4.2 Work Design and Technology

Work Design

aims to create jobs and work groups that generate high levels of employee fulfillment and productivity.

Engineering Approach

An approach to work design that focuses on efficiency and simplification, and results in traditional job and work-group designs

Work design anchored on motivational theories

An approach to work design that attempts to enrich the work experience

Work design which derives from sociotechnical systems

An approach to work design that seeks to optimize both the social and the technical aspects of work systems

Self-managed teams

composed of multi-skilled members performing interrelated tasks

Technology

how an organization transfers inputs into outputs.

Continuous Improvement Processes

The pressures from an unrelenting search for process improvements can create anxiety and stress in some employees.

Process Reengineering

Re-thinking and re-designing the processes by which the organization creates value, ridding itself of operations that have become antiquated.

Distinctive competencies

define what the organization does better than its competition.

e.g. better store location, higher quality products, superior technical support

Core processes

processes that transform materials, capital, information and labor into products and services that customers value.

Horizontal processes

using cross-functional and self- managed teams.

It means cutting out levels of middle management.

E-commerce

refers to the sales side electronic business

E-business

the full breadth activities included in a successful Internet-based enterprise.

E-organization

refers to application of e-business concepts to all organization.

Internet

worldwide network of interconnected computers.

Intranets

an organization’s private internet

Extranet

extended intranets accessible only to selected employees and authorized outsiders

Cyberloafing

refers to the act of employees using their organization’s internet access during formal work hours to surf non-job-related Web sites and to send and read personal e-mail.

communication overload

The downside of this open communication network is “ “.

Job Rotation

It reduces boredom and increases motivation by diversifying the employees activities.

Job Enlargement

Increasing the number and variety of tasks that an individual performs

Job Enrichment

refers to the vertical expansion of jobs.

Flextime

It allows employees some discretion over when they arrive at or leave work

Job Sharing

It allows two or more individuals to split a traditional 40-hour-a-week job.

Telecommuting

It refers to employees who do their work at home at least two days a week on a computer that is linked to their office