Question 1

Job analysis:

Accepted Answer

A job analysis specifies the tasks, duties and responsibilities demanded in the performance of a job and matches these against the skills, knowledge, abilities and other personal characteristics of the job holder.

Question 2

KSAO is an acronym for:

Accepted Answer

A job analysis specifies the tasks, duties and responsibilities demanded in the performance of a job and matches these against the skills, knowledge, abilities and other personal characteristics or KSAOs of the job holder.

Question 3

Which of the following is not a primary function of job analysis?

Accepted Answer

The primary functions of job analysis include: classifying jobs, classifying workers, generating job descriptions, performance appraisal, job restructuring and staff planning. Appropriate remuneration from the top to bottom range can also be determined by accurate job analysis.

Question 4

Grouping jobs assists:

Accepted Answer

Grouping jobs assists in the management of job sectors in terms of labour supply, economic funding, representation by appropriate unions and marketing boards, and legislation requirements, and allows us to define KSAOs required to successfully perform a specific job or other, similar jobs.

Question 5

Which one of the following is not among the nine broad occupations classified by the dictionary of occupational titles (DOT)?

Accepted Answer

The DOT classifications help in identifying skills abilities and job requirements, and in job design and training. The nine broad occupations' description, structure and content are included. The occupations are: professional, technical and managerial occupations; clerical and sales occupations; service occupations; agricultural, fishery, forestry and related occupations; processing occupations; machine trades occupations; bench work occupations; structural occupations; and miscellaneous occupations.

Question 6

The three DOT dimensions of worker function are:

Accepted Answer

The DOT is based on the assumption that work is a highly organised entity and that every job requires a worker to function in three dimensions: data, people and things.

Question 7

According to DOT, all the elements of work should combine to deliver the outcome of:

Accepted Answer

All the elements of DOT should interact to produce productivity, growth and worker satisfaction.

Question 8

The information in the job description is utilised by the candidates to:

Accepted Answer

Candidates use the job description to frame their job application (especially in terms of addressing key competencies).

Question 9

A job specification:

Accepted Answer

A job specification details the minimum acceptable skills and characteristics required by a job incumbent in order to perform the job successfully.

Question 10

A job specification can be paired with a job description in order to:

Accepted Answer

A job specification can be paired with a job description to increase the objectivity of a job selection process.

Question 11

Which of the following is not one of the important and necessary incumbent characteristics that a subject matter expert (SME) must rate during the identification of KSAOs in a job analysis?

Accepted Answer

The KSAO should distinguish superior workers from average workers. Spector, Brannick and Coovert (1989) suggest SMEs should rate each characteristic on four criteria: if it is necessary for new workers, if it is practical to expect, the degree of trouble likely if the KSAO is absent, and if the KSAO distinguishes superior workers from average workers.

Question 12

Which one of the following methods of job analysis is not listed in your text as a method for conducting the study of a job?

Accepted Answer

Although we do use existing documentation in OB and HRM in determining aspects of jobs and job design, using existing job descriptions is not a method of job analysis.

Question 13

Which one of the following issues is not especially relevant to successful job observation?

Accepted Answer

A successful job observation requires the analyst to consider a number of issues, such as the influence of the analyst's presence on the job incumbent, the period of observation, the number of job incumbents and the data collection method.

Question 14

Quantitative job analysis methods include job-oriented methods and worker-oriented methods. These may be described, respectively, as:

Accepted Answer

Job-oriented methods are based on the assessment of the actual production or output of a job (rather than the skills of the worker). Worker-oriented methods are based on the assessment of the worker's KSAOs that are required to perform a job (rather than the actual process or outputs of a job).

Question 15

The advantages of using quantitative job analysis methods do not generally include:

Accepted Answer

The advantages of using quantitative job analysis methods include having a standard, objective method of data collection; saving time and money; and comparing the data against established national and international databases.

Question 16

The critical incident technique was developed by:

Accepted Answer

The CIT was developed by Flanagan (1954) for use by the U.S. Army Air Force during World War II.

Question 17

A critical incident is defined as:

Accepted Answer

A critical incident is a job analysis method that rates the behaviours exhibited within a job-specific situation.

Question 18

The position analysis questionnaire (PAQ), including the six categories of information input, mental processes, work output, relationships with other people, job content, and other job characteristics, now consists of:

Accepted Answer

The position analysis questionnaire (PAQ) is a self-report questionnaire containing a broad range of core job activities. The PAQ has undergone a number of revisions since 1972 and now consists of 300 items.

Question 19

The reliability of a job analysis method is normally based on:

Accepted Answer

The reliability of a job analysis method is normally based on the extent of inter-rater agreement and on test-retest reliability comparisons.

Question 20

Convergent validity is a test of validity which:

Accepted Answer

Convergent validity is a test of validity that compares the ratings for the same job from different data sources (such as the results from different job analysis methods).

Quiz 3: Job Analysis and Job Design