Jobs & the Design of Work

Hackman & Oldhams Job

Characteristics Model
Core Dimensions
Skill Variety
Task Identity
Task Signif.

Psychological States
Meaningfulness
of Work

Autonomy

Responsibility
for outcomes

Feedback

Knowledge of
Results

Outcomes
High intrinsic
motivation
High job perormance
High job satisfaction
Low absentee
ism & turnover

Moderating Variables for the

Job Characteristics Model
Growth need strength
job is a vehicle for personal growth, sense of
achievement, avenue for feeling success

Knowledge and skills

Satisfaction with extrinsic aspects of
work

Motivating Potential Score

Skill Variety +Task Identity+Task Significance
3

MPS

Autonomy
X

Feedback

Implementing Concepts for the

Job Characteristics Model
Combine tasks: Effects skill variety, task
identity, & task significance
Group tasks into natural work units: Effects
task significance and task identity
Give workers contact with customers:
Effects skill variety, autonomy, feedback
Vertically load jobs: Effects autonomy
Open feedback channels: Effects feedback

Designing Jobs for Teams

Team has to be an identifiable group,
doing a specified piece of work, and be
self-managing
Key behaviors: Ask for ideas, give
suggestions,. listen to others, share
information, help others
Managers role: Make alterations needed
for effective group performance, consult

Goals That Motivate

Specific Goals
Difficult Goals
Goal Acceptance
Goal Feedback

Why Goals Motivate

Mobilize energy in relation to goal
Focus attention towards goals attainment
Encourages setting of action plans or
strategies for goal attainment
Encourages persistence until goal is
attained

Enhancing Goal Acceptance

Participation
Rewards
Supportiveness

Incentives for Individuals

For Executives
Compensation tied to achieving strategic
goals

For Lower Level Employees

Tied to performance: bonuses, commissions,
piecework

Incentives for Groups

Team incentives
Profit sharing
Gain sharing
Stock options

Redesign options

Job Enlargement - a method of job design

that increases the number of activities in a
job to overcome the boredom of
overspecialized work
Job Rotation - a variation of job enlargement
in which workers are exposed to a variety
of specialized jobs over time
Cross-Training - a variation of job
enlargement in which workers are trained in
different specialized tasks or activities

Job Enrichment - designing or redesigning jobs

by incorporating motivational factors into them

Job
Enrichment

Emphasis is on recognition,
responsibility, and
advancement opportunity

Emerging Issues in Design of Work

Telecommuting - employees work at home or
in other locations geographically separate from
their companys main location
Alternative work patterns
Job Sharing - an alternative work pattern in which
there is more than one person occupying a single
job
Flextime - an alternative work pattern that enables
employees to set their own daily work schedules

Example of flexitime

Emerging Issues in Design of Work

Technology at work
Virtual Office - a mobile platform of computer,
telecommunication, and information technology
and services
Technostress - the stress cause by new and
advancing technologies in the workplace

Task Revision - the modification of

incorrectly specified roles or jobs
Skill development

The Distinguishing Feature of Job

Design in the Future