Work Design and Measurement

Chapter 7

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You should be able to:LO 7.1 Explain the importance of work designLO 7.2 Compare and contrast the two basic approaches to job designLO 7.3 Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of standardizationLO 7.4 Describe behavioral approaches to job designLO 7.5 Discuss the impact of working conditions on job designLO 7.6 Compare the advantages and disadvantages of time-based and

output-based pay systemsLO 7.7 Explain the purpose of methods analysis and describe how

methods studies are performedLO 7.8 Describe four commonly used techniques for motion studyLO 7.9 Define a standard timeLO 7.10 Describe and compare time study methods and perform

calculationsLO 7.11 Describe work sampling and perform calculationsLO 7.12 Compare stopwatch time study and work sampling

Chapter 7: Learning Objectives

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Job DesignJob design

The act of specifying the contents and methods of jobs What will be done in a job Who will do the job How the job will be done Where the job will be done

Importance Organization’s are dependent on human efforts to accomplish

their goals Many job design topics are relevant to continuous and

productivity improvement Objectives

Productivity Safety Quality of work life

LO 7.1

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Efficiency vs. Behavioral Job DesignEfficiency School

Emphasizes a systematic, logical approach to job design

A refinement of Frederick Winslow Taylor’s scientific management concepts

Behavioral SchoolEmphasizes satisfaction of needs and wants of

employees

LO 7.2

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SpecializationSpecialization

Work that concentrates on some aspect of a product or service

AdvantagesFor management:1. Simplifies training2. High productivity3. Low wage costs

For employees:1. Low education and skill

requirements2. Minimum responsibility3. Little mental effort needed

DisadvantagesFor management:1. Difficult to motivate quality2. Worker dissatisfaction, possibly

resulting in absenteeism, high turnover, disruptive tactics, poor attention to quality

For employees:1. Monotonous work2. Limited opportunities for

advancement3. Little control over work4. Little opportunity for self-

fulfillmentLO 7.3

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Behavioral Approaches to Job DesignJob Enlargement

Giving a worker a larger portion of the total task by horizontal loading

Job Rotation Workers periodically exchange jobs

Job Enrichment Increasing responsibility for planning and

coordination tasks, by vertical loading

LO 7.4

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Quality of Work LifeQuality of work life affects not only workers’

overall sense of well-being and contentment, but also their productivity

Important aspects of quality of work life:How a worker gets along with co-workersQuality of managementWorking conditionsCompensation

LO 7.5

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Comparing Compensation Approaches

Management Worker

TIME-BASEDAdvantages 1. Stable labor costs

2. Easy to administer3. Simple to compute pay4. Stable Output

1. Stable pay2. Less pressure to

produce than under output system

Disadvantages 1. No incentive for workers to increase output

1. Extra efforts not rewarded

OUTPUT-BASEDAdvantages

1. Lower cost per unit2. Greater output

1. Pay related to efforts2. Opportunity to earn

more

Disadvantages 1. Wage computation more difficult

2. Need to measure output3. Quality may suffer4. Difficult to incorporate

wage increases5. Increased problems with

scheduling

1. Pay fluctuates2. Workers may be

penalized because of factors beyond their control (e.g., machine breakdown)

LO 7.6

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Methods AnalysisAnalyzing how a job gets done

It begins with an analysis of the overall operationIt then moves from general to specific details of the

job concentrating onWorkplace arrangementMovement of workers and/or materials

Methods Analysis

LO 7.7

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Motion study Systematic study of the human motions used to perform

an operation

Motion Study Techniques Motion study principles – guidelines for designing

motion-efficient work procedures Analysis of therbligs – basic elemental motions into

which a job can be broken down Micromotion study – use of motion pictures and slow

motion to study motions that otherwise would be too rapid to analyze

Charts – activity or process charts, simo charts (simultaneous motions)

Motion Study

LO 7.8

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Work MeasurementStandard time

The amount of time it should take a qualified worker to complete a specified task, working at a sustainable rate, using given methods, tools and equipment, raw material inputs, and workplace arrangement.

Commonly used work measurement techniques Stopwatch time study Historical times Predetermined data Work sampling

LO 7.9

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Stopwatch Time Study Used to develop a time standard based on observations

of one worker taken over a number of cycles.

Standard Elemental Times are derived from a firm’s own historical time study data.

Predetermined time standards involve the use of published data on standard elemental

times.

Work sampling a technique for estimating the proportion of time that a

worker or machine spends on various activities and idle time.

Work Measurement Techniques

LO 7.10

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Stopwatch Time StudyUsed to develop a time standard based on

observations of one worker taken over a number of cycles.

Basic steps in a time study:1. Define the task to be studied and inform the worker

who will be studied2. Determine the number of cycles to observe3. Time the job, and rate the worker’s performance4. Compute the standard time

LO 7.10

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Work sampling is a technique for estimating the proportion of time that a worker or machine spends on various activities and the idle time.

Work sampling does not require timing an activity or involve continuous observation of the activity

Uses:

1.ratio-delay studies which concern the percentage of a worker’s time that involves unavoidable delays or the proportion of time a machine is idle.

2.analysis of non-repetitive jobs.

Work Sampling

LO 7.11

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Work Sampling vs. Stopwatch Time Studies

Advantages1. Observations are spread out over a period of time, making results less

susceptible to short-term fluctuations2. There is little or no disruption of work3. Workers are less resentful4. Studies are less costly and less time-consuming, and the skill requirements of

the analyst are much less5. Studies can be interrupted without affecting the results6. No timing device is required7. It is well suited for nonrepetitive tasks

Disadvantages1. There is much less detail on the elements of a job2. Workers may alter their work patterns when they spot the observer, thereby

invalidating the results3. In many cases, there is no record of the method used by the worker4. Observers may fail to adhere to a random schedule of observations5. It is not well suited for short, repetitive tasks6. Much time may be required to move from one workplace to another and back to

satisfy the randomness requirement

LO 7.12