Unit III Job Design

Concept of Job Design

Job design involves conscious efforts to organize tasks, duties and responsibilities into a unit of work to achieve certain objectives .Job design follow job analysis. Job design involves three steps: 1. The specification of individual task. 2. The specification of the methods of performing each task. 3. The combination of tasks into jobs to be assigned to individual.

Breaking down tasks associated with each component in the system has led to the concept of job design. Came with rapid technological advancements (turn of the 20th century) when mass production & assembly line operations emerged. As jobs continue to become more sophisticated and specialized, the need for an educated and motivate. Designing jobs mean improving the conditions of employee participation in the work. Provides interesting, motivation & challenging work opportunities to workforce. Improves productivity & work quality in an organization. Specifying the task that make up a job for an individual or group It Involves determining What is to be done (e.g. response) How it is to be done (e.g. tools) Why it is to be done (e.g. purpose)

Any activity that involves the alteration of specific jobs with the intent of increasing both the quality of the employees work experience & their on-the-job productivity Hackman Concept of Job Analysis : A systematic and scientific process of obtaining job information and facts about jobs is job analysis. Defines the job's duties, responsibilities & accountabilities of a job.It defines the conditions under which a job is performed. Defines knowledge, skills, abilities that individuals need to perform the jobs adequately Involves the identification & description of what is happening on the job accurately and precisely. Definition of Job Analysis Job analysis is the procedure for determining the duties & skills requirements of a job and the kind of person who should be hired for it. Dessler A purposeful, systematic process for collecting information on the important work-related aspects of a job.

U.S. Employment Service Specifically , Job analysis involves the following steps, Collecting the job information Checking the job information for accuracy Writing the job information Using the information to determine skills, abilities and knowledge that are required on the job. Updating the information from time to time. The immediate products of the job analysis are job description and job/men specification. Approach of Job Design 1.F.W Taylor Advantages of Specialization - Simplifies training - High productivity - Low wage cost - Cost effective Disadvantages - Difficult to motivate quality - Worker dissatisfaction Low motivation

Following Principles to Design Jobs Science, not rule of thumb Harmony Cooperation, not individualism Maximum output, not restricted output Dev. of each employee to his greatest efficiency & prosperity

2. Herzbergs Motivation-Hygiene Theory Emerged in 1960s Hygiene & Motivating Factors Job design is related with satisfying higher-order needs Comparison of Satisfiers and Dissatisfies

3. Job Rotation Movement of employees from one job to another for a short period of time. Useful to diversity activities for a certain time Frees employees from boredom & frustration But, does not expand the individual duties & responsibilities

Advantages: Reduces boredom Broadens experiences (competent in several jobs) Personal growth Inter-departmental co-operation

Disadvantages: Increased training costs Reduced productivity De motivates specialists High training cost Job disturbance 4. Job Enlargement Combines tasks of different employees into one job Merges a number of simplified tasks to form a single task with an extended range of work Horizontal expansion Increasing the scope of a job through extending the range of its job duties and responsibilities Contradicts the principles of specialisation & the division of labour Work is divided into small units, each of which is performed repetitively by an individual Add tasks to to the existing job so that it has more variety and jobs becomes more challenging.

Advantages: Increases scope Increases work efficiency & flexibility Wide skills Economy Disadvantages No challenge Adding zero to zero meaning that one set of boring tasks (zero) is simply added to another set of boring tasks (zero) Long job period Employee does not prefer Against trade union High training cost 5. Job Enrichment: It involves adding more motivators to a job to make job more rewarding. Job becomes enriched when it gives job holder more decision making, planning, controlling power. Vertical expansion of job Advantages Growth opportunities More challenging & responsible work Lower staff turnover Less absenteeism Enhances employees commitment & satisfaction Disadvantages

 People may not like new responsibilities Resistance from unions Increased cost of design & implementation 6. Job Characteristics Approach Hack man & Oldham in 1975.A framework to study how particular job characteristics impact on job outcomes, including job satisfaction.There are five core job characteristics which impact three critical psychological states, in turn influencing work outcomes.Internal work motivation & other effects are seen as occurring only if three psychological states exist.This approach suggests that jobs should be diagnosed and improved along five core dimensions: Skill variety Task identity Task significance Autonomy Feedback Examples of High and Low Job Characteristics

6. Job Characteristics Approach (conti)

Job Characteristics . Advantages: Intrinsic motivation Job satisfaction Skills development High productivity Disadvantages: Complexity

 Lack of coordination Costly Unsuitable for lower employees 7. Autonomous Work Group Main focus on work group & it focuses on group instead of the one-man-one-job relationship Trust each other Effective communicators Handle day-to-day problems Plan & control their work Free to decide: Which working methods will be used Who shall belong to the group Who shall take charge of directive duties if they come into leadership Who shall perform which duties Advantages Greater involvement of employees in decision-making brings in commitment Disadvantages Chances of irregularities Psychological unpreparedness to accept responsibilities 8. Modified Work Schedule Method (MWSM): Its a Modern method. Working schedule is prepared according to interest of employees. Employee can select the shift e.g. Morning, day & evening. Total working hours keep constant. MWSM can be developed as follows: Flex shift Part time job Over time job Shorter work week Job sharing instead of hiring new employees Advantages: Facility to employee High motivation Low absenteeism Low costly Disadvantages: Difficult in scheduling Under utilization of resources

Techniques of job Analysis

1. Job Focused Technique:

i) Functional Job Analysis (FJA) ii) Management Position Description Questionnaire iii) Methods Analysis iv ) The Hay Plan 2. Person Focused Technique: i)Position Analysis Questionnaire (PAQ) ii)Physical Abilities Analysis (PAA) iii)The Critical incident Technique iv)Guidelines Oriented job Analysis (GOJA) 1. Job Focused i) Functional Job Analysis (FJA) Developed by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) in the late 1940s Helps find out what is involved in a particular job & elaborates the contents of a job Describes what a does by having someone observe & interview the employee Information is categorized into 3 general functions that exist in all jobs data, people & things E.g. An office receptionist Data People Things Copy the data Speak to people Handle things

What data are copied, whom the job-holder speaks, & which things are handled.Identifies performance standards & training requirements FJA: A Real World Example Data 0. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Synthesizing Coordinating Analyzing Compiling Computing Copying Comparing People 0. Mentoring Things 0. Setting up

1. Negotiating 2. Instructing 3. Supervision 4. Diverting

1. Precision work 2. Operating 3. Driving 4. Manipulating 5. Tending 6. Feeding 7. Handling

5. persuade (influencing) 6. Speaking 7. Serving 8. Helping

*U.S. Department of Labor, Dictionary of Occupational Titles, 4th ed. Revised (Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1991), p.xix. Each job is given a code E.g. A recruiter might be assigned the code 2, 6, 7 if the job entails analyzing data (2), speaking to people (6), and handling different things (7) See previous table FJA Focuses on four aspects of each job: 1.Worker functions: data, people, things 2.Worker fields: Methods, techniques, machines, tools,equiptment all jobs are classified into 100 worker fields such as teaching, printing and welding. 3.Worker Products: RM, finished goods, services etc. 4.Worker Traits : Needed in workers eg. Training, aptitudes, interest, temperaments etc. ii. Management Position Description Questionnaire (MPDQ) Designed to analyze managerial positions Highly structured questionnaire A checklist containing 208 job factors related to responsibilities, restrictions, demands of managers are used After collection of information, individual job description & specialization will be prepared Intended to use across most industrial settings 1.Product, marketing & financial strategy planning. 2. Coordination of other organizational units & personnel 3. Internal Business control 4. Product and services responsibility. 5. Public and customer relations. 6. Advanced consulting. 7. Autonomy of actions. 8. Approval of financial commitments. 9. Staff service. 10. Supervision. 11. Complexities and stress. 12. Advanced financial responsibility.

13. Broad personnel responsibility

PAQ Example of Sources of Job Information Rate the extent to which each is used by the worker as a source of information in performing the job.

Rating N 1 2 3 4 5 iii) Method Analysis :

Importance to the Job Does not apply Very infrequent Occasional Moderate Considerable Very substantial

It provides description of how to do the job efficiently and effectively. It is used for non managerial jobs. Methods analysis studies motion at work . Balancing movements of two hands Opposite and symmetrical directions of hands Reduction of muscular efforts Doing productive work without idle time. Location and position of tools Illumination( the degree of visibility),height, space arrangement at work. It aims at accuracy and efficiency in doing job. iv) The Hay plan Method: Used to analyze managerial jobs consisting of numerous task. Job analyst interviews the manager on the job . Information is collected about: Objectives of the job Dimensions of the job Nature and scope of managerial position Accountability Supporting staff needs Technical,managerial and human relationship required Nature of problem solving required Nature of control and supervisory requirements. Person focused Technique i) Position Analysis Questionnaire (PAQ)

Developed at Purdue University Structured job analysis questionnaire Involves 194 elements that are grouped within 6 major divisions & 27 sections Generates job requirement information that is applicable to all types of jobs Collects quantifiable data concerning the duties & responsibilities of various jobs Quantitatively compares jobs to one another & assign pay levels for each job Applicable more to higher-level, professional jobs (required considerable experience) Too lengthy

ii). Physical Abilities Analysis (PAA) Analyses physical abilities required by job-holders to perform the manual jobs. Ability required to exert muscular force continuously Resistance strength of trunk muscle Strength needed to lift , press and pull external exerts Ability to maintain a balance in either an unstable position or when opposing forces are pulling iii)The Critical Incident Technique: Represent effective and ineffective job performance Identifies the critical incidents that occurred during last 6 Months. The incident may be desirable or undesirable. Some eg. Of desirable behaviors are: Correct procedures

 Action to minimize inventory cost iv) Guidelines- oriented job Analysis (GOJA ) : As name implises Steps included under it are: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Listing the job related duties of a particular person List the important or critical duties required Determine the frequency of critical duties Determine the requisites skills or knowledge required Determine the physical characteristics required Determine the other characteristics required

Output of job analysis 1.Job description:

Job description is the written statement of what the job holder does. It tells about the nature of job .It is the immediate output of job analysis. It provides the enough information to the job incumbent. Contents of job description: a) Title, code no and level of the job b) Location of the job: Department,division,section c) Relationship of the job d) Job summary about the job nature e) Duties and responsibilities of the job f) Authority of the job g) Accountabilities of the job h) Working conditions of the job i) Machines , tools ,equipments and materials used j) Hazardous of the job Format : Job Description 1.Job Title: Wage and Salary Administration Manager 2.Code no: WSAM 005 3.Job location: Human resource department 4.Grade/Level : 3 5. Title of Immediate Superior:HR Director and CEO 6.Job summary: Responsible for company wage and salary program. Job analysis, Job evaluation Wage survey and administration 7. Job duties: Supervise job studies and approves final form of description

Develop, execute and monitors job evaluation procedures. Acts as Chairman of the company wide job evaluation committee. Conduct periodic salary survey in the company. Administer the companys fringe benefits program, recommends changes in existing Supervise the members of the wage and Salary department.

8. Authority: work independently in wage and salary administration with given authority 9.Supervision:Reports to the HR director and supervise to the members of HR department 10. Relationship: With the equivalent levels of management in other department Maintains social and official contacts with local officers. 11.Working condition: Normal ,8 hrs per day for 5 days in a week

2. Job Specification:
Job specification is the second output of the job analysis based upon job description. Job specification addresses personal traits and experience that are required to perform a job effectively. It contains the minimum acceptable requirements and additional desirable attributes of jobholder for the job in relation to the job factors of skills, efforts, responsibility and working conditions. It is a profile of human characteristics needed for performing the job. Job specification states what kind of people should be hired for the job. Contents of Job Specification: 1. Education and training required 2. Experience 3. Physical characteristics 4. Skills required 5. Abilities : Physical and mental 6. Maturity level 7.Social and behavioral attributes Format : Job Specification 1.Position/ Job Title: Manager, Wage and Salary Administration 2.Code No: WAM 005 3.Job location: Human Resource Department 4.Education: A good bachelor degree with at least 50% marks. A degree or diploma in labor law will be an additional desirable qualification. 4. Experience: At least 5 yrs experience in a similar position in a large organization of 5. Age: Preferably above 30 yrs and below 45 yrs.

6. Other Qualities: Good health Pleasing manner Fluency in speaking and writing English Analytical and decision making skills Ability to work long hours Good knowledge of computer application Use of job analysis information Human Resource Planning ,Recruitment and Selection Information on what job needs What human characteristics are required to perform the activities Helps managers to decide what kind of people to recruit & hire Compensation For estimating the value of each job & its appropriate compensation Determine relative worth of each job Proper compensation demands accurate assessments of what various jobs entail Performance Appraisal Compares each employees actual performance with his/her performance standards Determines the jobs specific activities & performance standards Training & Career Development Training the job requires Discovering Unassigned Duties Helps reveal unassigned duties (Equal Employment Opportunity) EEO Compliance Helps to show that the selection criteria & job performance are actually related Strategic Planning Important tool in an organizations overall strategic planning efforts Process of Job Analysis Step I Understanding the purpose of job analysis: Some used for selecting employees/some for comparing jobs for compensation purposes Area of uses of information collected through job analysis.

Step II Review background information Organization charts (distribution of work) Process chart (shows the flow of inputs to & outputs from a particular job) Work flow chart Step III Select representatives job to avoid analysis of similar jobs Step IV Actually analyze the job By collecting data on job activities, working conditions etc. Collect the information e.g. Work activities, machines and materials used, worker oriented activities, personal attributes, job context , job performance standard.

 Step V Verify the job analysis information with the worker & his/her immediate supervisor Step VI Develop a job description (a list of what the job entails) & job specification (what kind of people to hire for the job)