Job Design

Question 1

What is job design

Answer 1

What gets done and how it gets done

1) targeted at transformation of work pieces
A) how raw material is turned into a product
B) how customer complaint gets handled

2) transfer or work pieces between operators
3) management of 1 and 2

Question 2

Job design what is it ? (2)

Answer 2

Activities of workers

• duties and tasks
• how tasks and duties are structured and scheduled

Job design can include

• role (clarify/contract): tasks to be done by role holder,range of tasks to be done
• skill use : range of skills to be used/required
• demands : workplace,complexity of tasks
• control (autonomy and consultation) : decisions over what is to be done,how it is to be done and when it is to be done
• relationships (&a support)-who work with, who report to, who monitors

Question 3

Foundations of modern job design debates

Answer 3

Adam Smith (1776)- problem of efficiency in medieval craft jobs described “division of labour”

Recognised deskilling could lead to wage deflation (cf Marx,1844)

At the time workers were forbidden from forming unions but employers could form associations to fix wages

Question 4

Taylorism

Answer 4

Aims

• control : management make decisions
• predictability: of output and quality
• efficiency : optimal output per worker

Achieved through (5 principles of Taylorism)

• Division of labour
• Scientific methods to determine best way of doing job
• Select best person to do job
• Train person to do job
• Close supervision of performance objectives

Question 5

Taylorism key management techniques

Answer 5

“One best way”

• Break task down
• Measure which ways of -perfuming sub tasks with which tools take shortest time to complete
• Prescribe what to do and required output
• Makes best way explicit and transferable
• Leads to time and motion studies and job analysis

Performance pay
Follow Taylor’s methods and targets
Get paid well for it

Question 6

Fordism

Answer 6

Adopted and developed Taylorism

• introduced single purpose machines
• easy to operate
• reliably produced parts to required quantity and quality

Added transfer or operations
Mechanised assembly line
Move car past person not person around car
Regulates pace of work
Can run plant 24 hours a day to maximum efficiency

Question 7

Reflection on fordism

Answer 7

Does focus on analysis of tasks
Assumed money only motivator
Removes discretion and individuality from work
Huge but waning influence on manufacturing
Rebirth through management
Some jobs a machine can’t do

Question 8

Job charceteristics model

Answer 8

Core job characteristics
1)Skill variety 
Task identity
Task significance 
2)Autonomy 
3)Feedback from job 

Critical psychological states

1) experienced meaningfulness of work
2) experienced responsibility for work outcomes
3) knowledge of results

Outcome
Job satisfaction 
Intrinsic motivation 
Reduced absence 
Reduced turnover

Question 9

Job design can lead to more than motivation

Answer 9

Control,skill use (&support ) especially

Problem solving,learning,knowledge exchange, skills development,innovation & recovery activities - virtuous circles

Day to day in complex work processes better to meet challenges of work- incremental improvement,waste reduction

• links with advanced manufacturing
• workers spot problems and develop situations
• control over production line- the andon cord

Question 10

The evidence from advanced economies

Answer 10

In European countries
83% of workers solve unforeseen problems
72% learn new things
68% choose or change order of tasks
71% able to choose or change speed of work
69% choose or change methods of work

Sixth European working conditions survey 2015