Job Analysis and Design
| Author | Richard Bortz |
| Pages | 441-444 |
Page 441
Job analysis is the term used to describe the process of analyzing a job or occupation into its various components, that is, organizational structure, work activities, and informational content. The process results in a relevant, timely and tailored database of job-related information that can be used in a variety of ways: to develop conventional, individualized, computer-based and/or critical incident education and training programs and materials; to create and classify job titles; to write job descriptions; to prepare organization charts; to conduct time and motion studies; to determine quality assurance standards; and to write both knowledge- and performance-related employee evaluation measures. Also, job analyses are basic to the preparation of such government publications as the Occupational Information Network (O*Net), Standard Industrial Classification (SIC), Standard Occupational Classification (SOC), Occupational Outlook Handbook, and other informational resources describing the job situation (See Figure 1).
Two terms often used interchangeably with job analysis are occupational analysis and task analysis. In the literature, job and occupational analysis most often are viewed as the same. The process focuses on the analysis of a job into its occupational structure, work activities, and informational content. Later, the data provided by the analysis guides the organization and development of the occupational training program.
In contrast, task analysis is an integral part of the job analysis process. More specifically, task analysis addresses the process of analyzing a particular task into its various elements, that is, performance steps; performance step details; technical information topics; career and occupational guidance information topics; standards of performance; frequency, importance, and complexity; and tools, equipment, materials, supplies and technical references. The information resulting from the task analysis provides a basis for developing the knowledge- and performance-based learning activities of the training program.
A number of individual authors and organizations have detailed the process of conducting job analyses (Blank, 1982; Bortz, 1981; Finch and Crunkilton, 1999; Fryklund, 1965; Mager and Beach, 1967; Norton, 1997; U.S. Department of the Air Force, 1998–99; U.S. Department of the Army 1990; U.S. Department of Labor, 1998). The analytical approaches of the various authors and groups differ somewhat in organization and procedural logic. Nonetheless, each analyzes a job or occupation with the intent of identifying its components and incorporating the findings into the development of related "products," that is, training programs and materials, job descriptions, job classifications, and so forth.
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Figure 1
Applications of job analyses
Three questions seem to be basic to the majority of the authors. These questions address the issues of organization, activity, and informational content:
What is the structure of the occupation?
What does the worker do?
What does the worker need to know?
The first question concerns the structure or framework of the occupation being analyzed (Bortz, 1981). If the data derived from the job analysis are used in a situation where organizational structure is important to the product being developed, then the structure of the occupation can serve as a basis from which the organizational structure of the product is developed. For example, the hierarchical order of occupational titles in a functionally related family of...
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