Chapter 5—Using Job Analysis and Competency Modeling
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. The _____ can be used to insure that an organization’s entire system for managing people is internally
consistent and appropriate for the organization’s context. It is the foundation upon which the HR
system is built.
a.
job analysis
b.
mission statement
c.
organizational strategic plan
d.
organizational functional objectives
e.
organizational chart
2. All of the following are typical objectives of job analysis EXCEPT:
a.
the identification of jobs to be eliminated
b.
provide accurate job descriptions
c.
forecasting of labor needs
d.
developing new selection tools
e.
developing ways to measure job performance
3. Following the collapse of Enron, its beleaguered auditor, the major accounting firm Arthur Andersen
(AA), had to sell off parts of its practice to former competitors. The HR professionals at the acquiring
firms would use job analysis to achieve all but which of the following goals?
a.
compare job content of AA jobs with the content of their firm’s jobs
b.
identifying which jobs with identical content should be compensated differently
c.
identify the competencies needed to perform the jobs
d.
identifying redundant jobs that could be eliminated
e.
all of the above are functions of job analysis in a merger and acquisition context.
4. Lucy has a one-person business called Office Expert. She specializes in helping her clients, usually
new businesses, set up their office and secretarial functions. She selects office software, sets up
administrative procedures and even selects proper office furnishings. As an expert in secretarial and
office skills, she will train the new staff, if requested. One of her recent clients has asked her to
continue her services by working for it three days a week with a job title of “executive secretary.”
Lucy would be on the premises from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. She would
report directly to the President, who would direct her work. Which of the following statements is true?
a.
Lucy would be an employee of the firm if she agreed to this arrangement.
b.
Lucy would be an independent contractor if she agreed to this arrangement.
c.
Lucy is currently an employee of the firm, so this new arrangement would not change her
relationship with the firm.
d.
Whether Lucy is an employee or an independent contractor has no bearing on her
compensation.
e.
None of the above statements are true.
5. Roy, Harry, and Ian work for Hartley Construction Company, a large firm in the southwestern United
States. All are carpenters, yet all perform slightly different tasks. Roy builds the structure; he is
responsible for making sure each room is square, and each window and door fits. Ian does finishing
work; he is responsible for molding, cabinetry, and other more delicate work. Harry is an all-round
carpenter and fills in where he is needed. Administratively, the three carpenters are all part of a(n):
a.
autonomous group
b.
occupation
c.
task hierarchy
d.
job class
e.
task order
6. The American With Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA):
a.
requires employers to develop a job description from the specified method of essential
function analysis (EFA)
b.
was the first legislation that required annual job analyses
c.
requires job analysis to identify the essential functions of jobs
d.
requires that all work-related promotions be based on objective standards
e.
lists the steps for conducting appropriate job analysis for legal compliance
7. Job analysis is the process of describing and recording information about job behaviors and activities.
Typically, the information described and recorded includes:
a.
reasons why an employee at a particular job can be fired
b.
results of previous job performance appraisals
c.
competencies that enable and enhance the job performance
d.
forecast of hiring needs for specific positions within the organization
e.
all of the above
8. Nigel is applying for a new job as a flight attendant for Gung-Ho Air Service, which specializes in
flying into third-world locations. He asks for a job description, and it includes phrases such as: the
ability to operate inflatable life rafts, the ability to perform advanced first aid, such as field dressing of
broken limbs, ability to accurately operate small firearms, holding a bartender’s license, the ability to
operate a global positioning device, fluency in three languages, and a degree in abnormal psychology.
This job description was probably based on _____.
a.
a job analysis by an HR director who has read too many spy novels
b.
a time and motion study
c.
a task-oriented job analysis
d.
a worker-focused job analysis
e.
a results-oriented job analysis
9. _____ describes the skills, knowledge, abilities, values, interests and personalities of successful
employees.
a.
Traditional job analysis
b.
Competency modeling
c.
Trait-based projection
d.
Person-job fit analysis
e.
Contingency modeling
10. Which of the following statements about job descriptions is true?
a.
A job description is the primary tool used to describe and record information about job
behaviors and activities.
b.
Job descriptions are instrumental in the writing of job analyses.
c.
Supervisors use job descriptions to evaluate performance and provide feedback to
subordinates.
d.
The job description lists the purpose of the job, the major duties it requires, and the
conditions under which the job is performed.
e.
All of the above statements about job descriptions are true.
11. Job descriptions typically include ALL of the following EXCEPT:
a.
Job Title
b.
Supervision
c.
Work Performed
d.
Job Context
e.
Salary Range
12. At the major accounting firms, newly hired accountants typically begin as junior staff accountants. If
successful, they are promoted to senior staff accountants, then to managers, then to partners. This is
called _____.
a.
career stage movement
b.
a functional silo
c.
lateral transfers
d.
a career path
e.
promotion progression
13. A large furniture manufacturer in North Carolina wants to conduct a comprehensive job analysis, so
the organization’s HR director should survey or interview:
a.
job incumbents, supervisors, trained job analysts, and customers
b.
job incumbents, job applicants, and supervisors
c.
job incumbents, supervisors, and HR personnel
d.
job incumbents, job applicants, human resource personnel, and managers
e.
job incumbents, job applicants, supervisors, and employees at similar positions in other
organizations
14. Subject matter experts include which of the following
a.
job incumbents
b.
supervisors
c.
trained job analysts
d.
customers
e.
all of the above
15. All of the following are common ways to collect information for job and organizational analyses
EXCEPT:
a.
observation
b.
group interviews
c.
questionnaires
d.
experimentation
e.
individual interviews
16. Have you ever called a customer service number and been told that your call was being monitored in
order to improve the efficiency provided the individual customer? If that monitoring were by a trained
job analyst engaged in a job and organizational analysis, the analyst would be using which of the
following techniques?
a.
observation
b.
experimentation
c.
primary research
d.
questionnaire
e.
survey sampling
17. A small publishing company wants to conduct job analyses, but it wants to keep the cost of the process
as low as possible. Which method for gathering information would be best in this situation?
a.
observation
b.
questionnaires
c.
group interviews
d.
experimentation
e.
individual interviews
18. _____ involves identifying and measuring a worker’s physical movements when performing tasks and
then analyzing the results to determine whether some motions can be eliminated or performed more
efficiently.
a.
Time-and-motion study
b.
The standardized job analysis questionnaire
c.
The integrated approach to job analysis
d.
A customized task inventory
e.
A functional job analysis
19. At the dawn of the industrial revolution, _____ used the newly invented motion picture camera to
study the motions of workers and make recommendations for how their work could be carried out with
fewer movements that required less physical effort.
a.
Max Weber.
b.
Fredrick Taylor
c.
William Gantt
d.
Frank and Lillian Gilbreth
e.
Chester Barnard
20. The objective of human factors approach to job analysis is to:
a.
speed up the way workers do their jobs
b.
minimize amount of stress and fatigue experienced on the job
c.
reduce the amount of break time required
d.
enable employers to hire younger workers
e.
All of the above
21. The objective of ergonomic analysis is
a.
to calculate the economic value of specific physical actions of workers
b.
create a two-dimension grid of physical motion compensators
c.
to identify the likelihood of OHSA reportable injuries occurring on a job
d.
to minimize the amount of stress and fatigue experienced as a result of doing work.
e.
all of these are
22. The Occupational Information Network (O*NET):
a.
will soon be replaced by the Dictionary of Occupational Titles (DOT)
b.
was developed by the U.S. Department of Labor
c.
is useful as the final arbiter in job equity cases
d.
uses the same categories to conceptualize jobs as does the upcoming DOT
e.
is accurately described by all of the above
23. The O*Net is designed for anyone to use. Descriptive information about occupations includes all of
the following EXCEPT:
a.
Education needed for the job
b.
Average salaries
c.
Certifications necessary
d.
work conditions
e.
Specific time and motion studies
24. The Occupational Information Network (O*NET) is:
a.
likely to become an important resource for private and public employers
b.
an online replacement for the Dictionary of Occupational Titles (DOT)
c.
essentially free
d.
a quick way for an employer to get a job description for a job that does not yet exist in her
company
e.
accurately described by all of the above
25. Which of the following is omitted from consideration in the Position Analysis Questionnaires (PAQs)?
a.
work output
b.
job context
c.
pay arrangements
d.
information input
e.
none of the above
26. The Position Analysis Questionnaire (PAQ):
a.
assumes that relatively few work behaviors exist across all jobs
b.
has been used to analyze hundreds of jobs held by thousands of people
c.
has high direct costs
d.
assumes that all jobs can be described in terms of how much they involve each of the work
behaviors
e.
is accurately described by all of the above
27. A potential drawback to using the _____ is that it requires a postcollege reading comprehension level.
a.
time-and-motion studies
b.
ergonomic analysis
c.
Position Analysis Questionnaire
d.
Management Position Description Questionnaire
e.
are accurately described by all of the above
28. The Management Position Description Questionnaire (MDPQ):
a.
is designed for analyzing all managerial positions
b.
can be used to determine the training needs of employees moving into managerial
positions
c.
is used to place new managerial jobs into the right job family
d.
can be used in the development of performance appraisal forms
e.
is accurately described by all of the above
29. Which of the following statements about customized task inventories as tools for job analyses is true?
a.
Customized task and work behavior inventories rate task or work behavior in terms of
energy, time, and physical resource requirements.
b.
The development of customized task or work behaviors depends heavily on the
cooperation of employees.
c.
Only a small sample of the employee population is needed to develop the customized task
and work behavior inventory.
d.
Customized task and work behavior inventories are difficult to score and analyze.
e.
Customized task and work behavior inventories work best in companies in which very few
employees perform identical, or nearly identical, jobs.
30. Customized task and work behavior inventories:
a.
require large number of employees and complex statistical analyses during their
development process
b.
can be developed with or without the support of the employees whose jobs are being
analyzed
c.
examine tasks and work behavior in terms of human, technical, and conceptual skill
requirements
d.
work best for small companies like architectural firms that engage in project-based work
e.
are accurately described by all of the above
31. The major advantage of the customized approach to developing task and work behavior inventories is:
a.
the rapidity with which they can be developed for any job
b.
how tasks and work behaviors can be synthesized into 25 or fewer items
c.
how well this method works in small companies that produce one-of-a-kind products
d.
the vivid job descriptions they can generate
e.
the ability to produce efficient questionnaires by using only a small sample of the
employee population
32. The major disadvantage of the customized approach to developing task and work behavior inventories
is:
a.
its inability to produce adequate details for job descriptions
b.
its lack of flexibility when used in large companies with many employees performing
basically the same job
c.
the sizable amount of time it requires
d.
the care with which sampling of the employee population must be done in order to capture
statistically viable information
e.
its inability to be computerized
33. Advantages to using trained job analysts is that they
a.
can observe many different incumbents working under different supervisors and in
different locations.
b.
can read through organizational records and technical documentation and provide
information culled from these indirect sources.
c.
are more likely to appreciate fully the legal issues associated with conducting job analysis.
d.
may also provide more reliable ratings.
e.
all of the above
34. Roberto’s competency inventory includes information about his
a.
level of education
b.
training
c.
experience
d.
performance history
e.
All of the above.
35. Which of the following statements best describes the today’s work environment?
a.
The external environment of most organizations is stable and predictable.
b.
Organizations hire employees in 1990s to perform a specific job the same way for as long
as that company employs them.
c.
Job analyses are synonymous with work analyses.
d.
Organizations today focus on how they can get employee flexibility without worker
resistance, while also satisfying the workers’ needs for comfort.
e.
All of the above statements about the work environment in the 2000s are true.
36. Which of the following terms signifies a more flexible approach to work within the organization?
a.
role
b.
career
c.
job
d.
function
e.
path
37. Why have some managers started questioning the efficiency of traditional approaches to job analysis?
a.
There is decreased job specialization in the workplace.
b.
Many companies are permitting job sharing.
c.
Work teams are becoming increasingly more common in the workplace.
d.
Technological changes occur rapidly.
e.
All of the above are reasons why some managers are now questioning the efficiency of
traditional approaches to job analysis
38. Which of the following is NOT an example of a radical change that would impact employees’ jobs?
a.
a merger with or acquisition of another company
b.
the addition of a new product
c.
organizational redesign
d.
the introduction of new technologies
e.
all of these are examples of radical change
39. The radical redesign of an organization’s functions and business processes is called:
a.
job analysis
b.
realignment
c.
reengineering
d.
competency modeling
e.
reintegration
40. A job incumbent is:
a.
any one of the people who apply for a job opening
b.
any one of the people who are interviewed for a job opening
c.
a person who is currently doing a job
d.
an employee within a company who is interested in moving to a different job
e.
another name for a trainer
41. Lian is a line manager who supervises four assembly workers and several others in her department.
Which of the following statements is true of Lian?
a.
Lian would not be considered a SME because she does not have direct information about
the duties associated with the assembly worker job.
b.
Lian has difficulty explaining the tasks performed by the assembly workers because she
does not currently do that job herself.
c.
Lian has supervised so many assembly workers that her perspective on the assembly
worker job has become confused and undefined.
d.
Lian should not be asked to evaluate what tasks should or could be involved in the
assembly worker job if it is redesigned.
e.
Lian cannot be helpful in writing a job description for an assembly worker.
42. Which of the following statements about time-and-motion studies is NOT true?
a.
They help people carry out repetitive tasks more accurately and efficiently.
b.
They are based on the observation of workers’ physical movements.
c.
They are mostly used by companies that rely heavily on human labor.
d.
They are no longer used in the U.S., which is an entirely knowledge-driven economy.
e.
All of these statements are true
43. Which of the following is NOT one of the characteristics for job performance measured by the
Personality-Related Position Requirements Form?
a.
leadership skills
b.
sensitivity to others
c.
adherence to work ethic
d.
desire to generate ideas
e.
need for recognition
1. Job analyses are useful for identifying jobs that can be eliminated or combined during organizational
restructuring.
2. Job analysis has been held by the courts as a method to set objective standards for personnel actions.
3. Human resource professionals use the term position to refer to the activities carried out by any single
person.
4. The competency modeling approach is distinguished in that it emphasizes individual characteristics
associated with effective performance on a job.
5. A well-crafted job description should include job title, department or division, job summary,
supervision, and work performed but not the job context, which is typically dynamic.
6. The people used as sources of information for the development of job and organizational analyses are
referred to as subordinate-manager ensembles (SMEs).
7. When involved in developing job analysis, job incumbents tend to see their jobs as requiring greater
skill and knowledge than do line managers or outside job analysts.
8. The objective of ergonomic analysis is to decrease the amount of break and rest time required by
workers.
SHORT ANSWER
1. What is the term for the process of describing and recording information about job behaviors and
activities?
2. List the common techniques used to collect information for job and organizational analyses.
3. Which method will be used for collecting information for job analyses if cost is the primary concern
for the organization?
4. __________________________________________________ is the Department of Labor’s job
analysis service
5. __________________________________________________ can be used to analyze a wide variety of
jobs that involve many different types of tasks, technologies, and duties.
6. What kind of questionnaire should an organization use if it wanted to create job analyses for all of its
managerial positions?
7. What is the major disadvantage associated with customized task inventories?
8. What is the name of the technique designed to measure the importance of 12 personality characteristics
for job performance?
ESSAY
1. Imagine that you have been offered a position working at a national furniture manufacturer and a job at
a very small company that handcrafts one-of-a-kind tables and chairs. Do you expect the terms
“position” and “job” to be synonymous in this case?
2. Why should job incumbents be included in the job analysis process since their ratings of the jobs are
likely to be slightly enhanced?
3. Why should a trained job analyst be hired to provide input in a comprehensive job analysis? What are
the potential drawbacks to using a trained job analyst?
4. What is the function of the Occupational Information Network (O*NET)?