Job Design

Ashutosh TharejaBcom (hons), Sem I

G.D Goenka University

2What is a Job??

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A job is a piece of work, especially a specific task done as part of the routine of one’s occupation or for an agreed price.

A job is the smallest unit into which the activities of an enterprise are divided. It is the basis for selecting and training employees, for evaluating their performance, and for determining the rate of pay .

JOB DESIGN

5Job Design DefinitionJob design is the process of determining the specific tasks to be performed, the methods used in performing these tasks, and how the job relates to other work in the organization. — R. Wayne Mondy

Job design integrates work content, rewards and the qualifications required for each job in a way that meets the needs of employees and the organization.

Job design involves systematic attempt to organize tasks, duties and responsibilities into a unit of work to achieve certain objectives. It is a process by which managers decide individual job tasks and authority

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Work Content +

Rewards +

Qualifications

Organizational Needs

+Individual

Needs

GOAL

8JOB DESIGN

Tasks, Duties and Responsibilities

Employee Efficiency and MotivationPRODUCTIVITY

FACTORS AFFECTING JOB DESIGN

ORG FACTORS

CHR OF WORK

WORK FLOWERGONOMIC

SWORK

PRACTICES

ENVNT FACTOR

EMPLOYEE ABILITY

SOCIAL AND CULTURAL

BEHAVIORAL ELEMENTS

FEED BACKAUTONOMY

USE OF ABILITIESVARIETY

Factors affecting Job Design

Job Design

Task Characte

risticsWorkf

low

Ergonomics

Work Practices

Employee Abilities and Availabilitie

s

Social and Cultural

Expectations

Feedback

Job Simplification

Job Rotation

Job Enlargement

Job Enrichment

TECHNIQUES FOR DESIGNING JOBS

Simplification of Work

Simplification of work requires that jobs be broken down into their smallest units and then analyzed. Each resulting sub-unit typically consists of relatively few operations Jobs are broken down into very small parts where a fragment called task is repeatedly done over and over again by the same individual .

Job Rotation is a management approach where employees are shifted between two or more assignments or jobs at regular intervals of time in order to expose them to all verticals of an organization. It is a pre-planned approach with an objective to test the employee skills and competencies in order to place him or her at the right place. In addition to it, it reduces the monotony of the job and gives them a wider experience and helps them gain more insights

Job Rotation

Job rotation refers to a

technique where the employee

is periodically rotated from

one job to another within the

work design.

It involves moving employees

among different jobs over a

period of time

Typically job enrichment involves combining various existing and new tasks into one large module of work. The work is then handed over to an employee, which means there is an increase in responsibilities and scope. This increase in responsibility is often vertical. The idea is to group various tasks together such that natural work units are created.

Job Enrichment

Job Enlargement

Job enlargement is a job design technique wherein there is an increase in the number of tasks associated with a certain job. In other words, it means increasing the scope of one’s duties and responsibilities. The increase in scope is quantitative in nature and not qualitative and at the same level.

18Goal?

Prevailing practice in Job Design was to focus almost entirely on

simplifying tasks:

Making jobs as specialized as possible.

Why was this a problem?

19GOAL SETTING•Involves establishing specific, measurable and time targeted objectives It is an effective tool for making progress by ensuring that participants are clearly aware of what is expected from them, if an objective is to be achieved. On a personal level, setting goals is a process that allows people to specify then work towards their own objectives - most commonly with financial or career-based goals.

KEY THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND WHILE SETTING GOALS

It should be tangible, specific, realistic and have a time targeted for completion. Goal setting also requires motivation & commitments Goals provide a sense of direction and purpose Goals provide a sense of direction and purpose

Guidelines to improve performance through goal setting:

1. Specific goals2. Difficult, challenging goals3. “Owned” and accepted goals4. Objective, timely feedback about progress toward goals

PRACTICAL LIMITATIONS OF GOAL SETTING

1. Difficult goals increases the level of risk managers and employees are willing to take2. Inhibited subjects from helping others who were requesting assistance, which has implications for teamwork3. Difficult goals may lead to stress, put perpetual ceiling on performance, cause the employees to ignore non-goal areas4. Encourage short-range thinking, dishonesty or cheating.

The application of goal setting to system performance.

Set overall objectives &action

Develop the organization

Set individualObjectives &action plans

Conduct final appraisalOf result

Conduct periodic appraisal & provide

Feedback on progress;make adjustments

Job Sharing

•Two persons sharing one full time job with sharing rewards and responsibility for its completion.

Telecommuting

•Use of computer in jobs.

Compressed Work Week

•Work hours can be compressed into five or even four days a week with long hours of daily work with two or three days free at the week end.

Quality Circles

•`It consists of a group of 7 – 10 employees from a unit or across units who have volunteered to meet together regularly and analyze, make proposals about product quality, investigate causes and suggest corrective actions.

Flextime

•This method allows workers more freedom to select work schedule within the general guidelines laid down by the organization.

Rising Trends for job design

• OPTIONS FOR JOB DESIGN

Two persons sharing one full time job with sharing rewards and responsibility for its completion.

Job Sharing

TelecommutingUse of computer in jobs.

Work hours can be compressed into five or even four days a week with long hours of daily work with two or three days free at the week end.

Compressed Work Week

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`It consists of a group of 7 – 10 employees from a unit or across units who have volunteered to meet together regularly and analyze, make proposals about product quality, investigate causes and suggest corrective actions.

Quality Circles

This method allows workers more freedom to select work schedule within the general guidelines laid down by the organization.

Flextime

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