CHP 2 JAD

1. Scenario: A manufacturing company wants to optimize the workflow of its factory floor. They
are considering conducting a time-and-motion study. What are the primary goals they should
aim for with this study?

Answer: The primary goals of a time-and-motion study in a manufacturing setting are to:

 Improve the effectiveness and efficiency of job performance.

 Determine the optimal time taken to complete specific tasks.

 Identify and eliminate any wasteful or redundant motions or processes.

 Design training programs tailored to the specific tasks.

 Determine the required Knowledge, Skills, Abilities, and Other characteristics

(KSAOs).

 Assist in designing a fair compensation package based on the effort and time
involved in tasks.

 Aid in job classification and setting performance benchmarks.

2. Scenario: Sarah is tasked with creating a task inventory for a new project manager role at her
IT company. She is unsure about the level of detail she should include for each task. What
guidance should you offer her regarding task specificity?

Answer: Sarah should aim for a balance between breadth and depth in her task descriptions. A good
task statement should refer to activities that are undertaken to accomplish a specific goal. Task
statements that are too broad may not provide actionable insights. As a rule of thumb, Sarah should
break the task into meaningful bits, ensuring that each task is specific enough to provide clarity but
not so granular that it becomes overwhelming.

3. Scenario: John, an HR analyst, is designing a task inventory survey for a customer service
role. He wants to understand how often certain tasks are performed. Which response
option(s) would be most appropriate for John to use?

Answer: To understand the frequency of tasks, John should use response options like:

 Very Frequently

 Frequently

 Occasionally

 Rarely

 Very Rarely

 Never

4. Scenario: A multinational company is planning to expand its operations in Asia. They are
conducting a functional job analysis for roles that will be introduced in the new locations.
Why is it essential for them to consider the "things" aspect in relation to the work, and what
might it entail in this context?
Answer: The "things" aspect in Functional Job Analysis refers to tangible, real objects or items that
an employee interacts with as part of their role. For a multinational company expanding in Asia,
considering the "things" aspect is crucial because:

 It provides insights into the tools, equipment, and materials required for specific
roles.

 It helps in understanding the infrastructure and resource needs in the new locations.

 It ensures that roles are designed with the necessary resources in mind, leading to
efficient performance. In this context, "things" might include specific machinery,
technological devices, software platforms, products, or any other tangible items
relevant to the roles being analyzed.

5. Scenario: The HR department of a retail company is collecting demographic data as part of

their task inventory survey. They want to ensure they capture all relevant information
without making the survey too lengthy. Which demographic factors should they prioritize for
their industry?

Answer: For the retail industry, the HR department should prioritize the following demographic
factors:

 Age: Helps in understanding the age distribution and potentially tailoring training or
benefits.

 Gender: Provides insights into gender diversity.

 Work Experience: Essential to gauge the experience level of employees.

 Tenure: Helps understand employee retention and loyalty.

 Position: Gives insights into the distribution of roles within the company.

 Location: Especially relevant for retail chains with multiple store locations.

6. Scenario: An organization is looking to understand the different tools and materials used by
their design team. They decide to use the Functional Job Analysis (FJA) method. What
specific components of FJA should they focus on to gather this information?

Answer: To understand the tools and materials used by the design team, the organization should
focus on the following components of FJA:

 Machines, tools, equipment, and work aids: This will give insights into the specific
tools and software the design team uses.

 Materials, products, subject matter, and services: This component will provide
information on the materials and resources the design team works with regularly.

7. Scenario: Maria is an HR professional analyzing a role that involves a lot of interaction with
clients and minimal interaction with tangible items. In the context of Functional Job Analysis,
which aspect of work should Maria prioritize in her analysis?

Answer: Given the role's focus on interactions with clients, Maria should prioritize the "People"
aspect in her Functional Job Analysis. The "People" aspect will provide insights into the nature of
interactions, the level of client engagement required, and the interpersonal skills necessary for the
role.

Long Questions
1. Scenario: Imagine you are a consultant hired by a new startup in the tech industry. The
company is in its initial stages and wants to ensure that they have a clear understanding of
the roles they need. They have heard about various methods of conducting job analysis and
are particularly interested in the work-oriented methods. Could you describe the four
general types of work-oriented job analysis and explain when and why each might be used?

Answer: Certainly! Work-oriented job analysis methods focus on analyzing the job from the
employer's or firm's perspective. Here are the four general types:

 Time-and-Motion Study: This method is mostly conducted in manufacturing and

construction industries. It aims to determine the optimal time taken for specific tasks
and the sequence and motions used to complete them. It's especially useful when
looking to improve efficiency, design training programs, and set performance
benchmarks.

 Functional Job Analysis (FJA): FJA examines what gets done versus what the worker
does, focusing on three aspects: data, people, and things. It's useful for roles that
involve diverse tasks and interactions.

 Task Inventory: Here, a list or inventory of tasks performed in a job is created. It's
beneficial when creating new roles or when updating existing roles to ensure that all
tasks are accounted for.

 Critical Incident Technique: This method involves identifying critical incidents, which
are specific situations where the worker has performed exceptionally well or poorly.
It's particularly valuable when assessing performance or identifying training needs.

2. Scenario: As an HR manager for a large corporation, you are tasked with designing a task
inventory survey. One of your junior HR analysts is unsure about the kind of response options
to include when asking employees about the frequency and importance of their tasks. Could
you provide guidance on the appropriate response options for both frequency and
importance, and explain why they are relevant?

Answer: Certainly! When designing a task inventory survey, the response options play a crucial role
in gathering accurate and actionable data.

 For Frequency, the following options can be provided:

 Very Frequently

 Frequently

 Occasionally

 Rarely

 Very Rarely
  Never These options help in understanding how often a particular task is
performed, allowing the organization to prioritize tasks and allocate
resources effectively.

 For Importance, the options could be:

 Very Important

 Important

 Moderately Important

 Slightly Important

 Not Important These options help in gauging the significance of a task in

relation to the job's objectives and overall organizational goals. Tasks
deemed 'Very Important' might require more training or resources, while
tasks labeled 'Not Important' might be candidates for automation or
delegation.

Scenario: A manufacturing company is looking to optimize their production line. They've heard about
time-and-motion studies and are considering implementing one. However, they are unsure about the
difference between a time study and a motion study, even though both originate from the same
school of thought. Could you elucidate the distinctions between them and provide insights into how
each might benefit the company?

Answer: Absolutely! While both time study and motion study originate from the same foundational
principles, they have distinct objectives and areas of focus:

Time Study: This focuses on determining the time taken to complete a given task or the time
allocated to different tasks within a job. Its main goal is to set a standard time for task completion,
ensuring efficiency. Implementing a time study can help the company identify bottlenecks,
streamline processes, and optimize workflow, leading to reduced production time and cost savings.

Motion Study: This is concerned with determining the steps and their sequence, as well as the hand
and body motions used in completing a task. The primary goal is to eliminate wasteful or redundant
motions. By implementing a motion study, the company can refine the way tasks are executed,
improving ergonomics, minimizing fatigue, and enhancing productivity.

Scenario: An international NGO wants to understand the roles of their field workers in different
regions better. They decide to use the Functional Job Analysis (FJA) method. What are the main
components they should be focusing on in FJA, and how might these components provide insights
into the specific requirements and nuances of fieldwork in various regions?

Answer: Functional Job Analysis (FJA) is a comprehensive method that provides a detailed
understanding of a job by focusing on interactions between the worker and the work itself. For an
international NGO analyzing field worker roles, the main components to focus on are:
Worker Functions: This relates to the interactions with data (like numbers, words, blueprints), people
(like clients, communities), and things (tangible objects or resources).

Work Fields: This component provides a context for the work, detailing the environment or setting in
which tasks are performed.

Methods Verbs: These describe the actions or processes the worker undertakes.

Machines, Tools, Equipment, and Work Aids: This offers insights into the resources and tools field
workers use.

Materials, Products, Subject Matter, and Services: This component gives information about the
materials or resources they work with or produce.

By analyzing these components, the NGO can gain deep insights into the specific tasks, tools,
interactions, and contexts associated with fieldwork in different regions, helping in training, resource
allocation, and strategy formulation.

Scenario: A tech company is planning to expand its software development team. As part of the hiring
process, they want to use a task inventory to understand the tasks their current developers perform
daily. What steps should they take to design this task inventory, and how can they ensure that the
tasks listed are neither too broad nor too granular?

Answer: To design an effective task inventory for their software development team, the tech
company should:

Engage with Current Employees: Conduct interviews or focus group discussions with existing
developers to understand their daily tasks.

Draft Task Statements: Based on the feedback, draft task statements. A good task statement should
focus on specific activities undertaken to achieve a goal.

Ensure Specificity: Task statements that refer to broad goals without specifying activities might be
too vague. Conversely, tasks shouldn't be so granular that they capture every minute detail. A
balance is essential.

Iterate and Refine: After drafting, circulate the task inventory among a subset of developers for
feedback. Refine the inventory based on their inputs.

Include Response Options: For each task, include response options to gauge the frequency,
importance, difficulty, and other relevant metrics.

By following these steps and ensuring that each task statement is clear and meaningful, the company
can design an effective task inventory that accurately captures the roles and responsibilities of their
software developers.