51) At a new watch assembly plant, a job is divided into three work elements. The element times for the
first four cycles are recorded by the continuous method and are presented below along with a
performance rating factor (RF) for each element.
The standard time for this job, assuming that the allowance is 18 percent, is:
A) fewer than or equal to 1.9 minutes.
B) greater than 1.9 minutes but fewer than or equal to 2.0 minutes.
C) greater than 2.0 minutes but fewer than or equal to 2.1 minutes.
D) greater than 2.1 minutes.
52) An observer has recorded the following select ( ) for a five-part task and has applied a rating factor
(RF) to each. The times are in seconds. If there is a 15 percent allowance for “nonproductive” activities,
compute the standard time for the total task.
Element
RF
1
6.2
0.9
2
1.7
1.1
3
4.5
1.2
4
1.2
0.8
5
5.0
1.2
The standard time for the task is:
A) fewer than or equal to 21 seconds.
B) greater than 21 seconds but fewer than or equal to 23 seconds.
C) greater than 23 seconds but fewer than or equal to 25 seconds.
D) greater than 25 seconds.
53) A worker was observed for four cycles of a repetitive operation. The observed times for work
elements are 11, 10, 8, and 11 seconds, respectively. What sample size is appropriate for estimating the
time for this work element within + 3 percent of the true mean time with 95 percent confidence (z = 1.96)?
A) fewer than or equal to 70
B) greater than 70 but fewer than or equal to 75
C) greater than 75 but fewer than or equal to 80
D) greater than 80
54) The following times in seconds were observed for a particular one-element job using the continuous
method: 12, 22, 35, and 50. The worker’s rating factor is 1.1. What is the standard time for the job if an
allowance of 20 percent is provided?
A) fewer than or equal to 14 seconds
B) greater than 14 but fewer than or equal to 15 seconds
C) greater than 15 but fewer than or equal to 16 seconds
D) greater than 16
55) The key to creating a work standard is defining ________.
56) The most commonly used method for setting a time standard is called a(n) ________.
57) The ________ is a measurement found by multiplying the select time, the frequency of work, and the
rating factor.
58) The ________ is the average observed time based only on representative times.
59) The ________ of job element timing requires that the observer reset the stopwatch after each
observation.
60) The ________ of job element timing involves recording the stopwatch reading for each work element
upon its completion.
61) The sample size needed for a time study will increase as ________ and/or ________ increase.
62) The ________ is time added to adjust for factors such as fatigue or equipment malfunction.
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63) Name the four steps in a time study.
64) Perform a time study on yourself as you answer this question. Explicitly record your data, determine
how long it will take to complete this exam and comment on the accuracy of your estimate.
65) What are the limitations of time studies?
Answer: Time standards should not be used to set standards for jobs in which the nature of the task is
different each time, such as a student solving a problem, a professor preparing a lecture, or an automobile
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66) A pilot work study has been conducted on a new operation with four work elements. The following
times, in seconds, were obtained using the continuous method.
a. What is the normal time for this operation?
b. If an allowance of 20 percent is used, what is the standard time for this task?
c. What sample size is appropriate for estimating the time for element 3 within + 3 percent of the true
mean time with 95 percent confidence (z = 1.96)?
Answer:
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67) A work study has been conducted on a new operation with three work elements. The following times,
in minutes, were obtained using the continuous method.
a. What is the normal time for this operation?
b. If an allowance of 20 percent is used, what is the standard time for this task?
Answer:
Average
Sample Std
dev
Normal
Rating
Element 1
22
1.22
20.9
95
Element 2
15.6
0.55
16.38
105
Element 3
10.6
1.67
9.54
90
Normal time
46.8
Standard time
56.2
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Copyright © 2019 Pearson Education, Inc.
H.3 Elemental Standard Data Method
1) Elemental standard time data cannot be used to develop time standards for new work before
production begins.
2) With the use of the elemental standard data approach:
A) there is no need to estimate allowances.
B) managers can develop standards for new work before production begins.
C) time studies are not needed.
D) the need to specify job variables that affect times for each work element is eliminated.
1) The methods time measurement system is a predetermined data system.
2) The predetermined data approach does not eliminate the need for time studies.
3) A predetermined data approach to time standards can be completed only after actual production
begins.
4) The advantage of using the predetermined data approach for setting standards is that:
A) it allows the setting of standards for a new job before production begins.
B) the predetermined data are representative of all workers, without question.
C) it does not require any special training to use it.
D) it can be used on jobs in which the times to perform the micro-motions are sequence dependent.
5) The work measurement technique that breaks down tasks into a series of generic micro-motions is the:
A) time study method.
B) elemental standard data approach.
C) predetermined data approach.
D) work sampling method.
6) With the use of the methods time measurement approach:
A) stopwatches are needed to time the elements that go together to make a task.
B) there is a problem of biased judgment because performance ratings are needed to derive standards.
C) work must be broken down into micro-motions.
D) an analyst consults tables that contain the select times for a variety of work elements.
7) Which of the following is true regarding the MTM approach?
A) A performance rating factor greater than 1.0 means the worker under observation is working slowly.
B) A frequency of less than 1.0 means that the job element is not performed during every cycle.
C) A performance rating factor less than 1.0 means the worker under observation is not producing output
that has high quality.
D) A negative allowance time means that the worker under observation is taking excessive breaks.
8) When using the MTM approach:
A) stopwatches are needed to time the elements that go together to make a task.
B) there is a problem of biased judgment because performance ratings are needed to derive standards.
C) an analyst consults tables that contain the select times for a variety of work elements.
D) new work methods can be compared without conducting a time study.
9) An analyst divides each work element into a series of micro-motions common to a variety of tasks
when using the ________.
10) The ________ system features a database with micromotions such as reach, move, apply pressure,
grasp, and turn.
1) When using work sampling, the times of day to collect data samples are selected at random over the
length of the study.
2) The more frequently the activity occurs, the longer the time period should be when conducting a work
sampling study.
3) Special training is required for observers using work sampling.
4) As the sample size increases in a work sampling study, the maximum error decreases.
5) Which one of the following statements about work measurement methods is true?
A) The two methods of using a stopwatch in time studies are historical and snap-back.
B) The time study method is usually used for less-repetitive work with no definite work cycle.
C) With the time study method, the analyst assigns a performance rating factor (RF) to the work’s
performance. A value of RF greater than 1 means the worker is slower than a standard worker.
D) The work sampling method needs many observations.
6) Which one of the following statements about work measurement is true?
A) Work sampling is a technique to determine the proportion of time spent on different activities.
B) In determining the normal time for the cycle, using a rating factor less than one (1.0) will increase the
total time allowed for a job to be performed, relative to the select time.
C) Machine standards are more difficult to develop than labor standards.
D) The time study method is most appropriate for non-repetitive jobs in which the nature of the task
differs each time.
7) A major disadvantage of the work sampling method of work measurement is that:
A) observers must be specially trained.
B) only one study can be conducted at a time.
C) it can be used only in hospital settings.
D) a large number of observations are often required.
8) A manager wants to determine the proportion of time a cashier is idle. A work sampling method was
used, and the idle time was found to be 20 percent based on 100 observations. If the manager wants a +
0.05 with a 95 percent confidence level (z = 1.96), how many MORE observations are needed?
A) fewer than or equal to 200
B) greater than 200 but fewer than or equal to 300
C) greater than 300 but fewer than or equal to 400
D) greater than 400
9) A work sampling method is used to determine the proportion of the time a worker is idle. The
following information was gathered on a random basis.
Day
No. Times
Clerk Idle
Monday
2
Tuesday
4
Wednesday
2
Thursday
4
If the manager wants a 95 percent confidence level (z = 1.96) and a degree of precision of + 0.03, how
many more observations are needed?
A) fewer than or equal to 600
B) greater than 600 but fewer than or equal to 800
C) greater than 800 but fewer than or equal to 1,000
D) greater than 1,000
10) A supermarket administrator suspects that idle time is about 20 percent for the cashier and 15 percent
for the office clerk. If the administrator wants a 95 percent confidence level (z = 1.96) and a degree of
precision of + 0.05 for both cashier and office clerk, how many total observations are needed?
A) fewer than or equal to 200
B) greater than 200 but fewer than or equal to 300
C) greater than 300 but fewer than or equal to 400
D) greater than 400
11) A job shop manager wants to determine the proportion of time the workers are idle. The shop
employs two types of workers. Type 1 includes three workers and Type 2 includes two workers. The
manager suspects that the proportion of idle time is about 20 percent for Type 1 workers and 15 percent
for Type 2 workers. If the manager wants a 95 percent confidence level (z = 1.96) and a degree of precision
of + 0.05, how many trips will the observers have to take through the group?
A) fewer than or equal to 80
B) greater than 80 but fewer than or equal to 90
C) greater than 90 but fewer than or equal to 100
D) greater than 100
12) A work sampling method is used to determine the proportion of the time a worker is idle. The
following information was gathered on a random basis.
Day
No. Times
Clerk Idle
Monday
8
Tuesday
8
Wednesday
7
Thursday
7
If the manager wants a 95 percent confidence level (z = 1.96) and a degree of precision of + 0.03, how
many more observations are needed?
A) fewer than or equal to 700
B) greater than 700 but fewer than or equal to 800
C) greater than 800 but fewer than or equal to 900
D) greater than 900
13) ________ involves estimating the proportion of time spent by people and machines on activities,
based on a large number of observations.
14) Why is a sampling schedule important in a work sampling study?
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15) Why would the elemental standard data approach be used instead of a work sampling study when
developing a time standard?
Answer: If a plant requires thousands of work standards, the time and cost required for the time study
16) What are the strengths and limitations of the time study method when compared to work sampling,
and for which applications are each best suited?
Answer: Both are direct observation methods. However, a time study observes several cycles of work
elements to determine a time standard, whereas work sampling takes “snapshots” of the facility to
17) An undergraduate business student studies diligently in the library during dead week in anticipation
of an outstanding performance on her final exams. She asks a friend to spy on her at random intervals to
determine what percentage of time she is actually studying. Over the course of three days, her friend
records the following observations:
Observation Period
Times
Studying
Observations
Monday
20
23
Tuesday
21
25
Wednesday
10
11
Total
51
59
If the student wants a 95 percent confidence level (z = 1.96) and a degree of precision of + 0.08, how many
more observations are needed?
18) The Dean’s office is interested in determining the percentage of students receiving A’s in their study
tour classes. The results of three classes are summarized in this table:
Observation Period
A Grade
Observations
Monday
26
23
Tuesday
25
25
Wednesday
15
16
Total
66
70
The Assistant Dean wants a 98 percent confidence level and a degree of precision of + 0.04. How many
more observations are needed?
1) Companies should utilize traditional work measurement techniques when faced with technological
change and process automation.
2) Traditional work measurement techniques are sometimes viewed as repressive and not conductive to
good management-employee relations.
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3) What is the impact of greater reliance on technology on work measurement?
Answer: Technological change is a reason to reexamine work measurement techniques. For example,
when a firm increases its level of automation, its methods of work measurement must also change. The