Introduction to Designing Jobs in an Organization
What is Job Design and Work Design?
According to (Cangialosi, Battistelli and Odoardi, 2021), job design is a reperesentation of the work content, structure of the tasks, activities, responsibilities and relationships which assists human resource management in shaping the best work practices stratergically. Keeping with (Cangialosi, Battistelli and Odoardi, 2021), it is depicted as to how job design could be utlized in creating a stimulating work environment which is simulatenously supportive to an individual by having either direct or indirect effects on one`s innovation. Hence, it can be noted how job design specifies the necessary content which meets the personal needs of the individual against the work requirements which need to be satisfied.
Figure 1: Result components of a well designed job (Vulpen, n.d.)
This brings to light how job design has evoloved from soeley focusing on productivity and efficency to more of a motivational approach to designing jobs. Job design is responsible for ascpects such as job statisfaction and commitment, health and well-being, learning, proactivity and innovation.
As per (Broeck and Parker, 2017), work design defines the structure and content of one`s tasks in terms of job characteristics where workload and autonomy serve as the foundation for work design. Hence, work design is responsible for creating systems of work in a working environment which results in increased productivity and organizational effectiveness whilst also ensuring the organization is a conducive place for employees.
Brief History on Work Design
In line with (Sheppard, n.d.) the earliest attempt at job design came during the era of scientific management which was based off the philosophy revolving around the ideas brought by Fredrick Taylor with the main idea being the minimization of waste through the identification of the most efficient methods required to perform a job.
As per (CIPD, 2023), the two concepts which emerged from this theory were:
1. Method study - which examined the efficiency of why and how the job was done.
2. Work measurement – which aims at establishing a time to complete tasks.
Hence, one notes as to how Taylorism is viewed as a mechanistic approach to job design with the focal being on efficiency and productivity being short term with little to no effort being made to enhance employee`s work life. Taylorism is an important part of the history of job design and can be influential on some organizations even during the 21st century.
Impact of Job Design on Employees
As per (Cangialosi, Battistelli and Odoardi, 2021), the theoretical foundation which comprises of increased innovation properities with regards to designing jobs is the job characterstic model (JMC) also known as Hackman and Oldhem model. In line with (Cangialosi, Battistelli and Odoardi, 2021), the aforementioned model comrises of five core job charactersitics;autonomy, task specification, feedback, skill variety and task signification. Hence, the aforemtioned model could be taken as the best guide to redesign the process of jobs.
(Vulpen, n.d.) notifies how the Hackman and Olden model had been proposed back in the 80`s with the five characteristics being mentioned as motivational factors for individuals and is noted to be in use today testifying the consistency of the characteristics.
In keeping with (Vulpen, n.d.), the five characteristics have the following outcomes on individuals:
1. Skill variety - is the degree to which a wide array of skills is required. Jobs which call for more variety in skill are seen as more challenging and hence require more competence for an individual which serves as a motivational factor for them to meet their organizational and personal targets at work.
2. Task identity - how an individual performs a whole piece of work.
3. Task significance - highlights the impact of work on others. If the work caried out is making a positive impact on others, it leads to one feeling a higher satisfaction level and helps one find meaning in the work one does.
4. Autonomy - notes the degree to which an individual has freedom and independence at work. If the individual feels the level of autonomy in the workplace is high, it makes them have a greater sense of responsibility regarding their work.
5. Feedback - is the information received on the effectiveness of one`s work. Through this action, it provides the individual with certain levels of self-satisfaction and further leads to the enhancing their knowledge on the results brought upon by their activities at work.
Figure 2: A summarized version of the Hackman and Oldham model (Vulpen, n.d.)
Potential of Job Motivation
According to (Bakker et al., 2023), Hackman and Oldham proposed the formula depicted below as a means to clauclate the effects of job complexity.
Figure 3: Motivation Potential Score (MPS) Formula where core job dimensions are scored on a scale of one (low) to seven (high)
As per (Vulpen, n.d.), a low score on either the feedback or autonomy dimension of the formula will significantly have impact on the potential of motivation of a job whereas a lower score on either task identity, skill variety or task significance will have a less significant impact. On the other hand, this notifies one of how whilst all components are necessary, none of them are sufficient to determine the effect of job design.
Strategies for Job Design
In order, to increase an individual`s motivation at work which could be achieved through the following common job design strategies as per (Vulpen, n.d.):
1. Job rotation – the practice of switching employees between departments within an organization to increase their skill variety and expose individual`s to new experiences. At times this strategy helps one orientate their potential new role if there is a match between one`s personal goals and the designed job.
2. Job enlargement- is where one`s existent role receives additional activities within the same hierarchical level of an organization with the content of the new activates being different however, requiring similar skills. This strategy reduces the monotony one may face and increases their skills portfolio enabling them to do more similar activities whilst increasing their autonomy, accountability, and responsibilities.
3. Job enrichment- is where motivational dimensions are added to their existing role bringing about a sense of job enrichment which includes being open to receiving feedback and grouping interrelated tasks which increases task identity.
4. Job simplification- is where tasks are removed from an existing role making the role more task focused which could be seen as stripping away skill variety. This strategy is best used when a role has enlarged over time and has reached a point of becoming unmanageable for the individual.
Influence of Job Design on Job Crafting
Job design can notably be seen as a top-down driven approach in an organization where the decision makers notably determine which factors, they feel could help improve their employee’s motivational potential regarding the job. However, in the current organizational context most employees have a considerable freedom to modify, customize and craft their job which may be in coloration with their supervisors or independent decisions to action.
According to (Vulpen, n.d.), employees taking initiatives to shape their job characteristics is defined as job crafting. In keeping with (Vulpen, n.d.), job crafting is encouraged through high levels of autonomy, self-efficacy, organisational support which helps employees maximize their belief in wanting to achieve their work goals which in turn, results in higher levels of job satisfaction.
Effective job design leads to higher quality of work and higher employee productivity leading to increased job satisfaction and lower employee turnover rates if done right. This in turn, contributes to a thriving and harmonious workforce and work environment which depicts that if organizations invest in effective job designs both the employee’s well-being and fosters organizational growth and success for a longer time.
References
Arnold B. Bakker, K. B. Y. S. S. a. J. D. d. V., 2023. Daily Self-Leadership and Playful Work Design: Proactive Approaches of Work in Times of Crisis. The Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, 59(2), pp. 189-340.
Cangialosi, N. B. A. a. O. C., 2021. Designing innovative jobs: a fuzzy-set configurational analysis of job characteristics. Personnel Review , pp. 382-399.
CIPD, 2023. CIPD. [Online]
Available at: https://www.cipd.org/en/knowledge/factsheets/job-design-factsheet/#the-evolution-of-job-design
[Accessed 14 November 2023].
Parker, A. V. d. B. a. S. K., 2017. Job and Work Design. Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Psychology.
Sheppard, L., n.d. PressBooks. [Online]
Available at: https://opentext.wsu.edu/organizational-behavior/
[Accessed 14 November 2023].
Vulpen, E. v., n.d. Job Design: A Practitioner’s Guide. [Online]
Available at: https://www.aihr.com/blog/job-design/
[Accessed 14 November 2023].
Job design is the division of work tasks assigned to an individual in an organization that specifies what the worker does, how, and why. Effective job design contributes to the achievement of organizational objectives, motivation, and employee satisfaction. Do you know what are the job design methods in organizations?
ReplyDeleteThere are four types of job design methods. In simple terms:
Delete1. Job rotation – is switching employees between departments within an organization. This promotes organizational flexibility and helps keep employees within the company by offering them the opprotunity to switch their role to their new intrest area.
2. Job enlargement- is where one`s existent role receives additional activities. Typically, if the individual has a good capacity, they can ask or be given additional tasks to their existing which expands their skill set.
3. Job enrichment- is giving employees more responsibility and adding variety to their role whilst focusing on making it meaningful.
4. Job simplification- is where tasks are removed from an existing role. This would be if the employee`s portfolio has expananded to a point where they are constantly burnt out, the manager needs to take action to remove some of the tasks in order for the employee to feel motivated again.
Managers and Leaders can utilze the most effective method based off the individual who requires the specific motivation and change their job content by using the most suitable method mentioned.
In further, Job design is the strategic representation of work content, task structure, and relationships that shape optimal work practices. It emphasizes factors such as job satisfaction, commitment, health, well-being, learning, proactivity, and innovation.
ReplyDeleteWork design defines the structure and content of tasks based on job characteristics, to enhance productivity and organizational effectiveness while promoting a conducive workplace for employees (Greenberg, 1998).
Both job and work design are closely related concepts which highlight a few differences and at times can be intercahngable. The focal point of job design is more of an individual based approach which highlights an individuals job requirements and responsibilities. On the other hand, work design covers a much broader spectrum by considering the meaning of the role and oragnizing ones relationships, activities, tasks and responsibilities.
DeleteDesigning jobs within an organization is a pivotal aspect of HRM, crucial for optimizing employee performance, satisfaction, and organizational productivity. It involves crafting roles that align with strategic objectives, foster employee engagement, and encourage growth while acknowledging individual talents and skills.
ReplyDeleteAgreed, job crafting can be seen as initiating strategies which would change the current job characteristics of the employee to better align with their personal goals which can be seen as an individual design of work process.Through this manner, it creates a win-win situation for both employer and employee as both the job needs and the employees needs are being satisfied.
DeleteHi can you explain the strategies of job designing with practical examples please.
ReplyDelete