Job Design and Work Organisation

© Nigel Slack, Stuart Chambers & Robert Johnston, 2007

Presenter Name

Job Design andWork Organisation


Aims & Objectives• Explain Job Design, the advantages and

disadvantages; and work organisation

• Focus on:• Job Design Decisions• Trends in Job Design• Work Measurement• Basic Compensation Systems and Financial Incentive

Plans

• Aim is for you to be able to explain the impact of job design on an individual, group and an organisation.

Job design and Work organisation


Definition

The way in which we structure each

individual’s jobs, the workplace or environment in which they work andtheir interface with the technology orfacilities they use.

Job design


HowWhyWhenWhereWhatWho

Mental andphysicalcharacteristicsof the work force

Tasks to beperformed

Geographiclocale of theorganization;location of work areas

Time of day;time of occurrence inthe work flow

Organizationalreason forthe job; objectives and motivation of the worker

Method of performanceandmotivation

UltimateJob

Structure

Chase, Aquilano & Jacobs, 2001

Elements of Job Design


Jobdesign

impacts on

quality of working life

quality

speed

dependability

flexibility

cost

health and safety

The Objectives of Job Design


Ultimate Job

Structure

Degree of

Specialization

Job Enrichment

(vs. Enlargement)

Behavioural Considerationsof Job Design



Task VarietySkill Variety

FeedbackTask Identity

Task Autonomy

Process Technology

Needs

Worker/Group Needs


Sociotechnical Systems


Techniques of job design

Core job characteristics

Mentalstates Performance

Combining tasks

Forming natural work units

Establishing client

relationships

Vertical loading

Opening feedback channels

Skill variety

Task identity

Task significance

Autonomy

Feedback

Meaningfulness' of the job

Responsibility and control over the way the job is done

Level of understanding of the results of efforts

Motivation

Quality of work

Turnover

Absenteeism

The Behavioural Approach


Techniques of job design

Core job characteristics

Mental states

Performance and personal outcomes

Combining tasks

Forming natural work units

Establishing client

relationships

Vertical loading

Opening feedback channels

Skill variety

Task identity

Task significance

Autonomy

Feedback

Experienced meaningfulness of the work

Low absenteeism and turnover

Experienced responsibility for outcomes of the work

Knowledge of the actual results of the work activity

High satisfaction with the work

High internal work motivation

High quality work performance



More tasks which give increased responsibility autonomy or decision-making Origin

al job tasks

Job enrichme

nt

Job enlargemen

tMore tasks of the same type



How the person interfaces with the physical aspects of his or her workplace

How the person interfaces with the environmental conditions prevalent in his or her immediate working area

The ergonomics approach in the office environment

Ergonomics approach


Division of labour principles (A. Smith)

Promotes faster learningMakes automation easier

Ensures non-productive work is reduced

Advantages

Leads to monotony

Can result in physical injury

Is not particularly robust

Can reduce flexibility

Disadvantages


Workers Interacting with Other Workers

A Production Process

Worker at a Fixed Workplace

Worker Interacting with Equipment

Ultimate Job Design

Ultimate

Job Design

Work Methods


Work study

Method study Work measurement

Method study is the systematic recording and critical examination of existing and proposed methods of doing work, as a means of developing and applying easier and more effective methods and reducing costs

The application of techniques designed to establish the time for a qualified worker to carry out a specified job at a defined level of performance

A generic term for those techniques which are used in the examination of human work in all its contexts and which lead systematically to the investigation of all the factors which affect the efficiency and economy of the situations being reviewed in order to effect improvement.

Work Study (Taylorism)


• Work measurement is a process of analysing jobsfor the purpose of setting time standards.

• Why use it?

Schedule work and allocate capacity

Motivate and measure work performance

Evaluate performance

Provide benchmarks

Work Measurement


• Use inference to make statements about work activity based on a sample of the activity

• Ratio DelayActivity time percentage for workers or equipment

• Performance MeasurementRelates work time to output (performance index)

• Time StandardsStandard task times

Work Sampling


• Several work sampling studies may be conducted simultaneously by one observer

• The observer need not be a trained analyst unless the purpose of the study is to determine a time standard

• No timing devices are required

• Work of a long cycle time may be studied with fewer observer hours

Advantage of Work Sampling over Time Study


• The duration of the study is longer, which minimizes effects of short-period variations

• The study may be temporarily delayed at any time with little effect

• Because work sampling needs only instantaneous observations (made over a longer period), the operator has less chance to influence the findings by changing work method

Advantage of Work Sampling over Time Study (cont.)


Standard performance is the rate

of output which a qualified

worker will achieve without over-

exertion, as an average over the

working day, provided they are

motivated to apply themselves to

their work.


Job performance

Internal Factors

Personal motivation

Personal ability

External factors

Demanding, interesting work

Rewards

Participation and self-direction

Motivation Factors in Job Performance


A qualified worker is one who is

accepted as having the necessary

physical attributes, intelligence, skill,

education and knowledge to perform the

task to satisfactory standards of safety,

quality, and quantity.


• Hourly Pay

• Straight Salary

• Piece Rate

• Commissions

Basic Compensation Systems


• Individual and Small-Group Plans– Output measures– Quality measures– Pay for knowledge

• Organization-wide Plans– Profit-sharing– Gain-sharing

• Bonus based on controllable costs or units

of output• Involve participative management

Financial Incentive Plans


• Paying employees based on their performance - improvements in productivity and quality

• Pay-for-performance will become increasingly common components of performance management strategies and systems.

Pay-for-Performance


Scientific management

Division of labour

Ergonomics

Behavioural approaches

Empowerment

Team working

Flexible working

Emphasis on managerial control

Emphasis on commitment and

engagement of staff

Staff treated as a resource

Staff treated as

a cost

Emphasis in Job Design


Quality control as part of the worker's job

Cross-training workers to perform multi-skilled jobs

Employee involvement and team approaches to designing and organizing work

‘Informating’ ordinary workers through telecommunication networks and computers


Trends in Job Design


Extensive use of temporary workers

Automation of heavy manual work

Organizational commitment to providing meaningful and rewarding jobs for all employees

Trends in Job Design (cont.)



Stimulus

Putting into words

Decoding

Attention

Perception

Retention

Feedback

Transm

issi

on

Putting into words

Decoding

Attention

Perception

RetentionIdeas

A Flow Model of Interpersonal

communication


• Environment in the workplace: Ergonomics, Human factors, health and safety (temperature, light, noise)

• Technology available and usage (Ergonomic workplace design): Repetitive strain injury (RSI), Anthropometric data (e.g. size of people)

• The tasks allocated to each person in the operation:Division of labour

Summary: The Elements of Job Design


• The best method of performing each job:Scientific management, work measurement

• Time it takes and how many people are needed:Qualified worker, level and standard of performance

• Maintain staff commitment, communication and motivation:Communication, Job rotation, Job enlargement (more tasks to do), Job enrichment (involves decision making), empowerment, team-working and flexible working.

Summary: The Elements of Job Design (cont.)


Job Design and Work Organisation

The End

Job Design and Work Organisation

Documents

stuart chambers

nigel aquilano

aquilano amp

job enrichment

work sampling

job design

behavioural

nigel slack