Chapter 4 Flashcards
(25 cards)
What are organizational elements?
Job specialization Span of Control Chain of command Formalization Departmentalization Centralization / decentralization
What is organizational structure?
the formal relationships among jobs in an organization
should be appropriate given strategic goals
What is organizational chart?
clarifies chain of command; who reports to whom
does not explain communication patterns, degree of supervision, power, authority, or specific duties
What are characteristics of a bureaucratic structure?
Top down management approach
Many levels, and hierarchal communication channel and career paths
Highly specialized jobs with narrowly defined job description
Focus on independent performance
What are characteristics of a flat structure?
Decentralized management approach
Few levels, multi-directional communication
Broadly defined jobs with general job descriptions
Emphasis on teams and product development
What are characteristics of a matrix structure?
Each job has two components functional and product
Finance personnel for product B are responsible for both the finance executive and the product B executive.
What is a Job design?
process of systematically organizing work into tasks required to perform a job
What is a Job?
group of related activities/duties for one or more employees
What is a position?
collection of tasks/responsibilities performed by one person
What is a Job analysis?
procedure for determining tasks, duties and responsibilities of each job and the human attributes (knowledge, skills, abilities) required to perform it
HR managers use the data to develop job description and job specification that are the basis for employee performance appraisal and development.
The ultimate purpose of job analysis is to improve organizational performance and productivity.
What are the steps in the Job analysis?
Step 1: Identify What The Information Will Be Used For
Step 2: Review Relevant Background Information
Step 3: Select Representative Positions/Jobs To Be Analyzed
Step 4: Analyze The Jobs
Step 5: Review Analysis With Incumbent/Supervisor
Step 6: Develop Job Description/Job Specification
What are methods of collecting job analysis information?
Interviews (individual, group, supervisory)
Questionnaires
Observation
Participant Diary/Log
What is National Occupation Classification?
reference tool for writing job descriptions and job specifications
compiled by the federal government (Human Resources and Skills Development Canada - HRSDC)
contains comprehensive, standardized descriptions of about 30,000 occupations and the requirements for each
What factor influence accuracy of a job analysis?
Self-reporting exaggerates and omission by employees and managers
Collecting information from a representative sample of employees vs. employee population
Challenges to capturing all important job information
Lack of access to job site for personal observation
Lack of familiarity with the tasks, duties, and responsibilities of a job
Ongoing changes to the job
What is job description?
a list of the duties, responsibilities, reporting relationships, and working conditions of a job—one product of a job analysis
What is job specification?
a list of the “human requirements,” that is, the requisite knowledge, skills, and abilities, needed to perform the job—another product of a job analysis
What is information included on a job description?
job identification job summary duties and relationships authority performance standards/indicators working conditions and physical environment
How to write a clear and specific job description?
Create statements that:
Are direct and simply worded; eliminate unnecessary words or phrases.
Describe duties with a present-tense verb, the implied subject being the employee performing the job.
Use “occasionally” to describe duties performed once in a while and “may” for duties performed only by some workers on the job.
State the specific performance requirements of a job based on valid job-related criteria.
What information is included on a job specification?
Personal qualifications an individual must possess in order to perform the duties and responsibilities
The skills required to perform the job:
Education or experience, specialized training, personal traits or abilities, interpersonal skills or specific behavioral attributes, and manual dexterities.
The physical demands of the job:
Walking, standing, reaching, lifting and talking.
What is job design?
An outgrowth of job analysis that improves jobs through technological and human considerations in order to enhance organization efficiency and employee job satisfaction.
What is job enrichment?
Enhancing a job by adding more meaningful tasks and duties (vertical expansion) to make the work more rewarding or satisfying.
Increasing authority/ control. Becoming experts.
Providing opportunities for achievement, recognition, growth, responsibility, and performance.
What is job enlargement?
Adding duties at the same level of meaningfulness as the current job duties
Not as rewarding but helps to reduce some boredom
What is employee empowering?
Granting employees power to initiate change, thereby encouraging them to take charge of what they do
Which organizational conditions favouring empowerment?
Participation and autonomy
Innovation and acceptance of risk-taking by employee and organization
Access to information
accountability for results
