L12 Job Design, Work Study, Organizational Structure

What is job design?

Defining tasks, methods, and relationships in a job to meet technological, organizational, social, and personal needs.

What are some approaches to job design?

Work study/reform, job restructuring, sharing, enlargement, rotation, enrichment.

What was Taylor’s scientific management approach?

Analyzed job tasks via time studies to create efficient methods for each task.

What are criticisms of Taylorism?

Monotonous jobs, boredom, disempowerment, low motivation, lack of creativity.

Why use division of labour?

Faster learning, easier automation, efficient workspace, but causes monotony and less flexibility.

What is job enlargement?

Adding more tasks at the same level; increases variety but can remain repetitive.

What is job rotation?

Workers switch between tasks; increases variety and experience.

What is job enrichment?

Giving more responsibility (e.g. quality control); increases motivation and autonomy.

What is empowerment in job design?

Giving staff authority to change the job itself (not just how it's done).

Advantages of employee empowerment?

Better customer responsiveness, motivation, and company reputation.

Disadvantages of employee empowerment?

Requires more training, risk of poor decisions, and potential for perceived inequity.

What is work study?

Method to find the most economical way to do a job and standardize work.

When should work study be conducted?

New product/equipment, high idle time, frequent complaints, high waste/scrap.

Stages of work study?

Record, Examine (5Ws 1H), Develop, Define, Install & Maintain.

What is organizational structure?

Grouping tasks and responsibilities, allocating accountability, and coordinating work.

Why is organizational structure important?

Clarifies decision-making authority and ensures the right expertise is applied.

What is a unitary organization structure?

Employees report to one superior, grouped by function; works independently across departments.

Advantages of a unitary structure?

Easier management of specialists, clear roles, centralized resources, clear career paths.

Disadvantages of a unitary structure?

Functional focus may ignore projects; project managers lack authority.

What is a matrix organization structure?

Employees report to both functional and project managers; promotes cross-functional teamwork.

Advantages of a matrix structure?

Improved coordination, better resource use, project visibility, and cross-functional collaboration.

Disadvantages of a matrix structure?

Complex management, resource conflicts, dual reporting, high administrative load.

Efficiency in unitary vs matrix structures?

Unitary: Clear responsibilities. Matrix: Conflicting roles may reduce efficiency.

Effectiveness in unitary vs matrix structures?

Unitary: Slower change response. Matrix: Better focus on customers and employee creativity.

What does SMART stand for in team objectives?

Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Time-bound.