Jobs and the Design of Work

Transcription

1 14 Jobs and the Design of Work Copyright 2017 Cengag e Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.

2 LEARNING OUTCOMES 1 Differentiate between job and work 2 Discuss the traditional approaches to job design 3 Identify and describe alternative approaches to job design 4 Identify and describe contemporary issues facing organizations in the design of work 2

3 LO Differentiate Between Job and Work 3

4 Job Versus Work Job Set of specified work and task activities that engage an individual in an organization Not the same as organizational position, career, and work Work Mental or physical activity that has productive results Meaning of work Way a person interprets and understands the value of work as part of life 4

5 LO Discuss the Traditional Approaches to Job Design 5

6 Scientific Management Stresses on work simplification Work simplification: Standardization and the narrow, explicit specification of task activities for workers Jobs have limited number of scientificallydesigned tasks Elements focus on the efficient use of labor to the economic benefit of the firm 6

7 Job Enlargement Increases the number of activities in a job To overcome the boredom of overspecialized work and the difficulty of coordinating work Variations Job rotation: Exposes a worker to a variety of specialized job tasks over time Cross-training: Workers are trained in different specialized tasks or activities 7

8 Job Enrichment Designing or redesigning a job by incorporating motivational factors into it Increases the amount of job responsibility through vertical loading Recommends increasing the recognition, responsibility, and opportunity for achievement 8

9 Job Characteristics Theory Person-job fit model Indicates a job s potential for motivating incumbents Job Diagnostic Survey (JDS) Motivating Potential Score (MPS) Emphasizes the interaction Measures the elements in between the individual and the Job Characteristics specific attributes of the job Model 9

10 Figure 14.1 Job Characteristics Model 10

11 LO Identify and Describe Alternative Approaches to Job Design 11

12 Social Information Processing (SIP) Model Emphasizes the interpersonal aspects of work design Based on following premises: People provide cues required to understand the work environment People help judge what is important in their jobs People tell how they see their jobs People s positive and negative feedback helps one understand their feelings about their jobs 12

13 Table 14.2 Summary of Outcomes from Various Job Design Approaches 13

14 International Perspectives on the Design of Work: The Japanese Approach Lean production Using committed employees with ever expanding responsibilities to achieve: Zero waste and 100 percent good product On time delivery every time Sociotechnical systems (STS) Giving equal attention to technical and social considerations in job design 14

15 Beyond the Book: Lean Production to the Rescue Manufacturing companies in the U.S. are turning to lean production methods to stay profitable during the recession. The method involves producing only what is ordered, reducing inventory, and making each part in an uninterrupted flow. 61% of manufacturers have adopted lean production methods or plan to do so within the next year. 15

16 International Perspectives on the Design of Work: The German Approach Traditional approach Technocentric: Placing technology and engineering at the center of job design decisions Recent approach Anthropocentric: Placing human considerations at the center of job design decisions 16

17 International Perspectives on the Design of Work: The Scandinavian Approach Encourages a high degree of worker control Encourages good social support systems for workers 17

18 Table 14.3 Adjusting Work Design Parameters 18

19 LO Identify and Describe Contemporary Issues Facing Organizations in the Design of Work 19

20 Emerging Issues in the Design of Work Telecommuting Working in other locations separate from the company s main location Helps achieve a better fit between the needs of an employee and the organization s task demands Alternative work patterns Job sharing: More than one person performs the job Four-day workweek Flextime: Enables employees to set their own daily work schedules 20

21 Contemporary Issues in the Design of Work Virtual office Mobile platform of computer, telecommunication, and information technology and services Drawbacks Lack of social connection Technostress: Stress caused by new and advancing technologies in the workplace Skill development Technical and interpersonal skills are important Work design must recognize the importance of incumbent skills and abilities to meet the demands of the work 21

22 Beyond the Book: The Work Design Questionnaire The Work Design Questionnaire was created to fill gaps in existing workcharacteristics assessments and integrate their data. Results from the questionnaire found that both motivational work characteristics and social support played a strong role in predicting job satisfaction. 22

23 Tyler Perry s Daddy s Little Girls This chapter opened with a discussion of job and work. Apply that discussion to the film sequence. Include in your analysis the pattern of social interaction between Monty and Julia. Apply the job characteristics theory to the film sequence. What is the level of each core job characteristic for Monty s job? Estimate the levels of each critical psychological state for Monty. Use Figure 14.1, The Job Characteristics Model, as a guide. Use low, middle, or high for your estimate. 23

24 Camp Bow Wow How do the tasks of managers and camp counselors differ at Camp Bow Wow? How does Camp Bow Wow utilize a form of job rotation to keep camp counselors satisfied with their jobs? Using the job characteristics model, explain why the employees of Camp Bow Wow love their jobs. 24

25 KEY TERMS Anthropocentric Cross-training Engagement Ergonomics Flexitime Job Job Characteristic Model Job Diagnostic Survey (JDS) Job enlargement Job enrichment Job rotation Job sharing Lean production Meaning of work Social information-processing (SIP) model Sociotechnical systems (STS) Technocentric Technostress Virtual office Work Work simplification 25

26 SUMMARY Job is a set of specified work and task activities that one engages in within an organization Work is mental or physical activity that has productive result Traditional approaches to job design are: Scientific management, job enlargement/job rotation, job enrichment, and job characteristics theory 26

27 SUMMARY Alternative approaches to Job design include: Social information processing Ergonomics and interdisciplinary framework International perspectives on the design of work Work design and well-being Contemporary issues in the designs of work Telecommuting, alternative work patterns, technology at work, and skill development 27

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