ABSTRACT
This chapter describes why different groups responsible for public agency Human Resource Management have different views of job analysis, as well as relate the historical development of the field to the conflict and interaction among underlying values and objectives. They are: patronage jobs for elected officials, merit systems for civil service advocates, position management for Human Resource (HR) directors and specialists, work management for managers and supervisors, and career management for employees and applicants. It analyses work using a performance-oriented description, which incorporates work management and career management into the traditional job description. The chapter explains why job descriptions are important for jobs filled through other systems besides civil service, including the alternative mechanisms and flexible employment relationships that characterize nongovernmental personnel systems. Traditional job descriptions promote an artificially static view of work and organizations. The supervisor must use orientation or an initial on-the-job adjustment period to teach employees how the work they do really fits into the organization's mission.
