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Job design involves specifying the content and methods of job
What will be done
How the job will be done
Where the job will be done
Ergonomics
Job specialization
Job expansion
Psychological components
Self-directed teams
Development of dexterity
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Intended to reduce boredom associated with labor specialization
Job enlargement
Job rotation
Job enrichment
Employee empowerment
Present job
Task #2
Enlarged job
Enriched job
Control
Human resource strategy requires consideration of the psychological components
of job design
Introduced psychology into the workplace
The workplace social system and distinct roles played by individuals may be more important than physical factors
Individual differences may be dominant in job expectation and contribution
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Self-Directed Teams
Group of empowered individuals working together to reach a common goal
May be organized for long-term or
short-term objectives
Effective because
Ensure those who have legitimate contributions are on the team
Provide management support
Financial and non-financial rewards
Supervisors must release control
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Improved quality of work life
Improved job satisfaction
Improved productivity and quality
Reduced turnover and absenteeism
Higher wages rates for greater skills
Smaller labor pool
Higher training costs
Higher wages rates for greater skills
Smaller labor pool
Higher training costs
U.S. 7
Sweden 170
Japan 200
Ergonomics and the Work Environment
Ergonomics is the study of the interface between man and machine
Often called
human factors
Operator input
to machines
Illumination Level
Normal detail, prolonged periods
20-50
Recreational facilities
Changes in product design
Other factors (e.g. accidents, quality problems)
The need for methods analysis can come
from a number of different sources:
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Get employee input
Analyze the job
Propose new methods
Install new methods
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Used to analyze
Activities of human and machine and crew activity
Activity charts
Body movement
Operations charts
Use low-cost visual devices to share information quickly and accurately
Displays and graphs replace printouts and paperwork
Able to provide timely information in a dynamic environment
System should focus on improvement
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study of the human motions used
to perform an operation.
Improve the design of tools and equipment
Developing Work Methods
Worker performance depends on
Match employees to task
Establish work standards – needs measurement i.e. work measurement
Here you might address the point that some people believed Taylor’s work methods were really designed to exploit the worker.
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What is Work Measurement?
Determining the amount of worker time required to generate one unit of output
Provides labor standards
Target amount of time required to perform a job under normal working conditions
Work measurement is covered in much greater detail in the Supplement 10.
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Work Standards and its uses
Is the time required for a trained worker to perform a task following a prescribed method with normal effort and skill.
It helps the mgt to:
Establish price and cost.
There are 4 steps here namely,
Selecting work elements - determine the work element that has been running for quite sometime and has a definite starting point and ending points.
Timing the element.
Setting the standard
Normal Time for the cycle, NTC = NT and
Standard time
= NT(1+AF)
RF = rating factor (determine by the analyst)
How much above or below average the worker's performance on each work element (need to include fatigue, personal needs etc)
Determining sample size - done by using the normal distribution
n = [ (z /p) ( /t) ] 2
p = precision of the estimate
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Fixed work place.
Repetitive work and in short cycle.
Work that is stable – work process and method will not change in the near future.
High output from the work.
It is not suitable for work that requires thinking process.
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EXAMPLE 1
A time study on operative work found that an average observed cycle time for a particular task is 4.0 minutes.
The analyst predict from the observation that the workers are only operating at 85% of the normal time needed to perform that task. If the company employs and allowable time of 13% find the standard time for that task.
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= 4.0 (1) (0.85)
= 3.4 (1 + 0.13)
EXAMPLE 2
BCD committee is currently organizing a conference for business student. As part of the promotional activities, it is sending invitation letters to various organization. A time study was conducted to examine the time taken for the promotional department to prepare and mail the invitation letter.
Based on the observation, the committee hopes to develop a standard time for the task. An allowance of 15% was given to include fatigue and tiredness of the worker.
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* abnormal time. Ignore this time (possible disturbance inclue answering phone enquire)
Work element
2
1
5*
2
1
110%
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EXAMPLE 3
The following is a time study on claim processing of an insurance company. The task is divided into 4 work element.
Calculate the normal time of this task.
Calculate the standard time for the task, assuming that the allowance time is 20%.
What is the sample size needed to estimate the work element 2 with a 95% confidence level and an accuracy of 10%?
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1.45
4.05
6.50
9.25
11.75
1.2
0.0791
n = [ (1.96 /0.1) (0.0742 /0.24) ] 2 = 36.72
= 37
EXAMPLE 4
You are instructed by your operation manager to check the standard time of your organization.
Your first task is to identify the accurate sample size for observation. You wanted an accuracy of 5% with a 95% level of confidence. Standard deviation for the sample is 1.0 while the average time is 3.00 minutes.
Note: if standard deviation is not given, then you must calculate it yourself using the formula below:
s = (xi – x) 2
EXAMPLE 5
Data from an observation of a new task in KLMN Company is as follows:
If the company wants an accuracy of + 3% and a 99% confidence level, determine the number of observation needed.
Observation
Time-based system
Compensation based on time an employee has worked during a pay period
Output-based (incentive) system
Compensation based on the amount of output an employee produces during a pay period
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Fair
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Work Sampling Method – estimates the percent of the time that a worker spends on various tasks. The assumption is that the data obtain is able to generalized for the whole operations. To obtain the accurate scenario of the working condition, the number of sample size observe must be statistically correct. This is given by the formula:
Work Sampling Method
n = sample size
z = number of std deviations needed to achieve the desired confidence
e = maximum error in the estimate
p = sample proportion (number of occurrences divided by the sample size).
It is used to estimate time needed by an employee or a machine for a particular activity.
It requires random observation over a period of time. Eg can’t observe only at 2.30 pm everytime cos’ the employee may change his/her habit while being observe.
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EXAMPLE 6
The manager of a service operative organization wants to determine the ratio of idle time of its service counter staff.
A random observation by the manager yield the following data:
If the manager wants an accuracy of + 4% with a confidence level of 95%, suggest the number of observation require.
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Day
= 451
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EXAMPLE 7
Ali is a manager of a voluntary home. He estimates that his workers are idle a quarter of their time.
He wanted to conduct a work sampling which gives an accuracy of 3 % and a confidence level of 95% from his study. How many observation must he conduct to achieve the above standard?
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Observers need little training
Studies can be delayed or interrupted with little impact on results
Worker has little
chance to affect
Does not divide work elements as completely as time study
Can yield biased results if observer does not follow random pattern
Less accurate, especially when
Work Sampling
Fairness, equity, and ethics are important constraints of job design
Important issues may relate to equal opportunity, equal pay for equal work, and safe working conditions
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Church of the Holy Family (Barcelona)
Two stonecutters were asked what they were doing. The first said, ‘I’m cutting this stone into blocks.’ The second one replied, ‘I’m on a team that’s building a cathedral.’
— Old Story