Additional definitions researched by job analysis graduate students

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Subj: Cheri Steffan's Job Analysis and Task Assignments
Date: 4/22/99 7:05:09 PM Central Daylight Time

St. Mary's University - 4/12/99
Cheri L. Steffan

What is a Task?

A task is a basic unit of analysis; a discrete unit of work performance by an employee that is a logical and necessary step in the performance of a duty and usually has an identifiable beginning and end (Gael, 1983).

According to Williams and Crafts (1997), task statements have a three-part structure: verb, object, and qualifier. The verb should be written in the present tense and should be in the active rather than the passive voice. The subject is understood; it is the worker. The verbs chosen should be as specific as possible and should describe behaviors that can be observed.

The object describes on whom or on what the action is performed. The qualifier is included when additional information is needed to modify the statements. A qualifier may be used to describe how, why, where, when, or how much a task is performed (Gael, 1983).

The following are criteria of well written tasks (Melching & Borcher, 1973):

 
• A good task is written at the appropriate level of specificity. One way to determine this is to identify whether it has a
beginning and an end. If it does not, then it is probably too vague and written at too general a level.

• The task statement must be written clearly so that it has the same meaning for all workers in the occupational area.

• The task statement must be stated using terminology that is consistent with current usage in the occupational area.

• The task statement should be brief to save reading time of the employee.

• Abbreviations should be used cautiously since they may not be understood throughout the occupational area.

References

Gael, S. (1983). Job analysis: A guide to assessing work activities. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Melching, W. H., & Borcher, S. D. (1973). Procedures for constructing and using task inventories. Center for Vocational and Technical Education, Research and Development Series Number 91. Columbus: Ohio State University.

Williams, K. M., & Crafts, J. L. (1997). Inductive job analysis: The job/task inventory method,  in Applied Measurement Methods in Industrial Psychology. Palo-Alto, CA: Consulting Psychologists Press.

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Job Analysis Definitions - Position Analysis Questionnaire (PAQ)

for Job Analysis (PS 7368G)
St. Mary's University - 1/27/99
Cheri L. Steffan

Abstract

In today's world, the Internet is a very valuable tool for gathering information on job analyses. Different companies have different definitions of what qualifies as a "job analysis," but in general, most companies believe a job analysis is the gathering of information on important aspects of a job to enhance job performance. There are several ways to conduct a job analysis, but this paper focuses on the Position Analysis Questionnaire (PAQ). The PAQ has been adopted for use in the design of a variety of personnel functions including compensation, selection, training, and vocational counseling. According to Dipboye et al. (1994), the PAQ has proven valuable not only in research but also in practice.

Job Analysis Definitions

There are several definitions of "job analysis," but all of them seem to express the same points. The Internet is a very useful tool when dealing with anything relating to the analysis of people, jobs, businesses, and organizations. The following definitions of job analysis were found at several different web sites:
 

"Job analysis is the collection and compilation of relevant information about jobs. To collect this information, employers commonly undertake three crucial steps: identifying job titles, obtaining information about the job, and grouping responsibilities and qualifications (http://www.hrxperts.org)."

"A job analysis is an efficient, cost-effective way to gather useful information about a job. Once this information has been collected, it can be used over and over again (with appropriate updates) for many different purposes. A job analysis can be used as a starting point for developing a variety of human performance management and development programs, including employment tests, performance evaluations, and determining training needs (http://www.aimmconsult.com)."

"Job analysis is information about a position to be filled that helps to identify the major job requirements (MJR) and links them to skills, education, training, etc., needed to successfully perform the functions of that job. The purpose of the job analysis is to identify the experience, education, training, and other qualifying factors possessed by candidates who have the potential to be the best performers of the job to be filled (http://charly.ofpc.randolf.uf.mil)."

"The analysis should include what the worker does in terms of activities or functions, how the work is done, results of the work and worker characteristics (http://www.gisclair.com)."

"Job analysis defined - gathering detailed information about jobs (http://gatton.gws.uky.edu)."

"Job analysis is gathering information on important aspects of a job (http://www.stfrancis.edu)."

"Job analysis is the systematic process of collecting relevant, work-related information related to the nature of a specific job (http://wvnvm.wvnet.edu)."

The Position Analysis Questionnaire (PAQ) is one of the leading off-the-shelf measures of jobs available (http://www.stfrancis.edu). The PAQ is a structured job analysis questionnaire that measures job characteristics and relates them to human characteristics rather than describing the tasks, technologies, or duties of the job. The PAQ offers a comprehensive description of the type and level of work behaviors required by a job and may be used across a wide spectrum of jobs, as well as across time, even though tasks, technologies and duties may change. It also allows for the establishment of direct relationships between PAQ data and 1) ability test scores of job encumbents, 2) current compensation, and 3) other job requirements (http://paq.com).

According to Dipboye, et al. (1994), the latest version of the PAQ consists of 194 items. Job elements are organized into six divisions that follow a stimulus-organism-response model of human behavior. The first division contains behaviors relating to the input of information. The second division is concerned with the mediational processes involved. The third division, work output, reflects the fact that the employee must act on the information and produce some service or product. Two other divisions that represent more of the work context are interpersonal activities and the work situation and the job context. The final division is a grab bag of
miscellaneous aspects including work schedule, pay, time pressures, and responsibilities.

In describing a job with the PAQ, the analyst first determines whether each element applies to the job. Of the elements that are involved in the job, the analyst rates the extent of involvement using such scales as the extent of use, amount of time spent, importance of the job, possibility of occurrence, and applicability.

According to Dipboye et al. (1994), the PAQ has proven valuable in both research and practice and has been translated into numerous languages. The PAQ's behavioral dimensions allow a wide range of applications. The PAQ has been adopted for use in the design of a variety of personnel functions including compensation, selection,
training, and vocational counseling. As data have accumulated on thousands of jobs, it has been possible to use the PAQ to see how even markedly different jobs compare on general dimensions.

In study done by Shaw and Riskind (1983), it was found that ratings of occupations on the PAQ's 32-divisional dimensions were predictive of a variety of stress indicators, including hypertension, ulcers, cirrhosis, suicides, anxiety and depression. Shaw et al. (1983) believe the PAQ is particularly useful in determining the abilities and
traits required in a job.

Research and experience with the PAQ support the following: 1) The job elements of the PAQ represent in a comprehensive manner the domain of human behavior involved in work activities, 2) The analysis of jobs with the PAQ response scales results in the reliable measurement of such job elements, and 3) "Job dimensions" derived by statistical factor analysis of PAQ job elements represent very stable dimensions of human behaviors involved in work and thus can serve as the basis for characterizing the "structure" of human work (http://paq.com).

References

Dipboye, R. L., Smith, C. S., & Howell, W. C. (1994). Understanding Industrial and Organizational Psychology. Orlando, FL: Harcourt Brace College Publishers.

Shaw, J. B., & Riskind, J. H. (1983). Predicting job stress using data from the Position Analysis Questionnaire. Journal of Applied Psychology, 68, 626-646.

http://charly.ofpc.randolf.uf.mil//dps/dpsi/permiss/per_data/664.htm

http://gatton.gws.uky.edu/MGT320/pp/Job/sld026.htm

http://paq.com

http://wvnvm.wvnet.edu/~mrenard/comPENSA.CH03/sld002.htm

http://www.aimmconsult.com/JAreference.html

http://www.gisclair.com/JobAnalysis.html

http:// www.hrxperts.org/job.html

http://www.stfrancis.edu/ba/ghkickul/courses/61360/jdesign/sld002.htm

http://www.stfrancis.edu/ba/ghkickul/courses/61360/jdesign/sld016.htm
 
 

posted May 17, 2000