JOB DESIGN

• It is an organization of activities to create the optimum level of performance.

• Can also be defined as “specification of the contents, methods, and relationships of jobs in order to satisfy technological and organizational requirements as well as the social and personal requirements of the job holder.” Buchanan, D. (1979) - The Development of Job Design Theories and Techniques.

• It primarily focuses in on designing the process of transformation of inputs into outputs and considers the human and organizational factors that impact that transformation.

It involves systematic attempts to organize tasks, duties, and responsibilities in to a unit of work to achieve certain objectives (profit/wealth/value maximization, job satisfaction, productivity).

In short, it is the process by which managers decide individual job tasks and authority.

In overall, it should address these basic questions: What motivates people to work? What job characteristics are significant? How are job design alternatives to be identified? What job design changes are to be implemented?

Contd….

GOALS OF JOB DESIGN

High Level of Job Satisfaction High level of Job Performance

ELEMENTS OF JOB DESIGN

Task Analysis

Worker Analysis

Environmental Analysis

TASK ANALYSIS

Determines

What tasks will be done

How each task will be done

How the tasks fit together to form a job

WORKER ANALYSIS

Determines

Capabilities the worker must possess

Responsibilities the worker will have

ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS

Used to analyze physical environment including: Location Lighting Temperature Noise Ventilation

FACTORS AFFECTING JOB DESIGN

Organizational Factor

Environmental Factor

Behavioral Factor

ORGANIZATIONAL FACTOR

Work Flow

Ergonomics (study of how a workplace and the equipment used there can best be designed for comfort, efficiency, safety, and productivity)

Work Practices

ENVIRONMENTAL FACTOR

Employee Abilities and Availability

Social and Cultural Expectation

BEHAVIORAL FACTOR

Feedback

Use of abilities

Variety

CHARACTERISTICS OF JOB DESIGN Variety

removal of repetitiveness skill variety

Autonomy removal of no choice of tools or methods removal of mechanical pacing decision making

Use of Capacities removal of minimum skill requirements removal of surface mental attention learning time challenge

CONTD… Progress/Career Path

achievement perceived opportunities for advancement growth in competence continuous learning desirable future

Intrinsically Meaningful Work removal of minute subdivision of

product/process task identity (seeing relationship of task

to whole/end product)

CONTD… Socially Meaningful Work

task significance need to relate work and social life

Interaction interaction opportunities social support and recognition

Knowledge of Results recognition Feedback

Responsibility accountability choice over tools and methods

HOW ARE JOB DESIGN ALTERNATIVES TO BE IDENTIFIED? (HILL, 1971; TAYLOR, 1975; SUSMAN, 1976) Includes 5 steps:1. Scanning (initial analysis of system inputs, outputs,

organization structure and workplace layout)2. Technical Analysis (similar to process

mapping...identifies system operations and key variances. Variances are classified as having an affect on output quality, output quantity, operating costs and social costs)

3. Internal Systems Analysis (social system analysis; survey of perceptions of work roles; maintenance system analysis; supply and user system analysis)

4. Proposals for Change and Implementation

Sample Outputs: Work Flow Re-Design; Re-organization/Work Group Implementation; Revised Job Descriptions; Revised Career Paths

TECHNIQUES OF JOB DESIGN Individual Design Option

Job Simplification Job Specialization Job Enlargement Job Enrichment Job Rotation

Group Design Option Work Teams Autonomous Work Group

INDIVIDUAL DESIGN OPTION Job Simplification

The variety and difficulty of task performed by a single person are reduced .

Job Specialization It involves breaking jobs into small

component parts, assigning specialists to do each tasks.

It is found specially in manufacturing and service industry.

Advantages: More efficiency Lowe training cost People learn jobs more quickly Better person/job matching

Disadvantages: Less Flexibility Repetitive, boring tasks No opportunities to develop and acquire new skills

Job Enlargement

It is an expansion of the number of different tasks preformed by an employee.

Fewer workers are needed with the new technology, and each employee has to be able to perform a greater number and variety of task.

It increases the scope of job through extending the range of its job duties and responsibilities.

Job Enrichment

More advanced technology tends to cause job enrichment.

It provides greater responsibility, recognition and opportunities for growth and development.

JOB ENRICHMENT STRATEGIES

Empowering employees Giving employees more autonomy Feeling of control and self – efficacy

Forming natural work units Completing an entire task Assigning employees to specific clients

Establishing client relationship Employees put in direct contact with

clients

Job Rotation

Moving employees from one job to another to give them greater variety of tasks so that to help preventing boredom and increase flexibility.

It is aimed to meet the overall equal at work program objective of attempting to develop new and more inclusive models of recruitment and in work progression.

GROUPDESIGN OPTION Work Teams

Effective work teams magnify the accomplishment of individual employees.

Cross-functional, multi skilled, and self directed employees.

Autonomous Work Group It encourages work group to manage its

own work and working practice

JOB DESIGN CONTINUUM

Specialization

Enlargement

Self-directed teams

Empowerment

Enrichment

Figure 10.3

Job expansion

Increasing reliance on employee’s contribution and increasing responsibility accepted by employee

TOOLS OF JOB DESIGN

Process Flowchart Motion Study Work measurement

Stopwatch time study Standard elemental times Work Sampling Learning Curve

CURRENT TRENDS IN JOB DESIGN Flextime Compressed Workweek Job Sharing Telecommuting Quality control Cross selling Employee involvement Extensive use of temporary workers Increasing women workforce

OUTCOMES OF JOB DESIGN

•Greater job control = increased subjective and objective

job performance, lower absenteeism, and lower turnover

•Better social support = increased subjective and

objective job performance, lower absenteeism, and lower

turnover

•Better working relationships = lower withdrawal

behavior, better team performance, lower absenteeism,

and lower turnover

•Well-designed job roles = lower withdrawal behavior,

better self-rated performance, and lower turnover

•Greater job demands = increased subjective and

objective job performance and lower absenteeism

OUTCOMES OF JOB DESIGN … CONTD…•Performance and productivity (move beyond how much is produced

to issues about quality, efficiency, reduced costs, responsiveness to

customers, effectiveness of product, reduction of waste, etc.; will also

include aspects such as innovativeness, entrepreneurship (internal

mobility and innovativeness), spontaneity, use of initiative, flexibility, and

adaptation to change)

•Safety and accident reduction (effectiveness is also assessed in

terms of the reduction in accidents or incidents and valuing safety of

employees as an important organizational outcome)

•Learning and development (focus on longer term outcomes such as

career development, employee development)

•Outside work (understanding that work and non-work are inter-related;

effective organizations are those that value non-work life, leisure

activities, family involvement, reduced travel time, improved overall

physical health and well-being)

REFERENCE

1. Foundation of Human Resource Management by Dr. Govind Ram Agrawal

2. Kul Narsingh Shrestha3. Devid A. Decenzo4. Stephen P. Robbins

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