PLANNING FOR ORGANIZATIONAL ENTRY
1.0 Introduction 2.0 Objectives 3.0 Main Content
3.1Theoretical approaches to organisational entry 3.1.1 Person-job fit
3.1.2 Social negotiation 3.1.3 Person - organisation fit 3.2 Job analysis
3.2.1 Importance of job analysis 4.0 Conclusion
5.0 Summary
6.0 Tutor-Marked Assignment 7.0 References /Further Readings 1.0 INTRODUCTION
The most important function in any organisation is effective staffing. Everything about organisation comes back to people, as was argued in an earlier unit. Replenishing the stock of
human resource is therefore a vital activity in al organisations. If you don't appoint staff with the right temperament and knowledge, skill and attitudes (KSA) to perform appropriately defined and assigned responsibilities and duties, al those fancy theories of motivation, empowerment and commitment are not likely to be of much use. Since the staffing process either opens the firm's door to prospective employees (or slams it in their faces), the proficiency with which it is managed is of critical importance to efficiency and effectiveness in the organisation. The process should be conceived of as a series of intertwined, decision-making sub-processes, complementary but each of which is important in its own right. The basic element in the process are presented in the figure 1.4 below:
Basic elements in staffing process -Assessing and analysing the job -Attracting a field of candidates -Assessing and selecting employees -Placing and integrating employees
Figure 1.4. Shows the staffing process as made up of four major sub processes. The cumulative result of these sub-processes invariably determines the future health of an organisation. Each of these sub-processes is treated as a separate unit that makes up the module on organizational entry. The discussion in this unit is therefore confined to assessing and analysing
2.0 OBJECTIVES
After going through this unit, you should be able to:
1. Explain the different theoretical approaches to the staffing proce
2. Understand the importance of job analysis as a pre-requisite for sound and effective staffing;
3. Comprehend the work involved in job analysis.
3.0MAIN CONTENT
3.1 Theoretical Approaches to Organisational Entry
This section considers three different approaches to organisational entry, person-job fit, social negotiation and person-organisation fit. Each is based oi different assumptions about people and about what
determines .2haviour at work. You need to be clear about these assumptions.
3.1.1 Person-job fit
This traditional approach to staffing is based on the view that organizations should specify as closely as possible, the requirements of the job, and then look for individuals whose personal attributes fit those requirements. Hence, it is often called the 'person-job fit approach'. The underlying assumption is that human behaviour is determined by factors external to the individual, and the clear implication is that staffing techniques should be concerned with accessing and measuring these internal, personal factors,
which can then be matched against those required for the job. The reliance on this approach often involves the utilisation of a wide range of tests both informal and structured.
3.1.2 Social negotiation
The fol owing ideas are central to this alternative organisational entry paradigm:
i. People are constantly changing;
ii.People's self-perceptions are important;
iii. Job are constantly changing;
iv. Selection is of both parties;
v. Information is exchanged;
vi. Negotiation takes place;
The purpose is to establish a psychological contract or discover that one is not feasible. The expected outcome of this approach — the psychological contract involves the creation of a work environment, favourable to good job performance. Importantly, this approach has highlighted the critical role
of both parties - applicant and organisation - in decisions about organisational entry. This approach emphasises the need to help the newcomer perform better by enhancing their
understanding andinotivation during the process. In contrast, the person - job fit approach aims only to identify the person who will perform best on the job. The two approaches are built on fundamental y different assumptions about the determinants of people's behavour. The person - job fit approach states that the determining factors of people's behaviour come from within the individual - the personality traits that are consistent and enduring. In contrast, the social negotiation approach is based on the idea that factors
external to the individual have critical bearing on the individual's behaviour. Consequently, if you plan to develop appropriate staffing strategies, you would need to address the fol owing questions about people's behaviour:
i. Does behaviour come from within, or is it determined by the situation in which we find ourselves?
ii.Is behaviour consistent across situations, or do people behave differently in distinct situations?
iii.Can behaviour be predicted?
It is important to note that after over three decades of argument between, the trait and situational theorists of a work behaviour, a consensus has developed. Many previous trait theorists have come to think of personality traits as ranges of possible behaviours which depend on the requirements or demands of the situation. Similarly, many situationalists now accept that human behaviour, while being driven by the situation, also has a degree of stability and predictability.
3.1.3 Person - organisation fit
While the above development unfolds over the decades, personality theorists with an interactional perspective have appeared on the scene. This approach believed that human behaviour stems from an interaction of person and situation, or internal and external characteristics. This has important implications for organisational entry.
1.Several interactionalists have suggested that, if you want to predict people's behaviour and their performance, you need to analyse their 'fit' with the organisation's culture.
2. An interactional perspective on organisational entry highlights the importance not only of assessing job-related performance, but also of creating an environment that suits newcomers, and of creating a job
that is satisfying and motivates the individual.
3. The interactional perspective acknowledge that high performance in one situation does not necessarily mean that the person will perform well in a new situation. Therefore, this perspective prompts the
manager to explore the reasons why a person has performed well in their existing situations - that is, how the person interacts with the situational factors in their current jobs - so that he or she can consider
how the person will behave in a new situation.
4. Organisations are affected by people, and people are affected by organisations. Therefore,
when choosing who to recruit, the manager is influencing the future of the organisation. The discussion so far on the approaches to organisational entry is summarised in table 1.5 below. In
practice, the distinction between these approaches may not be clear cut. This is because the person – organization fit approach incorporates the person - job fit approach to some extent, and considers a number of other factors as wel . It is also the case that the social negotiation approach incorporates the person - organisation fit approach. Hence, the difference between the three approaches are a matter of emphasis, with the new approaches striving to take account of a broader range of factors associated with the entry process. And it is precisely that relative importance of different factors that will determine which approach should form the basis of an entry strategy in a particular situation.
Activity
a. How important is ability to do a job, to both the person – organization fit and social negotiation approaches?
b. How would you react to the claim that the person - organisation fit and social negotiation approaches are impractical in most situations, because they would be costly, difficult and time
consuming?
3.2 Job Analysis
Central to effective staffing is job analysis. As the steps involved in the staffing process is sequential, any error made during job analysis will cascade down through the whole process, creating greater problems
elsewhere. Job analysis is therefore the total process by which you derive, first, a job description, leading to second, a person specification. Information about a specific job is obtained through observation, questioning, using tests, critical incident analysis and so on. This information is typically assembled to gain a full understanding of the critical component of the job and the
context of the job. The entire human resource management function rests on effective job analysis.
Figure 1.6 below gives a graphic representation of that which we have discussed in the foregoing.
Figure 1.6 Job analysis, Job description and person specification Job analysis
i. Job description
i. Major duties and responsibilities ii. Reporting relationships
iii. Working conditions
iv. Supervisory responsibilities v.Job title, purpose of post ii.Personal specification i. Age and sex
ii. Qualifications iii. Experience iv. Skills v. Abilities vi Personality
A job description tells you about the total requirements of the job. It tells you precisely what a job is, its purpose, the duties, activities and responsibilities attached to it, and its position within the formal structure of an organisation.
A person specification is an extension of the job description. It not only tells you about the job, but also provides a blueprint of the 'ideal' person to do the job. Typically, it details the personal attributes and qualities associated with successful performance of the job, for example;
acceptable qualifications, experience, technical skills, physical characteristics, health and personality, and any special requirements necessary to carry out a specified job. An example of job description and person specification is
illustrated in figure 1.7 below.
Figure 1.7 An example of job description and person specification 3.2.1The importance of job analysis
Despite possible limitations, the process of job analysis can aid managers in the fol owing human resource decision - making points:
i. Assessment of where the organisation stands, and where it wants to get to with regards to the tasks that must be performed, the skills required to do the work, and the roles that need to be performed;
ii. Analysis of how the job might develop, and what qualities will be needed for the individual to develop within the organisation;
iii. Analysis of the organisational environment which involves the job that the newcomer will do, the subculture and work group they will join, the organisation's mission, objectives,
value and dominant culture, the technologies that are used, and the external environmental in which the organisation is located. As you progress through this course, you will encounter several tools and techniques for environmental scanning and analysis of organisational change.
Activity
Consider a job you have had. State briefly what was done by the unit in which you worked.
Explain how your job fits in with others in the organisation and identify the purpose of your position.
4.0 CONCLUSION
In this unit, we have discussed different theoretical approaches to the staffing process. The need to have an accurate idea of a job, and the particular skills and attributes that it demand, as a pre-
requisite to effective staffing was treated under job analysis, job descriptions and person specifications. We also tried to explain what is involved, and the benefits of preliminary sub- processes.
5.0 SUMMARY
It is worth stressing that a vital work in effective staffing of organization lies in the preliminary stages of knowing the job, and the particular demands of the job in terms of KSA. Through this
unit, your understanding of the theoretic assumption about people in work organisation, and the concepts
of job analy,is, job description and person specification, and how they are closely intertwined, ought to have been enhanced. Above all, it would have become obvious that if you are going to
identify and select the right person for the job, you need to have an accurate idea of the job.
6.0 TUTOR-MARKED ASSIGNMENT
Explain the fol owing human resources management techniques and show their relevance and signification in human resources management processes: Job analysis, job description and job
specification
7.0 REFERENCES / FURTHER READINGS
Cowling, A.G.& Mailer, C.J.B., (1981) Managing Human Resources, London: Edward Arrold (Publisher) Ltd.
Denerley, R.A.& Plumbley, P.R., (1969) Recruitment and selection in full - employment economy, London:Institute of Personnel Management
The text also draws material from the fol owing Open University (UK)
UNIT 5