Management Chapter 4 Workforce Jobs And Job Analysis Current Incumbent Emphasis The Incumbent May

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Chapter 4: Workforce, Jobs, and Job Analysis

4-7a. Current Incumbent Emphasis

• The incumbent may have unique capabilities and the ability to expand the scope of the

4-7b. “Inflation” of Jobs and Job Titles

4-7c. Employee and Managerial Concerns

• Both employees and managers have concerns about job analysis.

4-7d. Legal Aspects of Job Analysis

• HR requirements must be tied to specific job-related factors if employers are to defend

their actions as a business necessity.

• The ADA requires that organizations identify the essential job functions, which do not

include marginal functions.

• Marginal job functions are duties that are part of a job but are incidental or ancillary to

HR Competencies & Applications: Writing Appropriate Job Descriptions

Chapter 4: Workforce, Jobs, and Job Analysis

Key Competencies: Critical Evaluation (Behavioral Competency) and People (Technical

Competency)

Developing and maintaining current job descriptions are important activities in human

resource management because these documents affect so many other important personnel

functions, including staffing, training, and compensation.

1. What do you think are the most important characteristics of good job

descriptions?

Students’ answers may vary. A good job description should not be too lengthy; it

should present roles, responsibilities, and requirements in a concise manner,

without leaving out any necessary details. Listing critical tasks is another

characteristic of a good job description.

2. What kinds of issues would you consider when writing job descriptions?

Students’ answers may vary. Job descriptions will constantly need to be updated

based on business requirements and trends in the industry. This might result in

considerable effort being spent on reviewing and rewriting job descriptions.

4-8. Job Descriptions and Job Specifications

4-8a. Job Descriptions

4-8b. Job Specifications

• Performance standards are indicators of what the job accomplishes and how

4-8d. Job Description Components

• The identification section contains the job title, department, reporting relationships,

location, and date of analysis.

• The general summary is a concise statement of the general responsibilities and

components that make the job different from others.

Teaching Tip: Ask students to create a job description and job specifications for a job familiar

to them.

Critical Thinking Challenges

1. Describe how changes in the workforce have been impacting organizations, including

organizations for which you have recently worked.

2. For many individuals, the nature of work and jobs is changing. Describe these changes,

some reasons for them, and how they are affecting both human resource management and

individuals.

Answers will vary. Students could consider globalization of workers allowing work to be

Chapter 4: Workforce, Jobs, and Job Analysis

issues?

Case: Chatting with the HR Chatbot

Companies such as Amazon and IBM have embarked on a revolutionary path of AI (artificial

intelligence) technology and are inventing applications to take over consumer services and

human resource management tasks, not only for use within their own companies but also as B2B

products.

1. What skills will HR professionals and training professionals need to develop to

successfully utilize AI technology? How can HR professionals ensure that employees

remain connected personally to the organization if much of their communication is

delivered via AI technology?

Answers will vary. Some students may say that HR professionals and training

professionals need to start learning how AI technology can help them serve employees

better. HR professionals should change the HR department’s work flow to mirror the new

2. What ethical issues might emerge by using AI to collect information about employee

inquiries or participation in company-sponsored programs? What steps should HR take to

protect employee privacy?

Chapter 4: Workforce, Jobs, and Job Analysis

Answers will vary. Students may say that AI devices sometimes scour countless company

documents and other sources of information to rapidly compile all of the facts needed to

respond to an inquiry. In this process, a device may leak confidential company information

that should have remained with only selected members of a company. To protect employee

privacy, some students would propose that HR ensure a company has floor plans that

foster collaboration and interaction as well as allow privacy and personal space.

Supplemental Cases

Unilever Jumps on the Flexible Work Bandwagon

This case describes a company that addressed workforce changes by offering flexible work

arrangements to its employees. The company involved managers and trained them in how to

effectively utilize and manage remote workers. (For the case, visit MindTap® at

1. Based on Unilever’s Agile Working program, what else can human resource professionals

do to facilitate work–life balance in organizations? What other opportunities could

Unilever offer its employees?

2. What is your opinion of Agile Working? Do you think there are any disadvantages

associated with this flexible work arrangement?

Bon Secours Health Care

This case shows how a health care organization uses flexible work arrangements to provide care

for patients, as well as to attract and keep employees. (For the case, visit MindTap® at

1. How well could this level of flexible scheduling work in another industry? For example, a

steel mill?

2. Identify other potential flexible work ideas that Bon Secours might use.

3. Flexible scheduling is common in health care. What would be the likely result without it?

The Reluctant Receptionist

This case illustrates how incomplete job analysis and job descriptions create both managerial and

1. Why did the absence of accurate job information create problems?

2. To prevent future problems, what content should be in a job description for the HR

assistant?

Chapter 4: Workforce, Jobs, and Job Analysis

Comments

The importance of job descriptions and job specifications is highlighted in this case. Lack of a

prepared job description has led to the firm’s losing an employee after a short time because the

HR director misrepresented the job. A job description gives an applicant a more accurate picture

Jobs and Work at R.R. Donnelley

This case describes how a printing firm had to increase productivity and redesign jobs. (For the

1. Discuss why Donnelley had to coordinate HR activities with the changes in jobs and work.

Donnelley had to coordinate HR activities with the changes in jobs and work because the

2. Identify examples of how technology has changed jobs where you have worked and what

HR activities were handled well and poorly.

Students will probably describe situations in which procedures were automated or

Flexible Work and Success at Best Buy

This case illustrates flexible scheduling at Best Buy. (For the case, visit MindTap® at

1. Discuss how a ROWE-type program would fit in organizations where you have worked.

Explain why it would work or would not work.

2. Identify factors in the ROWE program that might make using it for retail employees more

difficult than using it for managers and employees in corporate offices, technical centers,

and non-retail jobs and locations.

Extra Teaching Video

On the Job Video: Intermountain Healthcare—Job Analysis and Design

This short video will help reinforce key points and may prompt additional discussion from the

class.