ch 7

Job Design

Deciding the content and methods of a job (what, who, how, where).

Importance of Job Design

It affects productivity, safety, and quality of work life (QWL).

Efficiency School of Job Design

A systematic approach focused on efficiency/output (Taylor/scientific management).

Behavioral School of Job Design

Focus on worker needs/satisfaction to improve motivation/performance.

Efficiency School vs Behavioral School

Efficiency = do the job faster/better; Behavioral = make the job better for the worker.

Specialization

Repeating a narrow set of tasks (one part of a product/service).

Management Advantages of Specialization

Easier training, higher productivity, lower wage costs.

Employee Advantages of Specialization

Lower skill requirements, less responsibility, less mental effort.

Management Disadvantages of Specialization

Motivation/quality problems; dissatisfaction → absenteeism/turnover/disruptive behavior/poor quality attention.

Employee Disadvantages of Specialization

Monotony, few advancement opportunities, little control, low self-fulfillment.

Big Idea About Specialization

Boosts efficiency but can hurt motivation and quality if overdone.

Job Enlargement

Adding more tasks at the same responsibility level (horizontal loading).

Job Rotation

Switching jobs periodically to reduce boredom and build skills.

Job Enrichment

Adding responsibility/control (planning and coordination) (vertical loading).

Enlargement vs Rotation vs Enrichment

Enlargement = more tasks; Rotation = different tasks; Enrichment = more responsibility.

Motivation and Trust in Work Design

They affect quality, productivity, and the work environment.

Short-term Teams

Teams created to solve a specific problem/topic.

Long-term Teams

Ongoing teams for continuing work.

Self-directed Teams

Teams empowered to make certain process changes themselves.

Benefits of Teams

Higher quality, higher productivity, greater worker satisfaction.

Common Team Problems

Managers feel threatened; conflict between members.

Quality of Work Life (QWL)

Workers’ overall well-being and satisfaction at work.

Factors Influencing QWL

Coworker relationships, management quality, working conditions, compensation.

Time-based Pay

Pay based on time worked (hourly/salary).

Output-based Pay

Pay based on amount produced (incentive).

Tradeoff: Time-based vs Output-based Pay

Time-based = stable/easy; Output-based = stronger incentive but variable pay and possible quality issues.