Transcript Chapter Seven - Florida International University

Developing Task and KSAO
Inventories
© 2002 Juan I. Sanchez, Ph.D., All Rights Reserved
Table 7-1
Units of Analysis in the Job Analysis Process (1 of 3)
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1. An element is the smallest step into which it is practical to
subdivide any work activity without analyzing separate motions,
movements, and mental processes involved. Inserting a diskette
into floppy disk drive is an example of a job element.
2. A task is one or more elements and is one of the distinct
activities that constitute logical and necessary steps in the
performance of work by the worker. A task is created whenever
human effort, physical or mental, is exerted to accomplish a
specific purpose. Keyboarding text into memo format represents
a job task.
Table 7-1
Units of Analysis in the Job Analysis Process (2 of 3)
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3. A position is a collection of tasks constituting the total work
assignment of a single worker. There are as many positions as
there are workers. John Smith’s position in the company is clerk
typist. His tasks, which include keyboarding text into memo
format, running a spell check on the text, and printing the text on
company letterhead, combine to represent John Smith’s
position.
4. A job is a group of positions within a company that are
identical with respect to their major or significant tasks and
sufficiently alike to justify their being covered by a single
analysis. There may be one or many persons employed in the
same job. For example, Bob Arnold, John Smith, and Jason
Colbert are clerk typists. With minor variations, they essentially
perform the same tasks.
Table 7-1
Units of Analysis in the Job Analysis Process (3 of 3)
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5. A job family is a group of two or more jobs that call for either
similar worker characteristics or similar work tasks. File clerk,
clerk typist, and administrative clerk represent a clerical job
family because each job mainly requires employees to perform
clerical tasks.
6. An occupation is a group of jobs, found at more than one
establishment, in which a common set of tasks are performed or
are related in terms of similar objectives, methodologies,
materials, products, worker actions, or worker characteristics.
File clerk, clerk typist, administrative clerk, staff secretary, and
administrative secretary represent an office support occupation.
Compensation analyst, training and development specialist,
recruiter, and benefits counselor represent jobs from the human
resources management occupation.
Source: US Dept. of Labor, The revised handbook for analyzing jobs (Washington, DC: US
Government Printing Office, 1991).
CHOOSE A JOB-ANALYTIC METHODOLOGY
Type of
data: work
vs. worker
Method of
data
collection:
interview,
survey,
observation
Your choices depend
on the nature of the job
& resource availability!
Source of data:
incumbents,
supervisor, prior job
description
Level of detail
Testing your applied knowledge:
Method of Data Collection
Scenario: You need to analyze the three jobs listed
below. Due to budget constraints, you can only use one
method of data collection for each job analysis:
interview, survey, or observation. Take the nature of
each job into account and match them to their most
suitable method of data collection.
Roofer
Interview
Chief Financial Officer Survey
Senior R&D Scientist Observation
Testing your applied knowledge:
Method of Data Collection
Answer: The physical nature of the roofer job lends itself
to observation; the intangible nature of the CFO,
together with his/her scarce time available, lend
themselves to an interview; the Senior Scientist is used
to describe complex issues in writing, works with lots of
complex documents, and therefore should be able to
describe his/her job through a survey.
Roofer
Interview
Chief Financial Officer Survey
Senior R&D Scientist
Observation
THE TASK INVENTORY
DEFINITION: A LIST OF ACTIVITIES OR TASKS CARRIED OUT
ON THE JOB
EACH TASK MUST HAVE THREE BASIC
ELEMENTS:
 VERB, OBJECT, PURPOSE
UPDATES TRANSFERS MASTER FILE TO
FACILITATE THE PRODUCTION OF HUMAN
RESOURCE REPORTS AT THE PLANT.
ASSIGNS PERSONNEL TO THE DIFFERENT
WORK SHIFTS TO MAINTAIN A WORK FORCE
THAT SUITS PRODUCTION LEVELS.
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HOW MANY TASKS SHOULD A TASK INVENTORY
HAVE?
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THE ANSWER DEPENDS ON THE KIND OF JOB
UNDER CONSIDERATION.
NORMALLY, EVERY JOB CAN BE DESCRIBED
WITHIN A RANGE OF 30 TO 100 TASKS.
IN MILITARY OCCUPATIONS OR UNIFORMED JOBS
(FIREFIGHTERS, POLICE), INVENTORIES HAVE
HUNDREDS OF TASKS.
IN GENERAL, EXTREMELY LONG INVENTORIES
ARE TEDIOUS AND CAN PROVOKE DISTORTED
RESPONSES DUE TO FATIGUE.
Testing your applied knowledge: Writing Task statements
Scenario: You are putting together a job description based on a
number of interviews, observations, and surveys. You are
wondering about the level of detail at which you should write the
task statements for this job description. Which one of the following
statements provides the most practical level of detail for job
evaluation purposes?
1.
2.
3.
Prepares architectural plans for all types of buildings
and City projects.
Extends blueprint on desk to study its content
Writes electrical work specifications to prepare
architectural projects.
Answer: It is at times difficult to distinguish between tasks and
more general activities such as responsibilities, and also
between tasks and simpler activities such as elemental
movements.. Tasks are written at an intermediate level of
detail; enough to make a valid judgment about the job, but at
the same time broad enough not to become obsolete quickly.
1.
2.
3.
Prepares architectural plans for all types of buildings and
City projects. [this is too broad & does not convey the true
nature of the job]
Extends blueprint on desk to study its content [this is too
specific & it will be a very long and tedious job
description]
Writes electrical work specifications to prepare
architectural projects [this intermediate level is most
practical]
PHASES OF TASK ANALYSIS
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INTERVIEW WITH SMEs.
REVIEW OF NOTES AND PREPARATION OF TASK
INVENTORY DRAFT.
VERIFICATION OF INVENTORY WITH SMEs.
SCALE SELECTION.
CONSTRUCTION OF STRUCTURED INVENTORY.
GATHER RATINGS.
COMPUTE MEANS AND STANDARD DEVIATIONS
FOR EACH TASK.
IDENTIFICATION OF MOST IMPORTANT TASKS.
THE JOB ANALYSIS INTERVIEW
Presentation
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INTRODUCE YOURSELF SPECIFYING THE DEPARTMENT OR
CORPORATION THAT YOU ARE REPRESENTING.
CLARIFY THE PURPOSE OF THE INTERVIEW; REMEMBER THAT
THE INTERVIEWEE IS PROBABLY FEELING THREATENED.
GIVE EXAMPLES OF APLICATIONS OF THE INFORMATION TO
BE GATHERED. THESE EXAMPLES WILL HELP REDUCE
RUMORS ABOUT THE JOB ANALYSIS PROJECT.
GIVE EXAMPLES OF THINGS THAT WILL NOT BE DONE WITH
THIS INFORMATION.
EMPHASIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF OBTAINING ACCURATE
INFORMATION ABOUT THE JOB.
INDICATE THAT THE INFORMATION GATHERED WILL BE
SUBJECT TO VERIFICATION BY OTHER SOURCES AND
INFORMANTS.
THE JOB ANALYSIS INTERVIEW
Core Interview
ASK THE INTERVIEWEE TO DESCRIBE HIS/HER
ACTIVITIES ON A TYPICAL DAY AT WORK, FROM
BEGINNING TO END.
INSIST ON A SEQUENTIAL DESCRIPTION OF ACTIVITIES
SO THAT THE ORDER OF TASKS IS CLEAR.
LET THE INTERVIEWEE KNOW THAT YOU WILL KINDLY
INTERRUPT HIM/HER WHEN S/HE DESCRIBES
ACTIVITIES THAT ARE NOT CLEAR TO YOU.
INTERRUPT ONLY WHEN NECESSARY.
DO NOT LET THE INTERVIEWEE TALK FOR LONG
PERIODS OF TIME; ASK QUESTIONS SO THAT THE
INTERVIEWEE UNDERSTANDS THAT YOU WISH TO
OBTAIN AN OBJECTIVE AND DETAILED
DESCRIPTION OF THE JOB.
THE JOB ANALYSIS INTERVIEW
Core Interview
REMEMBER THAT THE GOAL OF THE INTERVIEWEE IS
TO GENERATE A LIST OF JOB TASKS; THUS, ASK FOR
CLARIFICATION WHEN THE ACTION (VERB), OBJECT
, OR PURPOSE OF THE ACTION ARE UNCLEAR.
PAY SPECIAL ATTENTION TO THE USE OF VERBS THAT
INDICATE A HIGH LEVEL OF MENTAL ACTIVITY
(E.G., COORDINATE, DIRECT, RATIONALIZE); IT IS
OFTEN EASY TO FIND A SIMPLER VERB THAT
BETTER REFLECTS THE TRUE NATURE OF THE
TASK.
INVENTORY VALIDATION
NORMALLY, A MEETING IS HELD WITH A GROUP OF
SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS (SMEs).
EACH EXPERT RECEIVES A COPY OF THE
PRELIMINARY INVENTORY AND IS ASKED TO (a)
ADD NEW TASKS OR TASKS THAT ARE NOT
PRESENT IN THE INVENTORY, (b) ELIMINATE
OBSOLETE OR INACCURATE TASKS, (c) CHANGE
TASKS THAT HAVE CHANGED.
THE GOAL IS TO REACH AN AGREEMENT AMONG
THE EXPERTS REGARDING THE FINAL
INVENTORY.
DEVELOPMENT OF A STRUCTURED
QUESTIONNAIRE
ONCE THE INVENTORY IS DEVELOPED, IT IS
NECESSARY TO OBTAIN INFORMATION ABOUT THE
MOST IMPORTANT TASKS, THE MOST DIFFICULT TO
LEARN TASKS, ETC.
THIS INFORMATION IS OBTAINED THROUGH THE
RATINGS PRODUCED BY THE SMEs ON A STRUCTURED
INVENTORY
THE STRUCTURED INVENTORY SHOULD BE
DEVELOPED SO THAT IT IS EASY TO COMPLETE. THE
PROCESS OF RATING FORMATION MUST BE CLEARLY
DEFINED, AND AT LEAST AN EXAMPLE SHOULD BE
PROVIDED.
SAMPLE OF STRUCTURED QUESTIONNAIRE
Now, please rate the following tasks using the time spent and importance scales
previously described by circling the appropriate number. Leave tasks that you do
not perform blank:
Example:
Review newspapers to identify
1234567
1234567
business communications and events.
TASKS
Time spent
Importance
________________________________________________________________
ADMINISTRATIVE TASKS
1. Plan calls to key accounts.
1234567
1234567
2. Document daily sales information on
computer system.
1234567
1234567
IDENTIFICATION OF TASKS OF INTEREST
IT IS NECESSARY TO COMPUTE THE MEAN AND
STANDARD DEVIATION FOR THE RATINGS
ACROSS ALL THE INVENTORY RESPONDENTS:
The mean helps us identify the tasks with the highest
scores (most important, most difficult to learn, etc.)
The standard deviation helps us evaluate to what
extent there is an agreement on the importance or
difficulty of learning the task.
Testing your applied knowledge: Task inventory
WHICH ONES OF THE FOLLOWING TASKS WOULD YOU
CONSIDER MOST IMPORTANT?
task
mean
Decide on the kind of strategy most 6.5
likely to result in the client’s
absolution.
Review witnesses’ depositions and 3.5
police reports to determine
inconsistencies.
Present witness and evidence on
6.5
behalf of the client.
Std.
deviation
2.5
3.0
.5
Answer: The first task is important on the average, but its
large standard deviation indicates that SMEs do not agree on
how important it really is. In contrast, the third task is
important and every SME agrees that is the case (see its small
standard deviation):
task
mean
Decide on the kind of strategy most
6.5
likely to result in the client’s absolution.
Std.
deviation
2.5
Review witnesses’ depositions and
police reports to determine
inconsistencies.
3.5
3.0
Present witness and evidence on behalf
of the client.
6.5
.5
GROUPING TASKS
AFTER DEVELOPING A TASK INVENTORY, AND TO FACILITATE THE
DEVELOPMENT OF A LIST OF JOB REQUIREMENTS, IT IS ADVISABLE TO
GROUP THE TASKS. THE PROCESS OF GROUPING TASKS IS NORMALLY
DONE ACCORDING TO THE FOLLOWING STEPS:
DEFINE TASK GROUPS BELONGING TO THE SAME FUNCTION. FOR INSTANCE,
“INTERACTING WITH CLIENTS,” AND “MAINTAIN CLIENT RECORDS.”
ONCE THE TASK GROUPS HAVE BEEN DEFINED, THE NEXT STEP IS TO HAVE A PANEL
OF SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS ASSIGN TASKS TO GROUPS.
ESTABLISH A RULE TO DETERMINE WHEN IS THERE ENOUGH AGREEMENT AMONG
THE PANEL MEMBERS TO CONSIDER THAT THE TASK HAS BEEN CORRECTLY
CLASSIFIED. FOR INSTANCE, IF THE PANEL HAS 10 MEMBERS, AT LEAST 7 MUST
AGREE.
ONE MUST EXPECT THE REDEFINITON OF THE TASK GROUPS BECAUSE IT IS LIKELY
THAT THE PANEL MEMBERS WILL DISAGREE ON THE GROUP TO WHICH SOME TASKS
SHOULD BE ASSIGNED.
1.
KSAO
Knowledge, Skill, Ability, Other Characteristic.
Every KSAO should have three basic
elements:
1. What is it? (K, S, A, O)
2. In what context is it needed?
3. At what level or degree of precision is it
needed?
Testing your applied knowledge: Good KSAO Writing
Scenario: During a job analysis interview, a job
incumbent tells you that his job requires a great deal
of “writing ability” and of “communication skills.”
Would you use these terms in the list of KSAOs
required for this job?
Did I already mention that my job
requires the ability to walk on
water?
Testing your applied knowledge: Good KSAO Writing
Answer: Terms such as “writing ability” and
“communication ability”are too broad and misleading;
they are missing the basic KSAO elements: “what is
it, in what context, and to what
level/degree/precision.” They should be specified in
more concrete terms such as for instance:
Ability to register information in a standardized
manner so that it can be understood by others.
Ability to put together clear and concise sentences and
paragraphs when preparing a written report.
Ability to take notes describing an event so that others
are able to interpret them later.
Ability to transcribe alphanumeric information in an
accurate manner.
KSAO Inventory
To identify KSAO requirements, try to answer the
following questions:
1. Describe the characteristics of the good and the bad
performers.
2. Identify someone who is clearly superior to the other
workers. What characteristics explain this superiority?
3. Think about examples of good and bad performance; what
determined them?
4. If you were hiring for this job, what kind of characteristics
would you look for?
5. What kinds of things would you expect that those being
trained for this job should learn?