AN ANALYSIS OF JOB ACTIVITIES: INFORMATION-RECEIVING, MENTAL, AND WORK PERFORMANCE
Abstract
Palmer, George Joseph, Jr. Ph. D., Purdue University, August 1958. AN ANALYSIS OF JOB ACTIVITIES: INFORMATION-RECEIVING, MENTAL AND WORK PERFORMANCE, 138 Pages, 44 tables, 30 titles in bibliography, appendix. Major Professor: Ernest J. McCormick. A research problem in industrial psychology concerned with interrelationships among information-receiving, mental, and physical work performance activities through application of work activities checklist to a sample of 250 jobs in a large steel manufacturing company.Factor analysis of five sections of the checklist resulted in fourteen multiple group factors, which were designated (1) Information from Physical Objects, (2) Information from Moving Objects vs. Information from leated Objects, (3) Routine Work Decisions vs. Personnel Decisions, (4) Supervisory and Professional Decisions va. Physical Activity, (5) Routine Work Decisions vs. Business Planning, (6) Routine Work Contacts and Communications vs. Managerial Contacts and Communications, (7) Verbal Communications vs. Signals, (8) Receiving Signals vs. Public Contact Activity, (9) Originating Communications vs. Receiving Communications, (10) Manual Operations, (11) Use of Craftsman's Tools vs. Use of Other Hand Implements, (12) General Physical Activity vs. Sedentary Activity, (13) Sedetary Activity vs. Manual or Bodily Activity, (14) Manual Coordination va. Other Physical Coordinations.Factor variables were derived for each of the fourteen factors; these variables were intercorrelated together with General Educational Development and Work Conditions items. A principal components factor analysis produced four higher-order factors which were rotated to simple structure. The factors were designated (1) General Decision-Making and Mental Activity, a general factor, (2) Sedentary Work vs. Physical Work, (3) Administrative Communications, Contacts and Planning vs. Routine Work Decisions and Information, (4) Craftsman's Knowledge and Skill va. Decisions and Knowledge in Other Physical Work.With certain reservations for the job descriptions as bases. of job information, it was concluded that the factors were meaningful dimensions of job activities. The factor variables provided convenient and useful forms of quantified job information; and these variables are derivable by methods commonly employed in the development of paychological tests. Measures of jobs developed in this way may find further uses in investigations of jobs, tests, organizations, and their interrelationships.
Degree
Ph.D.
Subject Area
Psychology
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