Lussier and Hendon, Human Resource Management, Second Edition Instructor Resource

Answers to Applying the Concept Exercises

Applying the Concept 4-1: Job Analysis Methods

Review the following job analysis methods and then write the letter corresponding to each
method before the situation in which it would be the most appropriate.

a. questionnaire
b. interview
c. diary
d. observation
e. subject matter expert (SME) panel

1. On your staff, you have an industrial engineer who is an efficiency expert. You want her to
improve the productivity of your machinists.
D. Observation. Industrial engineers observe and come up with was to improve.

2. You have a new job to analyze, and you would like to get help from a few other professionals
who know the job much better than you do.
E. Subject matter experts (SME). This method uses a panel to conduct the job analysis.

3. You have professionals who work independently using different methods of developing
computer games.
B. Interview. Simple, quick, and more comprehensive than some other forms, which will be
helpful for complex jobs with a variety of methods for doing essentially the same tasks.

4. In your call center, where hundreds of employees make cold calls to sell your products, there
is a high turnover rate that you want to improve.
A. Questionnaire. This is quick way to get info from large number of sources.

5. You have several service call employees who repair a variety of computers. You would like to
have a better idea of what types of computers they are fixing.
C. Diary. It would be hard for the employees to remember what they do, but keeping a diary
would help.

Applying the Concept 4-2: Job Designs

Review the list of job design techniques below and write the letter corresponding to each
technique before the statement exemplifying that technique.

a. mechanistic
b. organic
c. biological
Lussier and Hendon, Human Resource Management, Second Edition Instructor Resource

d. perceptual-motor
e. motivational

6. We are required to wear these special belts when we unload the trucks at Target.
C. Biological. The belt is used to help prevent injury.

7. We have added enough employees so that we are breaking the human resources function into
its own department. Jack will now focus on compensation and benefits, and Jill will conduct the
training. Latoya will be responsible for safety and security.
D. Perceptual. The thinking task will be easier when focusing on only one type of HR function.

8. Here at Intel, we are going to change your job so that you can develop new skills and complete
entire jobs by yourself. We’re doing this to make the job more meaningful to you and so that you
can do the job the way you want to and know how you are doing.
E. Motivational. This statement is essential what the Job Characteristics Model is.

9. I just finished the Casey project. What should I do now?

B. Organic. The job appears to have no job description.

10. This is the 30th customer I’ve checked out at Stop & Shop supermarket today.
A. Mechanistic. This is a repetitive task.

Applying the Concept 4-3: Designing Motivational Jobs

Review the following job design techniques and write the letter corresponding to each technique
before the statement exemplifying it.

a. job simplification
b. job rotation
c. job enlargement
d. job enrichment
e. work teams

11. Would you like more job variety? If so, I can add three new tasks to your job to make it less
repetitive.
C. Job enlargement. Adding new tasks to a job is enlarging it.

12. I’m going to teach you to balance the accounts so that you can do it for Carlos while he is on
vacation.
B. Job rotation. The person will do their job, then rotate to the account balance, and rotate back
to the first job.

13. Would you like me to delegate a new task to you to make your job more challenging?
D. Job enrichment. Delegating challenging tasks is a simple way to enrich jobs.
Lussier and Hendon, Human Resource Management, Second Edition Instructor Resource

14. Dominic’s Pizza stopped requiring customers to sign a credit card slip for under $25.
A. Job simplification. Dominic’s is eliminating the time of signing to speed up service.

15. I’m creating a new crew with the seven of you. There will not be a formal manager; you will
share that responsibility. From now on, you don’t have a manager. So share the job together.
E. Work team. Sharing leadership is self-managed work team.

Applying the Concept 4-4: Quantitative Methods

Complete each problem below:

16. Turn to the Regression Analysis section of Exhibit 4-6. Assume that in 2012, you expect a
recession and revenues to drop to $24MM. Around how many employees will you need?
a. 160 b. 180 c. 210 d. 230
C. 210. At $24MM on the Y axis you drop down to 210 on the X axis.

17. You have 253 employees. Over the past year, there were 26 absences. What is the
approximate percentage and ratio of absenteeism?
a. 9.7%, 1–10 b. 10%, 1–10 c. 10%, 1–100 d. 12%, 1–12
B. 10%, 1-10. 26/253 = .1027 = 10% and 1-10 people were absent.

18. You have 1,215 employees. Over the past year, 298 left the firm. What is the approximate
percentage and ratio of turnover?
a. 4%, 1–20 b. 40%, 4–10 c. 22%, 22–100 d. 25%, 1–4
D. 25%, 1-4. 298/ 1215 = .2452 = 25% = 1-4 employees leaves each year.

19. Turn to the Trend Analysis section of Exhibit 4-6. Assume that in 2012, you expect revenues
to be $35MM. Around how many employees will you need?
a. 210 b. 230 c. 250 d. 270
D. 270. The other three are not high enough.

20. Turn to the Ratio Analysis section of Exhibit 4-6. Assume that in 2015, you expect the
production level to increase to $22,000,000. Around how many employees will you need, and
how many new workers do you need to add?
a. 72 and 11 b. 73 and 12 c. 74 and 13 d. 75 and 14
B. 73/12. 22,000,000/301,000 = 73 – 61 = 12 new employees.