A) job title
B) job description
C) job analysis heading
D) job specification

Question 22

What is the benefit of including "written by" and "approved by" in a job description?

A) to ensure document has been vetted for any potential legal infractions
B) to ensure the description is approved by the HR department
C) to provide a point of contact for questions or clarification
D) to comply with legislation for job descriptions

Question 23

What section of the job description answers "Why does your job exist?"

A) essential duties and responsibilities
B) summary
C) job specifications
D) standards of performance

Question 24

Job analysis is more than just determining the duties/tasks, skills and abilities associated with the job. Which of the following is important to job analysis?

A) that employees understand what is expected of them
B) that HR is involved in all aspects of job analysis
C) that the organization's goals and strategies be known and understood
D) that job design and role expectations are communicated

Question 25

Which term refers to the section of a job description that describes the knowledge and skills required to perform the job?

A) title
B) summary
C) specifications
D) duties and responsibilities

Question 26

Which of the following might be included in a job title?

A) the level within the occupational hierarchy
B) the name of the job incumbent
C) the duties involved in the job
D) the compensation scale

Question 27

What are some examples of job information that is collected during a job analysis?

A) wage rate and bonuses, education level, job satisfaction
B) tasks, responsibilities, experience required, performance standards
C) employee engagement, on-the-job training requirements, employee expectations
D) working conditions, injury reports, safety concerns and violations

Question 28

Which term refers to the section of a job description that describes what activities are performed on the job?

A) title
B) summary
C) specifications
D) duties and responsibilities

Question 29

What is a best practice for writing the duties/responsibilities section of a job description?

A) Use the future tense for all verbs as the candidate has not been hired yet.
B) Begin each sentence with "you are required to".
C) Use many subheadings to organize the section.
D) Begin each sentence with a present-tense, action-oriented verb.

Question 30

Which of the following typically appears closest to the beginning of the job description?

A) job duty
B) job summary
C) job specifications
D) performance standards

Question 31

Which part of the HRM process would include the following instruction: "Describe two or three of the more difficult problems you must solve to get your job done"?

A) performance evaluation
B) job description creation
C) job design
D) job analysis

Question 32

What are job descriptions?

A) written documents that list the different duties, tasks, and responsibilities that make up a job including the skills, knowledge and competencies required to be successful in the job
B) written documents that list the performance standards required to successfully complete a job
C) written documents that list the educational background and skills required to do the job
D) written documents that list the work experience required to do a job including the duties, tasks and responsibilities that make up the job

Question 33

Which of the following is an example of a performance standard in a job description?

A) ensure staff is trained in all areas of the business
B) develop and maintain employee handbook
C) flexible and adaptable
D) meets or exceeds monthly sales targets

Question 34

For which section of the job description would information be provided by asking questions such as "What tasks do you perform every day"?

A) essential duties and responsibilities
B) summary
C) job specifications
D) standards of performance

Question 35

What is job specification data?

A) the knowledge, skills, abilities, and other attributes that are needed by a job incumbent to do well on a job
B) information about jobs that is primarily used to outline the job incumbent's responsibilities
C) information about jobs that is primarily used to outline the job purpose and duties
D) information about the minimal level of competency required by a job incumbent to do the job well

Question 36

What is a problem frequently associated with job descriptions?

A) Job specifications are usually "nice-to-haves" and deter good applicants from applying.
B) they are created based on the job design.
C) Standards of performance are not included.
D) They are often created before the job analysis is finished, so they are not accurate.

Question 37

What impact does human rights legislation have on job descriptions?

A) Employers must give a range of years of required experience.
B) Employers must consider appropriate and acceptable ways to describe jobs.
C) Employers must only use the male pronoun "he" in job descriptions.
D) Employers must ensure that acronyms used in job descriptions do not deter candidates from applying.

Question 38

"Deposits cheques on a daily basis" is an example of which two components of a job description?

A) standards of performance and job specifications
B) essential duties and responsibility and standards of performance
C) job specifications and required experience
D) required experience and standards of performance

Question 39

Which term refers to the section of a job description that describes the working conditions of the job?

A) title
B) summary
C) specifications
D) duties and responsibilities

Question 40

What section of the job description answers "Describe two or three difficult problems that you must solve to get your job done?"

A) essential duties and responsibilities
B) summary
C) job specifications
D) standards of performance

Question 41

What is the most likely outcome of vague or non-job-related criteria for standards of performance?

A) The employer is prohibited from taking corrective action against the employee's performance.
B) The employer may be charged with unfair discrimination.
C) The employee may claim a violation of human rights legislation.
D) The employee may file a grievance with the Labour Relations Board.

Question 42

In what order should the statements in the job duties section of the job description be written?

A) in order of importance
B) order is not important in this section
C) in order of time consumption
D) in alphabetical order

Question 43

The output from a job analysis provides information for which HRM activity?

A) production planning and expediting
B) compensation and benefits
C) employee disciplinary actions
D) employee exit surveys

Question 44

What demands are typically listed in the job specification section?

A) skills and physical demands
B) education and gender
C) age and physical demands
D) experience and mental demands

Question 45

What does human rights legislation require of employers in their job descriptions?

A) ensure equal pay for work of equal value
B) provide equal orientation and training opportunities to employees who do not meet minimum job requirements
C) show that job specifications match the requirements and duties of the job
D) conduct employee performance reviews based on the job duties and responsibilities

Question 46

In which activity can the data collected during job analysis be used?

A) developing performance evaluation tools
B) determining the career path of the employee
C) ensuring an organization's compliance with Employment Equity legislation
D) determining how well an employee can work in a team environment

Question 47

Which HRM process makes use of the information collected during job analysis?

A) employee termination
B) performance management
C) developing benefits packages
D) developing employee guidelines

Question 48

By comparing the knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) identified by job analysis with those that employees bring to the job, managers can determine the gap that exists. What is this information especially useful for?

A) union negotiations
B) determining the job's salary scale
C) training and development initiatives
D) establishing selection criteria

Question 49

Which specific performance requirements does human rights legislation require a job to be based on?

A) common practices in industry
B) the National Occupational Classifications
C) past practices
D) valid job-related criteria

Question 50

What would you include in the job summary section of a job description?

A) description of the primary purpose of the job
B) narrative that lists the major job duties
C) description of the major job requirements
D) three-to-four-line summary of the KSAOs

Question 51

What job analysis approach do organizations in dynamic and changing work environments use that considers how jobs should be restructured to meet future organizational requirements rather than standard job duties and responsibilities?

A) dynamic job analysis approach
B) living job description approach
C) strategically-oriented approach
D) competency-based approach

Question 52

Which term refers to the section of a job description that describes the health and safety hazards related to the job?

A) title
B) summary
C) specifications
D) duties and responsibilities

Question 53

Which of the following is a problem frequently associated with job descriptions?

A) quickly evolving work environments means they constantly need to be updated
B) culturally biased standards of performance
C) over-use of acronyms and industry buzz-words
D) highly-detailed job specifications, making a position difficult to fill

Question 54

In which job analysis approach do the manager and employee ensure that substantial changes in duties, responsibilities, skills, and other work characteristics are documented on an ongoing basis?

A) change management approach
B) performance approach
C) dynamic approach
D) living job description approach

Question 55

Which of the following lists examples of action-oriented, present-tense verbs which can be used to begin the statements in the essential duties section of the job description?

A) being, is, has been
B) researched, conducted, generated
C) reviewing, editing, writing
D) researches, conducts, generates

Question 56

What job analysis approach do organizations operating in fast-moving environments use that focuses on standards of performance by describing how the work is to be done and what results are expected on a regular basis?

A) future-oriented approach
B) living job description approach
C) strategic-oriented approach
D) competency-based approach

Question 57

What does the selection process use job analysis information for?

A) to determine which interviewing method to use
B) to identify selected personality traits
C) to specify the criteria that will be used to measure the qualifications of job applicants
D) to decide whether or not to administer employment tests

Question 58

How many essential duties and responsibilities are usually listed in a job description?

A) 5-9
B) 10-15
C) 16-20
D) 21-30

Question 59

When describing essential duties and responsibilities, how does the word "may" impact the frequency of the duty?

A) The employee will not be required to complete the duty.
B) The duty is done only by some employees who have this job.
C) The employee will be required to complete the duty if a co-worker is sick or on vacation.
D) The duty is performed once in a while.

Question 60

What job analysis approach do organizations in dynamic and changing work environments use that considers the characteristics of successful performers rather than standard job duties?

A) future-oriented approach
B) living job description approach
C) strategically-oriented approach
D) competency-based approach

Question 61

Which term refers to the human resource function that occurs when a manager uses the information on the job description and specifications as a basis for evaluating the relative worth of the job?

A) performance reviews
B) compensation
C) performance evaluation
D) performance management

Question 62

Which of the following can be included in a job design strategy?

A) job downsizing
B) job rotation
C) job shadowing
D) job sharing

Question 63

Which term refers to any effort that makes work more rewarding or satisfying by adding higher-order responsibilities to an employee's job?

A) job characteristics
B) job enlargement
C) job enrichment
D) job rotation

Question 64

What is a possible reason that job redesign might fail?

A) the employee might not have the desire for autonomy
B) employees do not understand the benefit in the redesign
C) employees are over-educated for the role
D) employees lack the physical skills and abilities for the role

Question 65

Which of the following is a consideration of job design?

A) employee attitudes and behaviours that impact their success on the job
B) determining how the job can be eliminated without impacting the success of the company
C) the physical and mental stress that the job causes not only on the employee but their family also
D) alleviating the stress and frustration experienced by being a member of a remote team

Question 66

Which of the following can be included in a job design strategy?

A) job amplification
B) job fashioning
C) job amelioration
D) leadership teams

Question 67

What are two outcomes of the job design process?

A) achieving employee goals and organizational effectiveness
B) adapting to the role of being a leader, coach, and facilitator
C) finding ways to support and enhance employee contribution initiatives
D) understanding employee empowerment, employee involvement, and employee teams

Question 68

Which term refers to the human resource function that occurs when a manager uses the information on the job description as a basis to compare the skills and abilities of each applicant?

A) recruitment
B) selection
C) training and development
D) performance standards

Question 69

Which model recognizes the link between motivational factors and components of a job to achieve improved job satisfaction?

A) job satisfaction model
B) job characteristics model
C) job achievement model
D) job motivation model

Question 70

How is the relative worth (pay rate) of a job determined?

A) by calculating how much the company would lose if the incumbent was unable to work
B) by calculating what the job demands of an employee in skill, effort, and responsibility
C) by reviewing salary survey results in the same geographical area
D) by reviewing pay equity survey results for the same or similar job

Question 71

What essential role do job specifications play in the recruitment process?

A) to reduce the likelihood of discrimination occurring
B) to deter unqualified applicants from applying
C) to provide a basis for attracting qualified applicants
D) to identifies competencies which may make candidates undesirable

Question 72

Which term refers to the human resource function that occurs when a manager uses the information on the job description as a basis to identify any discrepancies between the knowledge, skills, and abilities demonstrated by a jobholder and the requirements contained in the description and specification for that job?

A) recruitment
B) selection
C) training and development
D) performance standards

Question 73

Which term refers to the human resource function that occurs when a manager uses the information on the job description as a basis for identifying the work environment conditions and the physical and mental capabilities required to perform the job in order to ensure it is performed safely?

A) legal issues
B) health and safety
C) safety training and development
D) performance management

Question 74

The job specification that a truck driver must be male, is an example of what?

A) exploitation
B) harassment
C) discrimination
D) inclusion and diversity

Question 75

In addition to facilitating the achievement of organizational objectives, what else should job design do?

A) focus on the changing needs of the employees when they are working remotely
B) recognize that more can be achieved when employees work in a brick and mortar structure
C) recognize the needs and capabilities of those who will perform the job
D) determine how to make the best use of the employees, given their skills and competencies

Question 76

According to the job characteristics model, what should be considered when designing a job?

A) skill variety and task significance
B) autonomy and task intensity
C) task intensity and skill variety
D) individuality and task significance

Question 77

Which of the following is a characteristic of the job characteristics model?

A) readiness
B) autonomy
C) task intensity
D) individual differences

Question 78

How can the results of a performance evaluation impact a job description?

A) Job descriptions are seldom updated, regardless of the performance evaluation results.
B) The evaluation may prove that the specifications on the job description attracted an over-competent employee.
C) The evaluation may prove that the specifications on the job description attracted an incompetent employee.
D) The job description may need to be updated if the specifications or performance standards are no longer valid.

Question 79

Which term refers to the process of systematically defining and arranging tasks, roles, and other processes to achieve employee goals and organizational effectiveness?

A) job analysis
B) organizational design
C) job evaluation
D) job design

Question 80

What is the job design term for when a person's job expands in the types of tasks he or she is expected to perform?

A) job crafting
B) job rotation
C) job enrichment
D) job enlargement