Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM

Browse over 1 million classes created by top students, professors, publishers, and experts.


See full index

Organisational Behaviour > Chapter 14 - Work Design NEC > Flashcards

Chapter 14 - Work Design NEC Flashcards

1
Q

Define work design

A

The context and organisation of an employee’s work tasks, activities, relationships and responsibilities.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

What are the 4 influences on work design? Who defined them, and when?

A

External, organisational, work group and individual.

Parker et al, 2017

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

What are the types of organisational influences on work design? (5) shotb

A

Strategy (eg, mass production or innovation)
HR practices (eg, flexible working)
Operational uncertainty (unpredictability)
Technology (lean production or advanced manufacturing)
Bureaucracy (rules and hierarchy)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

What are the types of external influences on work design? (4) inio

A

International (overseas competition)
National (strength of economy)
Institutional (unions and legislation)
Occupational (the job)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

What are the types of work group influences on work design? (4) cial

A

Composition (diversity)
Interdependence (coordination)
Autonomy (self-management)
Leadership (decisions of labour division)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

What are the types of individual influences of work design? (3) dcc

A

Demographic (age, gender)
Competencies (skills, trusted to do well)
Characteristics (personality)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

Define scientific management (4) and state its other name.

A

A form of job design which stresses short, repetitive work cycles; detailed prescriptive task sequences; a separation of task conception and execution; and motivation based on economic rewards. Also known as Taylorism.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

Define Taylorism and state its other name.

A

A form of job design which stresses short, repetitive work cycles; detailed prescriptive task sequences; a separation of task conception and execution; and motivation based on economic rewards. Also known as scientific management.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

Define systematic soldiering.

A

Conscious and deliberate restriction of output by operators.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

What are the causes of soldiering? (3)

A

Fears an increase in output would lead to redundancies
Poor management controls
Choice of methods left to workers, leads to inefficient and untested rules of thumb

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

What are initiative and incentive systems? What are the downsides?

A

A form of job design where managers give workers a task, provide a financial incentive, but leaves the worker to use their own initiative to decide how to complete the task.

Downsides are wasted effort, craft secrets and colleagues agreeing to work slower than they could.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

What were Taylor’s three objectives of work design?

A

Efficiency (prevent underworking)
Predictability of job performance
Control (hierarchy)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

What are the five principles of scientific management?

A

Division of tasks and responsibilities between management and workers
Scientific method to determine the best way to do a job
Scientific selection of the person to do the new job
Training of new worker to perform the job in the specified way
Surveillance of workers through authority and supervision

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

What are some criticisms of Taylorism? (6)

A

Does not account for the effect of supervision and timing staff
Does not consider effect of work groups on incentives
Ignores psychological needs of workers
Thought productivity/morale can be high from economic rewards/punishment alone
Ignores subjective side of work, such as social
Ignores achievement, satisfaction and recognition

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

What are time and motion studies?

A

Measurement and recording techniques used to make work more efficient

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

What couple contributed to Taylorism?

A

Frank and Lillian Gilbreth

17
Q

What were the contributions of the Gilbreths to Taylorism?

A

Motion studies
Therbligs
Time and motion studies
Fatigue study

18
Q

What were the Gilbreth’s motion studies?

A

Took cyclograaphic photos of hands with lights. Used to classify the basic motions of the body.

19
Q

What are Therbligs?

A

Created by Gilbreth as a notation system for elementary body movements. Each had a symbol and a colour. It was found that removing unnecessary motion increased productivity.

20
Q

What were the Gilbreth’s time and motion studies?

A

Used to calculate the standard time for each job element. Modern versions of the study have been used to improve occupational health and increase productivity.

21
Q

What fatigue studies were done to change work design?

A

Done by Lillian Gilbreth. Investigated the best work-rest combinations. Resulted in shortening the working day, introduced breaks and chairs, started paid holidays

22
Q

Define Fordism

A

A form of work design that applies scientific management principles to workers’ jobs; the installation of single purpose machine tools to manufacture standardised parts; and the introduction of the mechanised assembly line.

23
Q

What are the size characteristics of mass production? Who stated them?

A 
Mechanical pacing of work
No tool or method choice
Repetiveness
Minute subdivision of product
Minimum skill requirements
Surface mental attention

Henry Ford

24
Q

Define lean working

A

A systematic method for minimising waste in a manufacturing or service system without sacrificing productivity.

25
Q

Define McDonaldization

A

Work design aimed at achieving efficiency, calculatability, predictability and control through technology, to enhance organisational objectives by limiting employee discretion and creativity

26
Q

What are the four ways technology can impact jobs?

A

Remove tasks from existing jobs
Create tasks in existing jobs
Augment tasks in existing jobs
Modify task balance in existing jobs

27
Q

Define technological feasibility in regards to work design.

A

The potential for a given job or task to be automated with current technology

28
Q

What effects could AI and robots have on unskilled jobs?

A

Eliminate - completely remove the job
Deskill - give more precise instruction, reduce initiative
Upskill - embedded knowledge enables tasks that the worker doesnt know how to perform
Complement - allows workers to spend more time on other tasks, such as social connections

29
Q

What are the five organization’s structural changes required to cope with shifts in skill requirements? Who described them and when?

A

Mindset change - lifelong learning and staff training
Organisational set-up - less hierarchy, more team collaboration
New collar jobs - middle skill posts, allocating activities
Workforce composition - rise in contractors and freelancers
C suite and HR changes - change CEO mindset and recruitment strategy

Bughin et al, 2018

30
Q

What are the 5 options to build future workforces with new skills?

A 
Re train
Redeploy 
Hire
Contract
Release
31
Q

What are the four main areas of work design that Digital Taylorism impacts?

A

Work fragmentation
Worker measurement
Employee rewards
Worker punishment

Organisational Behaviour (2 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2024 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions