BY OLUWANISOLA SEUN EMMANUEL
EZINE ARTICLE EXPERT AUTHOR
(C) 2009 (UNAUTHORIZE PUBLICATION IS STRONGLY PROHIBITED AND REFERENCE MUST BE MADE WHEN EXTRACTED)


Workers in any organization play very important roles in the sustainability, growth and goals-achievement of such organization. They occupy a strategic position within the total system of the organization. Scientists are doing their very best to device machines or equipment that will replace workers in an organization, but then, organizations have come to understand that there are limitations to this as they still need good number of workers to make the machines work with much more money on knowledge acquisition (training) and fat salary for these gurus.

The basis for this idea was that human beings are sometimes nuisances to the goals of the organization in diverse forms as complexity of human beings when it comes to control and coordination, laziness, high labour turnover, conflict, job clash, role clash; following the McGregor’s Theory X. In spite of the revolution in technology, most organizations still felt there is need to study, through research work, the nature of each worker’s job, know what he/she does and devise means of getting him/her do the job in a more effective and efficient way.

Job analysis focuses on knowing the component of a worker’s job; the study of what he/she does everyday or what he/she should be doing and not being done or done in the right manner. It is the breakdown of work or job to know what it contains and making an informed conclusion, generalization or decision on the work thus breakdown for the benefit of both parties – the worker and the organization.

However, the end result of job analysis is effectiveness and efficiency i.e. doing the right thing and doing it rightly respectively. The underlying motive at the long run is increase in company’s profitability, productivity and sustainability. Job analysis is not an end in itself because the work has to be restructured after the analysis. It is always good and more effective to carry the worker whose job is being studied along in the process to make change easier and avoid future resistance.

Restructuring or better still reengineering is all about putting the round peg in the round hole. Most times, workers are confused as to the roles they are to play and this usually leads to role clash or conflict. This, is if well handled, could jeopardize the goals the organization want s to achieve. Clash and conflict are counter productive and should not be allowed to raise its ugly head.

There are number of ways through which job analysis could be done and could be any of the following or their combination.
• By asking the worker concerned to give a vivid account of what he/she does
• By contacting other workers with whom this worker directly work with or report to and asking what he/she (the worker) should be doing
• By asking the superior officer to whom he/she reports to give the account of what he/she should be doing
• By contacting other organizations and get their job description for the position
• Through direct research work, serving questionnaire or conducting interview with experience people (who might have passed through such office)
• By contacting an independent consulting firm to carry out job analysis by studying the work while on work scene for some period of time

This list cannot be exhausted. The fact is that every worker will tend to perform better if they know what they are suppose to do, how to go about it (if not well experience) and the result they are expected to achieve. These and others, job analysis can do and the restructuring exercise should focus on the objectives to be achieved. These may include better performance, reduce rate of accident, reduce the rate of absenteeism or high rate of labour turnover, boost workers’ morale, ensure effectiveness and efficiency of workers on the job, wage/salary payment (commensuration of pay with efforts discharged and this motivate the worker), etc.

In all, job analysis and restructuring should be a continuous exercise in an organization and the cost of it should not hold the organization back from carrying same out if they are to achieve their goals and build in-formidable workers who will be ready to do anything for their dear company.