Page 51 - DMGT406_HUMAN_RESOURCE_MANAGEMENT

Human Resource Management

Notes 3.1 Concept of Job

A job may be defined as a "collection or aggregation of tasks, duties and responsibilities which
as a whole, is regarded as a regular assignment to individual employees." In other words, total
work 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. A position is a "collection of tasks and
responsibilities regularly assigned to one person"; while a job is a "group of positions, which
involve essentially the same duties, responsibilities, skill and knowledge." A position consists
of a particular set of duties assigned to an individual.

3.1.1 Job Terminology

1. Task: An identifiable work activity carried out for a specific purpose. For example, typing
a letter.

2. Duty: Several tasks which are related by some sequence of events. For example, pick up,
sort out and deliver incoming mail.

3. Position: A collection of tasks and duties which are performed by one person. For example,
the PA to Principal receives visitors, takes dictation, operates computer, answers queries,
attends to complaints and helps students.
4. Job: A group of positions similar in their significant duties such as technical assistant,
computer programmers.

3.2 Meaning of Job Analysis

A job consists of a group of tasks that must be performed for an organisation to achieve its goals.
A task is an identifiable work activity carried out for a specific purpose, for example, typing a
letter. A duty is a larger work segment consisting of several tasks (which are related by some
sequence of events) that are performed by an individual, for example, pick up, sort out and
deliver incoming mail. Job responsibilities are obligations to perform certain tasks and duties.
Job analysis is a formal and detailed examination of jobs. It is a systematic investigation of the
tasks, duties and responsibilities necessary to do a job.
Job Analysis is a process to identify and determine in detail the particular job duties and
requirements and the relative importance of these duties for a given job. Job Analysis is a
process where judgements are made about data collected on a job.
The Job, not the person, an important concept of Job Analysis is that the analysis is conducted of
the Job, not the person. While Job Analysis data may be collected from incumbents through
interviews or questionnaires, the product of the analysis is a description or specifications of the
job, not a description of the person.
Job analysis is an important human resource activity because it identifies what people do in
their jobs and what they require in order to do the job satisfactorily. The information about a job
is usually collected through a structured questionnaire.
Traditionally, jobs are defined in a rigid way-along prescribed lines. The job incumbents are
expected to carry out work by strictly adhering to a set of rules and regulations. The job is
designed to be immutable and unchanging irrespective of the various incumbents who carry
out work at different points of time. In the traditional view, thus, there is a straightforward
assumption that jobs exist and they need to be scrupulously looked after to obtain results.

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