Chapter 4

The Analysis and Design of

Work

©McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. Authorized only for instructor use in the classroom.  No reproduction or further distribution permitted without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education.
 Learning Objectives
LO4-1 Analyze an organization’s structure and work-flow
process, identifying the output, activities, and inputs
in the production of a product or service.
LO4-2 Understand the importance of job analysis in
strategic human resource management.
LO4-3 Choose the right job analysis technique for a variety
of human resource activities.
LO4-4 Identify the tasks performed and the skills required in
a given job.
LO4-5 Understand the different approaches to job design.
LO4-6 Comprehend the trade-offs among the various
approaches to designing jobs.

©McGraw-Hill Education
 Introduction
No “one best way” to design jobs and structure
organizations.
Organizations need to create a fit between
environment, competitive strategy, philosophy and jobs
and organizational design.
Failing to design effective organizations and jobs has
important implications for competitiveness.

©McGraw-Hill Education
 Work-Flow Analysis and Organization Structure 1 of 6

Work-Flow Design
• Important in understanding how to bundle tasks
into discrete jobs
Organization Structure
Need to understand how jobs at different levels relate

LO 4-1

©McGraw-Hill Education
 Work-Flow Analysis and Organization Structure 2 of 6

Work-Flow Analysis
• Provides a means for managers to understand all
tasks required to produce a high-quality product and
the skills necessary to perform those tasks
• Analyzing work outputs
• Can be a product or service

©McGraw-Hill Education
 Figure 4.1 Developing a Work–Unit Activity Analysis

Jump to long description in appendix

©McGraw-Hill Education
 Work-Flow Analysis and Organization Structure 3 of 6

Work-Flow Analysis continued

Analyzing work processes
• How is the output generated (operating procedures)?
• Team-based job design
• Lean production

Analyzing work inputs

• Raw materials, equipment, and human skills
• Just-in-time inventory
• Equipment

©McGraw-Hill Education
 Work-Flow Analysis and Organization Structure 4 of 6

Organization Structure
• Dimensions of structure
• Centralization
• Departmentalization

©McGraw-Hill Education
 Work-Flow Analysis and Organization Structure 5 of 6

Organization Structure continued

Structural configurations
• Functional structure
• High levels of centralization
• Very efficient with little redundancy
• Divisional structure
• Low levels of centralization
• More flexible and innovative
• Not efficient

©McGraw-Hill Education
 Figure 4.2 The Functional Structure

Jump to long description in appendix

©McGraw-Hill Education SOURCE: Adapted from J. A. Wagner and J. R.
 Figure 4.3 Divisional Structure:
Product Structure

©McGraw-Hill Education
 Figure 4.4 Divisional Structure:
Geographic Structure

©McGraw-Hill Education
 Figure 4.5 Divisional Structure:
Client Structure

©McGraw-Hill Education
 Work-Flow Analysis and Organization Structure 6 of 6

Organization Structure continued

Structure and the nature of jobs
• Jobs in functional structures need to be narrow and
highly specialized.
• Managers of divisional structures often need to be more
experienced or high in cognitive ability relative to
managers of functional structures

©McGraw-Hill Education
 Job Analysis 1 of 6
The Importance of Job Analysis
• Work redesign
• Human resource planning
• Selection
• Training and development
• Performance appraisal
• Career planning
• Job evaluation

LO 4-2

©McGraw-Hill Education
 Job Analysis 2 of 6
The Importance of Job Analysis to Line Managers
• Must have detailed information about all the
jobs in their work group to understand the work-
flow process
• Need to understand the job requirements to
make intelligent hiring decisions
• Are responsible for ensuring that each individual
is performing satisfactorily
• Must ensure that the work is being done safely

©McGraw-Hill Education
 Job Analysis 3 of 6
Job Analysis Information
Nature of information
• Job descriptions
• Tasks, duties and responsibilities (TDRs)
• Job specifications
• Knowledge, skill, ability, and other characteristics
(KSAOs)
• Not directly observable

©McGraw-Hill Education
 Job Analysis 4 of 6
Job Analysis Information continued
Sources of Job Analysis Information
• Subject-matter experts
• Job incumbent
• Supervisors
• Social networks

©McGraw-Hill Education
 Job Analysis 5 of 6
Job Analysis Methods
Job analysis is the process of getting detailed
information about a job.
Two recognized methods
• Position Analysis Questionnaire (PAQ)
• The Occupational Information Network (O*NET)

LO 4-3

©McGraw-Hill Education
 Job Analysis 6 of 6
Dynamic Elements of Job Analysis
Jobs change and evolve over time
• The job analysis process must also detect changes in the
nature of jobs

Dejobbing
• Viewing organizations as a field of work needing to be
done rather than a set of discrete jobs held by specific
individuals

LO 4-4

©McGraw-Hill Education
 Job Design 1 of 5
Mechanistic Approach
• Identify the simplest way to structure work that
maximizes efficiency
• Scientific management
• Workers are trained in the “one best way” to do a
job, then selected on their ability to do the job
• Monetary incentives

LO 4-5

©McGraw-Hill Education
 Job Design 2 of 5
Motivational Approach
Focuses on psychological and motivational potential
of a job
Attitudinal variables are important
Job Characteristics Model
• skill variety
• task identity
• autonomy
• feedback
• task significance

©McGraw-Hill Education
 Job Design 3 of 5
Biological Approach
• Also called ergonomics
• Examines the interface between individuals’
physiological characteristics and the physical work
environment
• Applied to redesigning equipment for jobs that are
physically demanding
• Provides a climate that values safety and health

©McGraw-Hill Education
 Job Design 4 of 5
Perceptual-Motor Approach
• Design jobs that don’t exceed people’s mental
capabilities and limitations
• Based on the least capable worker

©McGraw-Hill Education
 Job Design 5 of 5
Technology
• Absence presence results when interacting with
multiple media
• Technology can increase opportunities for errors
• SBAR method

©McGraw-Hill Education
 Appendix of Image Long
Descriptions

©McGraw-Hill Education
 Appendix 1 Figure 4.1 Developing a Work-
Unit Activity Analysis
Raw inputs – What materials, data, and information are
needed?
Equipment – What special equipment, facilities, and
systems are needed?
Human Resources – What knowledge, skills, and abilities
are needed by those performing the tasks?
Activity – What tasks are required in the production of the
output?
Output – What product, information, or service is provided?
How is the output measured?

Return to original slide

©McGraw-Hill Education
 Appendix 2 Figure 4.2 The Functional
Structure
The president is at the top, followed by the vice presidents
for each functional area (marketing, engineering, etc.).
Reporting to the vice presidents are subunits, such as sales
and quality assurance. Reporting to the manufacturing
subunits are the plants, with layers of supervisors and
assembly workers.

Return to original slide

©McGraw-Hill Education