1. How would you go about conducting a job analysis for a job that does not yet exist?
2. What reasons did the selection committee have for selecting only those factors that could not be acquired in a two-year training program?
3. Should the concern for women getting down into the dirty treatment tanks have been a selection issue?
Ovania Chemical Corporation is a specialty chemicals producer of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) thermoplastic resins primarily used to make containers for soft drinks and bottled water, as well as packaging for food and pharmaceutical products. Though smaller than other chemical producers that produce globally, Ovania has competed successfully in the specialty chemical business. Its main plant is located in Steubenville, Ohio, which is positioned along the Ohio River midway between Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and Wheeling, West Virginia. Over the years, advances in technology have altered the nature of chemical production, and like other firms in the industry, Ovania Chemical is constantly taking steps to stay abreast of them. Not surprisingly, these technological changes have been accompanied by redesign in employee jobs. In fact, over the last three years, there have been drastic changes in both the number and the kinds of jobs being performed by employees. The latest change at the Steubenville plant involves the job transformation of the system analyzer position.
Because chemical production involves highly integrated process technologies, someone is needed who can monitor all of the individual components simultaneously. The system analyzer is primarily responsible for this monitoring function. It is one of the most prestigious nonmanagerial jobs in the entire plant, and its importance is likely to grow. Formerly, the position was classified as that of a semiskilled maintenance technician, but as the plant has become more automated, the requirements for the system analyzer job have become much more extensive. Knowledge of pneumatics, hydraulics, information technology, programming, scheduling, and electrical wiring are all increasingly critical aspects of this job. The three men who currently hold the position admit that they will be incapable of performing adequately in the future. It is estimated that within two years, the tasks, duties, and responsibilities of the system analyzer will have changed by more than 70 percent. For these reasons, the decision was made to recruit and select three new people for the rapidly transforming position.