Deck 4: The Analysis and Design of Work

Question 1

The perceptual-motor approach to job design has its roots in classical industrial engineering.

Answer 1

False

Question 2

For teams to be effective, it is essential that the level of task interdependence is greater than the level of outcome interdependence.

Answer 2

False

Question 3

More and more people use computers to do their work today. As a result, spelling, grammar, and math basic skills are decreasing.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

Micromanagement affects a team's autonomy.

Question 5

Knowledge is an individual's level of proficiency at performing a particular task.

Question 6

One component of the Position Analysis Questionnaire (PAQ) examines how employees interact with colleagues.

Question 7

Work-flow design is the process of analyzing the tasks necessary for the production of a product or service, and it is performed after allocating and assigning these tasks to a particular job category or person.

Question 8

The final stage in work-flow analysis is to identify the inputs used in the development of a work unit's product.

Question 9

Functional structures help support organizations that compete on differentiation or innovation, because flexible responsiveness is central to making this strategy work.

Question 10

Linda was hired almost 20 years ago. Since then, she has moved around in the company and taken on additional responsibilities. A job analysis would have identified the error here.

Question 11

The Position Analysis Questionnaire (PAQ) covers only the work context, leaving out the inputs, outputs, and processes involved in the job.

Question 12

Due to their work-flow focus and proximity to a homogeneous consumer base, divisional structures tend to be less flexible and innovative.

Question 13

Job evaluation is the process of getting information about how well each employee is performing in order to reward those who are effective and improve the performance of those who are ineffective.

Question 14

Daihi created a job posting with the knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to perform the job. He will get qualified candidates to apply.

Question 15

If an organization decides to compete on costs, and hires low-cost labor, it needs to have a decentralized structure to enable autonomy in decision-making by the workers.

Question 16

Centralization is the degree to which work units are grouped based on functional similarity or similarity of workflow.

Question 17

Due to technological changes in the nature of work and global competition, the Dictionary of Occupational Titles (DOT) has been replaced by the Occupational Information Network (O*NET).

Question 18

Unlike the Dictionary of Occupational Titles (DOT), the Occupational Information Network (O*NET) relies on fixed job titles and narrow task descriptions.

Question 19

Divisional structures are most appropriate in stable and predictable environments.

Question 20

Recently a state agency completed a project in which a talent inventory was done for everyone's job. As a result, a gap analysis could show areas for the company to focus on with rehires. Job descriptions were also updated. This process is known as job analysis.

Question 21

The motivational approach views attitudinal variables and behavioral variables as the most important outcomes of job design.

Question 22

Which of the following is true of how job design and job analysis have functioned in the past?

A) Job design has focused on making existing jobs more motivating.
B) Job analysis has been oriented toward changing the job.
C) Job design has been oriented toward information gathering.
D) Job design has focused on evaluating existing jobs.
E) Job analysis has focused on revamping existing jobs.

Question 23

Which of the following questions should be addressed right after the inputs required for production have been established?

A) What materials, data, and information are needed?
B) What special equipment, facilities, and systems are needed?
C) What knowledge, skills, and abilities are needed by those performing the tasks?
D) What tasks are required in the production of the output?
E) What product, information, or service is provided?

Question 24

The final stage in work-flow analysis is to identify the work ________ in the development of the work unit's product.

A) results
B) relationships
C) processes
D) inputs
E) ethics

Question 25

Which of the following is the primary role of an efficiency expert?

A) Looking for additional resources to increase productivity
B) Implementing a system that can store excess inventories
C) Introducing new equipment that will increase output
D) Removing every bit of waste in production operations
E) Employing more people to complete a task more quickly

Question 26

The tasks performed as a part of job analysis

A) are mutually exclusive of those of job design.
B) focus primarily on creating new jobs.
C) focus primarily on revamping existing jobs.
D) have a passive, information-gathering orientation.
E) have a proactive orientation toward changing the job.

Question 27

A factory manufacturing line was slow to produce products and was failing to meet quotas. The manager recommendation was to do a time-and-motion study. This is a strong first step.

Question 28

Which of the following is likely to happen when a private equity group hires an efficiency expert?

A) Overburdening people by removing machines
B) Modifying production processes to support excess inventories
C) Increasing the number of employees involved in a particular task
D) Limiting procedures that streamline operations
E) Decreasing movements that create no value

Question 29

Which of the following led to problems for McDonald's when it began offering the McWrap product?

A) Poor quality inputs
B) Complex work processes
C) Outdated equipment
D) Low task interdependence
E) Low outcome interdependence

Question 30

Which stage in a work-unit activity analysis focuses on the product, information, or service provided?

A) Raw inputs
B) Equipment
C) Output
D) Activity
E) Human resource input

Question 31

Which of the following best explains outcome interdependence in relation to teams?

A) The level to which an individual team member has to contribute to achieve the team's output
B) The amount of resources shared among team members to help them accomplish the team's task
C) The extent to which an individual team member leans on the other team members to achieve his or her output
D) The level of input required from the team as a whole to complete its set tasks
E) The level to which the reward for task accomplishment is shared among the team members

Question 32

James, a manager at Brown & Brown (B&B) Inc., a publisher of academic books, is tasked with identifying the various pieces of work required to edit, typeset, and publish a fictional book prior to allocating and assigning them to his subordinates. Which of the following processes is James expected to perform?

A) Job evaluation
B) Work-flow evaluation
C) Job performance
D) Work-flow design
E) Performance evaluation

Question 33

When team members on Kami's unit craft their professional goals for the new year, she is expecting at least one goal to be tied to the unit's goals. How will she measure the individuals' performance based on this link?

A) The level of task interdependence should be higher than the level of outcome interdependence.
B) The level of sharing rewards for task accomplishment should be higher than the level of cooperation.
C) Individual pay raises need to play a major role in terms of defining rewards.
D) Individual accountability of behavior should be a critical indicator of performance.
E) Teams should not be given autonomy or allowed to be flexible in how they use their time and skills.

Question 34

The perceptual-motor approach generally increases the job's cognitive demands.

Question 35

All efficiency-producing changes result in dissatisfying work, and all changes that promote satisfaction create inevitable inefficiencies.

Question 36

How does lean production differ from "batch work" methods?

A) It stresses the need for using the maximum number of people for production.
B) It has fewer employees who are well trained.
C) It has more opportunity to cut costs by laying off employees.
D) It emphasizes the use of maximum materials.
E) It employs a large number of low-skilled workers.

Question 37

Work-flow design is the process of

A) allocating resources required for completing a task.
B) assigning the task to a particular job category or person.
C) analyzing the tasks necessary for the production of a product.
D) evaluating the resource input and the actual output of a task.
E) comparing the results of a task with its objectives.

Question 38

Feng shui can be an argument to examine the ergonomics of an employee's workstation.

Question 39

When there is a single point of failure, companies can correct the problem by having

A) teams provide organizations with a limited set of skills to utilize.
B) team members share work when any member becomes overloaded.
C) rewards that are focused on individual pay raises rather than team bonuses.
D) a limit to the team's autonomy, improving its efficiency.
E) the team remove the need for individual accountability.

Question 40

Jamal, an efficiency expert, proposes the "just-in-time" inventory method to Liza, the CEO of Neptune Inc. If Liza is to accept the proposal, which of the following changes is he most likely to implement in Neptune Inc.?

A) He is likely to avoid made-for-order method of manufacturing.
B) He is likely to create a larger storage space for inventories.
C) He is likely to introduce processes that support lean production.
D) He is likely to manufacture mass products well ahead of demand.
E) He is likely to stock a backup of supplies for emergencies.

Question 41

Divisional structures tend to be more flexible and innovative because of

A) their work-flow focus.
B) the preference employees have for centralized decision-making.
C) their proximity to a heterogeneous customer base.
D) the high level of centralization in the structure.
E) the tendency to ignore opportunities.

Question 42

Every time a newer version of a product is released, cannibalization of the previous product is likely to happen. For example, when a new iPhone is released, the older versions become obsolete and no longer supported. This self-cannibalization occurs in ________ structures.

A) functional
B) divisional
C) centralized
D) bureaucratic
E) mechanistic

Question 43

Which of the following includes the knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics that an individual must have to perform a job?

A) Job specification
B) Job description
C) Job standardization
D) Job satisfaction
E) Job evaluation

Question 44

All decisions for the coffee chain Traded Beans are made by the founder and chief executive officer. This company has a ________ decision-making structure.

A) divisional
B) democratic
C) centralized
D) collective
E) distributed

Question 45

________ provides a longitudinal overview of the dynamic relationships by which inputs are converted into outputs.

A) Job analysis
B) Organization structure
C) Organizational dynamics
D) Work-relationship analysis
E) Work-flow design

Question 46

In a company where units are given autonomy to work independently, but are now asked to work together, the units may become territorial and refuse to share ideas for fear of being eliminated. This functional structure will produce which drawback?

A) Inability to support cost competency
B) Cascading effect of errors
C) Redundancy across units
D) Low levels of centralization
E) Self-cannibalization

Question 47

Which of the following includes a list of the tasks, duties, and responsibilities that a job entails?

A) Job specification
B) Job description
C) Job standardization
D) Job satisfaction
E) Job evaluation

Question 48

Functional structures are more appropriate than divisional structures when

A) the environment is unstable.
B) it is difficult to anticipate the demand.
C) coordination requirements between jobs are inconsistent.
D) the organization competes on costs.
E) the environment is unpredictable.

Question 49

Units that are a part of the ________ structure act almost as separate, self-sufficient, semi-autonomous organizations.

A) mechanistic
B) divisional
C) functional
D) centralized
E) bureaucratic

Question 50

In which of the following circumstances will a functional structure be more appropriate for an organization?

A) When the environment is unstable
B) When demand for the resources can be well anticipated
C) When the organization competes on differentiation
D) When coordination requirements keep changing
E) When innovation is the primary focus of the organization

Question 51

Holding monthly meetings, attending quarterly reviews, and planning annual conferences are all examples of

A) knowledge.
B) skills.
C) abilities.
D) responsibilities.
E) persistence.

Question 52

Caroline has increasingly become more frustrated with her current job. She visits her HR department to discuss her skills and aspirations as she does not want to leave the company. HR recommends she complete

A) human resource planning.
B) work-flow analysis.
C) performance evaluation.
D) training.
E) career planning.

Question 53

In which of the following circumstances will a divisional structure be more appropriate for an organization?

A) When the environment is stable
B) When resources can be well anticipated
C) When the organization competes on costs
D) When coordination requirements are consistent
E) When the organization competes on differentiation

Question 54

Divisional structures are more appropriate than functional structures when

A) demand can be well anticipated.
B) the environment is stable and predictable.
C) flexible responsiveness is required.
D) the organization competes on costs.
E) the consumer base is heterogeneous.

Question 55

Josef is in charge of creating and distributing a monthly profit margin report. In the job description, it discusses preparing reports coordinating teams and presenting information. These are examples of job ________ needed for this job.

A) knowledge
B) abilities
C) skills
D) motivation
E) duties

Question 56

In a large, multinational company, several of the tasks are split out across several states and countries. Each location has a specific component of the overall product. An employee survey recently revealed that employees had a weak conceptualization of the company's overall mission. This company has a

A) mechanistic structure.
B) divisional structure.
C) modular structure.
D) network structure.
E) functional structure.

Question 57

Jemma reviews job applicants and screens their applications into thee piles: highly qualified, qualified, and not qualified. She then lets the hiring manager see those who are highly qualified and qualified. This is part of

A) career planning.
B) human resource planning.
C) training.
D) selection.
E) job evaluation.

Question 58

When compared to divisional structures, managers in functional and centralized structures

A) need to be more experienced.
B) are more sensitive to individual differences between workers.
C) are less sensitive to individual differences between workers.
D) need to be high in cognitive ability.
E) equate outcomes with fairness.

Question 59

When Health Above, a startup company, was bought by Above All Health, the HR department was tasked with assessing the dollar value of each job and creating equitable pay structures. HR completed a

A) performance appraisal.
B) recruitment.
C) job evaluation.
D) work redesign.
E) career planning.

Question 60

Jeff was recently hired as a new manager. He is looking for the ________ to see the relationships between individuals and units.

A) work-flow analysis
B) organization structure
C) work-flow evaluation
D) organizational dynamics
E) work-flow design

Question 61

Which of the following is true about O*NET?

A) It is a private job-listing index that employers can use free of cost.
B) It uses a common language that generalizes job specifications across various occupations.
C) It relies exclusively on fixed job titles.
D) It relies exclusively on narrow task descriptions.
E) It is beneficial only for employers, not job seekers.

Question 62

Which of the following approaches views job satisfaction as one of the most important outcomes of job design?

A) Administrative approach
B) Mechanistic approach
C) Biological approach
D) Perceptual-motor approach
E) Motivational approach

Question 63

Katerina is looking for a job that will be quick to learn and not require a lot of thinking, so she can earn money and still focus on earning her degree. She is looking for a job that follows the ________ approach.

A) motivational
B) mechanistic
C) biological
D) perceptual-motor
E) ergonomic

Question 64

Which of the following is the process of defining the way work will be performed and the tasks that will be required in a given job?

A) Job specification
B) Job evaluation
C) Job performance
D) Job design
E) Job satisfaction

Question 65

Grace has been given the authority to make decisions about how to accomplish her work. The "Job Characteristics Model" classifies this as

A) task identity.
B) task discretion.
C) skill variety.
D) autonomy.
E) task significance.

Question 66

The ________ section in a Position Analysis Questionnaire (PAQ) focuses on planning and information-processing activities.

A) mental processes
B) information input
C) work output
D) job context
E) relationship analysis

Question 67

Which of the following sources is most appropriate for providing accurate information regarding the importance of job duties?

A) Supervisors
B) Incumbents
C) Customers
D) Subordinates
E) External job analysts

Question 68

Which of the following is true of an organization that follows the mechanistic approach?

A) The jobs are complex and meaningful.
B) The job design is such that only highly skilled workers can work on the tasks.
C) The job design makes the organization dependent on individual workers.
D) Individual workers are viewed as irreplaceable.
E) New employees can be quickly and inexpensively trained for the job.

Question 69

Which of the following was replaced by the Occupational Information Network (O*NET)?

A) Position Analysis Questionnaire
B) General Aptitude Test Battery
C) Dictionary of Occupational Titles
D) Workforce Learning Link
E) Work Profiling System

Question 70

How does the mechanistic approach differ from the motivation approach?

A) The mechanistic approach seeks to empower individual workers.
B) The motivational approach designs jobs that are repetitive and mundane.
C) Workers in organizations that follow the mechanistic approach can be easily replaced.
D) Workers in organizations that follow the motivational approach have less autonomy.
E) Organizations that follow the mechanistic approach are highly dependent on individual workers.

Question 71

Customer service representatives who seek to solve problems for customers need to understand their

A) task identity.
B) skill variety.
C) autonomy.
D) task significance.
E) task discretion.

Question 72

Tami and Deb have worked for Waterfall Springs for more than 20 years combined. They are a resource to HR when completing a job analysis because they are

A) supervisors.
B) incumbents.
C) customers.
D) subordinates.
E) quality analysts.

Question 73

The ________ section in a position analysis questionnaire (PAQ) focuses on the physical activities, tools, and devices used by the worker to perform the job.

A) mental process
B) information input
C) work output
D) job context
E) data input

Question 74

Which of the following approaches to job design identifies the "one best way" to perform a job?

A) Motivational approach
B) Scientific management approach
C) Biological approach
D) Perceptual-motor approach
E) Cognitive task analysis approach

Question 75

Many books have been written about leadership, such as How Successful People Lead, by John Maxwell. The goal of these books is to focus the leader's mind on organizational psychology by explaining the ________ approach.

A) motivational
B) mechanistic
C) biological
D) perceptual-motor
E) cognitive task analysis

Question 76

The most common source of error in the job analysis process results from job descriptions being

A) outdated.
B) narrow.
C) untested.
D) vague.
E) elaborate.

Question 77

According to the "Job Characteristics Model," ________ is the degree to which a job requires completing a "whole" piece of work from beginning to end.

A) skill variety
B) task identity
C) autonomy
D) task significance
E) feedback

Question 78

The factual or procedural information that is necessary for successfully performing a task is called

A) aptitude.
B) ability.
C) skill.
D) persistence.
E) knowledge.

Question 79

According to the "Job Characteristics Model," ________ is the extent to which a person receives clear information about performance effectiveness from the work itself.

A) task identity
B) autonomy
C) feedback
D) skill variety
E) task significance

Question 80

When it comes to examining and understanding skill levels for a particular job, ________ may be the best source.

A) external job analysts
B) supervisors
C) job incumbents
D) in-house quality analysts
E) internal efficiency experts