Task Attributes

Task Attributes (hereinafter, the Lectio) is the second lesson part of the Nature of Work lesson that introduces its participants to work characteristics and related topics.

WorldOpp Pipeline

This lesson belongs to the Introduction to Employment session of the CNM Cyber Orientation. The Orientation is the second stage of the WorldOpp Pipeline.

Content

The predecessor lectio is Job Dimensions.

Key terms

Task (or job task). The lowest level of enterprise effort. In Agile methodology, a task is a single unit of work broken down from a user story. In project management, a task is a generic term for work that is not included in the work breakdown structure, but potentially could be a further decomposition of work by the individuals responsible for that work. A task is usually completed by just one person and is a part of an activity.

• Task identity. The degree to which a job requires completion of a whole and identifiable piece of work.
• Task significance. The degree to which a job has a substantial impact on the lives or work of other people.
• Task performance. The combination of effectiveness and efficiency at doing core job tasks.

Task structure. One of Fiedler's situational contingencies that describes the degree to which job assignments are formalized and structured.

• Structured task.
• Unstructured task.

Task attribute.

• Consequence of error. How serious would the result usually be if the worker made a mistake that was not readily correctable?
• Degree of automation. How automated is the job?
• Freedom to make decisions. How much decision making freedom, without supervision, does the job offer?
• Frequency of decision-making. How frequently is the worker required to make decisions that affect other people, the financial resources, and/or the image and reputation of the organization?
• Impact on enterprise. What results do your decisions usually have on other people or the image or reputation or financial resources of your employer?
• Importance of being accurate. How important is being very exact or highly accurate in performing this job?
• Importance of repeating same tasks. How important is repeating the same physical activities (e.g., key entry) or mental activities (e.g., checking entries in a ledger) over and over, without stopping, to performing this job?
• Level of competition. To what extent does this job require the worker to compete or to be aware of competitive pressures?
• Time pressure. How often does this job require the worker to meet strict deadlines? How important is it to this job that the pace is determined by the speed of equipment or machinery? (This does not refer to keeping busy at all times on this job.)
• Work schedule. How regular are the work schedules for this job and what is the number of hours typically worked in one week?
• Work virtualization. The degree to which work is done remotely rather than at some specific physical location.

Script

Job tasks are not created equal. So are work demands and resources to handle them.

Some job assignments are more formalized, some are less. The degree of that formalization is known as task structure. Structured tasks come with predetermined objectives, priorities, and procedures. Unstructured tasks require employees to take risks and make their own decisions.

Work demands are responsibilities, pressures, obligations, and even uncertainties that individuals face in the workplace. High demands often impose high psychological stress on the worker and require stronger stress coping skills.

Time pressure is probably the most recognizable among these demands. This pressure refers to meeting strict deadlines and, as the result, emergency work schedules.

Competitive pressures are another example of the demands. Level of competition refers to the extent to which the task require the worker to compete or to be aware of competition.

Consequence of error is the degree to which the result of an error is serious. Some of those errors cannot be readily correctable; they are attributes of some professions such as a surgeon or, no doubts, sapper. Some of those errors are both preventable and correctable, but human factors interfere both prevention and mitigation.

For example, the Dirty Dozen of Human Factors is the twelve most common maintenance-related human factors that are responsible for the majority of incidents and accidents in aviation. Industries like nuclear power and aviation practice special training for workers to deal not only with own errors, but also the ones of worker's supervisor.

The COVID-19 pandemic demanded physical distancing, work virtualization, and other requirements.

Other task attributes that are worthy to be mentioned include frequency of decision-making, importance of being accurate, and importance of repeating same tasks. Particular supervisors, employers, or industries tend to add specific work demands to employee workloads.

Work-Seller Competence is the successor lectio.