Page 464 - Encyclopedia of Business and Finance

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JAPANESE as the same. The process focuses on the analysis of a job
MANAGEMENT into its occupational structure, work activities, and infor-
mational content. Later, the data provided by the analysis
METHODS guides the organization and development of the occupa-
SEE Management/Leadership Styles tional 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
JOB ANALYSIS AND elements, that is, performance steps; performance step
DESIGN details; technical information topics; career and occupa-
Job analysis is the term used to describe the process of ana- tional guidance information topics; standards of perform-
lyzing a job or occupation into its various components, ance; frequency, importance, and complexity; and tools,
that is, organizational structure, work activities, and infor- equipment, materials, supplies and technical references.
mational content. The process results in a relevant, timely The information resulting from the task analysis provides
and tailored database of job-related information that can a basis for developing the knowledge- and performance-
be used in a variety of ways: to develop conventional, indi- based learning activities of the training program.
vidualized, computer-based and/or critical incident edu-
cation and training programs and materials; to create and PROCESS
classify job titles; to write job descriptions; to prepare
organization charts; to conduct time and motion studies; A number of individual authors and organizations have
detailed the process of conducting job analyses (Blank,
to determine quality assurance standards; and to write
both knowledge- and performance-related employee eval- 1982; Bortz, 1981; Finch and Crunkilton, 1999; Fryk-
uation measures. Also, job analyses are basic to the prepa- lund, 1965; Mager and Beach, 1967; Norton, 1997; U.S.
ration of such government publications as the Department of the Air Force, 1998–99; U.S. Department
Occupational Information Network (O*Net), Standard of the Army 1990; U.S. Department of Labor, 1998). The
Industrial Classification (SIC), Standard Occupational analytical approaches of the various authors and groups
Classification (SOC), Occupational Outlook Handbook, differ somewhat in organization and procedural logic.
and other informational resources describing the job situ- Nonetheless, each analyzes a job or occupation with the
ation (See Figure 1). intent of identifying its components and incorporating
Two terms often used interchangeably with job analy- the findings into the development of related “products,”
sis are occupational analysis and task analysis. In the liter- that is, training programs and materials, job descriptions,
ature, job and occupational analysis most often are viewed job classifications, and so forth.

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