Question 1

Elaine studies and designs equipment and systems that are easy and efficient for employees to use so that their physical well-being is not compromised. Elaine works in job design.

Accepted Answer

Elaine works in the field of ergonomics, which focuses on designing equipment and systems to optimize human well-being and overall system performance.

Question 2

A review of certain positions at TRG Corp. revealed that those positions have a substantial impact on the work of others. According to the job characteristics model, these positions contain a high level of task identity.

Accepted Answer

The job characteristic that reflects the degree to which a job has a substantial impact on the lives or work of other people is called "task significance," not "task identity." Task identity refers to the degree to which a job requires completion of a whole and identifiable piece of work.

Question 3

A review of certain positions at TRG Corp. revealed that employees had an amount of freedom to schedule work and perform activities. According to the job characteristics model, these positions lack skill variety.

Accepted Answer

The job characteristics model states that skill variety refers to the extent to which a job requires a variety of skills to perform tasks. Therefore, if employees at TRG Corp. have freedom to schedule work and perform activities, it does not necessarily mean that their jobs lack skill variety.

Question 4

The job characteristics model suggests that a motivated, satisfied, and productive employee is one who (1) experiences meaningful work; (2) experiences responsibility for work outcomes; and (3) has knowledge of the results of his or her work activities.

Accepted Answer

This is an accurate statement about the job characteristics model. It identifies three key factors that can lead to motivation, satisfaction, and productivity in employees: meaningful work, responsibility, and feedback on results.

Question 5

Alisa wants to motivate her team to improve performance by enhancing their pay and benefits. To do this, Alisa will adopt a job enrichment program.

Accepted Answer

Job enrichment involves modifying a job to make it more engaging and satisfying for the employee, typically by adding more variety, autonomy, and responsibility, rather than enhancing pay and benefits, which would be considered financial incentives or rewards.

Question 6

Because it focuses on employees' capabilities, the competency-based approach to job analysis emphasizes how the work is done rather than just what work is done.

Accepted Answer

The competency-based approach to job analysis emphasizes employees' capabilities and how the work is done, rather than just focusing on the tasks involved in a job.

Question 7

Alisa has started a program to enrich the jobs of the members of her staff by adding a greater variety of tasks to each job. She is using the technique of job enlargement.

Accepted Answer

Job enlargement is the process of adding more tasks and responsibilities to a job, which Alisa is doing in order to enrich the jobs of her staff.

Question 8

A review of certain positions at TRG Corp. revealed that those positions require completion of a whole and identifiable piece of work. According to the job characteristics model, these positions contain a high level of task identity.

Accepted Answer

According to the job characteristics model, task identity refers to the degree to which a job requires completion of a whole and identifiable piece of work, therefore positions at TRG Corp. that require completion of such work have a high level of task identity.

Question 9

According to the job characteristics model, task identity requires performing a job from beginning to end.

Accepted Answer

Task identity is one of the five core job characteristics identified by the job characteristics model. It refers to the degree to which an employee performs a job from beginning to end and can see the outcome of their work. Therefore, task identity does require performing a job from beginning to end.

Question 10

A review of certain positions at TRG Corp. revealed that those positions provide substantial freedom, independence, and discretion to the employees who hold them. According to the job characteristics model, these positions contain a high level of feedback.

Accepted Answer

The job characteristics model identifies autonomy as a separate dimension from feedback. Autonomy refers to the level of freedom, independence, and discretion in scheduling work and determining the procedures for carrying it out, while feedback is about receiving clear information about the effectiveness of one's performance. High autonomy does not automatically imply high feedback.

Question 11

Adding more meaningful tasks to an employee's job in an effort to make it more rewarding is an example of job enrichment.

Accepted Answer

Job enrichment is the process of adding more meaningful tasks and responsibilities to an employee's job to increase their job satisfaction and motivation.

Question 12

UniTel has created a job design task force and assigned it to study the work cycles within various functional areas to determine how to reduce the time needed to complete the cycle. This task force is taking an industrial engineering approach to job design.

Accepted Answer

The task force is studying work cycles to improve efficiency, which is an industrial engineering approach to job design.

Question 13

In the job characteristics model, task significance refers to the degree to which the job has a substantial impact on the lives or work of other people.

Accepted Answer

Task significance is defined as the degree to which the job has a significant impact on the lives or work of other people, such as customers or colleagues.

Question 14

Part of Sally's duties involve job analysis. She began researching software programs that she could use to aid her in this process and discovered that using software is not recommended for this. In fact, software programs, more often than not, actually hinder the job analysis process.

Accepted Answer

Software programs are often recommended for job analysis as they can streamline the process, ensure consistency, and help in organizing and analyzing data efficiently. They are designed to aid HR professionals in conducting thorough and accurate job analyses.

Question 15

Alisa has initiated a program to motivate her staff by encouraging them to become innovators and managers of their own work. She is using the technique of employee empowerment.

Accepted Answer

This statement is true. Employee empowerment means giving employees more responsibility and authority to make decisions and take ownership of their work, which can encourage innovation and help them become better managers of their own tasks.

Question 16

Managers of businesses where employees perform many different job tasks must be concerned about writing specific job descriptions because federal guidelines and court decisions require job requirements to be based on valid job-related criteria.

Accepted Answer

Managers in businesses where employees perform different job tasks must ensure that job descriptions are specific and based on valid job-related criteria as required by federal guidelines and court decisions.

Question 17

One way that firms can attract employees who prioritize a work-life balance is to offer telecommuting.

Accepted Answer

Offering telecommuting as an option allows employees to work from home or remote locations, giving them more control over their work schedule and allowing for a better work-life balance. This can be an attractive benefit for those who prioritize work-life balance.

Question 18

Employee empowerment occurs when an organization allows its employees to participate in the decisions that affect the overall strategic direction of the organization.

Accepted Answer

Employee empowerment occurs when an organization allows its employees to participate in the decisions that affect their own work, not the overall strategic direction of the organization.

Question 19

Federal guidelines and court decisions now permit that performance requirements of a job may be based on invalid job-related criteria.

Accepted Answer

Federal guidelines and court decisions require that job performance requirements must be based on valid and job-related criteria. It is illegal to base job performance requirements on criteria that discriminate against protected classes of individuals.

Question 20

A critical aspect of industrial engineering is the establishment of time standards for a particular work cycle.

Accepted Answer

Time standards are one of the primary tools used by industrial engineers to measure and improve productivity. These standards involve determining how long it should take to complete a specific task or work cycle, based on factors such as worker skill level, equipment performance, and process design. By establishing accurate time standards, industrial engineers can identify inefficiencies in the production process and develop strategies for improving productivity and reducing costs.

Quiz 4: Job Analysis and Job Design