978-0134235455 Chapter 4 Solution Manual

Chapter 4: Job Analysis and the Talent Management Process 4-6

VII. Using Competencies Models – profiles giving the knowledge, skills, and experience

someone needs to do the job. Such models or profiles (see Figure 4-10) list the

competencies employees must be able to exhibit to get their jobs done.

A. Improving Performance: The Strategic Context

B. How to Write Competency Statements – the idea competency statement

will include three elements: the name of a brief description, description

of the observable behaviors, and proficiency levels.

Chapter Review

Chapter Section Summaries:

4-1: Employers today often view all the staff-train-reward activities as part of a single integrated

talent management process.

4-2: All managers should be familiar with the basics of job analysis.

4-3: There are various methods for collecting job analysis information.

4-4: Managers should know how to write job descriptions.

4–5: In writing job specifications, it’s important to distinguish between specifications for

trained verses untrained personnel.

4-6: There are human traits and behaviors that may predict the job candidate’s likelihood to be

engaged and the manager might therefore want to include these in the job specification.

4-7: Employers are using competencies models and profiles in talent management.

Discussion Questions:

4-1: Why, in summary, should managers think of staffing-training-appraising and paying

employees as a talent management process?

Students’ answers may vary but all answers should include something related to the

importance of maintaining and fostering quality employees. These different HR areas can

4-2: What items are typically included in the job description?

This item can be assigned as a Discussion Question in MyManagementLab. Student

4-3: We discussed several methods for collecting job analysis data—questionnaires, the

position analysis questionnaire, and so on. Compare and contrast these methods,

explaining what each is useful for and listing the pros and cons of each.

Chapter 4: Job Analysis and the Talent Management Process 4-7

Interviews are probably the most widely used method of collecting information for job

analysis. The interview allows the incumbent to report activities that might not otherwise

Questionnaires are a quick and efficient way of obtaining information from a large number

of employees; however, development costs can be high. Participant diary/logs can provide

Quantitative job analysis techniques, such as PAQ, DOL, and Functional Job Analysis, are

more appropriate when the aim is to assign a quantitative value to each job so that jobs can

4-4: Describe the types of information typically found in a job specification.

It should include a list of the human traits and experience needed to perform the job.

These might include education, skills, behaviors, personality traits, work experience,

4-5: Explain how you would conduct a job analysis.

There are six major steps in a well-conducted job analysis: 1) Determine how the job

analysis information will be used and how to collect the necessary information; 2) Collect

background information such as organization charts, process charts, and job descriptions;

4-6: Do you think companies can really do without detailed job descriptions? Why or why

not?

This item can be assigned as a Discussion Question in MyManagementLab. Student

4-7: Explain how you would create a job requirements matrix for a job.

The first step in creating the job requirements matrix is to write one task statement for

each of the jobs tasks. Each task statement shows what the worker does on a particular

Second, the job analysis takes the resulting task statements for the jobs and groups them

into four or five main job duties. Finally, the job analyst compiles all this information in a

Chapter 4: Job Analysis and the Talent Management Process 4-8

The job matrix lists the following information: each of the jobs’ main duties, task statements

associated with each job or duty, the relative importance of each main job duty, the time

spent on each main job duty, and the knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics or

4-8: In a company with only 25 employees, is there less need for job descriptions? Why or

why not?

It is clearly more difficult to write job descriptions for positions that may have broad

responsibilities because of the organization’s size. This does not, however, mean that it is

less important. Look for sound arguments and reasoning. Again, the ADA applies to

Individual and Group Activities:

4-9: Working individually or in groups, obtain copies of job descriptions for clerical

positions at the college or university where you study, or the firm where you work.

What types of information do they contain? Do they give you enough information to

explain what the job involves and how to do it? How would you improve on the

descriptions?

Based on our experience, it is very likely that at least some of the job descriptions will not

contain all the information that is supposed to be there. Use this as an opportunity to

4-10: Working individually or in groups, use O*Net to develop a job description for your

professor in this class. Based on that, use your judgement to develop a job

specification. Compare your conclusions with those of other students or groups.

Were there any significant differences? What do you think accounted for the

differences?

The students should go to the O*Net Web site at http://online.onetcenter.org to find sample

job descriptions in order to create a job description for you. Once they create a job

4-11: Appendix A and B at the end of this book list the knowledge someone studying for the

HRCI (Appendix A) or SHRM (Appendix B) certification exam needs to have in each

area of human resource management (such as in Strategic Management and

Workforce Planning). In groups of several students, do four things: (1) review

Appendix A and/or B; (2) identify the material in this chapter that relates to the

Appendix A and/or B required knowledge lists; (3) write four multiple-choice exam

Chapter 4: Job Analysis and the Talent Management Process 4-9

questions on this material that you believe would be suitable for inclusion in the

HRCI exam and/or SHRM exam; and (4) if time permits, have someone from your

team post your team’s questions in front of the class, so the students in all teams can

answer the exam questions created by the other teams.

Topics covered in this chapter include job analysis, how to write job descriptions and

develop job competencies; identification and documentation of essential job functions for

Experiential Exercise: The Instructor’s Job Description

Purpose: The purpose of this exercise is to give you experience in developing a job description

by developing one for your instructor.

Required Understanding: You should understand the mechanics of job analysis and be

thoroughly familiar with the job analysis questionnaires. (See Figures 4-4 and 4-9).

How to Set up the Exercise/Instructions: Set up each group of several students for this

exercise. As in all exercises in this book, the groups should be separated and should not

converse with each other. Half the groups in the class will develop a job description using the job

analysis questionnaire (Figure 4-4), and the other half of the groups will develop it using the job

description questionnaire (Figure 4-9). Each student should review his or her questionnaire (as

appropriate) before joining his or her group.

4-12: Each group should do a job analysis of the instructor’s job: half of the groups will use

the Figure 4-4 job analysis questionnaire for this purpose, and half will use the Figure

4-9 job description questionnaire.

4-13: Based on this information, each group will develop its own job description and job

specification for the instructor.

4-14: Next, each group should choose a partner group, one that developed the job

description and job specification using the alternate method. (A group that used the

job analysis questionnaire should be paired with a group that used the job description

questionnaire.)

4-15: Finally, within each of these new combined groups, compare and critique each of the

two sets of job descriptions and job specifications. Did each job analysis method

provide different types of information? Which seems superior? Does one see more

advantageous for some types of jobs than others?

Application Case: The Flood

4-16: Should Phil and Linda ignore the old timers’ protests and write up the job

descriptions as they see fit? Why? Why not? How would you go about resolving the

differences?

Chapter 4: Job Analysis and the Talent Management Process 4-10

In all likelihood, the old timers are accurate in their descriptions. There are several of

them, and it appears that all of their descriptions agree. Also, since they were the ones

actually doing the work, it is likely that they were the only ones who knew what was

4-17: How would you have conducted the job analysis? What should Phil do now?

Other options may have been to conduct personal interviews instead of using the

questionnaires. However, it is unlikely that the resulting disagreement would have

Continuing Case: Carter Cleaning Company – The Job Description

4-18: What should be the format and final form of the store manager’s job description?

Students may recommend that Jennifer include a standard of performance section in the

job description. This lists the standards the employee is expected to achieve under each

of the job description’s main duties and responsibilities, and would address the problem

of employees not understanding company policies, procedures, and expectations. In

4-19: Is it practical to specify standards and procedures in the body of the job description,

or should these be kept separately?

They do not need to be kept separately, and in fact both Jennifer and the employees would

be better served by incorporating standards and procedures into the body of the

description. The exception to this would be if the standards and procedures are so complex

4-20: How should Jennifer go about collecting the information required for the standards,

procedures, and job description?

She should first conduct the job analysis by collecting information about the work

activities, human behaviors, machines, tools, equipment, work aids, performance

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information in this case are through interviews, questionnaires, observations, and employee

diaries/logs. In addition, she should ensure that she is identifying the essential functions of

4-21: What, in your opinion, should the store manager’s job description look like and

contain?

The store manager’s job description should include a list of the job’s significant

responsibilities and duties. For example, the following duties should include quality

control, store appearance and cleanliness, customer relations, bookkeeping and cash

Hotel Paris:!Improving Performance at the Hotel Paris – The New Job

Descriptions

4-22: Based on the hotel’s stated strategy, list at least four or more important employee

behaviors important for Hotel Paris’s staff to exhibit.

Students’ answers will vary. Important employee behaviors might include:

• The ability to project a positive attitude and put the customer’s needs first, even if

the customer is curt.

• Showing tact and discretion in responding to personal requests from a hotel guest.

4-23: If time permits, spend some time prior to class observing the front desk clerk at a

local hotel. In any case, create a job description for a Hotel Paris front desk clerk.

Use of O*NET is recommended. A full description of tasks and responsibilities is

located under the job title “Hotel, Motel, and Resort Desk Clerks.”

My Management Lab

Students can find the following assisted-graded writing questions at mymanagementlab.com.

Answers to these questions are graded against rubrics in the MyLab.

4-24: What is job analysis? How can you make use of the information it provides?

Chapter 4: Job Analysis and the Talent Management Process 4-12

4-25: Explain what a competencies model is and what the model would look like for the job of

university professor.

Key Terms:

Talent Management – The goal-oriented and integrated process of planning, recruiting,

developing, managing, and compensating employees.

Job Analysis – The procedure for determining the duties and skill requirements of a job and

the kind of person who should be hired for it.

Job Description – A list of a job’s duties, responsibilities, reporting relationships, working

conditions, and supervisory responsibilities – one product of a job analysis.

Job Specifications – A list of a job’s “human requirements,” that is, the requisite education,

skills, personality, and so on – another product of a job analysis.

Organization Chart – A chart that shows the organization-wide distribution of work, with

titles of each position and interconnecting lines that show who reports to and communicates

with whom.

Process Chart – A work flow chart that shows the flow of inputs to and outputs from a

particular job.

Workflow Analysis – A detailed study of the flow of work from job to job in a work

process.

Business Process Reengineering – Redesigning business processes, usually by combining

steps, so that small multifunction process teams using information technology do the jobs

formerly done by a sequence of departments.

Job Enlargement – Assigning workers additional same-level activities.

Job Rotation – Systematically moving workers from one job to another.

Job Enrichment – Redesigning jobs in a way that increases the opportunities for the worker

to experience feelings of responsibility, achievement, growth, and recognition.

Diary/Log – Daily listings made by workers of every activity in which they engaged along

with the time.

Position Analysis Questionnaire (PAQ) – A questionnaire used to collect quantifiable data

concerning the duties and responsibilities of various jobs.

Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) – Classifies all workers into one of 23 major

groups of jobs, which are subdivided into minor groups of jobs and detailed occupations.

Chapter 4: Job Analysis and the Talent Management Process 4-13

Job-requirements Matrix – A more complete description of what the worker does and how

and why he or she does it; it clarifies each tasks purpose and each duty’s required knowledge,

skills, abilities, and other characteristics.

Task Statement – Written item that shows what the worker does on one particular job task;

how the worker does it; the knowledge, skills, and aptitudes required to do it; and the purpose

of the task.

Competency-Based Job Analysis – Describing the job in terms of the measurable,

observable, behavioral competencies (knowledge, skills, and/or behaviors) that an employee

doing that job must exhibit to do the job well.