Organizational Theory & Job Design
Classic Organizational Theory Scientific Management (Taylor, 1911) Administrative Management (Urwick, 1940) Bureaucratic Organization (Weber, 1947)
General Principles Divide labor into specialized functions Clearly define duties, rules, and responsibilities Unity of command clear chain of command from top to bottom of organization Narrow span of control (# of subordinates per supervisor) Authority commensurate with responsibility Result: Classic pyramid with division by functions and many layers of management
Scientific Management Approach to Design of Jobs (1900 1930s) Created field of industrial engineering and time and motion studies
Basic Scientific Management Approach to Design of Jobs Break work down into small, easily-mastered tasks Determine how each segment of work should be done most efficiently Every worker trained in and expected to use standard approach ( one best way ) Match individual to job so he or she is physically and mentally capable of performing the tasks; NOT under- or over-qualified Supervisors closely monitor workers to ensure compliance and eliminate distractions Assumes people work primarily for money, so motivate through pay and other financial rewards (Nadler, Hackman, & Lawler, 1979)
Scientific Management: General Outcomes Larger applicant pool and decreased training time Reduced likelihood of errors (IF employee stays focused) Reduced stress from mental overload (BUT repetition of simple acts may be stressful over time due to boredom) Lower job satisfaction Lower worker motivation Problems with absenteeism and turnover, especially as education levels and expectations of work force began to change in 1950 s and 1960 s (Campion & Thayer, 1987)
Job Redesign Based on Herzberg s theory of motivation (and therefore referred to as a motivational approach by Campion & Thayer, 1987), Hackman, Lawler, Oldham, and others began research to identify characteristics that would make work more motivating and satisfying. The result was the
Job Characteristics Model (JCM) Hackman & Oldham, 1975 Core Job Characteristics Task Variety Task Identity Task Significance Autonomy Feedback Critical Psychological States Experienced Meaningfulness of Work Experienced Responsibility for Outcomes of Work Knowledge of Results of Work Activities Employee Growth Need Strength Outcomes High internal work motivation High quality performance High Satisfaction with the work Reduced turnover and absenteeism
JCM Basics Theory: Jobs that score higher on core characteristics will have greater experienced meaningfulness, etc., and as a result, will be more motivating, satisfying, etc. The positive association between core characteristics and outcomes will be higher for persons who score higher on certain individual characteristics, in this case, growth need strength. So if goal of scientific management was to make jobs simpler, application of JCM approach often INCREASES job complexity.
To Redesign Jobs Using JCM Actions Combine Tasks Form Natural Work Units Establish Client Relationships Vertical Loading (Greater Decision Making and other Responsibilities) Open Feedback Channels (Hackman & Oldham, 1975) Core Job Characteristics Task Variety Task Identity Task Significance Autonomy Feedback
JCM and Job Satisfaction (Meta Analysis Results) Core Characteristic Average Correlation 95% Confidence Interval Task Identity.32.16 -.48 Task Significance.38.26 -.50 Skill Variety.41.14 -.68 Autonomy.46.25 -.67 Feedback.41.18 -.64 (Loher, Noe, Moeller, & Fitzgerald, 1985)
Other Outcomes for Work Redesign Positives Higher motivation Greater job involvement Higher job performance Lower absenteeism Negatives Increased training time Change in potential labor pool Greater chance of errors Greater stress from mental load (Campion & Thayer, 1987)
Job Design Update #1 (Humphrey, Nahrgang, & Morgeson, 2007, p. 1334)
Job Design Update #2 (Grant, Fried, & Juillerat, 2011, p. 427)