Job and Organizational Design

Approaches to Job Design

• Work Simplification– Advocated by Frederick Taylor

• Break jobs down into simple components (small tasks)• Hire/Train people in necessary KSAs for components

– Lower skill levels needed– Cheaper for the organization– Can decrease potential for errors

• Have “expert” employees (specialists)• Product produced by combining efforts• Employees are replaceable “cogs” in the machine

Consequences of Work Simplification

WorkSimplification

Monotony BoredomJob

DissatisfactionTardiness

AbsenteeismTurnover

Stress

Process Perception FeelingEmotionalResponse

BehavioralResponse

Results of Exercises

4.1

4.6

4.94.8

3.4

4.5

4.2

5.4

3.8

5.8

4.3

5.7

5.2 5.2

3.8

4.4

4.8

5.6

3

4

5

6

7

Moon Tent

Water Carrier

Job Change Strategies

• Job enlargement– Increasing the number and variety of tasks

• Job enrichment– Increasing the amount of control over

planning and performance of a job– Increasing involvement in setting

organizational policy

Herzberg’s Two Factor Theory

Hygiene Factorssalary

company policy

physical facilities

administration

working conditions

co-worker relations

Motivatorschallenge

autonomy

advancement

recognition

Job Characteristics Model

Core JobDimensions

CriticalPsychological

StatesPersonal and

Work Outcomes

High internal workMotivation

High quality workPerformance

High satisfactionWith work

Low absenteeismAnd turnover

Autonomy

Feedback

Growth NeedStrength

Experienced meaningfulness

of work

Experienced responsibility

for work outcomes

Knowledge of actual

results of activities

Skill variety

Task identity

Task significance

Summary

• There is no “one best way” to design jobs– Simple Jobs

• advantages– Can reduce potential for error– Be cheaper to staff– Increase efficiency

• disadvantages– Result in decreased motivation– Result in decreased satisfaction– Result in decreased attendance/tenure

– Enriched Jobs• Can enhance motivation and satisfaction• May increase costs to organization

– more training– more compensation

• Why use organizations?– Facilitate complex goal accomplishment– Reduce individual risk

• Organizational Structure– Form or Shape of Organization– Helps coordinate system activity

• e.g., decision making, communication, etc.

Organizational Structure

Classical Organizational Theory• Organizational Components

– A system of differentiated activities– People– Authority– Cooperation

• Structural Principles– Functional Principle– Scalar Principle– Line/Staff Principle– Span of Control Principle

President

MarketingDirector

ProductionDirector

FinanceDirector

Research &Development

AssistantDirector

Assistant toDirector

Employee

Employee

KeyboardManager

MonitorManager

Employee

Employee

Employee

Employee

Employee

Employee

AssistantDirector

Employee

Employee

Scientist Scientist Scientist Scientist

Neoclassical Organizational Theory• Critiqued principles of Classical theory

– Functional Principle– Scalar Principle– Line/Staff Principle– Span of Control President

MarketingDirector

ProductionDirector

FinanceDirector

Research &Development

AssistantDirector

Assistant toDirector

Employee

Employee

KeyboardManager

MonitorManager

Employee

Employee

Employee

Employee

Employee

Employee

AssistantDirector

Employee

Employee

Scientist Scientist Scientist Scientist

Inputs

InformationEquipmentFacilitiesMaterialsMoneyTechnology

Transformation

OrganizationHuman Resources

Outputs

ProductsGoods

Services

Customer Feedback

Systems Theory

• Characteristics of Systems’ Theories– Subsystems– Synergy– Input/Output Model– Goal seeking– Entropy– Dynamic Equilibrium– Feedback