Employee Job Satisfaction and Performance
Donna Cowan is in charge of Human Resources Development at the Thoroughly Modern Manufacturing Company (TMM). TMM makes "low tech" office products such as file cabinets, computer tables and bulletin boards. The company's CEO recently asked Donna to identify key manufacturing jobs and re-design them in ways that will make them more intrinsically motivating to employees. The CEO's goal is to improve employee job satisfaction and performance, and reduce absenteeism and turnover.
How should Donna proceed? In answering this question, draw extensively on Hackman and Oldham's Job Characteristics Model. Specifically, describe to Donna the core job characteristics (CJCs) the model identifies that might need attention. When these characteristics are present in a job, tell her what positive consequences are predicted to follow, and why. Also inform her about the individual difference and situational factors that are likely to determine whether a job high in the CJCs will have the predicted positive effects on employee attitudes and behavior. What are some of the job re-design strategies that Donna can apply to implement the CJCs at TMM? Choose any hypothetical job you wish that might exist at TMM as an example to illustrate your thinking.
Donna should re-design the key manufacturing jobs at TMM based on the Job Characteristic Model. The model identifies five core job characteristics: Skill variety, Task variety, Task significance, Autonomy and Feedback. For instance, one key job at TMM could be the assembling of the file cabinets. Based on the model's first characteristic, an employee holding that position should be able to recognize the variety and the complexity of the job and the required skills to assemble the cabinets. The employee, let's call him Joe, should be able to perform a job that allows to work on the assembling the cabinets from beginning to end. In addition, the job should be viewed by Joe as having an impact either on other people within or outside of
How should Donna proceed? In answering this question, draw extensively on Hackman and Oldham's Job Characteristics Model. Specifically, describe to Donna the core job characteristics (CJCs) the model identifies that might need attention. When these characteristics are present in a job, tell her what positive consequences are predicted to follow, and why. Also inform her about the individual difference and situational factors that are likely to determine whether a job high in the CJCs will have the predicted positive effects on employee attitudes and behavior. What are some of the job re-design strategies that Donna can apply to implement the CJCs at TMM? Choose any hypothetical job you wish that might exist at TMM as an example to illustrate your thinking.
Donna should re-design the key manufacturing jobs at TMM based on the Job Characteristic Model. The model identifies five core job characteristics: Skill variety, Task variety, Task significance, Autonomy and Feedback. For instance, one key job at TMM could be the assembling of the file cabinets. Based on the model's first characteristic, an employee holding that position should be able to recognize the variety and the complexity of the job and the required skills to assemble the cabinets. The employee, let's call him Joe, should be able to perform a job that allows to work on the assembling the cabinets from beginning to end. In addition, the job should be viewed by Joe as having an impact either on other people within or outside of