1. Chapter 2 Analyzing Orgs and Jobs
Organizational need analysis

2. Organizational need analysis
Typically prompted by a problem encountered
For example?
Problem or opportunity?
what is a problem?
What is an opportunity?
Org level Outcomes
Profit/ loss / stock fluctuation / market share
Why focus on these outcomes?
chapter 2 Analyzing Orgs and Jobs

3. Approaches to Org Need Analysis
How can IO help with Org problems and Opportunities? Examples for people solutions?
Approaches
Conference
Nature of problem or opportunity
What’s its history?
What outcomes or consequences are expected?
System wide or specific to sub unit?
Org assessment surveys
Make them systematic and ongoing
OAI Van de Ven & Ferry (1980)
chapter 2 Analyzing Orgs and Jobs

4. General Approach to Need Analysis a managerial function to generate hypotheses
What work outcomes are most in need of fixing?
How widespread is the problem?
What level of analysis is needed
Individual employee / unit / dept / company?
What corrective actions are plausible?
How effective have the options been before?
Is selection / performance the answer?
Identify key informants to interview
chapter 2 Analyzing Orgs and Jobs

5. Job Analysis Duties and KSAOs
Methods
Observation and Interviews
What if the work behavior is not observable?
Functional Job Analysis (S. Fine)
Data, People, Things
Occupation, Job family, Duty, Task, Element
Critical Incidents (Flanagan 1954)
What are some jobs that lend themselves to CI JA?
JA Surveys
chapter 2 Analyzing Orgs and Jobs

6. Task Inventory Development (E. McCormick ’59)
Job oriented
What is done
“bakes bread” and
Accomplishes - results
bread loaf
Worker oriented
Describes activity (behaviors)–
“Pours ingredients”
>?when is a behavior a behavior?
chapter 2 Analyzing Orgs and Jobs

7. Task Inventory Development
Using job experts (SMEs)
Writing Items
Item categories
Response scales (usually Liker type)
Frequency / duration / criticality / importance
Pilot Studies
Use “thinking aloud” to capture
Thoughts, ambiguities, unintended meanings
chapter 2 Analyzing Orgs and Jobs

8. Inventory Research and Data Analysis
Task Inventory Administration
may need to sample
With large number of incumbents
To endure reliability (and hence validity)
Caution – inflation may occur!
Make sure the ratings are independent
Grouping Task Statements to:
ID jobs, define criteria, infer predictors
Linkage KSAOs to Activities (fig 2.2 p. 33)
How do you distinguish skills from abilities?
Or “job requirements?”
chapter 2 Analyzing Orgs and Jobs

9. Caveats! 1. Different sources may yield different results
Are they seeing different parts of the job
What are some examples where you would expect this?
Must be reconciled
2. Using all the complex info is not necessary
Two to three predictors are usually sufficient
3. Job Descriptions usually reflect status quo
4. Can the job be done with different behaviors?
Give examples?
chapter 2 Analyzing Orgs and Jobs

10. Caveats (con’t) 5. JA is typically descriptive, not prescriptive
What does this mean? Give examples
How can observing high v. low performers help?
6. There is no “one best way”
find one that is optimal
What are some considerations?
chapter 2 Analyzing Orgs and Jobs

11. Ready to Use Methods Occupational Information Network O*Net
Personality-Based JA (Table 2.4 p. 35)
Self-Descriptive Index (Guion et al.)
12 dimensions (based on IPIP Goldberg)
NEO Profiler (Costa, McRae, Kay, ‘95)
Position Analysis Questionnaire (PAQ) 
Direct Identification of Required Attributes
chapter 2 Analyzing Orgs and Jobs

12. Competency Modeling What is it really? (Sackett & Laczo, ‘03)
Assumes JA focuses only on tasks, not KSAO’S
Are there such things as organizational competencies?
Should be required of all employees?
What are some?
chapter 2 Analyzing Orgs and Jobs

13. General Caveats JA is subjective Not every JA must be comprehensive
Be prepared before conducting it
chapter 2 Analyzing Orgs and Jobs