Deck 5: Using Job Analysis and Competency Modeling

Question 1

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

Answer 1

C

Question 2

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

Answer 2

B

Question 3

Subject matter experts include which of the following

A)job incumbents
B)supervisors
C)trained job analysts
D)customers
E)all of the above

Answer 3

E

Question 4

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

Question 5

_____ 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

Question 6

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.

Question 7

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.

Question 8

In order to prepare a comprehensive job analysis,an organization needs to 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

Question 9

_____ 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

Question 10

Which method for gathering information for job analyses is typically used when the organization is concerned about keeping costs of the process as low as possible?

A)observation
B)questionnaires
C)group interviews
D)experimentation
E)individual interviews

Question 11

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

Question 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

Question 13

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

Question 14

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

Question 15

Andrew 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 Tom Clancy 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

Question 16

Job descriptions typically include ALL of the following EXCEPT:

A)Job Title
B)Supervision
C)Work Performed
D)Job Context
E)Salary Range

Question 17

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.

Question 18

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

Question 19

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

Question 20

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

Question 21

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

Question 22

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

Question 23

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

Question 24

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

Question 25

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

Question 26

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

Question 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

Question 28

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

Question 29

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.

Question 30

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

Question 31

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

Question 32

A competency inventory can include information about an employee's

A)level of education
B)training
C)experience
D)performance history
E)All of the abovE.

Question 33

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

Question 34

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.

Question 35

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

Question 36

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

Question 37

Job analysis has been held by the courts as a method to set objective standards for personnel actions.

Question 38

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

Question 39

Human resource professionals use the term position to refer to the activities carried out by any single person.

Question 40

Job analyses are useful for identifying jobs that can be eliminated or combined during organizational restructuring.

Question 41

The Management Position Description Questionnaire (MPDQ)is a standardized questionnaire for analyzing the concerns,responsibilities,demands,restrictions,and miscellaneous characteristics of managerial jobs.

Question 42

What is the term for the process of describing and recording information about job behaviors and activities?

Question 43

The major disadvantages of customized task inventories is the time required to develop task statements and the complex statistical analysis.

Question 44

Time-and-motion studies are still used by companies that rely heavily on human labor to carry out repetitive and routine tasks accurately and efficiently.

Question 45

Which method will be used for collecting information for job analyses if cost is the primary concern for the organization?

Question 46

Standardized approaches can be used across many types of jobs and organizations.

Question 47

Only government employers have access to the Occupational Information Network (O*NET).

Question 48

The Position Analysis Questionnaire (PAQ)is often described as a job-specific method of job analysis.

Question 49

__________________________________________________ can be used to analyze a wide variety of jobs that involve many different types of tasks,technologies,and duties.

Question 50

The objective of ergonomic analysis is to decrease the amount of break and rest time required by workers.

Question 51

__________________________________________________ is the Department of Labor's job analysis service

Question 52

The competency modeling approach is distinguished in that it emphasizes individual characteristics associated with effective performance on a job.

Question 53

Today,organizations are focusing on how they can get flexibility without worker resistance,while also satisfying workers' need for comfort.

Question 54

It is difficult to develop training programs from the job descriptions generated by customized task inventories.

Question 55

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.

Question 56

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.

Question 57

List the common techniques used to collect information for job and organizational analyses.

Question 58

A major advantage of customized task inventories is that they generate vivid job descriptions.

Question 59

The people used as sources of information for the development of job and organizational analyses are referred to as subordinate-manager ensembles (SMEs).

Question 60

Increased job specialization,decreased job sharing,and the increased prevalence of work teams are some of the reasons why many have begun to question the usefulness of traditional job analysis techniques.

Question 61

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?

Question 62

Why should job incumbents be included in the job analysis process since their ratings of the jobs are likely to be slightly enhanced?

Question 63

What is the function of the Occupational Information Network (O*NET)?

Question 64

What is the name of the technique designed to measure the importance of 12 personality characteristics for job performance?

Question 65

What kind of questionnaire should an organization use if it wanted to create job analyses for all of its managerial positions?

Question 66

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?

Question 67

What is the major disadvantage associated with customized task inventories?