Chapter 7

Job Design and Work

Schedules

Job Dimensions and their

Sub-dimensions
Task Characteristics
Work scheduling
autonomy
Decision-making
Work methods
autonomy
Task variety
Task significance
Task identity
Feedback from job

Social Characteristics
Social support
Initiated
interdependence
Received
interdependence
Interaction outside
organization
Feedback from others
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Job Dimensions and their

Sub-dimensions, continued
Knowledge
Characteristics
Job complexity
Information
processing
Problem solving
Skill variety
Specialization

Contextual
characteristics
Ergonomics
Physical demands
Work conditions
Equipment use

Job Specialization

Specialists perform a limited number

of tasks, such as a tax accountant.
Specialization allows for
development of expertise.
Lower-level specialized jobs require
less training.
Specialization leads to boredom for
many workers.
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Characteristics of
an Enriched Job
1.
2.

3.
4.

5.

Direct feedback
Client
relationships
New learning
Control over
method
Control over
scheduling

6.

7.

8.

9.

Unique
experience
Control over
resources
Direct
communication
authority
Personal
accountability
5

Job Involvement,
Enlargement, and Rotation

Job involvement is psychological

identification with work.
Job enlargement is increasing the
number and variety of tasks in the
job.
Job rotation is a temporary
switching of job assignments.
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Job Crafting and

Job Design
Competent worker goes beyond job
descriptionhas flexible work role.
To craft job, workers will change (a)
tasks they perform (b) contacts with
others, and (c) their view of the job.
Crafting helps the job become more
meaningful.

Ergonomics and
Job Design

Minimize physical demands on workers

and optimize system performance.
Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are
common, and often stem from overuse.
Cumulative trauma disorders including
carpal tunnel syndrome are widespread.
The right equipment and posture can
prevent cumulative trauma disorders.

Modified Work
Schedules

Help increase satisfaction and

motivation and enhance recruiting.
Flexible working hours are widely used.
Compressed work week allows 40
hours of work in less than five days.
Telecommuters work from home as well
as other places outside the office.
Saves money but may decrease
teamwork.
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High Performance Work

Systems in Manufacturing

Organizes work so that front-line

workers participate in key decisions.
Workers must have (a) some
autonomy, (b) access to helpers, (c)
self-managing work teams.
HPWS must be part of good human
resource management, such as
good selection and training.
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Adjusting Worker
Resources for HighPerformance

Each workers supply of resources

must match his demand for the
resources.
Each of four spans of job must be
properly adjusted: (a) control, (b)
accountability, (c) influence, and
(d) support.
Executive fine-tunes the resources.
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