Work Analysis in the Knowledge Economy: Documenting What People Do in the Workplace for Human Resource Development

285 Pages·2019·6.313 MB·English

by  Ronald L. Jacobs

WORK
ANALYSIS IN
THE KNOWLEDGE
ECONOMY
DOCUMENTING WHAT PEOPLE
DO IN THE WORKPLACE FOR
HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
RONALD L. JACOBS
Work Analysis in the Knowledge Economy
“Jacobs’ book on work analysis in the age of knowledge economy fills an important
gap in the HRD literature. Whether you are an HRD professional or an academic,
this ready-reference book provides a comprehensive look at the many facets of work
analysis designed for a workplace in which knowledge work will be most critical at
the human-machine intersection.”
—Mesut Akdere, Professor, Human Resource Development, School of Technology,
Leadership and Innovation, Purdue University, USA
“A highly readable, research grounded, and relevant approach to work analysis by one
of the most respected thinkers and researchers on the subject. This foundational core
competency for the development of human resources and organizations is becoming
ever-more essential in the global knowledge economy. A clear, concise, and thought-
provoking must-read book for current students that will influence and be widely
applicable to your future career.”
—Kenneth Bartlett, Professor, Human Resource Development and
Associate Dean, University of Minnesota, USA
“Organizing HRD processes relies heavily on the content of the work. Yet our knowl-
edge of work analysis in relation to employee learning sadly remains scarce. In writing
this book, Ron Jacobs has done an outstanding job in addressing this crucial gap in
the literature, from which HRD scholars, practitioners and students alike will benefit
tremendously.”
—Rob Poell, Professor, Human Resource Development,
Tilburg University, Netherlands
Ronald L. Jacobs
Work Analysis in the
Knowledge Economy
Documenting What People Do in the
Workplace for Human Resource
Development
Ronald L. Jacobs
University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign
Champaign, IL, USA
ISBN 978-3-319-94447-0 ISBN 978-3-319-94448-7 (eBook)
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-94448-7
Library of Congress Control Number: 2018965502
© The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s) 2019
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Cover credit @ Arijit Mondal
Cover design by Oscar Spigolon
This Palgrave Macmillan imprint is published by the registered company Springer Nature Switzerland AG
The registered company address is: Gewerbestrasse 11, 6330 Cham, Switzerland
This book is dedicated to my life partner, Marsha Jenkins.
Preface
This book is about the group of techniques used to address two broad ques-
tions of importance in organizations: What is the work that people do? And
what are the characteristics of the people who successfully do the work?
Together, the techniques comprise what is known as work analysis, a process
that is indisputably a foundational part of human resource development
(HRD) practice. The primary audience of the book comprises current and
future HRD and human resource (HR) professionals. Being able to under-
stand work analysis and conduct one or more of the several work analysis
techniques described in this book is often a major job expectation of these
individuals. The book also seeks to inform and guide technical and vocational
educators, organization managers, quality and safety staff members, and
workforce and economic development policy makers as well.
Work analysis provides information that has a wide range of uses to sup-
port HRD professional practice, including designing training and education
programs, designing performance support systems, implementing perfor-
mance improvement and organization development initiatives, and planning
career development efforts. No other professional activity makes available the
same extensive set of information as does work analysis. There can be no
doubt that work analysis represents a foundational set of knowledge and skills
for those involved in improving workplace performance and learning.
The need to understand work analysis appears even more critical given the
increasing prevalence of knowledge work in organizations globally. Organizations
now face the daunting challenge of documenting these new instances of work,
often involving higher-level problem solving, decision making, and critical anal-
ysis skills, and then using the information to support efforts to develop indi-
viduals to perform the work on a reliable basis. As a result, the book recognizes
vii
viii Preface
that work continues to undergo change toward greater complexity, often using
information and communications technology as a primary resource, and that
the process of work analysis should be responsive to those changes. Those read-
ers who have preconceived notions about work analysis, based on how aspects
of it were used in industrial settings in the early part of the twentieth century,
should be pleasantly surprised by the more responsive perspective of this book.
Unfortunately, in spite of its recognized importance, work analysis typi-
cally receives only limited attention in most undergraduate and graduate curri-
cula. A cursory review of graduate programs of HRD and HR management at
several major universities suggests that few, if any, of them offer coursework that
goes beyond stating the general importance of the topic. As a result, most HRD
and HR management graduates enter practice lacking an understanding of one
of the most fundamental activities related to their professions. How many HRD
graduates can actually conduct a job analysis, which is a commonly needed activ-
ity in many organizations? Indeed, many practitioners and faculty members, as
well, often defer becoming involved in such projects, simply because they lack the
experience necessary to carry out such a useful project. In presenting both con-
ceptual and practical information, this book seeks to help address this situation.
As stated, the perspective of this book is that work analysis constitutes a set
of knowledge and skills that is essential for effective HRD professional prac-
tice, and the need is even more pronounced given the emergence of the knowl-
edge economy. The book seeks to address both major questions that relate to
understanding work analysis. Some readers may be surprised by this more
inclusive perspective, given that few other resources include them as part of a
single set of understanding. In spite of their inherent theoretical differences,
the two questions in fact represent the needs of contemporary organizations
and societies, making it nearly impossible to separate them in practice.
Thus, decisions about how to define work analysis for HRD and, by exten-
sion, which techniques to include in the text were founded on both an
understanding of the literature and reflections drawn from my own experi-
ences in organizations. Even so, the book recognizes the inherent limitations
of prescribing how others should view work analysis and how to carry out the
various techniques. Finding the one best way that will fit equally well across
all situations is a fool’s errand. Frederich Nietzshe, the German philosopher
and poet, is famously quoted as saying “You have your way. I have my way.
As for the right way, the correct way, and the only way, it does not exist”
(Brobjer, 2008). That is, perfection cannot be accomplished with certainty.
The book represents a beginning point for readers in terms of work analysis,
not an end point.
Preface ix
To move forward in their learning, readers might consider using the following
learning process. Readers should seriously consider the information presented in
the text, try out using the techniques as much as possible in practice, whether in
real or simulated work situations, reflect on the results and the feedback they
achieve, and then finally adapt what they have learned to find their own best
ways to achieve their own desired results. Astute practitioners will recognize that
what has been described represents the elements of sound reflective practice.
Plan of the Book
The book has been designed to present the content clearly and logically. In
this way, the book can be used as a text to accompany undergraduate- or
graduate-level courses, as a resource for individuals seeking to conduct a proj-
ect in their organization, school, or agency setting, or to support professional
development workshops on the topic. The sequence of the chapters parallels
my own approach for presenting the content in the university courses I have
taught, and it may be helpful to other instructors as well.
The chapters of the book are grouped into four parts. The four chapters in
Part I provide an introduction to work analysis with a focus on understanding
work analysis in the context of the HRD field. Part II introduces and discusses
in depth how to conduct several techniques that comprise work analysis. Part
III shows how to make use of work analysis information to support the design
of a range of HRD programs. Finally, Part IV presents two concluding chap-
ters that discuss work analysis in the context of the emerging digital work-
place and recommendations for future considerations related to work analysis
in the knowledge economy.
Each chapter of the book has been organized in the following way:
• Each chapter title is clear and logically builds from the previous chapters.
• The subject headings are explanatory.
• The chapters in Part II have the same basic format: Description of the
Technique, How to Conduct the Technique, and Comment sections.
• The chapters in Part III present information on how to use work analysis
information to design various HRD programs, with a specific process pre-
sented to guide these actions.
• The chapters in Part IV provide a synthesis of the information in regard to
knowledge work and the future practice of work analysis.
• Relevant case study examples and comments from practice are embedded
throughout the chapters as appropriate.
x Preface
• A comment section is included at the end of each chapter that provides a
synthesis of the information presented in the chapter.
• Reflection questions are provided at the end of each chapter.
• The appendix presents four examples of S-OJT modules based on
knowledge- based tasks.
Final Comments
This book represents nearly 40 years of research and development related to
work analysis. Clearly, such an accumulation of scholarship and experience
could never have occurred without having opportunities to organize and
reflect on the information over time. As a result, all of the tables and figures
in the book are original and most all of them represent examples drawn from
actual case studies, not simulated ones.
To that end, I wish to acknowledge the two major universities in which I
have served during my career—the Ohio State University and the University of
Illinois—for affording me the platform from which to engage as a researcher
and at times also a consultant across a wide range of organizations. It is difficult
to conceive how a book such as this one could be written without such engage-
ments in the field. I also wish to acknowledge that the universities provided me
the opportunity to teach undergraduate and graduate courses on work analysis,
interacting with literally several hundred students over the years. I can attest
that there may be no better way to deeply learn about a topic than the oppor-
tunity to teach it to others, blending the theory and the practice.
My experiences as a practitioner could never have been as beneficial with-
out having valued clients as partners. Over the years, many of my clients have
since become colleagues and friends as well. For me, there can be no greater
personal satisfaction than to build a trusting and respectful professional rela-
tionship to achieve the project goals, and then to develop lasting personal
relationships with those same individuals along the way.
It should be noted that few of my consulting opportunities have actually
been framed as work analysis projects per se. That is, having a client request
that a work analysis be the sole focus of the project. More often, work analysis
was embedded in a broader project effort used to help the client address
challenging goals, such as implementing safety and quality improvement pro-
grams, facilitating organizational change efforts, meeting regulatory
requirements, designing classroom-based and structured on-the-job training
programs, identifying areas of individual need through a competency devel-
opment program, and documenting the nature of occupations for national
Preface xi
standards. Such is the supporting role of work analysis. Work analysis pro-
vides the information necessary to ensure the success of these and many other
HRD projects.
Finally, I wish to specifically acknowledge individuals who have supported my
work and influenced my thinking on work analysis throughout the years.
Recognizing individuals by name is fraught with risk because of the possibility of
omitting those who deserve to be included. But I shall try to the best of my abil-
ity, hoping that I have not slighted anyone. For over 30 years, no single individual
has influenced my thinking on the topic more than Mike Jones. First as a stu-
dent, then as a client and friend, Mike has served as a trusted sounding board
about work analysis concepts and practices. Perhaps most importantly, Mike has
continually reminded me about the inherent dignity of work, regardless of the
level of the employee or the nature of the work being done. Even workers who
perform what may seem to others to be the most menial kinds of work, in fact,
take much pride in what they do and deserve our respect for doing it.
Also influencing my thinking about work analysis has been Richard
Swanson, a long-time friend and colleague. My first exposure to the topic
came in the 1970s through Dick, while I was a staff member at Bowling
Green State University. Others who have influenced my thinking, both
directly and indirectly, include Dave Gedeon, Ivor Davies, Bob Heinich,
Bruce McDonald, Terry McGiffin, Tom Sands, Fred Nichols, Tom Gilbert,
Jan De Jong, Chan Lee, Aahad Osman-Gani, Himank Priyadarshi, Roger
Kaufman, Bob Norton, Jeff Flesher, Mohammad Bu-Rahmah and Yacoub
Al-Tarrah, Justin Li, Cui Lianbin, and Gemechu Waktola, to name just a few.
Finally, also worthy of mention and thanks is the group of current graduate
students at the University of Illinois who have both inspired and assisted me
in the final preparation of the manuscript.
To those named, and to all others who I have been in contact and perhaps
I should have acknowledged by name, I extend my sincerest thanks and
gratitude.
Champaign, IL, USA Ronald L. Jacobs
October 2018
Reference
Brobjer, T. H. (2008). Nietzsche’s philosophical context: An intellectual biogra-
phy (p. 149). Urbana, IL: University of Illinois Press.