PLEASE READ THE INSTRUCTIONS. This is Doctoral
work!! Provide one response to EACH student’s POST. Each response should be 250
words. PLEASE KEEP IN ORDER; the
responses must be relevant to the student’s post. LET’S MAKE SURE ALL QUESTIONS
ARE COVERED AND ANSWERED, and no negative responses to each student’s post.
Amy Norton Hello Marcus, I agree it should be approached with caution, but I do also feel it can keep associates from being limited in their roles. Offering up opportunities can give associates opportunity to expand beyond their current role or department. I do think it is important to consider the size of the operation or department as this can play a role in how use of the term can be helpful or a hinderance. When operating in larger groups, there may be more bandwidth to expand to other duties where as a smaller group may have more challenges as the "other duties" may be not felt evenly distributed. (Massey, 2007). I think if used in the right environment and with the right approach, it can be helpful for both associates and organizations. Massey, Mary E. (Tinker). (2007). Something to Think About - Other Duties as Assigned. Against the Grain. Vol. 19. Iss. 2. Something to Think About -- Other Duties As Assigned? (purdue.edu) Brittany Luther · Debate the terminology, the intended purpose, and the possible actions required when including “other duties as assigned” as part of the job description. Approach the concept from both the positive and negative use of this phrase. When I think of the terminology of "other duties as assigned". I see it from two different perspectives. The employee and the employer, which both have negative and positives aspects. For the employer, it can be a positive sentence to add into job descriptions or job postings. Mainly because it will ensure that the company is able to assign other duties and not have the employee claim they weren't aware more or different duties could be assigned. Otherwise on the other hand for the employer, if it is states other duties assigned, then it implies the employer will find other duties for employees. From an employees perspective, it can be a positive things for employers to list other duties assigned if the employee is just looking to work and grow by taking on more tasks. Negatively for the employee, it implies you will take on more tasks and there should not be room for discussion because you knew about it. · Analyze the possible supportive reasoning for including the terminology on the job description. Include one resource to defend the use of the statement. In reality it can be hard to paint a clear picture of what is or isn't your responsibility. Much similar to career paths there may not be a straight line to follow. Success is achieved by learning to develop the lines and choosing the road to take for careers. In order to grow, there will be many opportunities to stray from the normal path (Wilbanks, 2011). What I interpret this to say is that other duties assigned can be viewed as a lazy employee's cope out to more work. IN order to grow in your role and prosper, it will most likely come with additional tasks than what you originally started with. The context behind sharing this added line does not always need to be viewed as negative because the journey you take in your journey is paved by you. You have a choice in what you are willing to put up with from an employer to stay gainfully employed. · Analyze the possible negative reasoning or dangers of including the terminology on the job description. Include one resource to dispute the use of the statement. I think this comes back down to the realization that most employers will have some sort of expectation around whhere they can assigned other duties. The negative outlook on this is commonly attached to when it is not shared in a job description. The employee may feel bamboozled later when they are asked to do certain tasks or duties. The suggestion is to always put it in the job description to alleviate any confusion. However it is manager and supervisors duties to ask if employee are willing to take on more tasks and then help them understand why. Delegating new tasks or duties is never received well. In an article from USA Today is mentions an aspect of this for the employee, stating "Ultimately, the decision of whether to leave or stay is yours" (Taylor Jr, 2019). This term can be one that will drive employees out the door if they decided they do not want to take on anything extra. · Provide a personal decision on the use of the statement and support your decision with one example. I personally am a fan of the other duties as assigned term. Only because it does outline at least an expectation that you may at some point be asked to do something that is not "technically" your role. I do think there needs to be more understanding and communications around how it is used. As assigned implies there will be a conversation around the other duties or tasks the company is hoping to achieve. I know personally as an HR professional in a manufacturing plant, I have taken on many things that were not in my job description. Lately, I have been overseeing our lobby's resources. It was assumed I would over see some IT functions when our IT professional retired. Since it related to visitors and we within the HR department field the most of them, we took on the task. Now that we have an IT person again, I am trying to coordinate with him to learn this device. This way we are not single threaded through our training efforts and understanding within the plant. However, I was not asked, it was somehow assigned to me. Britt Taylor Jr, J. Can an employer ask you to do tasks not in the job description of a new position? Ask HR. USA Today. 18 January, 2019. https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/careers/career-advice/2019/01/18/job-description-can-employer-make-you-do-other-tasks-new-position/2602321002/Links to an external site. Wilbanks, L "Other Duties as Assigned?," in IT Professional, vol. 13, no. 2, pp. 10-11, March-April 2011, doi: 10.1109/MITP.2011.29. Reply Marcus Mccall Debating the terminology, intended purpose, and possible actions required when including "other duties as assigned" in a job description can shed light on its implications on the performance outcomes. Here it will present arguments from both positive and negative perspectives. In the first aspect, flexibility and adaptability are promoted in the employees, allowing employers to assign additional tasks or responsibilities as needed. It acknowledges that the job roles can evolve and helps to create a dynamic work environment. Resource supporting this viewpoint was in an article by Forbes that indicates "Why other duties as assigned job responsibility are not such a bad thing," in which the author argues that this phrase encourages employees to embrace new challenges and opportunities for growth, fostering a versatile workforce. In terms of negative aspects, the ambiguous nature of the phrase can lead to confusion and potential overburdening of the employees. By clearly defining the limits and expectations of the additional duties, employees may be able to prioritize tasks or feel overwhelmed by constantly shifting responsibilities (Ford et al., 2019). The Society for Human Resource Management highlights the potential risks associated with the broad language of "other duties assigned." They emphasize the importance of clear job descriptions to avoid rule and encompasses potential legal issues. In some industries where safety is paramount, including this particular aspect of "other duties assigned" can be a matter of life or safety. In jobs involving hazardous materials or operating heavy machinery, there must be clear clarity on tasks to ensure proper training and safety protocols are followed. Considering the arguments from both perspectives, I believe that using the phrase "other duties as assigned" should be approached cautiously. While it can promote flexibility and adaptability in specific work environments, the potential negative implications should be addressed, such as the role of ambiguity and over boarding. This also includes the aspects of adaptability and resource optimization. Including this phrase allows employers to utilize their workforce efficiently. It enables employees to contribute in various capacities beyond their primary roles and maximize their skills and knowledge for the organization's benefit (Ammons, 2015). The resource defending the statement, which was more particularly used in the Harvard Business Review article titled "Why other duties as assigned can drive creativity." In this aspect, it was argued that it could spark innovation and creativity in the employees by encouraging them to explore diverse tasks and roles within the organization. It was also effectively found that the possible negative reasoning and dangers of including terminology (Blake, 2020). The context of role creep and job dissatisfaction is an essential aspect in which the inclusion of other assigned duties can lead to role creep, where employees gradually accumulate additional responsibilities that may not align with their expertise or job description. This can result in job dissatisfaction and decreased productivity, hindering carrier progression. The organization should define the boundaries and expectations associated with "other duties as assigned." Regular communication and a focus on maintaining a healthy workload distribution can ensure that the inclusion of this press benefits both the employees and the employers rather than hampering productivity and satisfaction. References: Ammons, D. (2015). Getting Real About Performance Management: Using Performance Information to Improve Services Is Key. Public Management, pp. 12, 8–11. Blake, M. K. (2020). Other duties as assigned: The ambiguous role of the high school counselor. Sociology of Education, 93(4), 315–330. Ford, A., KOWALSKI, C., RINK, T., TEDESCO-BLAIR, G. R. A. H. A. M., NAFICY, H., OLIVER, A., ... & ETTARH, F. (2019). Other Duties as Assigned. American Libraries, 50(1/2), 40-47. Select two students whose judgement decisions are different from yours, and professionally argue your decision and rationale versus theirs. Support your argument with examples and resources. You may use the same examples or resources used during your debate; however, you may not copy and paste your initial response. Your response must be substantive and different from your initial post. Your response must be pertinent to their decision.