Chapter 7

Question 1

Job design

Answer 1

The way the elements in a job are organized. This can act to increase or decrease effort.

Question 2

Job characteristics model (JCM) (5 factors)

Answer 2

Job characteristics model (JCM) - a model that proposes that any job can be described in terms of five core job dimensions:
1. Skills variety - requirements for different tasks in the job. 2. Task identity - completion of a whole and identifiable piece of work.
3. Task significance - the job’s impact on the lives or work of other people.
4. Autonomy - level of discretion in decision making.
5. Feedback - amount of direct and clear information on performance.

Question 3

Motivating potential score formula

Answer 3

MPS = (Skill variety + Task identity + Task significance) / 3 x Autonomy x Feedback

Question 4

Describe the motivating potential score

Answer 4

It is the core dimensions which are combined into a singular index. If jobs score high on motivating potential, the model predicts that motivation, performance, and satisfaction will be positively affected.

Question 5

Job rotation

Answer 5

The periodic shifting of an employee from one task to another.

Question 6

Describe the strengths and weaknesses of Job rotation

Answer 6

Strengths-> It reduces boredom, increases motivation through diversifying the employee’s activities, and helps employees better understand how their work contributes to the organization. When an employee has a wider range of skills from this, it benefits the organization.
Weaknesses-> Training costs are increased, and productivity is reduced by also producing disruptions. The members of the work group would have to spend more time answering questions and monitoring the work while dealing with the new employee.

Question 7

Job enlargement

Answer 7

Horizontal expansion of jobs, which increases the number and variety of tasks that an individual performs. Job enlargement results in jobs with more diversity.

Question 8

Job enrichment

Answer 8

Vertical expansion of jobs, which increases the degree to which the worker controls the planning, execution and evaluation of the work. It organizes tasks so as to allow the worker to do a complete activity, increases the employee’s freedom and independence, increases responsibility and provides feedback so individuals will be able to assess and correct their own performance.

Question 9

Define and explain the 3 attributes to employee involvement:

Answer 9

In giving the employees a say in the input of increasing the employee commitment, it makes the employees feel like the rewards are more tailored to them- giving them more motivation to increase their performance.
- Participative management- a process in which subordinates share a significant degree of decision-making power with their immediate superiors.
-Representative participation - a system in which workers participate in organizational decision making through a small group of representative employees. The two most common forms representative participation takes are works councils and board representatives.
- Quality circles - a work group of employees who meet regularly to discuss their quality problems, investigate causes, recommend solutions and take corrective actions.

Question 10

What are the 4 strategic rewards decisions of variable-pay programs that increase employee motivation?

Answer 10

1. What to pay: Establishing a pay structure.
2. How to pay: Rewarding individual employees through variable pay programs.
3. Flexible benefits: Developing a benefits package.
4. Intrinsic rewards: employee recognition programs