Chapter – 3

Job design and Analysis

• Job design and analysis are depends upon some

common terminologies which clarify defined as
below:
• 3.1 Meaning of Task:
• A task is small unit of activities that are directed
towards the achievement of specific job objectives.
• It is a meaningful unit of work activity generally
performed on the job by one worker.
• For example typing letter is the task of computer
operator.  
b) Job: A job is a collection of tasks, duties,
responsibilities, knowledge and skills. It also
set of closely related tasks.
It involves the combination of similar nature of
tasks. The job can be classified into three types.

i) Independent Job: When the organizational

activities performed by individual is called
independent job. There is no over-lapping by
other employees for the activities. For
example- a casher is counting rupees' alone.
• ii) Sequential job: When the activities are
performed by single employee but influenced
by other employees is called sequential job.

• Those jobs which are depending on the

previous assembly line is known as sequential
jobs. Filling liquid in bottle job is an example of
sequential job.
• iii) Pooled job: When the activities are doing
by all employees with interdependently is
called pooled job.

• On this job, all employees are directed

towards the performance of an
interdependent task. For example- marketing
job, promotion job etc.
• c) Position:
• A position is the set of task and duties
performed by an employee.
• It refers to one or more duties performed by
one person in an organization.
• For example- A sales person sales goods and
services and an accountant keeps records of
financial transactions. Sales person,
accountant are position.
• d) Occupation:
• An occupation is the group of similar jobs that
may be found in many organizations.
Occupations are the job titles.

• On the basis of skill and efficiency different

people involve different occupation. For
example- group of doctor, engineer, lower etc.
• 3.2. Concept of Job Analysis:
Job analysis is the process of collecting
information about a job, knowledge, skills and
experience needed to perform the job
efficiency.

• It is the procedure of collection of information

about the duties, authority, responsibilities,
necessary skills, outcomes, and work
environment of a particular job.
• It involves job related information such as job
identification, job characteristics, workers and
their activities, materials and equipments,
procedures of job performance, workers
attributes and inter relationship of one job to
another.

Job analysis engages systematic collection of

information about job contents, physical
facilities and the HR capabilities required to
accomplish job.
• It is a process of gathering or collecting
information concerning to job description and
job satisfaction.

• It is the systematic process of assembling and

organizing the information relating to various
aspects of job, which describes the job
contents and minimum job requirements in
terms of skills, efforts, responsibilities and
working conditions. 
• According to Werther and Davis- " Job analysis
systematically collects, evaluation and organizes
information about jobs"

• In conclusion job analysis is an analytical study of

job-related information which provides a basis for
defining duties, responsibilities and accountability
of each job.

• It helps to prepare job description and job

specification statements. It is a part of overall work
planning which involves analysis, measurement,
control, design and redesign of different jobs.
• 3.3. Components of Job Analysis
• i) Job Description:
• Job description is a written statement of what
the employees does, how it is done and why it
is to be done.
• It is a profile of job which describes the
contents, environment and conditions of jobs.
• It involves job title, location, job summary,
duties, authority, accountabilities, machines,
equipment, forms, supervision and working
conditions.
Content of job description:
* Jot title- job position, code not, department etc
* Job summary- short paragraph of job contents
* Job activities- performance, use facilities and helps of
supervisor
* Working condition- working place (heat, light, noise,
hazard, surrounding etc)
* Social environment- work group, inter personal relation
etc.
* Job characteristics- job holder must be qualified and able
to perform given job. to know rules, regulation, working
procedures, working process etc.
* Duties and Responsibilities- job division, authority,
responsibility etc.
• ii) Job Specification:
• Job specification is a statement of the minimum
acceptable human qualities and capabilities
essential to perform a job.

• It involves detail information of job holders such

as qualification, experience, training, mental
abilities, special abilities, communication skills
and emotional characteristics.

• It specifies the physical, psychological, social and

behavioural characteristics of job.
Content of job specification
* Qualification- education, experience, training,
skills etc
* Physical characteristics- height, weight, health,
appearance etc
* Personal characteristics- behaviour, leadership
qualities, enthusiasm etc
* Psychological characteristics- mental ability,
decision making ability, analytical ability etc.
* Interest- culture, sports etc
* Disposition- reliable, persuasive, likeable etc.
• 3.4.) Methods of Collecting Job Analysis
Information:
• 1) Questionnaire:
• Questionnaire is the set of questions to be asked to the
respondent for gaining information.

• Under this method, supervisor prepares a set of

questions and sent to the employees.

• Employees return the questions after fulfilled.

Generally questionnaires cover detail information of
job title, job holder's name, manager's name, reporting
staff, description of job, list of main duties and
responsibilities etc.
• 2) Observation:
• In this method, researcher carefully observes the
activities of jobholders at work.

• They records job holders' activities, procedures of doing

work and time taken for completion of given task.

• Researcher watches keenly to the activities of

employees.

• Observer involves himself closely and observes the

activities, machines, equipments, materials, working
conditions coordination and cooperation.
• 3) Interview: In this method, researchers
involves face to face dialog with jobholders to
collect job related information.

• Under this, researcher talks with employees or

supervisor and asks them questions at work
place. Generally, researchers develop a
structured interview form to record interview
information.
• 4) Checklist Method: It is a specific type of
questionnaire method of collecting job related
information.

• In this method, a sheet contains fewer subjective

questionnaires are given to jobholders to give
response either yes or no form.

Checklist covers many activities and jobholders

can tick only those tasks that are included in
their jobs.
• 5) Critical Incident:
• In this method the employee is asked to write
one or more critical incident that has taken
place on the job.

• The incident will give an idea about the

problem, how it was handled, qualities
required and difficulty levels etc.

• Critical incident method gives an idea about

the job and its importance.
• 6) Technical Conference Method: In this
method researchers have taken the services of
supervisors who have direct relation with
workers and possess broad knowledge about
jobs that they are doing.

• Supervisor communicates all the information

related with their respective jobs and
jobholders.

All the information provided by supervisors are

recorded by researcher.
• 7) Diary Method: In this method, a diary is
given to each worker and he/she needs to
record the entire work related activities in
given diary each day.

• It is appropriate when the jobholders involves

in job continuously. This technique gives
accurate information and eliminates errors
caused by memory lapses of jobholders.
• 3.5. Concept of Job Design:
• Job design is the process of formation of
structure to work activities.

• It also decides contents of a job and method of

doing the job.

• It organizes tasks into a work unit. It

determines the duties and responsibilities of
the job, the methods of doing the job and the
relationships between the job holder (manager)
and his superiors.
• Job design is the systematic and scientific
approach of organizing tasks, duties and
responsibilities into a unit of work.

• It integrates the tasks, function and maintains

relationship between all over tasks.

• It also gives information about the

qualifications required for doing the job and
the reward (financial and non-financial
benefits) for doing the job.  
• According to Decenzo and Robbins- "Job
design is the way in which tasks are organized
into a unit of work."

• Job design is a process that integrates work

content, the rewards and the required
qualifications for each job in a way that meet
the needs of employees and organizations.
• 3.4. Methods and Approaches of Job Design:
Job design is the process of organizing job and
specifying activities to be performed by
individual employee and group of employees
to fulfill job to achieve predetermined
ojbectives of the organization.

The following are the methods and approaches

of job design.
A) Classical Approach:
It is the initial stage of the development of
management. It focuses on efficiency and
recommendations that managers continuously
try to enhance organizational efficiency to
increase production.

Every activity of the organization should be

completed through specified procedures and
system . The following are the common
methods of job design under the classical
approach.
1) Scientific Management Approach: This
approach was developed by F.W. Taylor.
This approach emphasizes that what you want
men to do and seeing that they do it in the
best and cheapest way.
It is the application of scientific methods of
study and analysis to solve job related
problems.
It has given importance on specialization and
simplification in job design.
Each job should be divided into small task and
assigned to a worker who can perform well.
This approach has following principles:
1) Development of a science for each element of an
individual's work .
2) Scientific selection, training and development of
workers.
3) Close cooperation between management and
workers.
4) Equal division of work and responsibility between
management and workers.
5) Maximum output in place of restricted output.
6) Mental revolution of both workers and management.
• Advantages
• i) Scientific management approach broken
down a completer job into small work unit.
• ii) It makes job easy.
• iii) It increases workers productivity.
• iv) It provides job satisfaction to employees
and they motivate for effective performance.
• v) It brings changes in the attitude of
employers and employees.
• Disadvantage
• i) It emphasizes only technical aspects.
• ii) Workers have no life outside their work.
• iii) It can leads absenteeism, mistakes and
accidents.
• Iv) Possibility of over specialization
• V) It has not mentioned about informal
relation between workers and job .
• 2. Job Rotation:
• Job rotation is the process of transferring workers
from one job to another.
• It involves shifting employees from job to job
within a working group.
• It allows workers to change job functions. In job
rotation, responsibility levels do not change, but
the tasks that the workers perform do.
• Rotations might occur on an hourly, daily, weekly
or monthly basis.
• This method provides the opportunities to work in
different jobs of similar job description at
different working position with different people.
• Advantages:
• i) It reduces boredom and monotony
• ii) It increases work experience.
• iii) Job rotation enhances work flexibility.
• iv) It provides self improvement environment.
• v) Job rotation provides job variety.
• Disadvantages:
• i) It is costly method. It increases training and
management cost.
• ii) It creates new working environment to the workers.
• iii) Job rotation can be de-motivating high skilled
manpower.
• iv) Job rotation decreases job responsibility.
• 3. Job Enlargement:
• Job enlargement is the process of expansion of the
number of different tasks performed by an employee
in a single job.
• It expands job, horizontally and increases the job
scope.
• In this method, employees perform more varied task
of the same level.
• Job enlargement allows organization to provide
workers with greater responsibility and opportunities
for skill enhancement.
• It decreases some boredom and increase interest in
work. But it is not enough to motivate as nature of
work remain same.
• Advantages:
• i) It helps to learn new knowledge and skills.
• ii) It increases work efficiency.
• iii) It provides more satisfaction.
• iv) It develops sense of belongingness among
the employees
• Disadvantages:
• i) It takes longer training period.
• ii) It increases administrative and training cost.
• iii) It increases boredom with job.
• iv) It provides de-motivation to the employees.
B) Behavioural Approach:
This approach emphasizes on behavioural
dimension of people for designing jobs. The
following are the common methods of job
design under this approach:

1) Job Enrichment:
• Job enrichment is the process of upgrading and
adding of task, responsibility, duties, scope
and challenges to the manager levels.
It is the method of job design in which some higher
order responsibilities are added in the job. It
makes job more interesting and challenging.

It is associated with a vertical expansion of variety

of tasks and duties.

• Job enrichment is the type of extension of a job

that gives employees more challenges more
responsibilities and more opportunities to grow
and contribute his/her ideas to the organization's
success.
• Advantages
• i) It provides motivation to employees
• ii) It provides interesting and challenging jobs.
• iii) It provides decision making, planning and
controlling powers.
• iv) It increases satisfaction of employees.
• iv) It decreases absenteeism and labour turnover
ratio.
• Disadvantages
• 1) It is costly and complex process.
• ii) All employees do not want to challenges jobs.
• iii) It only focuses on the job expansion.
• iv) It is not universally applicable.
2) Job characteristics:
• It is another important method of job design.
This method was formulated by Hackman and
Oldham in 1975.
• According to this approach, the organization
develop job design on the basis of job
characteristics and maintains effectiveness in
organizational performance.
• The major job characteristics are explained as
below:
• * Skill Variety: It refers the degree of different
talents and skills of the employees.
• *Task Identity: It gives information about
performance of employees from beginning to
ending.
• *Task significance: It shows the importance,
features and significance of every task.
• * Autonomy: It submits to the degree of freedom,
independence and discretions to the individual
employees.
• * Feedback: It refers to the degree of suggestions,
complimentary, complaints and success of the
performance.
• Advantages:
• i) It provides motivation and satisfaction to the
employees.
• ii) It improves quality of performance.
• iii) It increases employee's productivity.
• iv) It improves internal work activities.
• v) It empowers to the employees.
• Disadvantages:
• i) This technique is very expensive.
• ii) It emphasizes only skill verities.
• iii) It is not appropriate in lack of ability.
• iv) It is more difficult to design.
3) Team work:
• A team is defined as two or more persons who
interact, communicate and influence each other
towards a common purpose.
• This method emphasizes that teams make more
creative decisions and coordinate work.
• Team is highly motivated and committed to solve
problems, implement solution and take a full
responsibility for outcomes.
• Team facilitate joint participation in decision to solve
job related problems.
• Team members perform highly related or
interdependent jobs and bear the responsibilities of
their supervisor.
• Advantages:
• i) Team can get autonomy in every aspect of
job.
• ii) It is self directed and self managed work
groups.
• iii) The members of team highly motivated
and committed at work.
• iv) It improves productivity and quality of
employees.
• v) All members participate equally.
• Disadvantages:
• i) Mutual cooperation is impossible between
members.
• ii) When tem members become powerful it can
increase their bargaining capability.
• iii) Effectiveness of team depends on situation.
• iv) Employees, managers and unions resist
teams.
• V) Generally, team is formed for
accomplishment specific task or job.
4) Modified Work Schedules Method:
• This approach of job design is based on
modification of work schedule.
• This method is not true part of job design, it
just change the time schedule of task and
responsibilities.
• Therefore, it is also known as flexible work
schedules. It is concerned change in work
schedules, time and weeks.
• The following are the techniques of work
schedule modification.
• i) Shorter work week: It is concerned with
shortening work week by increasing the
number of work hours per day. For example if
a person works daily 10 hours for 4 days (i.e.
4o hours) a week. It can be reschedules as 8
hours for 5 days (i.e. 40) a week. It is
maintaining the same total hour requirement
40 hours per week.

iii) Job sharing: Under this method, a fulltime

job is shared between two or more part time
employees over a 4o hour's workweek.
• ii) Flexible Time: It is concerned with assigning the
time table as per the convenience of employees. It
allows to working time as a morning shift, day shift,
evening shift and night shift. This technique reduces
absenteeism and labour turn over of employees. 

• iv) Home work: Under this method, the employee

does the work at home. Such jobs are mostly related
to information technology. It is possible in
computerized practical offices using outsourcing
modality.
•  
• Advantages:
• i) Flexible working time.
• ii) Provides freedom to employees.
• iii) This method reduces absenteeism and
labour turnover.
• iv) Flexible working hour enhancing
motivation and job satisfaction.
• V) It supportive to maintain balance between
work life and family life.
• Disadvantages:
• i) Working hour or shifting system increases
difficulty in working scheduling.
• ii) All tasks cannot be possible to perform at
home.
• iii) Flexible time may be arises supervision
problems.
• Iv) It is not applicable modern network system
V) It may be impossible for manufacturing
companies where is needed physical work.  
C) Socio Technical Approach:
• This approach considers both social and technical
aspects of the organization.
• In this approach, an entire job situation along with
organizational and social factors while designing
jobs.
• This method leads to the development of self
managed work teams in an organization.
• It is useful to design jobs to satisfy group of
employees.
• Under this method, jobs are designed by taking a
holistic view of the entire job situation, including
its physical and social environment.
• Advantages:
• i) Socio technical method is concerned with
objectives.
• ii) This method is modern and scientific.
• iii) This method allows the autonomy of work
groups.
• iv) It is useful to design job to satisfy.
• Disadvantages:
• i) It is based on continuous learning process.
• ii) This is very difficult to balance the technical
and social aspect of job.
• iii) It is the situational method because job
involves identical technical requirements and
social surroundings.