Research Topics: Job Analysis

An analysis of the interesting jobs available in the market

INTRODUCTION   This is an analysis of the interesting jobs available in the market. The paper will pose some theories which will make a job interesting and examples will also be set in order to provide readers a concrete illustration. The examples cited will be based on some surveys or other information that can make the paper more comprehensive. Furthermore, the writer will also include the qualifications or characteristics of employees or job seekers in relation to what they consider as interesting or not. The qualifications presented will be given together with the above sub topic. A conclusion will end this paper taking into consideration the key points that have been discussed with in the paper.   ANALYSIS               Consumerism and the emergence of the changes of a technology changes the way a company will define a job. There are a lot of jobs being offered in the society today. Furthermore, it is better to say that there are jobs which are not typically or traditionally available during the last decades. The emergence of different companies which are not conducting in a traditional way is fast phasing. Interesting jobs may be considered as interesting if the one applying for it is interested or have the same line of qualities in relation to the skills and interest of the person.  In order to give readers the amount of knowledge as to what interesting job is, it means that the kind of work that are considered by people or employees to be consisting of description that are related to what they consider as a good job.             It is the author’s perception that the consideration of a job as interesting is subjective. The classification of a job to be considered as interesting will depend on the personal necessities and aspirations of a person who seeks for a job. On the other hand interesting jobs can tend to be not interesting with regard to what some external or internal factors can affect such characteristic of being as interesting. Hence, the description of interesting will be based on how an individual will perceive job, as to whether as a necessity or an improvement of one’s skills.             The first reason that can make a job interesting is the amount of compensation that are given in exchange to the efforts that exerted by the employees. As the whole world has been facing a crisis, the importance of money is necessary in order for a person to survive. The definition of interesting jobs carries with it the amount of compensation or wage that is being offered. One of the jobs that pay a high relative amount is casino managers. According to Sahadi (2005), the general manager of casino is responsible not only for the gambling portion of the operation but also for the hotel and restaurants associated with it.  A general manager typically pulls in between 0,000 and 0,000 a year, but on the way up the six-figure barrier can be broken as soon as you achieve the title of director or vice president in the operations, hospitality and finance sides of the business. Another job that has the same kind of high pay as stated by the same author is the medical writers. Medical writers have both an understanding of science and the ability to write about it, bringing clarity to complex topics. Medical writers in the pharmaceutical industry may start out making ,000 a year, but can top 0,000 after three or four years. Another reason that can make a job more interesting is the name or the reputation of the company offering such jobs to the public. According Benskoski (1995), working in an industry may look more attractive that the unemployment line or another one year post-doctorate position. Hence, although job seekers may tend to find that are apparently, the name of the company where a job is being offered will define the security and lastly how the company will be able to treat its employees. Thus, successful companies like Microsoft are the first place that some newly graduates will pass their resumes or curriculum vitae. Jobs in Microsoft are interesting because of the position of the company in the business industries. Another reason is the people behind the organization or the business industry. According to Drucker(2008), managers or the people within the organization does not create utopia-in-organization. But such will point organizations toward performance rather conformance.  Managers must see to it that they will not go a long way toward preventing interesting jobs and interesting people from being dulled. Hence, as managers or the other members of the organization, the need to make it apparent that the organization offer jobs that are good for the employee and that it is a place that is conducive for all types of people is vital to make a job to be seen as interesting. Another reason that can make a job interesting is the description of the job in relation to the interests, skills, and qualities of an individual. According to Reeves (2001), many researches on differences in management style between men and women indicates that men view work environment as a competitive one in which responsibilities and authority are hierarchically organized. Aggressiveness, assertiveness, and individual ownership of projects, initiatives, and working units are required for success and central to moving up toward the highest reaches of management. Hence, it can be inferred that men and women have differences as to their ways in seeing whether a job is interesting or not. Men may not see typing and seating all day as a competitive job, while women may see this as a part of their success in achieving higher positions in a company.  Interesting jobs thus can also be different as regard to the gender of an individual. Also, according to Farr and Shattkin (2007), NCDA Gallup Poll found out that fifty four percent of the professionals are not using their skills in their current job. This survey means that the employees must conduct themselves in a way that it will be able to use the skills that are innate to the personality of an individual. Hence, interesting jobs are those that can make a person improve and progress, thru the way it will be able to apply his skills and characteristics. Skills are important because this will also define the enthusiasm and ability to devote one’s person to the work that is being offered.   CONCLUSION               As Niccolo Machiavelli has stated, the wish to acquire more is admittedly a very natural and common thing; and when men succeed in this they are always praised rather than condemned. But when they lack ability to do so and yet want to acquire more at all costs, they deserve condemnation for their mistakes.             Taking into consideration the said quote in relation to interesting jobs, is on the part wherein an individual’s happiness on one’s own success will depend on how other people will perceive their skills and qualifications in respect to a job being offered.             In addition, interesting jobs make better workers. The ability of a company to present jobs that can be perceived as interesting can be a way to make an individual succeed in the chosen field. On the other hand, the ability of a company to continuously make a job more interesting will keep the interests and improve the way the employees see work as an important part of their existence. Thus, interesting jobs can produce better workers because from the moment it is applied for and the lapse of time that it remains to be interesting. REFERENCES: Benskoski, S., 1995, How to Prepare to Find a Job in Industry, American Mathematical Society, viewed 8 September 2008, <http://www.ams.org/employment/sanfran.html>. Drucker, P., 2008, Management: Tasks, Responsibilities, Practices, Transaction Publshing. Farr, M. and Shatkin, L. 2007, 150 Best Jobs for Your Skill, Amazon Books. Reeves, M., 2000, Suppressed, Forced out and Fired: How Successful Women Lose Their Jobs, Quorum Books, CT. Sahadi, J., 2005, Interesting Six-figure Jobs, viewed 8 September 2008, <http://money.cnn.com/2004/09/08/pf/sixfigs_seven/>.   Credit:ivythesis.typepad.com

An analysis of the interesting jobs available in the market

INTRODUCTION This is an analysis of the interesting jobs available in the market. The paper will pose some theories which will make a ...

Job Analysis in Responding to the Employee Needs and Achieving Organizations Strategic Business Objectives

Job Analysis in Responding to the Employee Needs and Achieving Organization’s Strategic Business Objectives: a Question of Importance                 Substantial industrial competition, dynamic process of internationalization and globalization and fast-tracking of technological innovations – these are just few of the factors that affect the global workplace and human capital and labor. With such phenomenon affecting every organization, there is a need to identify the most suitable human resource solution in order to cope up with such emerging effects – beneficial or destructive – not only to the immediate human resources but to the organization in general. Overcoming human resource troubles necessitate proper application of basic human resource management principles and practices. As early as possible, anything that affects the general job composition should be specified and clarified so as to avoid future employment difficulties. This is one of the most fundamental and foremost idea behind job analysis, that is, accumulating information that will be used as control mechanisms against HRM problems particularly on employees’ need and its effects in organizational productivity and performance. According to (2002, p73), “job analysis is a systematic process of obtaining valid job information to aid management in decision-making.” The idea of job analysis generally refers to the process of collecting information that will be used by the management in relation to HR functions from selection, classification, training, compensation, and other given HR functions. It also reflects on job descriptions, person specifications, job design, etc. Lawler (1994) affirms that job analysis provides the foundation for practically all HR functions. With this thought, human resource technology is grounded in the idea of individuals holding jobs (1994). Then, the question is – why job analysis may or may not be an important factor in order to satisfy individual employee needs and for achieving the organization’s strategic business objectives.             Job analysis is purposive. This alone can justify the reason why it is an important factor in satisfying individual employee needs as well as useful facilitator in achieving the organization’s strategic business goals. As established, job analysis is the foundation of all HRM activities that are needed for a productive functioning of an organization. Using the case or recruitment and selection to explain further, because effective recruitment and selection practices are based on some form of job analysis (Gate wood & Field, 1994), job analysis per se is the initial stage of acquiring a competent and competitive workforce through identifying specific attributes suited for a particular position. Basically, Harm’s first responsibility is attracting a quality workforce using a process ( 2005). This is the recruitment and selection of employee. It is very significant for a company to hire the best people to occupy the position. According to  (2003), recruiting is part of the over-all management function of staffing and is a major role player in ensuring that company strategies would be implemented. (2004) also emphasized that staffing requires both the process of attracting and selecting prospective personnel’s capabilities and competencies with the company position. This principle is the first step in the process of staff development. It is also considered as the most critical step because wrong recruitment and selection can lead to a waste of company time, resources and finances (2004). Then, job analysis on this part plays a particular importance in assessing the qualifications of potential members of the workforce particularly in reference to knowledge, skills, and abilities (Keas). Keas include job-related information and the necessary human abilities to perform certain job activities (Nelson, 1997). The importance of valid Keas cannot be overstated, as the relationship between them and individual performance in the organization is well-established (Davis, 1995; Gate wood & Field, 1994). It is like saying that job analysis is a distinct yet complementing mechanism that directs management on who to hire from the array of applicants to occupy that specified job position. The main steps in job analysis occur before and during or even after these initial human resource functions. These steps, according to  (2002) include: <ul style="margin-top: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in" type="disc"> <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 200%"> Identifying and isolating of component tasks in a job;</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 200%"> Examining how tasks are performed;</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 200%"> Identifying the main areas of responsibility;</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 200%"> Noting the prevailing working conditions in respect of the physical, social and financial aspects of the job;</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 200%"> Identifying the personal demands which job makes on an individual incumbent.</li> </ul> Applying the steps in job analysis in the most effective way possible is tantamount to stronger and more competent and competitive workforce. Within organizations, competencies reside and are recognized all the way through the workplace. Because an employee regardless of position is expected to work for a certain job activity, job analysis is the measurement of tasks and/or worker attributes for a given job (Nelson, 1997). The process of analyzing job is of similar importance to a potential employee.             Job analysis, particularly on the aspect of person specifications is used for recruitment, employee selection and other HR activities in the future ( 2003, p144-145). In recruitment and selection, job analysis will constantly facilitate the attribution of Keas and other characteristics that are deemed fundamental to the overall nature of the job and its manner of performance. Quoting the same related reason of Nelson (1997), the importance of job analysis as a tool for systematic accumulation of data is predetermined. That Keas are identified Another reasonable argument can be made is “that job analysis would be more important in the boundary less organization, where work activities are created and evolve more quickly, than in more traditionally structured organizations, where jobs are static for longer time periods” (p40). Although job analysis approaches or methods are equal, they are capable of examining both diverse and changing occupations. The significance of job analysis and derived Keas for the purpose of valid selection practices has been well-established (1994). To summarize the importance of job analysis to recruitment and selection, it emphasizes on the principle that what work needs to be done (i.e. tasks and duties) requires what kind of people that is needed to do that work possessing the key qualifications (Keas or competencies). This specification caters to the need of employees to get hold of necessary qualities required by the job while on the case of management; it refers to the need of hiring the best person to do the job – with maximum results expected.             Job analysis is also important in the process of achieving organization’s strategic business objectives for the sole reason that having a good HRM function during the preliminary stages, wherein the best employees are hired, is equivalent to risk-free and successful organization and performance. Provided that job analysis is the foundation of all HRM activities, it is then apt to suppose that when jobs are well-defined and specified and people who are needed for those jobs are correctly hired, then the achievement of organization’s strategic business objective is within reach. With the constant aim of developing human workforce through effective HRM practice, the objective of any organization will be realized. As (2003) state, job analysis “reduces to words the things that people do in work” (p141). In connection with the above example, recruiting and selecting of employee in the basis of job analysis is a far more simple activity than in previous times when HRM staff could rely on recommendations from current employees or a “help wanted” sign in front of the business (Sims, 2002). Thus, an accurate recruitment and selection is important in all levels of the organization because it influences all organizational processes as well as its future. Proper selection and recruitment process save the organization’s precious time, resources and money spent on employee staffing. This is the best advantage as organizations need also those components to develop other aspects of their businesses and operations. Other strengths would be an increase in staff morale, increase in production, decrease in staff turnover and enhanced performance effectiveness and efficiency. Further, the manager’s outlook in job analysis that is directed to the achievement of organizational goals is to help the supervisor in establishing policy, for example in staff selection such as detailed planning and recruitment preparation. Moreover, the principle clearly recognizes recruitment and staff selection as an interdependent, non-separate, continuous process which should be given adequate and immediate follow-up action (2004, p). In this aspect, (1997, p41) suggested that “managers may more effectively attract, select, and retain qualified workers by looking for broad sets of Keas that may encompass several “jobs,” and personality traits reflective of the organization’s culture (1991;  1990)”. To address employee needs and achieve organization’s strategic business objectives, job analysis must be perfected and exemplified at the beginning stages of any HRM activities.             In conclusion, job analysis is simply referred as the process of studying a job (1995, p3). It is, without ay doubt, an important factor in addressing employee need and in achieving organization’s strategic business objectives. It may be in any HRM activities, the given importance of job analysis will result to better facilitation of the overall HR functions. All in all, job analysis and its specific attributes play a crucial role in the organization. Failure to confirm with predetermined principles can result to losses and even failure for the whole organization encumbering its way to ladder of organizational success. Credit:ivythesis.typepad.com

Job Analysis in Responding to the Employee Needs and Achieving Organizations Strategic Business Objectives

Job Analysis in Responding to the Employee Needs and Achieving Organization’s Strategic Business Objectives: a Question of Importance ...

Should an organisation adopt an analyitical job evaluation scheme? What are the problems and how can they be overcome?

Should an organization adopt an analytical job evaluation scheme? What are the problems and how can they be overcome?               Job evaluation aims to establish a fair and workable system of differentials between various jobs in the organization, sort out anomalies between similar jobs in different parts of the same organization, review the jobs in an organization, which have changed over time, and assess the value of a job that is hard to fill (2005).  In job evaluation, each job is also rated on the basis of the necessary skill, experience, responsibility, and working conditions. Evaluation procedures must be linked to the demands of the job or be shown able to predict performance of the important functions in the position as determined by job analysis. Job evaluation has been defined as a generic term to describe a set of procedures which create a hierarchy of jobs based upon their worth to an organization. Job evaluation has become important as a means of implementing comparable worth statutes, particularly in the public sector. At present, at least 14 states now have some form of legislation prohibiting gender inequality in compensating jobs of comparable worth. Unfortunately, there are currently no clear standards for assessing the validity of job evaluation. No consistent approach for resolving this problem is apparent either in current practice or in rationalizations of practice (1989) Job evaluation deals with jobs impersonally and is not concerned with the race, creed, color, age, or sex of the employee unless in some way these personal variations become pertinent to the jobs. Equal pay for equal work is the very essence of job evaluation.             Job evaluation was designed to eliminate paternalistic management practices that evaluated a worker’s family circumstances, work history, and other personal considerations in determining wages. As the personnel function became depersonalized, such discretion was discouraged. Job evaluation was also supposed to reduce pay disparities across departments and divisions of the company and to lessen employee grievances and spiraling wage costs due to competition between groups of employees or even individual employees within the organization. The pioneers of early job evaluation did not raise the issue of gender in their writing. Overall, their key objective was to rationalize personnel policy ( 2000).             Simple approaches towards job evaluation tend to be non-analytical. For example, one method takes one job as the benchmark against which all others are assessed; certain factors in a job are examined in comparison with the benchmark. Another method is to define a grading structure first, then review job specifications within that framework and make any adjustments.             More analytical approaches tend to involve factor weighting and point scoring systems Each job will be assessed on a number of key factors, such as the size of the budget controlled, the number of staff reporting to the post, direct interface with customers, the level of technical expertise required and the potential impact on the organization’s success. Points are awarded for each factor from a predetermined set of specifications (for example, 5 points if there are 4 or fewer staff reporting, 12 points in the case of 5-15 staff, 20 points in the case of 16-50 and so on) and a total reached which provides the final level of importance. This is then reviewed to take into account any further points of detail that have additional impact on the job’s value.             Job evaluation follows the principles of scientific management. The scientific method of approaching a business problem is based on a systematic way of thinking. It is not necessary that we have laboratory-devised and control-tested formulas in order to establish such as system. But it is necessary to establish a uniform, inflexible framework for thinking about jobs, so that the plan administrators and the supervisors will use the same factor values (2000). According to certain findings, job evaluation is considered to be as the most crucial aspect in determining the appropriate value and process of human resource management as it involves vivid relationships to provide solutions to some HRM applications for appropriate updates and other important details (1994). (1993) stated that job evaluation involves used for compensation planning purposes, it is the process of comparing a job with other jobs in an organization to determine an appropriate pay rate for the job. It is also the methods and practices of ordering jobs or positions with respect to their value or worth to the organization. Recent investigations have focused on differences in job performance ratings generated by groups compared with ratings generated by individuals. This topic is important given the contemporary trend toward the use of teams and groups in organisational settings. Using experimental laboratory methods and students as subjects,  (1996) showed that after completing a task, most individuals ranked their own performance lower the median (a negative performance illusion), whereas most group members ranked their group performance above the median (a positive performance illusion), contradicting previous research showing a positive illusion for both individuals and group members. The authors labelled the differences between group and individual perceptions of job evaluation as the “evaluation gap.”             On the other hand, (1993) scrutinised the relative accuracy of having individuals or groups of individuals provide ratings on a behavioural checklist after reviewing a pencil-and-paper vignette depicting the work behaviour of a police officer. Ratings were made either immediately or after a five-day delay. Results showed that groups remembered more accurately than individuals under a delayed condition, but no differences were observed when ratings were made immediately. They argued that using groups to provide ratings may be a help but not a panacea for dealing with rating accuracy. Research is just starting to examine the issue of group versus individual rating sources. Before we progress too much further, it might be wise to develop more theoretical specifications of when and why groups may provide more accurate evaluations of performance.   2.2 Job Evaluation Systems             Apparently, there is a substantial increase of interest lately in so-called “360-degree“performance measures. Actually, 360-degree feedback system is a type of Job Evaluation System. A  Job Evaluation System measures incorporate evaluations from a number of different rate perspectives which are supervisor, peer, subordinate, self, and even customers and are used for feedback and/or personnel decisions. Apparently, (1995) developed a model and propositions regarding the impact of such a multisource system on perceptions of goal accomplishment, re-evaluation of self-image, and changes in performance-related outcomes (i.e. goals, development, behaviour, and subsequent performance). These authors also articulated a number of potential moderators of the major components of the model.             According to (1993), an excellent starting point in terms of becoming aware of 360-degree instruments and systems is a special issue of Human Resource Management. Included in this issue the article of  (1993) focusing on understanding the relationship between the self and other ratings, a cluster focusing on improving the value of others’ feedback, and a final cluster dealing with the impact of 360-degree feedback as a management intervention.             Likewise,  (1994) illustrated the results of a field study using 38 managers and their subordinates and showed that subordinates preferred providing appraisal feedback to their managers anonymously. However,  (1994) stated that managers viewed upward appraisals more positively when such feedback was provided under conditions of accountability or when they were aware of the identity of the subordinates. Under conditions of accountability, subordinates tended to inflate their rating of managers, suggesting that rate identification may influence such feedback information.             Basically, the job evaluation system is an attempt to develop organisation performance by escalating the range of data integrated in the assessment. Recognising that assessment and action planning are also parts of the feedback system allows management to better alter the job evaluation system to its specific organisation. It is also important to identify whether the system is focused on management, the employee, or the customer. Moreover, each focal point has different requirements signifying who should participate in each factor. Will the system be used solely for development or is there a need to use this feedback for organisational purposes? The latter raise additional issues that must be solved for job evaluation system to be successful. Finally, the organisation’s environment, control system, and task interdependence may affect the likelihood that job evaluation system can succeed in a particular case, since it must fit with existing organisational processes and approaches.             Certainly, job evaluation system can be tuned to the realism of many modern associations. When associations direct employees to “focus on the customer” and place people in work arrangements that emphasise cooperation, 360-degree feedback allows customers, team members, and others to have a voice in the proper assessment process. However, not all organisations are designed for or need this much participation. Forcing job evaluation system participation as a part of the feedback process when it is not well-suited to the organisation is a quick route to failure.             Basically, it is recognised the definitive research on job evaluation system have yet to be done. Yet, organisations must make decisions on what use they will make of the technique. Using existing research and theory, it is suggested that some elements that should help determine which approach to job evaluation system should work best in certain circumstances. Definitely, as organisations gain more experience and research evolves, the researcher understanding of what characteristics help match the firm to the system will improve. However, the limited range of characteristics listed here should help companies seeking a good fit with a job evaluation system by providing elements for consideration before deciding to adopt job evaluation system.             Many organizations do not place much importance on performance evaluations. Even more striking is the fact that several organizations don’t even require annual evaluations. The reason for this attitude is that there are many problems with current methods of completing performance evaluations. First, in many cases the process is subjective. The instrument used is very general and broad based. This requires the supervisor to add his or her own commentary regarding their team member’s performance. Second, there appears to be a lack of organizational commitment to complete meaningful evaluations ( 2006).             To correct this obstacle, a department head needs to train all members required to complete performance evaluations, and then set up an organizational accountability system. When a department trains all its supervisors, a foundation of consistency is developed. After training is completed, the accountability factor is implemented. This is where the first-line supervisor’s boss, usually the battalion chief, plays an important role. It is obvious that not all first-line supervisors will have the same dedication or make the same effort when completing the evaluations. When the evaluation is sent through channels, the battalion chief, or whoever supervises the first-line officer, should review it for accuracy and completeness.             When the performance evaluation process is completed properly, everyone gains. The worker being evaluated has the opportunity to identify, discuss and address performance areas that need improvement. Additionally, a realistic and action-oriented plan for achieving team member career goals is developed.             The supervisor has the opportunity to convert general daily supervisory impressions of team member performance into an objective, job-related, officially recorded history. The supervisor is also given an opportunity to encourage, guide, praise, warn or otherwise counsel the team member. In addition, the performance evaluation becomes a communication tool, motivational tool, clarification tool, future-planning tool, recognition tool and documentation tool. How is this accomplished? First, the team member and supervisor meet. Expectations are discussed, as is performance as it relates to the member’s job description. Also, this is the time to discuss personal goals and organizational goals desired by the member (2006).             Several threats to the validity of job evaluation exist. The training of raters and the selection of factors and factor weights all have a bearing on the validity of job evaluation outcomes. Subjectivity on the part of raters, for example, is an often cited problem.(4) The selection and weighting of compensable factors also has significant bearing upon the validity of job evaluation outcomes. Misuse (or misinterpretation) of statistical procedures is also problematic ( 1989).             Of primary importance at present is determination of a theoretical basis for confirming (or disconfirming) the validity of pay (the outcome) resulting from job evaluation (the measure). Considering job pricing and job evaluation together departs from the usual view that job evaluation and pricing are separate. However, systems theory suggests that job evaluation and pricing should be considered parts of an organized, unitary compensation system. Moreover, job evaluation as it is usually practiced merely reflects external exchange rates and does not adequately define job worth apart from external rates (1989).             Given relationships between pay, satisfaction, and benefit accruing to employee and employer, it follows that job satisfaction of an employee should be considered the underlying variable determining the validity job evaluation (or any other approach taken to establish and maintain pay). Satisfaction occurs to the extent pay is perceived to be equitable when internal and external pay comparisons are made by adequately paid employees.             Employee satisfaction resulting from pay adequacy and equity serves as an effective proxy for the job worth construct. Such “satisfaction” indicates that the worth of the job has been tapped (at least from the employee’s perspective). Looking at “job worth” from the standpoint of the employee may seem a radical departure from standard practice. However, from the employer’s perspective, if the “true worth” of a job is not tapped by job evaluation (and reflected in pay) then, barring mitigating circumstances mentioned previously, resulting employee dissatisfaction will compromise the attraction, retention, and motivation of employees–important purposes of pay.   Credit:ivythesis.typepad.com

Should an organisation adopt an analyitical job evaluation scheme? What are the problems and how can they be overcome?

Should an organization adopt an analytical job evaluation scheme? What are the problems and how can they be overcome? Job ...

HR – Job Design Project

Successful companies are possible through hard work and motivation among its staff and employees as a part of the management team and being an accounting officer involves a lot of better values at work and a heart that thinks and decides with truth, substance and effectiveness for the business to stay on the high note within the organizational commitment owing to its relationship with such important work-related constructs such as job satisfaction, job involvement and leadership relations (1988; 1990; 1982; 1993). Based on the limited attention given to model building and testing, researchers have strongly suggested that future research focus on delineating the motivational and psychological processes that may influence the development of affective commitment and understanding the complex relationships among focal variables (1990; 1993;1987). The literature alludes to the fact that intrinsic motivation may serve to either completely or only partially mediate the effects of job characteristics and work context factors on job satisfaction and affective commitment (1964; 1990; 1981;  1977). We test these competing theoretical positions by deriving and testing corresponding structural equation models to determine which model provides the most complete (yet parsimonious) representation of relationships among focal constructs.           The accounting officer has complex job responsibilities as it can be a part with  (1975) definition, intrinsic motivation is conceptualized as `the degree to which the employee is self-motivated to perform effectively on the job–that is, the employee experiences positive internal feelings when working effectively on the job’ (). Being an accounting officer, the main purpose of the Job is to assist the Accounting Manager tin planning, directing and coordinating the accounting operations within the organization in an efficient and professional manner. Supervises subordinates in accordance with enterprise policies and standard procedures. Recommends improvements in accounting operations and ensures the deployment of financial resources attains highest qualitative standards. The Accounting Officer exercises his responsibilities as the job itself will affect his level of motivation – a sort of positive reinforcement to achieve a better work performance as such being an accounting officer, he must know how to manage well accounting operations to achieve greatest productivity by maximizing resources as well as establish enterprise accounting policies and standard / emergency operating procedures for accounting operations also good in managing the Accounting Division staff, it’s including include interviewing, hiring, and training employees; planning, assigning, and directing work; appraising performance; rewarding and disciplining employees; addressing complaints and resolving problems.           Henceforth, in relating to  core job characteristics of well designed jobs it is really essential that the job description in focus will parallel its job specifications as one of the needed requirements of a job holder in dealing with the education background and professional qualification that should be found as an effective accounting officer Bachelor’s degree in any discipline, preferably business administration or accounting and it is a must to have a desirable working experience and is good at supervisory position. An accounting officer should have the appropriate knowledge needed in order to do the job function right like for instance, having the knowledge of principles and processes involved in business planning, coordination and execution that includes strategic planning, resource allocation, manpower modeling, leadership techniques and production methods as well as the ability to read, analyze and interpret general business documents, technical procedures or governmental regulations. Thus, an accounting officer must possess computer knowledge skills involving basic computer operating skills in MS Windows and MS Office and that language skills is a crucial requirement in every way as he will have the ability to express fluently in English and Chinese in every useful process respectively.               Moreover, in order to improve motivation and job satisfaction of this job holder, there needs to acquire a certain level of  consistency along with  core job characteristics involving the feelings of motivation driven and generated by important characteristics of the job and work environment within such perceptions of meaningful work and perceptions of fair treatment as it is related to job satisfaction and motivation in terms of understanding work relationships in the process of enhancing avenues for communication among the accounting manager, accounting clerk and HR manager as to how they help and support the accounting officer in gaining trust and confidence that is a relevant factor for the proper designation of goals and actions to be realized in the process (1976; 1992; 1995) and to assist with such great effort, a theme has to be identified which pervades the research on motivation, job satisfaction and affective commitment – the role that perceived competence plays in understanding motivated behavior. Thus, one way that individuals may develop a sense of competency is by working in a job with `motivating potential’; high skill variety, task significance, task identity, autonomy and feedback (1975, 1976).               The type of work environment provides individuals with the chance to make a difference on the job, try out new skills, exercise discretion, receive feedback on their performance and work in an environment characterized by support, participation and fair treatment. Taken together, such work conditions are expected to increase individuals’ intrinsic motivation by providing affirmation that their efforts are worthwhile and valued (1975, 1976; 1990). The most influential model guiding self-report research on job characteristics has been the Job Characteristics Model (1976, 1980). It is expected that outcomes will occur when the accounting officer experience three critical psychological states: meaningful work, personal responsibility and knowledge of results. In turn, five “core” job characteristics (skill variety, task identity, task significance, autonomy and feedback) that are posited to stimulate particular psychological states and exhibit high growth need strength, adequate knowledge and skill, and satisfaction with job context factors are expected to respond best to rich or high scope jobs ( 1990). (1976) have described the psychological states as “the causal core of the model,” and the job characteristics were identified to service the states, not the other way around.             The complete model,  (1976) employed the largest sample, 658 individuals but the statistical procedures they used were not always elaborate enough to match the model’s complexity.  are explicit that moderation is a dual location process, occurring both between the core characteristics and the psychological states and the states and the outcome variables. This contention has almost never been tested. Rather, most researchers have restricted moderator tests to the relationship between job characteristics and overall job scope and outcomes ( 1987: 1985;1985). It appears that the moderating effect of employee skills and knowledge on the receptiveness to a high scope job has never been tested directly. However, a good case can be made that educational level and tenure in the job might be reasonable surrogates for skills and knowledge. The need for more empirical evidence on the determinants of officer’s reactions to their work has increased. Job satisfaction that are becoming important phenomena, not only for the accounting officers themselves, but also because they may affect organization work climates and the quality of work relations (1990) The starting-point of the investigation was the Job Characteristic Model (JCM) of  (1975, 1976), a central and widely used model for investigations into the problems of work and workers’ reactions to it (1981; 1986;  1987).         The model consists of a number of suppositions concerning the relationships between job characteristics (core job dimensions), critical psychological states and effects. The five central job characteristics are combined in a so-called Motivating Potential Score (MPS), expressing the motivating potential of the work. Finally, preference for autonomy coming close to  growth need strength has been included as an individual variable by means of a validated Dutch scale for work preferences ( 1981). The moderating role of GNS: growth need strength in  model was the subject of discussions for example; confirm the moderating role but only for job satisfaction as the accounting officer experienced job significance consists of a sum score of the dimensions: experienced responsibility, internal work motivation and experience meaningfulness (1975)                         Credit:ivythesis.typepad.com

HR – Job Design Project

Successful companies are possible through hard work and motivation among its staff and employees as a part of the management team and ...

JOB SATISFACTION

JOB SATISFACTION   Introduction   A company which must meet competition and maintain its leadership in their field or industry needs people who can contribute to the company’s business – people with progressive ideas for new products, services, or methods. One could definitely say that it is the people within that make any organization tick. However, what makes up an employee is not a guarantee that he or she will perform well with the job assigned. To be taken in to consideration is also the satisfaction of the employee in doing the job. In many customer-focused industries, employee satisfaction may be the leverage that helps them beat out its competition. Logic will tell us that any employee who loves his or her job is likely to succeed and perform well compared to equally qualified and able employees who do not love their jobs or are not satisfied with their jobs. No matter how smart and capable an employee is, if he or she is not satisfied with the job, the most likely he or she will not be able to perform well. Because of this notion, increasing emphasis is given by organizations to promoting job satisfaction in their employees. Employee satisfaction has always been an important issue for organizations. The equation seems to be simple. An employee plus job satisfaction would equal to an organization’s success.   1. What is Job Satisfaction?   Job satisfaction is the overall attitude of liking or disliking a job.  (2005) defined it as “a collection of feelings that an individual holds toward his or her job.” Job satisfaction refers to both general and specific work satisfactions. The specific satisfactions included both intrinsic and extrinsic satisfactions, as well as satisfaction with pay, job security, peers and co-workers, supervision, and opportunities for personal growth on the job (, 1984). It is a significant aspect that is essential for career development as well as the success of an organization.             Job satisfaction is therefore the key ingredient that leads to rewards of recognition, income, promotion, and other goals that provide an employee with the ongoing sense of fulfillment. Job satisfaction is a key work attitude. An attitude is a predisposition acquired through experience to respond to people to objects or institutions in a positive or negative way. But employee satisfaction with the job that they do is not something that organizations can predict. Job satisfaction is an attitude of the employee towards the job he or she does. No matter how interesting or challenging a job is, there is still room for job dissatisfaction. Not even a high pay can guarantee job satisfaction. Levels of employee dissatisfaction exist in many organizations. Employees typically experience a lack of job satisfaction when (1) they don’t receive the outcomes they want, (2) they receive outcomes they don’t want (like more work), or (3) they don’t find their work rewarding enough. Employees are particularly vulnerable to this problem during times of change, because the number and types of rewards that organizations in transition can offer are frequently limited or curtailed ( & , 1999).             A job entails more than just what is written in its job description. Say for example, the job is to get coffee everyday, one could expect that but that doesn’t mean that is all it is going to be. Every job would require an interaction between the employee doing the job with other workers and even with other high ranking officials of the organization. One would also need to follow company policies and laws, along with all the other members of that organization.  Additionally, one works in a working environment whose conditions vary according to perceptions of each employee and each individual worker gets affected by this. The working environment could be suited to some yet unacceptable to others (, 2005). Thus one could say that the concept of job satisfaction is relative from individual to individual. And thus the measurement of job satisfaction or dissatisfaction levels is a very complex task.             The concept of satisfaction has been linked to various job dimensions. There are studies that link job satisfaction and perceived closeness of supervision, performance feedback, and other job dimensions. Task variety and autonomy were significantly related to satisfaction with work. Skill variety, task identity, feedback from the job, and autonomy were also positively related to work satisfaction and satisfaction with supervision. Other studies also found out that stronger relationships between skill variety, task significance, autonomy, and feedback from the job and more emotional responses from workers than between these job dimensions and behavioral responses.             One of the most important areas of employee satisfaction (or not) is that of monetary compensation. There are two types of compensation philosophies, entitlement and performance-oriented. Under the entitlement philosophy, all employees receive the same standard increase each year, while the performance-oriented way of thinking ties job performance to compensation (, 2004). Many employees generally feel dissatisfied with their jobs because of discrimination in the paying scheme of the company. Companies should therefore see to it that if differences exist in monetary compensation, it should be a reasonable cause, like a certain amount of work or factor is responsible for it.   2. Complete and Score the Questionnaire   How Do You Feel About Your Present Job?     A B C D E SCORE 1. My job is like a hobby to me. X         5 2. My job is usually interesting enough to keep me from getting bored.   X       4 3. It seems that my friends are more interested in their jobs.       X   4 4. I consider my job rather unpleasant.         X 5 5. I enjoy my work more than my leisure time.       X   2 6. I am often bored with my job.       X   4 7. I feel fairly well satisfied with my present job.   X       4 8. Most of the time I have to force myself to go to work.       X   4 9. I am satisfied with my job for the time being.   X       4 10. I fell that my job is no more interesting than others I could get.       X   4 11. I definitely dislike my work.         X 5 12. I feel that I am happier in my work than most other people.   X       4 13. Most days I am enthusiastic about my work.   X       4 14. Each day of work seems like it will never end.       X   4 15. I like my job better than the average worker does.   X       4 16. My job is pretty uninteresting.         X 5 17. I find real enjoyment in my work.   X       4 18. I am disappointed that I ever took this job.         X 5                                                                                                 Total Score    =       75 Legend: A- Strongly Agree B- Agree C- Undecided D- Disagree E- Strongly Disagree   3. What do the results tell you (overall and based on your answers to the specific questions) about your present job satisfaction? Include some critical comment about at least one of the questionnaire completed and its scale.               After taking the test that measured job satisfaction, a score of 75 is obtained. This is a higher score compared to the mean score from others who took the test. This result indicates being fairly satisfied with the present job, although not completely satisfied. This means that although the author is satisfied with the job, some room for improvement is still needed. Perhaps the author is in an environment where the qualifications for the job matched the attitudes, values, and beliefs of the author.             A critical comment is voiced out on one of the questions presented in the questionnaire. This is on the question – Most days I am enthusiastic about my work. The answer provided to this question is “Agree.” Note that there is still an answer that has a higher degree or score – “Strongly Agree.” The reason why the superlative was not chosen as an answer is because the author feels that although there is enthusiasm for work on the part of the worker, this is not constant and is affected by many factors that mostly relates about work, work environment, and working conditions. Certain events in the workplace could trigger lack of enthusiasm on the part of the worker even if he or she is fit for the job and loves the job. These factors or events affecting a worker’s job enthusiasm could be the working condition of the office, co-workers, forms of discrimination, wage and compensation, or policies and programs of the organization.   4. What does the Research Evidence Indicate are the Major Effects of Job Satisfaction on Measures of Worker (and Student) Performance?   To ensure that employees’ output in his or her job is of high quality, the management usually provides guidelines specifying the standard of quality required. In some industries, standards are set by local, state or federal enforcement agencies. However, guidelines alone do not guarantee worker productivity. Other factors, most importantly job satisfaction, determine worker productivity and performance. The assessment of employee attitudes towards their job has become a widespread activity in organisations in which management is concerned with both the physical and psychological well-being of people. Furthermore, employees who are satisfied with their jobs have also been a frontrunner in studies and researches which aim to measure if it has any effect at all in an employee’s performance. Most researches indicate that when an employee is satisfied with his or her job, then he is likely to perform better than those who are not happy or satisfied with their jobs. Jobs differ and require a wide variety of skills, knowledge and ability. Workers also differ from one another in many ways. Individuals have a variety of changing, and often conflicting, needs and expectations which they attempt to satisfy in a number of different ways. If a person is assigned to a job to which his ability, character, and temperament are not suited, then he or she is likely to be unsatisfied with the job and fail, and thereby create a problem for management (, 2002). On the other hand, those who are suited for the job are more likely to be satisfied in the job and in effect work efficiently and succeed.             Feedback can be used to measure job satisfaction and performance. Feedback is the information people receive about their performance. It conveys an evaluation about the quality of their performance behaviors. Giving feedback is the activity of providing information to staff members about their performance on job expectations (, 2003). A feedback could be good or bad, depending on the quality of work done by the employee. A desirable employee, who accepts criticisms as part of growth and development within the job, will look at a mistake as feedback rather than as a failure, regard every job assignment as developmental, and seek out challenging opportunities where the pressure to learn will force them to grow professionally and stretch their capabilities (, 2000). When an employee is dissatisfied with his or her job there are several measures that could be done to improve disposition of the employee towards the job. One of them is job enlargement or job enrichment. This is the term given to the reversal of a job specialization trend. The motive is to make jobs more interesting and promote job satisfaction by adding variety. Although the implementation of this goal may seem contrary to motion economy, it need not be. Adding variety to a job does not mean adding unnecessary motions. The enrichment is more mental than motor. Sequential tasks performed by, say, two or three workers can be grouped so that each worker performs all the tasks. The regrouping of jobs allows method changes that might otherwise be difficult to initiate. Job enrichment, if properly done, could provide opportunities for employees to be interested and satisfied with what they do. And like some cycle, this could improve employee performance.             Research on performance evaluation in relation to job satisfaction is alive and well in the psychological and management literatures. Perhaps the most stimulating areas of research are the development and elaboration around the notion of appropriate aspects of job performance. The concept that job satisfaction is more than just the execution of specific tasks satisfactorily and that it involves a wide variety of organisational activities has important implications for the understanding and measurement of job performance. When employees know how to do their jobs and why they are doing them, they are inclined to do better. Since the ambitions, hopes, and goals of employees are sensitive to motivation, management and human resource personnel should encourage them to pursue their desires and try to gain satisfaction from their work. If management or any other people for that matter can inspire them, there should be practically no limit to the increase in productivity that can be achieved by an employee (, 2006).             Like a domino effect, it goes that an employee who finds that he or she is well compensated and the job matches his or her attitudes, beliefs and capabilities, job satisfaction will be manifested. And if that certain employee is satisfied with what he or she is doing, then more often than not job performance levels will be at a high.                                 References Credit:ivythesis.typepad.com

JOB SATISFACTION

JOB SATISFACTION Introduction A company which must meet competition and maintain its leadership in their field or industry needs p...