Job characteristics & work motivation

Question 1

Theories of work motivation

= “any condition that causes us to initiate, choose, inhibit or persist in specific circumstances”.

Answer 1

Content theories: attempts to explain ‘what’ motivates people.

Process theories: ‘how’ people are motivated.
- incorporates individual differences - not motivated by the same content.

Question 2

Content theories

Answer 2

Taylor and the money motive: AKA scientific management or Taylorism.
- money is key motivating factor.

Herzberg’s hygiene factors and motivating factors: pay employment conditions, work environment and other ‘extrinsic’ factors are termed hygiene factors.

• gave dissatisfaction if not present.
• motivators have to be present: skill use, challenge, responsibility and other job characteristics “intrinsic” to work.

Mayo’s social factors: importance of group membership is acknowledged.

Hackman & Oldham’s job characteristics: said to produce ‘critical psychological states’ of ‘experienced meaningfulness’, ‘experienced responsibility’ and ‘knowledge of results’ - influence motivation, satisfaction and performance.

• skill variety.
• task identity.
• task significance.
• autonomy - independence.
• feedback.

Question 3

Job design from content theories: job simplification

Answer 3

“Division of labour” - no control; the assembly principle.

• scientific management advocates job simplification.
• leads to job design which minimised skill requirements but maximises management control.

Kornhauser (1965): association between poor work attitudes and physical/mental health.

Question 4

Job design from content theories: job enrichment

Answer 4

Vertical integration with more responsibility (after Herzberg).
- rather than job enlargement/rotation = horizontal integration.

Job design according to the ‘job core characteristics’ (CJC).

Hackman & Oldham (1976): Job diagnostic survey (JDS) with motivating potential score (MPS) calculated:
MPS = (SV + TI + TS) / (3 X (Au + Fb))
- each CJC has a scale of 1-7: max score 343.
- Average of 876 jobs = 128.

CJC’s:

• skill variety.
• task identity.
• task significant.
• autonomy.
• feedback.

Question 5

Job design from content theories: autonomous work groups

Answer 5

eg. Tavistock coal studies and Volvo (after sociotechnical systems approach).
- group makes decisions.

Question 6

Importance of individual differences

Answer 6

Hackman & Oldham’s growth needs strength: differs between individuals.

McClelland’s (1961) need for achievement (nAch): not everyone has:

• work ethic.
• aspiration.
• pursuit of excellence.
• competitiveness.

Maslow’s hierarchy: may be at different levels so will be motivated by different things.

McGregor’s theory X and theory Y:

• theory X = view of the worker (196): assumes employees dislike work, are lazy, must be coerced to perform.
• theory Y = view as positive (more motivators?)

Question 7

Process theories

Answer 7

Expectancy theories (Vroom, 1964): 
- F (motivating force) = sum of E (expectancy of achievement of outcomes) X V (value of outcomes). 

Goal setting theory (Locke, 1981): commitment to and acceptance of a goal are determined by:
- goal specificity (on a continuum of vagueness).
- goal difficulty (relationship between personal and goal).
- SMART goals.
Subjective depending on ability and experience; and possibility or reaching it.

Question 8

Combining content and process theories

Answer 8

Expectancy theory to find out what content individuals value/what incentives would motivate them.
- may be money or other things?

Goal setting to achieve desired outcome content/incentive.

Design job accordingly.