Motivational Strategies: Job Design

• Strategy and job design

• Factors influencing job design

• Individual approaches to job design

• Group approach to job design

• Re-engineering

Strategy & Job Design

• Responsive to strategic goals of–Working faster– Higher quality work– Cost containment– Innovation

• Goals of redesign– Improved flow of work– Enhanced employee involvement &

initiative

Factors Influencing Design

• Environmental factors– Regulatory issues– Social issues

• Organizational factors– Automation– Technology– Cross-functional Integration

• Behavioral– Skill mix & level

Individual Approaches

• Socio-technical (A systems approach)

• Job enrichment & enlargement

• Job characteristics model– Critical psychological states– Core job characteristics– Personal & work outcomes– Growth needs

Hackman & Oldham’s Job Characteristics Model

Core Dimensions Psychological States Outcomes

Skill VarietyTask IdentityTask Signif.

Autonomy

Feedback

Meaningfulness of Work

Responsibilityfor outcomes

Knowledge ofResults

High intrinsicmotivationHigh job per-ormanceHigh job satis-factionLow absenteeism & turnover

Implementing Concepts for the Job Characteristics Model

• Combine tasks: Effects skill variety, task identity, & task significance

• 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 or autonomous

• Key behaviors: Ask for ideas, give suggestions,. listen to others, share information, help others

• Manager’s role: Make alterations needed for effective group performance, consult

Re-engineering

• Examines business and manufacturing processes, end to end.

• Goals– Reduce number of steps and defragment work– Group people together who need to be– Reduce cycle times and cost– Innovation– Flexibility

Backwards & Forwards

• Summing up: In today’s session we explored job design as a way of engaging and motivating employees. After considering the strategic angle and external influences, we examined individual and group approached to design. Last we looked at the goals of re-engineering and when to use it.

• Looking ahead: Next time we take up the issue of unions and labor relations