SBenegaL

Category: work

  • Job Enrichment

    In the last byte, we looked at job enlargement and job rotation. In today’s byte, we look at job enrichment. 

    Job enlargement achieves a better job design through horizontal loading. Job Enrichment on the other hand, increases the amount of vertical loading (through increased job responsibility).
     
    Job Enrichment is a job design or redesign method aimed at increasing the motivational factors in a job. It builds on Herzberg’s two-factor theory of motivation. Job enlargement recommends increasing and varying the number of activities a person does, job enrichment recommends increasing the recognition, responsibility, and opportunity for achievement.
     
    Some people prefer simple jobs. Once jobs are selected for enrichment, management should brainstorm about possible changes; revise the list to include only specific changes related to motivational factors, and screen out generalities and suggestions that would simply increase activities or number of tasks.
     
    Two key problems when implementing Job Enrichment are —

    1. First, an initial drop in performance can be expected as workers accommodate to change
    2. Second, supervisors may experience some anxiety or hostility as a result of employees’ increased responsibility.

  • Job Enlargement and Job Rotation

    In the last byte, we looked at the scientific management approach to job design. In today’s byte, we look at Job Enlargement and Job Rotation.
    Job Enlargement is a method of job design that increases the number of activities in a job to overcome the boredom of overspecialized work.
    Job Rotation is a variation of job enlargement in which workers are exposed to a variety of specialized jobs over time.
    The limitations of the overspecialization viz:
    ⦁    lack of variety
    ⦁    under stimulation and underutilization
    Workers would be more stimulated and better utilized by increasing the variety in the jobs.
    Job rotation and cross-training (a variation of job enlargement in which workers are trained in different specialized tasks or activities) are variations of job enlargement. All three kinds of programs horizontally enlarge jobs, that is, the number and variety of an employee’s tasks and activities are increased.

  • Scientific Method of Job Design

    In the last byte, we initiated the discussion on some of the traditional approaches to Job Design. In today’s byte, we look the Scientific Method of job design.
     
    The genesis of the scientific management approach is attributed to Frederick Taylor, and emphasizes on Work Simplification.
     
    Work Simplification refers to “Standardization and the narrow, explicit specification of task activities for workers.”
     
    Through scientific management, jobs are often designed to have limited number of tasks, and each task is scientifically specified so that worker is not required to think of deliberate. (The management calibrates and defines task carefully, and the worker only executes the task).
     
    Some of the elements of scientific management are – time and motion studies, differential piece-rate systems to pay, the scientific selection of workers, and focus on the efficient use of labor for the economic benefits of the corporation.
     
    2 arguments that support the efficient and standardized approach to job design are:
    1. Work simplification allowed workers of diverse ethnic and skill backgrounds to work together in a scientific way.
    2. Work simplification also leads to production efficiency in the organization and therefore to higher profits.
    The limitation of this approach is that it undervalues the human capacity for thought and ingenuity. Failure to fully utilize the workers’ capacity in a constructive fashion may cause a variety of work problems.

  • Approaches to Job Design

    In the last byte, we discussed about the role of job in an organizational context. In today’s byte, we look at some approaches towards job design.

    Badly designed jobs leading up to a variety of performance problems in organizations are often due to failure to differentiate, integrate or both. If jobs are designed well, it could avoid problems, improve productivity, and enhance employee well-being.
     
    Four approaches to job design are:
    1. Scientific Management
    2. Job Enlargement/Job Rotation
    3. Job Enrichment
    4. Job Characteristics Theory
    We shall discuss these over the next few bytes.

  • Role of Job in an organizational Context

    In the last byte, we looked at the six different patterns for the meaning of work. In today’s byte, we look at the role of job in an organizational context. 

    Task and authority relationships define an organization’s structure. Jobs are the basic building blocks of this task-authority structure and are considered the micro-structural element to which employees most directly relate. 

    Jobs are usually designed to complement and support other jobs in the organization. Isolated jobs are rare.  

    Jobs in organizations are interdependent and designed to make a contribution to the organization’s overall mission and goals. Interdependencies require careful planning and design so that all of the “pieces of work” fit together into a whole. Failure to incorporate these interdependencies into planning could create conflict and cause failure.

    Inflexible jobs that are rigidly structured have an adverse effect and lead to stressed-out employees.

  • Meaning of Work – patterns and cultural influences

    In the last byte, we looked at the definitions of work and job. In today’s byte, we look at the meaning of work. 

    The meaning of a work differs from person to person and also varies across cultures. The meaning of work refers to the way a person interprets and understands the value of work as part of life. 

    In a study spanning six different countries, researchers found six patterns people follow to define work. Following is brief description of these 6 patterns:

    Pattern A: – people define work as an activity in which value come from performance and for which a person in accountable. It is generally self- directed and devoid of negative effect.
    Pattern B: – people define work as an activity that provides a person with positive personal affect and identity. Work contributes to society and is not unpleasant.
    Pattern C: – people define work as an activity from which profit accrues to others by its performance and that may be done in various settings other than a working place. Work is usually devoid of positive affect and is unpleasantly connected to performance.
    Pattern D: – people define work as primarily a physical activity a person must do that is directed by others and generally performed in a working place. Work is usually devoid of positive affect and is unpleasantly connected to performance.
    Pattern E: – people define work as a physically and mentally strenuous activity. It is generally unpleasant and devoid of positive affect.
    Pattern F: – people define work as an activity constrained to specific time periods that does not bring positive affect through its performance

    The above clearly identifies the way culture influences the meaning of work.

  • Job and Work Design

    In the last byte, we concluded our discussion on conflict management with the managerial implications of conflict management. In today’s byte, we begin our discussion on job and work design. 

    We begin with defining the following terms:
    Job: A set of specified work and task activities that engage an individual in an organization.
    Work: Mental or physical activities that has productive results.
     
    A job is different from an organization position or a career. Let’s understand the difference – organizational position identifies a job in relation to other parts of the organization; a career refers to a sequence of job experiences over time.
     
    A job is composed of a set of specified tasks, each of which is an assigned piece of work to be done in a specified time period.
     
    Work helps bind a person to reality. Work thus has different meaning for different people and we shall discuss about this in the next byte.

  • Stress: Work and Non Work Related

    In the last byte, we looked at what happens to the body when it is stressed. In today’s byte, we try to understand the source of stress and continue the discussion as we move through the next few bytes.

    We could broadly classify sources or stress into 2 categories – Work related and non work related. These categories are from the context of the origin of the stress. Following is a summary of this classification.