Unit - 3 : Job Analysis and Job Design

Structure of Unit:
3.0 Objectives
3.1 Introduction
3.2 Job Analysis Defined
3.3 Uses of Job Analysis
3.4 Steps in Job Analysis
3.5 Methods for Collecting Job Analysis Data
3.6 Job Description
3.7 Writing Job Description
3.8 Job Specification
3.9 Job Design
3.10 Methods of Job Design
3.11 Summary
3.12 Self Assessment Questions
3.13 Reference Books

3.0 Objectives
After completing this unit, you will be able to:
 Define job analysis.
 Understand the basic steps in a Job analysis.
 Identify the major methods of collecting Job analysis data.
 Recognize the major elements of job descriptions
 Explain how to prepare job descriptions and job specification and their use.
 Point out and explain job design and its various methods
 Distinguish between job enlargement and job enrichment.

3.1 Introduction
Manpower planning is concerned with determination of quantitative and qualitative requirements of
manpower for the organization. Determination of manpower requirements is one of the most important
problems in manpower planning. Job analysis and job design, provide this knowledge. Before going
through the mechanism of job analysis and job design, it is relevant to understand the terms which are
used in job analysis and job design.

Job: A job may be defined as a “collection or aggregation of tasks, duties and responsibilities which as a
whole, are regarded as a regular assignment to individual employees,” and which is different from other
assignments, In other words, when the total work to be done is divided and grouped into packages, we
call it a “job.” Each job has a definite title based upon standardized trade specifications within a job; two
or more grades may be identified, where the work assignment may be graded according to skill, the
difficulty of doing them, or the quality of workmanship. Thus, it may be noted that a position is a “collection
o tasks and responsibilities regularly assigned to one person;” while a job is a “group of position, which
involve essentially the same duties, responsibilities, skill and knowledge.” A position consists ofa particular
set of duties assigned to an individual.
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 Decenzo and P. Robbins define other terms as follows:
Task: It is a distinct work activity carried out for a distinct purpose.
Duty: It is a number of tasks.
Position: It refers to one or more duties performed by one person in an organization, There are at
least as many positions as there are workers in the organization; vacancies may create
more positions than employees.
Job: It is a type of position within the organization.
Job Family: It is group of two or more jobs that either call for similar worker characteristics or contain
parallel work tasks as determined by job analysis.
Occupation: It is a group of similar jobs found across organizations.
Career: It represents a sequence of positions, jobs, or occupations that a
person has over his working life.

Career
Occupation
Job Family

Job
Position
Duty
Task

Element

Figure 3.1: Job Analysis Information Hierarchy

(Adapted from Decenzo and P. Robbins, Personnel/Human Resource Management)
3.2 Job Analysis Defined
Developing an organizational structure, results in jobs which have to be staffed. Job analysis is the procedure
through which you determine the duties and nature of the jobs and the kinds of people (in terms of skills
and experience) who should be hired for them.’ It provides you with data on job requirements, which are
then used for developing job descriptions (what the job entails) and job specifications (what kind of
people to hire for the job). Some of the definitions of job analysis ate given as follows, to understand the
meaning of the term more clearly:
According to Michael L. Jucius, “Job analysis refers to the process of studying the operations, duties
and organizational aspects of jobs in order to derive specifications or as they called by some, job
descriptions.”
According to DeCenzo and P. Robbins, “A job analysis is a systematic exploration of the activities
within a job. It is a basic technical procedure, one that is used to define the duties, responsibilities, and
accountabilities of a job.”
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According to Herbert G Herman “A job is a collection of tasks that can be performed by a single
employee to contribute to the production of some product or service provided by the organization. Each
job has certain ability requirements (as well as certain rewards) associated with it. Job analysis process
used to identify these requirements.”
Flippo has offered a more comprehensive definition of job analysis as, “Job analysis is the process
of studying and collecting information relating to the operations and responsibilities of a specific job. The
immediate products of the analysis are job descriptions and job specifications”
Thus, job analysis involves the process of identifying the nature of a job (job description) and the qualities
of the likely job holder (job specification).

3.3 Uses of Job Analysis

As summarized in Figure 3.2 the information generated by the job analysis is used as a basis of several
interrelated personnel management activities:

Organizational design

O rganiz a tion a nd m a n

pow e r pla nning

Job Description Placement & orientation

Job
Analysis Recruitment & selection

Job Specification
Training &development

Safety and health

Employee counseling

Performance appraisal

Figure 3.2 : Uses of Job3.2:Analysis

Figure Uses of Job Analysis

1. Achievement of Goals: Weather and Davis have stated, “Jobs are at the core of every organization’s
productivity, if they are designed well and done right, the organization makes progress towards its objectives.
Otherwise, productivity suffers, profits fall, and the organization is less able to meet the demands of
society, customer, employees, and other with a stake in its success.”
2. Organizational Design: Job analysis will be useful in classifying the jobs and the interrelationships
among the jobs. On the basis of information obtained through job analysis, sound decisions regarding
hierarchical positions and functional differentiation can be taken and this will improve operationalefficiency.
3. Organization and Manpower Planning: It is helpful in organization planning, for it defines labour in
concrete terms and co-ordinates the activities of the work force, and clearly divides duties and responsibilities.
4. Recruitment and Selection: Job analysis provides you with information on what the job entails and
what human requirements are required to carry out these activities. This information is the basis on which
you decide what sort of people to recruit and hire.
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5. Placement and Orientation: Job analysis helps in matching the job requirements with the abilities,
interests and aptitudes of people. Jobs will be assigned to persons on the basis of suitability for the job.
The orientation programme will help the employee in learning the activities and understanding duties that
are required to perform a given job more effectively.
6. Employee Training and Management Development: Job analysis provides the necessary information
to the management of training and development programmes. It helps in to determine the content and
subject matter of in training courses. It also helps in checking application information, interviewing test
results and in checking references.
7. Job Evaluation and Compensation: Job evaluation is the process of determining the relative worth of
different jobs in an organization with a view to link compensation, both basic and supplementary, with the
worth of the jobs. The worth of a job is determined on the basis of job characteristics and job holder
characteristics. Job analysis provides both in the forms of job description and job specification.
8. Performance Appraisal: Performance appraisal involves comparing each employee’s actual
performance with his or her desired performance. Through job analysis industrial engineers and other
experts determine standards to be achieved and specific activities to be performed.
9. Health and Safety: It provides an opportunity for identifying hazardous conditions and unhealthy
environmental factors so that corrective measures may be taken to minimize and avoid the possibility of
accidents.
10. Employee Counselling: Job analysis provides information about career choices and personal limitation.
Such information is helpful in vocational guidance and rehabilitation counselling. Employees who are unable
to cope with the hazards and demands of given jobs may be advised to opt for subsidiary jobs or to seek
premature retirement.

3.4 Steps in Job Analysis

The six steps of job analysis are shown in figure 3.3:
Determination of uses
of job analysis

Collection of back
ground information

Selection of job
for analysis

Collection of job
analysis data

Information processing

Job Job
Description Specification

Figure 3.3 : Job Analysis Process

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1. Determine the Use of the Job Analysis Information: Start by identifying the use to which the
information will be put, since this will determine the type of data you collect and the technique you use to
collect them.
2. Collection of Background Information: According to Terry, “The make-up of a job, its relation to
other jobs, and its requirements for competent performance are essential information needed for a job
evaluation. This information can be had by reviewing available background information such as organization
charts (which show how the job in question relates to other jobs and where they fit into the overall
organization); class specifications (which describe the general requirements of the class of job to which the
job under analysis belongs); and the existing job descriptions which provide a starting point from which to
build the revised job description”.
3. Selection of Jobs for Analysis: To do job analysis is a costly and time consuming process. It is
hence, necessary to select a representative sample of jobs for purposes of analysis. Priorities of various
jobs can also be determined. A job may be selected because it has undergone undocumented changes in
job content. The request for analysis of a job may originate with the employee, supervisor, or a manager.
When the employee requests an analysis it is usually because new job demands have not been reflected in
changes in wages. Employee’s salaries are, in part, based upon the nature of the work that they perform.
Some organizations establish a time cycle for the analysis of each job. For example: A job analysis may
be required for all jobs every three years. New jobs must also be subjected to analysis.
4. Collection of Job Analysis Data: Job data on features of the job, requited employee qualification
and requirements, should be collected either form the employees who actually perform a job; or from
other employees (such as foremen or supervisors) who watch the workers doing a job and there by
acquire knowledge about it; or from the outside persons, known as the trade job analysis who are appointed
to watch employees performing a job. The duties of such a trade job analyst are (i) to outline the complete
scope of a job and to consider all the physical and mental activities involved in determining what the
worker does.; (ii) find out why a worker does a job; and for this purpose he studies why each task is
essential for the overall result; and (iii) the skill factor which may be needed in the worker to differentiate
between jobs and establish the extent of the difficulty of any job.
5. Processing the Information: Once job analysis information has been collected, the next step is to
place it in a form that will make it useful to those charged with the various personnel functions. Several
issues arise with respect to this. First, how much detail is needed? Second, can the job analysis information
be expressed in quantitative terms? These must be considered properly.
6. Preparing Job Descriptions and Job Classifications: Job information which has been collected
must be processed to prepare the job description form. It is a statement showing full details of the activities
of the job. Separate job description forms may be used for various activities in the job and may be
compiled later on. The job analysis is made with the help of these description forms. These forms may be
used as reference for the future.

7. Developing Job Specifications: Job specifications are also prepared on the basis of information
collected. It is a statement of minimum acceptable qualities of the person to be placed on the job. It
specifies the standard by which the qualities of the person are measured. Job analyst prepares such
statement taking into consideration the skills required in performing the job properly. Such statement is
used in selecting a person matching with the job.
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3.5 Methods for Collecting Job Analysis Data
As discussed earlier, information is to be collected for job analysis. Such information may be collected by
the trained job analysis, superiors concerned and job holders themselves. Job information is collected
through the following methods:
1. Participant Diary/Logs: Workers can be to keep participant diary/long or lists of things they do
during the day. For every activity he or she engages in, the employee records the activity (along with the
time) in a log. This can provide you with a very comprehensive picture of the job, especially when it’s
supplemented with subsequent interviews with the worker and his or her supervisor. This method provides
more accurate information if done faithfully. However, it is quite time consuming. Further, each job holder
may maintain records according to his own way which presents problems in analysis at later stage. Therefore,
it has limited application.
2. Interview: There are three types of interviews you can use to collect job analysis data: individual
interviews with each employee; group interviews with groups of employees having the same job; and
supervisor interviews with one or more supervisors who are thoroughly knowledgeable about the job
being analyzed. The group interview is used when a large number of employees are performing similar or
identical work, since this can be a quick and inexpensive way of learning about the job. As a rule, the
worker’s immediate supervisor would attend the group session; if not, you should interview the supervisor
separately to get that person’s perspective on the duties and responsibilities of the job.
3. Critical Incidents: In this method, job holders are asked to describe incidents concerning the job on
the basis of their past experience. The incidents so collected are analyzed and classified according to the
job areas they describe, A fairly picture of actual job requirements can be obtained by distinguishing
between effective and ineffective behaviors of workers on the job. However, this method is time consuming.
The analyst requires a high degree of skill to analyze the contents of descriptions given by workers.
4. Technical Conference Method: This method utilizes supervisors with extensive knowledge of the
job. Here, specific characteristics of a job are obtained from the “experts.” Although it is a good data
gathering method, it often overlooks the incumbent worker’s perception about what they do on their job.
5. Job Performance: Under this method, the job analyst actually performs the job under study to get
first-hand experience of the actual tasks, and physical and social demands of the job. This method can be
used only for jobs where skill requirements are low and can be learnt quickly and easily. This is a time-
consuming method and is not appropriate for jobs requiring extensive training.
6. Functional Job Analysis: Functional job analysis (FJA) is employee- oriented analytical approach of
job analysis. This approach attempts to describe the whole person on the job. The main features of FJA
include the following:
 The extent to which specific instruction are necessary to perform the task
 The extent to which reasoning and judgment are required to perform the task
 The mathematical ability required to perform the task and
 The verbal and language facilities required to perform the task.
7. Observation Method: Using this method, a job analyst watches employees directly on the job.
Observations are made on various tasks, activities, the pace at which tasks are carried out, and the way
different activities are performed. This method is suitable for jobs that involve manual, standardized, and
short job cycle activities. This method also requires that the entire range of activities be observable;
possible with some jobs.
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8. Questionnaires: The method is usually employed by engineering consultants. Properly drafted
questionnaires are sent out to job-holders for completion and are returned to supervisors. However, the
information received is often unorganized and incoherent. The idea in issuing questionnaire is to elicit the
necessary information from job –holders so that any error may first be discussed with the employee and,
after corrections, may be submitted to the job analyst.

Questionnaire for Job Analysis

1. Your Name ………..………..………..………..………..………..………..
2. Title or Designation of your job …………………………………………
3. Regular or Extra …………………………………………………………
4. Your Department ……………………………………………………….
5. To whom do you report directly (Name and Title): ………………………
6. Description of work:
(a) Daily Duties:
(b) Periodical Duties:
(c) Occasional Duties:
7. Your knowledge Requirements:
(A) Store Procedure and Methods:
(B) Merchandise:
8. What Equipment do you use?
9. What Materials do you work with or sell?
10. If you supervise the work of others, state how many and what their jobs are.
11. To what job would you normally expect to be promoted?
12. From what job were you transferred to your present job?

This technique is time consuming and generally does not yield satisfactory results because many employees
do not complete the questionnaire or furnish incorrect information because of their own limitations. The
use of questionnaire is recommended only in case of those technical jobs where the job contents are not
completely known to the supervisor or the operation is too complex to observe.

There are certain standardized questionnaires developed by a few agencies which are used by various
organizations for job analysis. Most of these questionnaires are of two types: position analysis questionnaire
and management position description questionnaire that are decribed as follows:

a. Position Analysis Questionnaire. Position analysis questionnaire (PAQ) is a highly specialized

instrument for analyzing a job in terms of employee activities. The PAQ developed by Purdue University
is a comprehensive questionnaire for collecting information for job analysis.

In this questionnaire, various job elements have been grouped into six categories with each category
containing relevant job elements resulting into 195 elements as shown in Table 3.1.

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 Table 3.1 : Position Analysis Questionnaire

Job Aspects No. of

elements
Information input - Where and how do employee get information to do their 35
job?
Mental processes- what reasoning, planning, organizing, and decision 14
making is done?
Work output – what physical activities, tools and machines are used? 49
Relationships – what contact with other people, both in the company and 36
outside is maintained or developed?
Job context- what is the physical and social context in which the job is 19
maintained?
Other job characteristics – what other activities, conditions or Characteristics 42
not covered by the categories are relevant?

The advantage of PAQ is that it provides a quantitative score or profile of any job in terms of how that job
rates on the basic activities. The PAQ’s real strength is, thus, in classifying jobs. PAQ’s results can be used
to compare the jobs relative to one another and pay levels can be assigned for each job.
The major problem with PAQ is the time it takes for a job analyst to fill out the ratings. However, PAQ has
been widely researched and tested and appears to be both reliable and valid.
b. Management Position Description Questionnaire: Management position description is a highly
structured questionnaire containing 208 items relating to managerial responsibilities, restrictions, demands
and other miscellaneous position characteristics. W.W. Tomov and P.R. Pinto have developed the following
Management position Description factors:

 Product, marketing and financial strategy planning.

 Coordination of other organization units and personnel
 Internal business Control
 Products and services responsibility
 Public and customer relations
 Advanced consulting
 Autonomy of actions
 Approval of financial commitments
 Staff Service
 Supervision
 Complexity and stress
 Advanced financial responsibility
 Broad personnel responsibility
The above methods are the most popular ones for gathering job analysis data. They all provide realistic
information about what job incumbents actually do. They can thus be used for developing job descriptions
and job specifications. Caroll L. Shartle, Otis and Lenhert have provided the following suggestions for
making the job analyst’s task simple.
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  Introduce yourself so that the worker knows who you are and why you are there.
 Show a sincere interest in the worker and the job that is analyzed;
 Do not try to tell the employee how to do his job.
 Try to talk to the employee and supervisors in their own language;
 Do a complete job study within the objectives of the programmer: and
 Verify the job information obtained.

3.6 Job Description

Job description is the immediate product of job analysis process; the data collected through job analysis
provides a basis for job description and job specification.
Job Description: is a written record of the duties, responsibilities and requirements of a particular job.
It is concerned with the job itself and not with the job holders. It is a statement describing the job in such
terms as its title, location, duties, working conditions and hazards.
Flippo has Defined Job Description as, “A job description is an organized, factual statement of duties
and responsibilities of a specific job. In brief, it should tell what is to be done. How it is done why. It is a
standard of function, in that defines the appropriate and authorized content of a job.
According to Pigors and Myres, “Job description is a pertinent picture (in writing) of the organizational
relationships, responsibilities and specific duties that constitutes a given job or position. It defines a scope
of responsibility and continuing work assignments that are sufficiently different form that of other jobs to
warrant a specific title.”

According to Zerga, who analyzed 401 articles on job description about 30 years ago. A job description
helps us in:
(i) Job grading and classification
(ii) Transfers and promotions.
(iii) Adjustments of grievances;
(iv) Defining and outlining promotional steps:
(v) Establishing a common understanding of a job between employers and employees;
(vi) Investigation accidents ;
(vii) Indicating faulty work procedures or duplication of papers;
(viii) Maintaining, operating and adjusting machinery;
(ix) Time and motion studies;
(x) Defining the limits of authority;
(xi) Indicating case of personal merit;
(xii) Studies of health and fatigue;
(xiii) Scientific guidance;
(xiv) Determining jobs suitable for occupational therapy;
(xv) Providing hiring specifications; and
(xvi) Providing performance indicators.

“Job description” is different from “performance assessment.” The former concerns such functions as
planning, co-ordination, and assigning responsibility; while the latter concerns the quality of performance
itself. Though job description is not assessment, it provides an important basis establishing assessment
standards and objectives.
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3.7 Writing Job Description
A Job description is a written statement of what the job holder actually does, how he or she does it, and
under what conditions the job is performed. This information is in turn used to write a job specification.
This lists the knowledge, abilities, and skills needed to perform the job satisfactorily. While there is no
standard format you must use in writing a job description, most descriptions contain at least sections on:
1. Job Identification: It includes the job title, alterative title, department, division, and plant and
code number of the job. The job title identifies and designates the job properly, the department, division,
etc., indicate the name of the department where it is situated – whether it is the maintenance department,
mechanical shop etc. Location gives the name of the place. This portion of job description gives answer
to two important questions: to what higher level job is this job accountable. And who is supervised
directly?
2. Job Summary: Job summary describes the contents of the jobs in terms of activities or tasks
performed. Job summary should clear the nature of the job. Primary, secondary and other duties to be
performed on the job should clearly be indicated separately.
3. Duties and Responsibilities: This is the most important phase of job description and should be
prepared very carefully. It describes the duties to be performed along with frequency of each major
duty. Responsibilities concerning custody of money, supervision and training of staff etc. are also described
in this part.
Example of a Job Description
Job Title: Record Clerk Job No. 011
Supervisor: Record Supervisor Job Grand –III
Supervises: None Date: 2/21/12
Job Summary: Originate, process, and maintain comprehensive records; implement
required controls; collect and summarize data as requested.
Job Duties and Responsibilities :
 Review a variety of documents, listings, summarizes, etc, for completeness and
accuracy.
 Check records against other current sources such as reports or summaries; investigate
differences and take required action to ensure that records are accurate and up to date;
compile and summarize data report format as required.
 Implement controls or obtaining, preserving, and supplying a variety of information.
Prepare simple requisitions, forms, and other routine memoranda.
 Provide functional guidance to lower-level personnel as required.
Working Conditions: Normal working conditions. But visits sites on average twice a week.
Eight hours per day
Relationships:
 With equivalent officers in other departments.
 Maintains formal and social contacts with local officials.
Job Characteristics: Skilled operation of computer, calculating machine, or key punch
machine is not necessarily a requirement of this job.

The above information is correct and approved by:

(Signed) (Signed)
Job Analyst In charge Manager
4. Supervision: Under it is given number of persons to be supervised along with their job titles, and the
extent of supervision involved –general, intermediate or close supervision.
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5. Relation to Other Jobs: It describes the vertical and horizontal relationships f work flow. It also
indicates to whom the jobholder will report and who will report to him. It gives an idea of channels of
promotion.
6. Machine, tools and equipment define each major type or trade name of the machines and tools and the
raw materials used.
7. Working Conditions: The working environment in terms of heat, light, noise, dust and fumes etc, the
job hazards and possibility of their occurrence and working conditions should also be described. It will be
helpful in job evaluation.
8. Social Environment: It specifies the social conditions under which the work will be performed. In this
part the size of work group, interpersonal interactions required to perform the job and development
facilities are mentioned

3.8 Job Specification

The job specification states the minimum acceptable qualifications that the incumbent must possess to
perform the job successfully. Based on the information acquired through job analysis, the job specification
identifies the knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to do the job effectively. Individuals possessing the
personal characteristics identified in the job specification should perform the job more effectively than
individuals lacking these personal characteristics. The job specification, therefore, is a important tool in the
selection process, for it keeps the selector’s attention on the list of qualifications necessary for an incumbent
to perform the job and assists in determining whether candidates are qualified.
According to Dale Yoder, “The job specification, as such a summary properly described is thus a
specialized job description, emphasizing personnel requirement and designed especially to facilitate selection
and placement.”
Flippo has defined job specification as, “Job specification is a statement of the minimum acceptable
human qualities necessary to perform a job properly ………….. It is a standard of personnel and designates
the qualities required for acceptable performance.”
In is clear from the above definitions that job specification is a statement of summary of personnel
requirements for a job. It may also be called “standard of personal for the selection”
A Job Specification should include:
(i) Physical characteristics, which include health, strength, endurance, age, height, weight, vision,
voice, eye, hand and foot co-ordination, motor co-ordination, and colour discrimination.
(ii) Psychological and social characteristics such as emotional stability, flexibility, decision making
ability, analytical view, mental ability, pleasing manners, initiative, conversational ability etc.
(iii) Mental Characteristics such as general intelligence, memory, judgement, ability to concentrate,
foresight etc.
(iv) Personal Characteristics such as sex, education, family background, job experience, hobbies,
extracurricular activities etc.
All these characteristics must be classified into three categories:
 Essential attributes which a person must possess.
 Desirable attributes which a person ought to posses.
 Contra indicators which will become a handicap to successful job performance.
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3.9 Job Design
Job design is of comparatively recent origin. The human resource managers have realized that the design
of a job has considerable influence on the productivity and job satisfaction; poorly designed jobs often
result in boredom to the employees, increased turnover, job dissatisfaction, low productivity and an increase
in overall costs of the organization. All these negative consequences can be avoided with the help of
proper job design.
According to Jon Werner and DeSimone, “Job design is the development and alteration of the
components of a job (such as the tasks one performs, and the scope of one’s responsibilities) to improve
productivity and the quality of the employees’ work life.”
Job design has been defined by Davis (1966) as: “The specification of the contents, methods, and
relationships of jobs in order to satisfy technological and organizational requirements as well as the social
and personal requirements of the job-holder.”
Milkovich and Boudreau defined job design as, “Job design integrates work content (tasks, functions,
and relationships), the rewards (extrinsic and intrinsic) and the qualifications required (skills, knowledge,
abilities) for each job in a way that meets the needs of employees and the organization.”
Michael Armstrong has defined job design as “the process of deciding on the content of a job in
terms of its duties and responsibilities, on the methods to be used in carrying out the job, in terms of
techniques, systems and procedures, and on the relationships that should exist between the job holder and
his superiors, subordinates and colleagues.”
Job design is an attempt to create a match between job requirements and human attributes. It involves
organizing the components of the job and the interaction patterns among the members of a work group. It
helps in developing appropriate design of job to improve efficiency and satisfaction.
Principles of Job Design:
Principles are the bases of the approach used in job design. Robertson and Smith (1985) have suggested
the following five principles of job design:
 To influence skill variety, provide opportunities for people to do several tasks and combine
tasks.
 To influence task identity, combine tasks and from natural work units.
 To influence task significance, form natural work units and inform people of the importance of
their work.
 To influence autonomy, give people responsibility for determining their own working systems.
 To influence feedback; establish good relationship and open feedback channels.

3.10 Methods of Job Design

The various techniques of job design and redesign are discussed below:
1. Job Simplification: In job simplification, the complete job is broken down into small subparts; this is
done so that employee can do these jobs without much specialized training. Moreover, small operations of
the job can also be performed simultaneously so that the complete operation can be done more quickly.
For job simplification, generally time and motion studies are used.
2. Job Rotation: Another technique designed to enhance employee motivation is job rotation, or periodically
assigning employees to alternating jobs or tasks. For example, an employee may spend two weeks attaching
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bumpers to vehicles and the following two weeks making final checks of the chassis. During the next
month, the same employee may be assigned to two different jobs. Therefore, the employee would be
rotated among four jobs. The advantage of job rotation is that employees do not have the same routine
job day after day. Job rotation only addresses the problem of assigning employees to jobs of limited
scope; the depth of the job does not change. The job cycle of the actual daily work performed has not
been lengthened or changed. Instead, employees are simply assigned to different jobs with different cycles.
Because job rotation does not change the basic nature of jobs, it is criticized as nothing more than having
an employee perform several boring and monotonous jobs rather than one. Some employees dislike job
rotation more than being assigned to one boring job because when they are assigned to one job they know
exactly where to report and what work to expect each day. Workers quickly realize that job rotation does
not increase their interest in their work.
Although it seldom addresses the lack of employee motivation, it give manages a means of coping with
frequent absenteeism and high turnover. Thus when absenteeism or turnover occurs in the work force,
managers can quickly fill the vacated position because each employee can perform several jobs.
Job rotation is often effectively used as a training technique for new, inexperienced employees. At higher
organizational levels, rotation also helps to develop managerial generalists because it exposes them to
several different operations.
Advantage of Job Rotation Technique:
 The employee experiences variety of work, workplace and peer group.
 Job rotation helps to broaden the knowledge and skills of an employee.
 The main advantage of job rotation is that it relieves the employee from the boredom and monotony
of doing the same job.
 With the help of this method, people become more flexible. They are prepared to assume
responsibility especially at other positions.
 Job rotation broadens the work experience of employees and turns specialists into generalists.
 It is beneficial for the management also as the management gets employees who can perform a
variety of tasks to meet the contingencies.
 This method improves the self image and personal worth of the employee.
Disadvantage of Job Rotation Technique:
 Job rotation also creates disruptions. Members of the work group have to adjust to the new
employee.
 Productivity is reduced by moving a worker into new position just when his efficiency at the prior
job was creating organizational economies.
 Training costs are increased.
 The supervisor may also have to spend more time answering question and monitoring the work of
the recently rotated employee.
 It can demotivate intelligent and ambitious trainees who seek specific responsibilities in their chosen
specialty.
3. Job Enlargement: Another means of increasing employee’s satisfaction with routine jobs is job
enlargement, or increasing the number of tasks performed (i.e. increasing the scope of the job). Job
enlargement, like job rotation, tries to eliminate short job cycles that create boredom. Unlike job rotation,
job enlargement actually increases the job cycle. When a job is enlarged, either the tasks being performed
are enlarged or several short tasks are given to one worker. Thus, the scope of the job is increased
because there are many tasks to be performed by the same worker. Job enlargement programs change
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many methods of operation- in contrast to job rotation, in which the same work procedures are used by
workers who rotate through work stations. Although job enlargement actually changes the pace of the
work and the operation by reallocating tasks and responsibilities, it does not increase the depth of a job.
The focus of designing work for job enlargement is the exact opposite of that for job specialization.
Instead of designing jobs to be divided up into the fewest of tasks per employee, a job is designed to have
many tasks for the employee to perform. An enlarged job requires a longer training period because there
are more tasks to be learned. Worker satisfaction should increase because is reduced as the job scope is
expanded. However, job enlargement programs are successful with jobs what have increased scope;
such workers are less prone to resort to absenteeism, grievances, slowdowns and other means of displaying
job dissatisfaction.
Enlargement is done only on the horizontal level. Thus, the job remains the same, but becomes of a larger
scale than before. In the words of Geroge Strauss and L.R. Sayles “Job enlargement implies that instead
of assigning one man to each job, a group of men can be assigned to a group of jobs and then allowed to
decide for themselves how to organize the work. Such changes permit more social contacts and control
over the work process.”
Job enlargement has the following advantages:
 Increase in diversity of jobs
 Job satisfaction
 Provides wholeness and identity with the task and increases the knowledge necessary to perform
it.
 Provides variety of skills.
 Reduces tension and boredom.
 Trains and develops more versatile employees.
Despite these advantages this is not a completely satisfactory method of job design as it does not increase
the depth of a job. Enlarged jobs require longer training period as there are more tasks to be learned.
4. Job Enrichment: The concept of job enrichment has been derived from Herzberg’s two-factor theory
of motivation in which he has suggested that job content is one of the basic factors of motivation. If the job
is designed in such a manner that it becomes more interesting and challenging to the job performer and
provides him opportunities for achievement, recognition, responsibility, advancement and growth, the job
itself becomes a source of motivation to the individual.
According to Richard W. Beatty and Graig Eric. Schneider, “Job enrichment is a motivational technique
which emphasizes the need for challenging and interesting work. It suggests that jobs be redesigned so
that intrinsic satisfaction is derived from doing the job. In its best applications it leads to a vertically
enhanced job by adding function from other organizational levels, making it contain more variety and
challenge and offer autonomy and pride to the employee.”
According to P. Robbins, “Job enrichment refers to the vertical expansion of the jobs. It increases the
degree to which the worker controls the planning, execution and evaluation of his work.”
In the words of Robert Albanese, “Job enrichment sometimes called. “vertical job leading’ is a job
redesign strategy that focuses on job depth.”
According to Mondy. Holmes, and Flippo, “Job enrichment refers to basic changes in the content and
level of responsibility of a job so to provide for the satisfaction of the motivation needs of personnel.
Rebert Ford, who was associated with designing of jobs to make them more enriched, has provided
some bases (though not exhaustive) for job enrichment as shown in Table 3.3.
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 Table 3.2 : Job Enrichment Bases

Tasks Motivator involved

Assign specific or specialized task to Responsibility, growth, advancement
individuals enabling them to become expert
Making periodic reports directly available Internal recognition
to the individual himself rather than to the
supervisor.
Giving a person a whole, natural unit of Responsibility, achievement, recognition
work (module, exchange district, division,
area, etc.)
Increasing the accountability of individuals Responsibility, recognition
for own work

Techniques of Job Enrichment: In order to enrich the jobs. The management should adopt the following
measures:

 Freedom in decisions
 Assign a natural work unit to an employee.
 Encouraging participation
 Allow the employee to set his own standards of performance.
 Minimize the controls to provide freedom to the employees
 Make an employee directly responsible for his performance.
 Encourage participation of employees in deciding organizational goals and policies.
 Expand job vertically
 Introducing new, difficult and creative tasks to the employees.
 Sense of achievement.
Advantages of Job Enrichment: The advantages of job enrichment are as follows:

 It enriches the role.

 Job enrichment is the most widely used of job design as it provides a meaningful learning to
employees.
 It makes the work interesting and employee get motivated.
 It helps in reducing the rate of labour turnover and absenteeism.
 It increases skills of the employees.
 It increases morale and performance.
 Reduce Boredom and dissatisfaction.
 Increase in output both qualitative and quantitative.
Disadvantages of Job Enrichment: Dunham and Newstrom state, “Even the strongest supporters of
job enrichment readily admit that there are limitations in its application.” Newstrom and Keith Davis also
write, “Employees are the final judges of what enriches their jobs. All that management can do is to gather
information about what tends to enrich jobs, try these changes in the job system, and then determine
whether employees feel that enrichment has occurred.” A few limitations of or problems with job enrichment
are as follows:
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  Increase cost
 Need more employee counseling, training, and guidance.
 Not applicable to all jobs.
 Negative impact on personnel.
 Imposed on people.
 Objected by unions
 Pay dissatisfaction
JOB ENLARGEMENT vs. JOB ENRICHMENT
Job enlargement and job enrichment are both important forms of job design in order to enhance productivity
and satisfaction of the employees. They differ from each other in the following respects:
1. Nature of Job: The major difference between job enrichment and enlargement lies in the nature of
additions to the job. Enlargement involves a horizontal loading or expansion, or addition of tasks of the
same nature. Enrichment involves vertical loading of tasks and responsibility of the job holder; it improves
the quality of the job in terms of its intrinsic worth.
2. Purpose: The purpose of job enlargement is to reduce the monotony in performing repetitive jobs
by lengthening the cycle of operation. On the other hand, the purpose of job enrichment is making the
job lively, challenging and satisfying. It satisfies the higher level needs such as ego satisfaction, self
expression, sense of achievement and advancement of Job holders.
3. Skill Requirement: Job enlargement may not necessarily require the use of additional skills which
the job holder was using in performing the job before the enlargement. This is due to similarity of
additional tasks. Enrichment calls foe development and utilization of higher skills, initiative, and innovation
on the part of the job holder in performing the job.
4. Direction and Control: Job enlargement requires direction and control from external sources, say
supervisor. In fact, the job holder may require more direction and control because of enlargement of his
responsibility. Enrichment does not require external direction and control as these come from the job
holder himself. He requires only feedback from his supervisor.

3.11 Summary
 The purpose of an organization is to give each person a separate distinct job and to ensure that
these jobs are coordinated in such a way that the organization accomplishes its goals.
 Developing an organization structure results in jobs that have to be staffed. Job analysis is the
procedure through which you find out (1) what the job entails, and (2) what kinds of people
should be hired for the job. It involves six steps: (1) determine the use of the job analysis information;
(2) collection of background information; (3) selection of jobs for analysis; (4) collection of job
analysis data; (5) processing the information; (6) preparing job descriptions and job classifications;
and (7) developing job specifications.
 Techniques of job analysis are – observation method, questionnaires, participant diary/logs,
interview, critical incidents, technical conference method, and job performance.
 Job description and job specification are products of job analysis. Job description should indicate:
duties to be performed by the job holder and the manner he should complete the tasks. Job
specification: answer the question “what human traits and experience are necessary to do the job.
It portrays what kind of person to recruit and for what qualities that person should be tested”.
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  Job design is an attempt to create a match between job requirements and job attribute. Job
rotation implies transfer to a job of same level and status. Job simplification enables the employees
to do the without much specialized training
 Job enlargement is the process of increasing the scope of job of a particular by adding more tasks
to it. And job enrichment implies increasing the contents of a job or the deliberate upgrading of
responsibility scope and challenge in work.
 Job enlargement and job enrichment are both important forms of job design in order to enhance
the productivity and satisfaction of the job holders.

3.12 Self Assessment Questions

1. What do you understand by job analysis? What is its importance in the management of human
resources?
2. What is job analysis? What steps are involved in the preparation of job analysis?
3. What are the byproducts of job analysis? Discuss the techniques used for collecting data for job
analysis?
4. What is job description? How is it prepared?
5. Define job specification? How is it different from job description?
6. Write notes on :
(i) Job Rotation
(ii) Job Simplification
7. Distinguish between :
(a) Job description and job specification
(b) Job enlargement and job enrichment
8. “Job analysis is the most basic personnel management function.” Discuss.
9. Clearly define and discuss the relationship among job analysis, job description and job specification.

3.13 Reference Books

- Mamoria C.B., Gankar S.V., (2006), “A Textbook of Human Resource Management”, Himalaya
Publishing House, New Delhi.
- Dwivedi R.S., (1997), “Personnel Management in Indian Enterprises”, Galgotia Publising Company,
New Delhi.
- Devid A. DeCENZO, STEPHEN P. ROBBINS (2002), “Personnel/Human Resource
Management”, Prentice Hall of India, New Delhi.
- Prasad L.M., (2005), Human Resource Management,” Sultan Chand & Sons, New Delhi.
- Dessler Gary (2010), “Human Resource Management”, Prentice Hall International Editions, New
Jersey.
- Carrell Michael R., Elbert Norbert F., Hatfield Robert D. (1999), “Human Resource Management,”
Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey.

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