Work analysis seeks to breakdown the work behaviors that people do and the characteristics of people who successfully perform the work, and then to reassemble the information in a form that has many uses in practice. The information can be used to specify job expectations, establish quality standards, develop training programs, document work processes, and anticipate safety risks, among many other uses. This book is a practical guide to using the work analysis process for improving performance in the workplace, particularly with the emergence of knowledge work. Work has undergone much change, and the trend is towards increased complexity, demanding employees to use their cognitive abilities to a greater extent. Work analysis has often been criticized for its historical focus on documenting simple, observable, and routine behaviors performed by individuals involved in low-skilled production work. But it doesn’t have to be so, as readers will discover. Indeed, the demands of organizations and societies in the digital age has placed greater emphasis on documenting the changing nature of work.
This practical book addresses the questions of how does one perform a work analysis? How can complex work be documented? How can the information be used by organizations, technical schools, and government agencies? Readers will find detailed descriptions of numerous work analysis techniques, along with case studies and example documents from actual organizational and national workforce development situations.
This book serves as a relatively comprehensive resource for human resource development professionals in range of settings. The book should also be useful for human resource managers, line managers and supervisors, and other professionals such as quality and safety staff. Readers will value the information in the book, based on the author’s extensive experience, which is presented in a clear and concise approach.
Ronald L. Jacobs, Ph.D. is Professor of Human Resource Development, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and is principal of RL Jacobs & Associates. Ron has written many articles and book chapters, and has authored or edited six books. Ron is emeritus professor at The Ohio State University. In his academic role, Ron has prepared over 300 practitioners and 40 professors and researchers globally.
Among Ron’s areas of research are learning and performance, workforce development, and knowledge work. His writings on workforce development have helped defined the term and the questions it seeks to address. Ron is known for coining the term structured on-the-job training (S-OJT), and is the author of Structured On-the-Job Training: Unleashing Employee Expertise in the Workplace, the most comprehensive guide about this training approach.
Ron has served as editor of Human Resource Development Quarterly, the major journal of the field, and has received numerous recognitions and awards for his research contributions, including awards from ASTD and the Academy of Human Resource Development. He was inducted in the International Adult and Continuing Education (IACE) Hall of Fame for his contributions to learning and performance. The International Federation of Training and Development Organizations has honored Ron for his research related to knowledge work.
Ron has extensive consulting experience in global organizations and government agencies. In addition, Ron works with small and medium-sized companies in his home state of Illinois, through the Illinois Manufacturing Excellence Center. Ron’s work on S-OJT and work analysis has influenced policy makers across many different nations.
