Job Characteristics and Work Motivation

Question 1

Theories of Work Motivation: Content and Process

Answer 1

Any state or condition that causes us to initiate, choose, inhibit or persist in specific (behaviours and) actions in specific circumstances

Content theories - attempt to explain ‘what’ motivates people

‘Process’ theories - attempt to explain ‘how’ people are motivated.

individual differences, different people are not necessarily motivated by same motivating content

Question 2

Taylor and Money motive

Answer 2

Scientific management or Taylorism, with money as the key motivator.

Question 3

Hezberg’s Hygiene Factors and Motivating Factors.

Answer 3

Pay, employment conditions, work environment and other extrinsic factors were termed hygiene factors.

However, motivators, such as skill use, challenge, responsibility and other job characteristics ‘intrinsic’ to the work itself have to be present.

Question 4

Hackman and Olman’s Job Characteristics Model (1976,1980)

Answer 4

Skill Variety
Task Identity
Task significance
Autonomy
Feedback

Produce critical psychological states of experienced meaningfulness. responsibility and knowledge of results which are believed to influence motivation, satisfaction and work performance.

Question 5

Job design from content theories of Work Motivation

Answer 5

Scientific management advocates job simplification. Leads to job design which minimises skill requirements and maximizes management control, with money seen as sole reason for working.

Kornhauser (1965) noted its association with poor work attitudes and poor physical and mental health

Question 6

Job design according to the core job characteristics

Answer 6

Potential Score (MPS) to be calculated as follows:-MPS = SV + TI + TS / 3 x Au x Fb

Each cjc has a scale of 1 to 7, thus giving a maximum score of 343. Average JDS scores for 876 different jobs was 128

Question 7

Autonomous work groups

Answer 7

Tavistock coal studies and Volvo (after the sociotechnical systems approach) Group makes decisions.

Question 8

Importance of individual differences: Hackman and Oldham’s growth need strength

Answer 8

differs between individuals

Question 9

Importance of individual differences: McClelland’s (1961) Need for achievement

Answer 9

not everybody has the work ethic, pursuit of excellence, status aspiration, competitiveness against others as well as against own standards

Question 10

Importance of individual differences: Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

Answer 10

Individuals may be at different levels so will be motivated by different things. Similarly, Alderfer’s ERG needs.

1. Physiological Needs
2. Safety Needs
3. Love and Belongingness needs
4. Esteem needs
5. Self Actualisation needs

Question 11

Importance of individual differences: McGregor’s Theory X and Theory Y

Answer 11

Theory X view of the worker (McGregor, 1960) assumes that employees dislike work, are lazy, dislike responsibility, and must be coerced to perform. Money as motivator?

Question 12

Process Theories of Work Motivation: Expectancy Theory (Vroom, 1964)

Answer 12

F (motivating the force of an individual) =

sum of E (their expectancy or probability of acheieving different outcomes) x V (valence or value - positive or negative) of each outcome to that individual.

Question 13

Goal setting theory (Locke, 1981)

Answer 13

where commitment to and acceptance of a goal are determined by such factors:

Goal specificity - continuum to vagueness - do x by time y, rather than do your best.

Goal difficulty - relationship between the person and the goal. Subjective depending on ability and experience. Subjective possibility of reaching it.

Smart Goals

Question 14

Combining Content and Process Theories

Answer 14

Expectancy theory to find out what content individuals value and what incentives motivate them.

Goal setting

Design job accordingly.