copyright ©2009 south-western, a division of cengage learning all rights reserved jobs and the...

Copyright ©2009South-Western, a division

of Cengage Learning All rights reserved

Jobs and Jobs and the Design the Design

of Workof Work

Chapter 14

Organizational Behavior

Nelson & Quick

6th edition



Job Compared to WorkJob Compared to Work

Job -Job - a set of specified work and task activities that engage an individual in an organization– Organizational position – a job in relation to

other parts of the organization– Career – a sequence of job experiences over

timeWork –Work – mental or physical activity that has

productive resultsMeaning of Work -Meaning of Work - the way a person interprets

and understands the value of work as part of life



F – activity constrained to specific time periods; no positive affect through its performance

E – generally unpleasant – physically & mentallystrenuous activity

D – physical activity directed by others and performed in a workplace

A – value comes from performance. Accountability is important

C – profit accrues to others by work performance –strenuous, compulsive

B – provides positive personal affect and identity

Six patterns used to define work



TraditionalTraditionalApproaches to Approaches to

Job DesignJob Design

ScientificManagement

JobCharacteristics

Theory

Job Enlargement/Job Rotation

JobEnrichment



Emphasizes work work simplificationsimplification (standardization and the narrow, explicit specification of task activities for workers)

Allows diverse groups to work togetherLeads to production efficiency and higher profits

Undervalues the human capacity for thought and ingenuity

ScientificManagement



JobJob EnlargementEnlargement -- a method of job design that increases the number of activities in a job to overcome the boredom of overspecialized work

JobJob RotationRotation -- a variation of job enlargement in which workers are exposed to a variety of specialized jobs over time

Cross-Training -Cross-Training - a variation of job enlargement in which workers are trained in

different specialized tasks or activities Job Enlargement/

Job Rotation



Job Enrichment -Job Enrichment - designing or redesigning jobs by incorporating motivational factors into them

Emphasis is on recognition, responsibility, and advancement opportunity

JobEnrichment



Job Characteristics Job Characteristics

Model - Model - a framework for understanding person-job fit through the interaction of core job dimensions with critical psychological states within a person Job Diagnostic Survey (JDS) -Job Diagnostic Survey (JDS) - the survey instrument designed

to measure the elements in the Job Characteristics Model

JobCharacteristics

Theory



Job Characteristics ModelJob Characteristics Model

J.R. Hackman and G.R. Oldham, “The Relationship Among Core Job Dimensions, theCritical Psychological States, and On-the-Job Outcomes,” The Job Diagnostic Survey: AnInstrument for the Diagnosis of Jobs and the Evaluation of Job Redesign Projects, 1974.Reprinted by permission of Greg R. Oldham.

High internalwork motivation

High-qualitywork performance

High satisfaction with the work

Low absenteeismand turnover

Experienced work’smeaningfulness

Skill varietyTask identityTask significance

Autonomy

Feedback

Employee growth-need

strength

Experienced responsibilityfor work’s outcomes

Knowledge of workactivities’ results

Core jobdimensionsCore jobdimensions

Critical psychological

states

Critical psychological

states

Personal &work outcomes

Personal &work outcomes



Five Core Job CharacteristicsFive Core Job Characteristics

Motivating Potential Score

MPS =

Skill variety

Task identity

Task significance

x [Autonomy] x [Feedback] 3

+ +



The higher the growth-need strength, the more favorable response to jobs with high MPSs

Core job dimensions stimulate psychological statesExperienced meaningfulness of the work (degree to which

employee experiences the job as worthwhile)

Experienced responsibility for work outcomes (degree to which employee feels personally accountable)

Knowledge of results (degree to which employee understands his/her effectiveness on the job)

Employee growth-need

strength



Engagement -Engagement - the expression of oneself as one performs in work or other roles

Full engagement requires the strategic management of one’s energy in response to the environment

EquallyImportantEqually

ImportantDesign of workDesign of work

Human spirit’s responseto job characteristics and work design features

Human spirit’s responseto job characteristics and work design features



Social Information Processing Social Information Processing (SIP) model(SIP) model

SIP Model -SIP Model - a model that suggests that the important job factors depend in part on what others tell a person about the job

Four premises1) people provide cues to understanding the work environment2) people help us judge our jobs

3) people tell us how they see our jobs4) people’s positive & negative feedback help us understand our feelings about our jobs



Ergonomics -Ergonomics - The science of adapting work and working conditions to the employee or worker

Interdisciplinary ApproachInterdisciplinary Approach



Outcomes of Various Job Design ApproachesOutcomes of Various Job Design Approaches

Decreased training timeHigher utilization levelsLower error likelihood Less mental overloadLower stress levels

Higher job satisfactionHigher motivation

Greater job involvementHigher job performance

Lower absenteeism

Mechanistic Approach

+

-Increased training time

Lower personnel utilization Greater chance of errorsGreater chance of mental

overload and stress

Lower job satisfaction Lower motivation

Higher absenteeism

+

-



Biological Approach

Outcomes of Various Job Design ApproachesOutcomes of Various Job Design ApproachesLess physical effort

Less physical fatigueFewer health complaints Fewer medical incidents

Lower absenteeismHigher job satisfaction

Lower error likelihoodLower accident likelihood

Less mental stressDecreased training timeHigher utilization levels

Higher financial costs because of changes

in equipment orjob environment

Lower job satisfaction Lower motivation

+

-+

-



InternationalInternational PerspectivesPerspectives onon thethe DesignDesign ofof WorkWork

The Japanese Approach– Emphasizes strategic

level– Encourages collective and

cooperative working

arrangements– Emphasizes lean productionlean production

Using committed employees with ever-expanding responsibilities to achieve zero waste, 100% good product, delivered on time, every time

Photos courtesy of Clips Online, © 2008 Microsoft Corporation Photos courtesy of Clips Online, © 2008 Microsoft Corporation




The German Approach– Previously,

Technocentric -Technocentric - placing technology and engineering at the center of job design decisions

– Recently, Anthropocentric -Anthropocentric - placing human considerations at the center of job design decisions





The Scandinavian Approach– encourages high

degrees of worker control

– encourages good social support systems for workers




H. Luczak, “’Good Work’ Design: An Ergonomic, Industrial Engineering Perspective,” in J.C. Quick,L.R. Murphy, and J. J. Hurrell, eds. Stress and Well-Being at Work (Washington, D.C.): AmericanPsychological Association. Reprinted by permission.

Problem areas &assignment to disciplines

Technical, anthropo-metric, & psychophysical problemsTechnical, physiological, & medical problemsEconomical & sociologicalproblemsSociopsychological &economic problems

Levels ofEvaluation of human work

Practicability

Endurability

Acceptability

Satisfaction

Scientific approachesof labor sciences

Viewfromnaturalscience

Primarilyoriented

toindividuals

Primarilyoriented to groups

Viewfromculturalstudies



WorkWork DesignDesign andand Well-BeingWell-Being:To increase control in work

organizations

• Give workers the opportunity to control aspects of work & workplace

• Design machines and tasks with optimal response times and/or ranges

• Implement performance-monitoring systems as source of worker feedback



WorkWork DesignDesign andand Well-BeingWell-Being:To reduce uncertainty

• Provide employees with timely and

complete work information needed

• Make clear and unambiguous work

assignments

• Improve communication at shift

change time

• Increase employee access to

information sources



WorkWork DesignDesign andand Well-BeingWell-Being:To manage conflict

• Use participative decision making

to reduce conflict

• Use supportive supervisory styles

to resolve conflict

• Provide sufficient resource

availability to meet work demands,

thus preventing conflict



ContemporaryContemporary IssuesIssues inin DesignDesign ofof WorkWork

• Telecommuting -Telecommuting - employees work at home or in other locations geographically separate from their company’s main location

• Alternative work patterns– Job Sharing -Job Sharing - an alternative work pattern in which

there is more than one person occupying a single job– Four day work week – Flextime -Flextime - an alternative work pattern that enables

employees to set their own daily work schedules



ContemporaryContemporary IssuesIssues inin DesignDesign ofof WorkWork

• Technology at work– Virtual Office -Virtual Office - a mobile platform of

computer, telecommunication, and information technology and services

– Technostress -Technostress - the stress cause by new and advancing technologies in the workplace

• Task Revision -Task Revision - the modification of incorrectly specified roles or jobs

• Skill development



Counter-Role Behavior -Counter-Role Behavior - deviant behavior in either a correctly or incorrectly defined job or role

Performance Consequences of Role Behaviors

Republished with permission of Academy of Management, PO Box 3020, Briar Cliff Manor, NY 10510-8020. “Task Revision: A Neglected Form of Work Performance,” (Table), R. M. Straw & R. D. Boettger, Academy of Management Journal, 1990, Vol. 33. Reproduced by permission of the publisher via Copyright Clearance Center, Inc.0

Role CharacteristicsRole Characteristics

Standard Role Behavior (meets expectations)

Standard Role Behavior (meets expectations)

Extra Role Behavior (beyond expectations)

Extra Role Behavior (beyond expectations)

Counter Role Behavior (differs from expected)

Counter Role Behavior (differs from expected)

Correctly Specified

Role

Correctly Specified

Role

Ordinary goodperformance

Ordinary goodperformance

Excellent performance(organizational citizenship and

prosocial behavior)

Excellent performance(organizational citizenship and

prosocial behavior)

Poor performance(deviance, dissent,

and grievance)

Poor performance(deviance, dissent,

and grievance)

Incorrectly Specified

Role

Incorrectly Specified

RolePoor performancePoor performance

Very Poor Performance

(bureaucratic zeal)

Very Poor Performance

(bureaucratic zeal)

Excellent performance

(task revision andredirection, role

innovation)

Excellent performance

(task revision andredirection, role

innovation)



TheThe DistinguishingDistinguishing FeatureFeature ofof JobJob DesignDesign inin thethe FutureFuture




Chapter 14: Reflect & DiscussChapter 14: Reflect & Discuss

Reality Bites Video Clip

What to Watch for and Ask Yourself• Assess the proposed job using the core job

characteristics of the Job Characteristics Model. Is each job characteristic high or low?

• Do you expect the job described by Wienderdude (David Spade, uncredited) to induce high levels of internal work motivation and work satisfaction? Why or why not?

• Would you expect the work context (working conditions, supervision, co-workers) to positively or negatively affect a person’s motivation and satisfaction?

copyright ©2009 south-western, a division of cengage learning all rights reserved jobs and the...

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variation of job enlargement

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sequence of job experiences

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time work work mental

value of work