WORK SCHEDULES AND JOB DESIGN

Job Design process of laying out job responsibilities and duties and describing how they
are to be performed.
Four (4) Major Dimensions of Job Design (Frederick Morgeson and Stephen Humphrey):
1. Task Characteristics
2. Knowledge Characteristics

3. Social Characteristics
4. Contextual Characteristics

Task Characteristics how work itself is accomplished and the range and nature of
tasks associated with a particular job.
ex. A manager of a steel mill using a spreadsheet to make time-series analysis of
demand for recycled steel by manufacturers of washing machines.
+ Autonomy how much freedom and independence incumbent has to carry out
his assignment.
a. work scheduling b. decision-making c. work methods
+ Task Variety degree to which job requires worker to use a wide range of tasks
+ Task Significance extent to which a job influences lives or work of others,
whether inside or outside the organization.
+ Task Identity- extent to which a job involves a whole piece of work that can
readily be identified.
+ Feedback from Job refers to extent which job provides direct and clear
information
Knowledge Characteristics demand for knowledge, skill, ability from job holder.
+ Job complexity degree to which job tasks are complex and difficult to perform.
+ Information processing degree to which a job requires attending to and
processing data and info.
+ Problem-solving degree to which a job requires unique ideas or solutions.
+ Skill Variety extent to which a job requires incumbent to use variety skills to
perform work.
+ Specialization extent to which a job involve performing specialized tasks or
possessing specialized knowledge and skills.
Social Characteristics interpersonal aspects of a job or extent to which the job
requires interaction with others.

>>Social support degree to which a job

involves opportunity for advice and assistance from others in the workplace,

contributes to jobholders well-being, as being able to turn to coworkers for

technical assistance.
+ Interdepence degree to which job depends on others- and others depend on
job- to accomplish a task.
+ Interaction outside organization how much job requires employee to interact
and communicate with people outside organization.
+ Feedback from others extent to which other workers in organization provide
information about performance.
Contextual Characteristics setting or environment of job such as working in
extreme temperatures.
+ Ergonomics degree to which job allows correct posture or movement.
+ Physical demands level of physical activity or effort for job particularly with
respect to physical strength, endurance, effort, and activity.
+ Work conditions environment to which work is performed, including presence of
health hazards, noise, temperature, cleanliness.
+ Equipment use variety and complexity of technology and equipment
incorporated into the job.

Job Dimension Differences: Professional and Non-professional Jobs:

Non-professional Jobs- requires more physical demands. (Food preparation

specialists and personal service providers).

Professional Jobs- requires significantly higher on work characteristics like:
(Managers, Accountants, Engineers)
Job complexity
Information processing

Decision-making autonomy

Problem solving

Work-methods autonomy

Skill variety

Work scheduling autonomy

Work conditions ( more favorable )

Human-life focused (supervisors) vs. Nonhuman-life focused (job technician)

Job specialization degree to which a job holder performs only a limited number of tasks.

Advantages and Disadvantages: Job Specialization

Advantages:
1. Development of expertise
2. Status and self-esteem for being experts at some task
3. Specialized jobs at lower occupational levels require less training time and less
learning ability- key advantage when available labor force lacks special skills
Disadvantages:
1. Coordinating workforce when several employees do small parts of one job
2. No control over work
3. Boredom
Automation and Specialization
1. Automation used to replace some aspects of human endeavor in office & factory since
Industrial revolution
2. Purpose of automation is to increase productivity by reducing labor content
3. Automation devices in retail store optical scanners and automatic recording of
remaining inventory when a customer checks out
4. Use of PCs decreasing need for clerical support
5. E-mail, text messaging, automated delivery of messages including sending photos,
graphics, once sent by postal mail or messenger service
6. Enhance job satisfaction when annoying or dangerous tasks are removed, does not
result in job elimination
Job Description and Job Design
Job description written statement of the key features of a job and activities required to
perform it effectively
Job Enrichment and the Job Characteristics Model
Job enrichment approach to including more challenge and responsibility in jobs to make
them more
appealing to most employees.
- gives workers a sense of ownership, responsibility, and accountability for
work.
- leads to more exciting job; therefore, increases job satisfaction and
motivation.

- built into it more planning and decision making, controlling and

responsibility.

Characteristics and Consequences of an Enriched Job (Frederick Herzberg):

Characteristics:
1.
2.
3.
4.

Client relationships
Control over resources
Control over methods
Control over scheduling
5. Unique Experience

6. Personal accountability
7. Direct feedback
8. Direct communication authority
9. New learning