978-0078029165 Appendix B Part 4

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manner so as to provide “reasonable accommodation?” Reasonable accommodation requires the

employer to recognize the abilities and skills of an individual (applicant or employee) and to make

“reasonable” modifications to the job that would allow the person to perform the work. The cost of

the “reasonable accommodation” must not impose an “undue financial or administrative burden” on

the organization.

Exercise 4.1

Assessment Questions

1. Could you use this job analysis to determine essential functions on the job? How could this

be done?

If done according to directions, the essential job functions should be fairly evident especially after

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2. When preparing the job description, why is it important to list the critical customers for the

products or services and the major tasks and duties of the job? Are there tasks that could be

excluded with little or no effect on critical customers?

The identification of the critical customers for each job puts the job in the proper perspective. Tasks

should not be performed simply because a supervisor stipulated that they should be performed. The

clear linkage between each task and the requirements of the customers should be established. If tasks

3. How often should a position description be updated? Explain your response.

Employees should probably review their PDs at least once a year depending on the extent to which

the job changes over time. The major tasks, the percent, rating, and any job specifications should be

4. Explain how your job description could be used to evaluate your performance or to develop

methods for hiring people for the position? Do you think having a highly detailed job

description is actually counterproductive for certain jobs? Explain your answer.

The tasks identified in the job description could be used on a task-based rating scale in which raters

are asked to indicate the extent to which the tasks are performed effectively. The particular raters

(i.e., customers) who could provide ratings on the major tasks could also be determined from the

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There is no “correct” answer to the productivity of a highly detailed job description, but discussion

about the possible implications of a highly specific PD should be explored. Many students believe, for

example, that such detail will lead to an “it’s not my job” mentality such that if a task is not written in

a PD, the incumbent does not have to perform it. Of course, the coordination across jobs and the

need to cover all critical tasks at the work unit level can be emphasized in PDs within the context of

work products and customer requirements.

5. How could the O*Net be used for developing job descriptions?

6. You are assigned the task of writing a position description for a personnel recruiter. How

would you proceed?

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Chapter Exercise 4.2

The Use of the Critical Incident Technique

To Analyze the Job of University Professor

Objectives. The purpose of Exercise 4.2 is to give the student hands-on experience with the critical

incident technique, a popular method of job analysis. Students will learn how to write useful incidents

and how to use the data to produce specific work products of job analysis.

Description. Chapter 4 discusses the critical incident technique as a good job analysis method for the

development of performance appraisal systems. This exercise follows the steps typically used in the

context of the criteria for useful incidents. These criteria are repeated in Table 4.2.1. Part B, Step 1

should take no longer than 20 minutes. Step 2 of Part B calls for groups of six to conduct a “content

analysis” for purposes of deriving the underlying functions of the incidents. Table 4.2.2 presents some

suggested functions that have been identified in previous research using the critical incident

technique to analyze the job of professor. To save time, the instructor can skip Steps 2 and 3 of Part B

Table 4.2.1.

If the instructor chooses to follow all steps in the exercise as described in the text, allow at least 30

minutes for Step 2 and another 20 minutes for Step 3. The process of developing a common set of

functions can be expedited by assigning common sets of functions to the groups and asking each

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group to generate a function name and definition from those that are similar. In other words, it is

likely all groups will identify and define a function called something like “testing and grading.” The

instructor could assign all of these similar functions to a particular group (assembled for Step 2) and

charge that group with agreeing to a common function label and definition. Step 4 is a “retranslation”

step that is designed to determine whether the work functions identified and defined in previous

steps now adequately represent all incidents. The incidents should be divided evenly among the

group members and the instructor should make certain each incident has one “final function label.”

Table 4.2.1

Criteria For Useful Critical Incidents

1. Incident must be specific in nature.

Table 4.2.2

Examples of Functions Representing Critical Incidents

What is a function? A function is a category of incidents that fits together conceptually.

SAMPLE FUNCTIONS

DEFINITIONS

LECTURE ORGANIZATION

EXTENT TO WHICH LECTURES ARE ORGANIZED

COURSE RELATED ADVISING AND FEEDBACK

EXTENT TO WHICH ADVICE AND FEEDBACK IS

GIVEN IN THE COURSE

GRADING AND TESTING

ASSESSES STUDENT PERFORMANCE BASED ON

COURSE REQUIREMENTS

CLASSROOM INTERACTION

EXTENT TO WHICH CLASS SESSIONS ARE

CONDUCTED IN A MANNER CONDUCIVE TO

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LEARNING

COMMUNICATION SKILLS

EXTENT TO WHICH UNDERSTANDING IS

ENHANCED BY CLASSROOM LECTURE AND

DISCUSSION

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Table 4.2.3

Examples of Critical Incidents

The professor:

1. Was specific when referring to a situation and used qualified examples that the students could

easily relate to such as beer and pizza. This resulted in retention of information.

2. Showed lack of preparation; for example, class lectures not pertinent to assignment required.

Students were not able to achieve end result effectively.

7. Presented a unique exercise that showed students the importance of planning and

communication.

8. Utilized a personal profile to study student’s behavioral patterns. When interpreted by the

instructor, students were able to determine their management style.

13. Taught on a level far above the comprehension level of the class. The students did not do well

on the exams and they did not grasp the material that was being presented.

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14. Motivated students by being prepared, allowing students to ask questions, providing answers

to those questions, and offering extra help to those students who needed it. Students had no

difficulty retaining material.

17. Lectured on material that was not pertinent to the course; spoke too fast, making it difficult

for the students to take adequate notes. Results were jumbled notes that were difficult to

decipher.

18. Used personal experiences in the lecture. The teaching method appeared to cause confusion

when point was not made clear.

22. Questioned students in class by using name cards. After each question, cards were reshuffled

so students never knew when they would be questioned again. This resulted in student

attentiveness and preparedness.

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25. Was ineffective in transferring knowledge to the student. A complaint was made to the dean

of the college about the professor, which marked a decided change in his attitude, and the

way the material was presented.

32. Read exclusively from the textbook. Lack of preparation resulted in student boredom and

missed classes.

33. Did not allow freedom of expression resulting in students feeling intimidated.

38. Mixed lecture with student presentations occurring at strategic times during the course. By

breaking up a lengthy class, this improved class attention.

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39. Did not establish rapport with the class; instead read from prepared notes that followed

textbook. Results were poor attendance and poor retention.

40. Turned a student’s lack of confidence in math to one of meeting his shortcoming head-on.

Result was math becoming one of his best subjects.

41. Showed empathy in helping the student overcome his lack of confidence in math. Student

registered for math classes and felt more confident.

42. Was unable to maintain class discipline. Threatened consequences if noise didn’t cease, but

no action ensued.

43. Gave the students a list of historical figures and relevant dates they would be tested on.

Everyone received an “A.” Teaching the test?

47. Was not very responsive to the student’s questions and problems. Student retention was

limited at best.

48. Failed to provide the student with the answers on how to arrive at the solution to a problem

resulting in confusion and limited understanding.

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Exercise 4.2 Assessment Questions

1. How could the critical incidents be used to prepare professors for teaching assignments?

The CIT can be used to compile a training manual that describes the behaviors exhibited by effective

and ineffective professors. Many universities now require graduate students to take a course in

2. The book describes the critical incident method as one of the best for developing

performance-appraisal systems. How do you propose to get from the incidents and job

functions to an actual performance-appraisal system for evaluating professors?

The instructor can explain that Exercise 4.2 follows the procedure that is used in the development of

BARS, a popular rating format. Figure 7.6 in the text (p. 150) presents an example of one rating scale

3. Why are results or outcomes requested with CIT? What could be done with these data?

This requirement is designed to focus the job analysis on customer requirements through exhibited

outcomes. The outcomes can also be related to the goals of the unit or the individual. The

requirement to describe the context for the incident along with the outcomes also provide more of a

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Chapter Exercise 4.3

Job Analysis at CompTech

Objectives. The purpose of Exercise 4.3 is to familiarize students with job analysis and the legal and

practical purposes in the products of the job analysis. Students are also asked to select the best

methods to obtain job specifications and to develop training programs. This exercise illustrates the

importance of the KASOCs matching the job outcomes and how the specifications can hinder or help

the process of retention. This gives the students experience with the “nuts-and-bolts” of Human

Resource Management.

Description. The use of measurement in HRM is highlighted in this case. Statistics regarding the

managers’ performance correlated with the specification of either the MBA requirement or the three

years of previous store manager experience is needed to determine whether or not to keep these

criteria. Discussion should center on how to obtain the data and which data is crucial for the analysis.

Individual analysis requires approximately 30 minutes of outside class preparation provided Chapter 4

has been read. Allow 20-30 minutes for group discussion.

Table 4.3.1

Answers to Form 4.3.1

1. What are the current job specifications for the store manager job? Based on the

information you have (or could have), how would you assess the validity of these

specifications? What approaches or methods would you use? (You can propose particular

statistical analysis, particular job analysis methods, or both; be specific.)

Current job specs are the MBA degree and the number of years experience required. The best

method would be to investigate the relationship between manager performance and the job

specifications. Students should request data on incumbent MBAs and managers who have had three

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previous experience are not correlated with performance. The most relevant discussion in Chapter 4

are on pages 95 and 96.

From page 95 and 96- “Job specifications often are contested in court because they have adverse

impact against groups protected by EEO laws. Certainly job specifications that result in adverse impact

against groups covered by EEO legislation should be derived from a thorough analysis. Where data are

available in company records that shed light on the relationship between a given job specification and

some measure of effectiveness, these data should certainly be used. A regional manager of a 500-

store clothing retailer proposed that all assistant managers in his region should have college degrees.

However, research from the HR Department indicated there was no correlation between having or

not having a college degree and performance as an assistant store manager. In addition, HR

2. What hypotheses or proposals do you have so far regarding CompTech’s strategic position?

What do you regard as the critical strengths and weaknesses based on the data you have?

The data in Exhibit 4.3.1 indicates a problem in hiring store managers at a time when CompTech is

planning a major expansion (30 vacancies). Although they have only 12 openings for Associate

3. Carlyle is giving strong consideration to hiring a full-time Compensation Manager for

Comptech (CompTech has never employed such a specialist) How should she proceed as she

considers this action?

The O*NET is a great place to start since a job description and salary information are available.

apparently no job description for the assistant and associate positions. How should she

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proceed?

5. Carlyle is partial to the use of The ability to fill store manager positions and the vacancy time

is to some extent a function of geographical area. Carlyle is not sure the standard annual

salary that Comptech pays the store manager is competitive. How could she proceed with a

study of salary for store manager and its relationship to recruitment, vacancies and

turnover?

6. Given Carlyle’s interest in the training program and the “job–related” selection tests, what job

analysis method should be used for the development of these HR products?

7. Could Carlyle use the O*Net to address any issues? If so, what could she learn?

8. Do you see any potential EEO issues that should be considered at CompTech? Explain your

answer with as much detail as possible.

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CHAPTER 5 – CHAPTER EXERCISES

Chapter Exercise 5.1

A Turnover Problem at the Fort Lauderdale Herald

Renee Fitzgerald

Objectives . The purpose of Exercise 5.1 is to give the student an opportunity to analyze data and

consider those data in the context of a real organizational problem, i.e. turnover. Much like the

discussion in the text, the emphasis here is that the data can be helpful in planning and problem

solving and that an empirical approach to problem solving is usually superior to a non-empirical

approach. The exercise also requires the student to integrate material from Chapter 3 (EEO).

Description. This exercise requires about one hour of out of class preparation in addition to reading

the chapter. The student is asked to calculate yield ratios. Table 5.1.1 presents recommended

answers to Form 5.1.1.

Table 5.1.1

Answers to Form 5.1.1

1. What are the yield ratios for each step in the recruitment and selection process? What are the

implications of these ratios for future hiring?

The yield ratios for each step are as follows:

Potentially Qualified: 149/633=0.23

Implications:

The yield ratios can help determine the basis for planning future recruitment efforts. By going

backwards you can determine how many applicants will be necessary in order to fill a certain number

2. Compare the advantages and disadvantages of the various recruiting methods used by the Fort

Lauderdale Herald? (Use the data in Exhibit 5.1.1 and Chapter 5 discussion.) Where should they

focus their recruitment efforts in the future?

Method

Advantage

Disadvantage

Website/Job Board

– Least expensive method (total)

– Quick response (reducing time

lapse data)

– Increases candidate pool

– Easy to add/edit job posting

– Depending on website, can

prescreen candidates based on

preliminary questions or resume

– Candidates can research firm prior

to applying for position

– Software can eliminate potential

candidates due to poorly

designed software

– Can receive a tremendous

number of resumes,

overburdening the receiver

– Limited evidence empirical

evidence showing web recruiting

– Large pool of unqualified

candidates

– Low rate for interview

Newspaper ads

− Short deadlines

− Ad size flexibility

− Circulation concentration

− Easy for prospects to ignore

− Competitive clutter

− Unspecialized circulation

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applicants

− Had the highest six-month survival

rate

− Can reach a large audience

− Incurred low costs to the Herald

(lowest cost per employed person)

To read it

− Poor printing quality

Walk-in applicants

– Inexpensive (Less expensive than

the newspaper in total recruitment

costs)

– Effective for entry-level & unskilled

positions

– Relies on company reputations (A &

D)

– Increases probability of hiring the

very best employees due to large #

resumes

– Relies on company reputations

(A & D)

– Produced less qualified

applicants

– Low six-month survival rate

Public employment

agency

– Inexpensive method

– Candidates are prescreened

– Increases pool of candidates

– More than half who accepted the

job were still employed six months

later

– Recruiter maybe rewarded on

quantity of candidates

submitted not the quality

–

Assuming they still publish a paper (things are not good for newspapers these days), the newspaper ads

provide the best ratio of applicants to potentially qualified individuals. The Herald should focus its

recruitment on newspaper ads and public employment agencies for the best ratios of applicants to job

offers given.

3. Recommend at least three HR planning/recruitment/selection strategies designed to do any of

the following: (1) improve customer satisfaction, (2) increase the efficiency of the customer

service function, (Ms. Saline encourages you to be as creative in your thinking as possible), and (3)

increase the tenure of the customer service reps. (or decrease the need for them).

A. CRITICAL: Focus on BIG PICTURE. Why are there so many complaints? Focus on customer

satisfaction; diagnose problems that have the most to do with customers. Evaluate (fire?

replace?) independent contractors?

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C. From the job analysis, an accurate job description should be written. This information should be

reflected in all advertisements.

D. Expand the number of recruitment sources which are used, e.g. other websites, junior colleges,

senior citizen centers/newspapers the hours may be convenient for students or retirees because

the job is structured in such a way that it is perceived as temporary (no benefits, 30-hour work

week, no career track), the Herald should recruit in markets where temporary work is sought.

E. Do a feasibility study of work-from-home CSR design to determine if the centralized operation

could be closed.(telecommuting quite effective)

F. Evaluate the possibility of outsourcing the whole operation to save money.

4. What additional studies or data are necessary given the data presented in Exhibit 5.1.1? (Ms.

Saline is very interested in potential legal issues).

Data on racial composition should be analyzed in order to determine whether statistically defined

Exhibit 2: Disparate Impact

All sources

Total #

applicants

%

Potentially

Qualified

%

Qualified

& Offered

Job

%

Whites

341

54%

91

61%

64

71%

African

Americans

177

28%

43

29%

20

22%

Hispanics

115

18%

15

10%

5

6%

Totals

633

149

90

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Total Applicants

Four-fifths rule/ 80% rule

Whites: 0.54 × 0.8 = 0.424

The advertising method does not appear to be reaching the minority races of Blacks,

Hispanics, and others. Each group application rate is less than 42.4% applicant rate for

Whites, the advertising methods has an adverse impact on the individual ethic groups

of African Americans and Hispanics.

Potentially

Qualified

Four-fifths rule/ 80% rule

Whites: 0.61 × 0.8 = 0.488

Since 39% qualified rate for African Americans, Hispanics, and Others is less than

48.8% pass rate for whites, the potentially qualified procedure has an adverse impact

on African Americans, Hispanics and Others.

Qualified &

Offered Job

Four-fifths rule/ 80% rule

Whites: 0.71 × 0.8 = 0.568

Since 28% hire rate for African Americans, Hispanics, and Others is less than 56.8%

hire rate for whites, the hiring practices has an adverse impact on African Americans,

Hispanics and Others.