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Chapter 14

Work Design

1-Describe the engineering approach to work design.

2-Explore and evaluate the motivational approach to work design.

3-Discuss and apply the principles of sociotechnical systems work design.

4-Learn how to design work to meet technical and personal needs.

The Engineering Approach

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The Engineering

Approach

The most efficient work designs can be determined by clearly specifying the tasks

to be performed, the work methods to be used, and the work flow among

individuals.

1The engineering approach scientifically analyzes workers’ tasks to discover those procedures

that produce the maximum output with the minimum input of energies and resources.

2 Emphasize high levels of specialization and specification.

3 What are the benefits of engineering approach to work designs?

4The engineering approach produces two kinds of work design one is traditional jobs and the

second is traditional work groups.

5 What are the limitations of engineering approach to work designs?

The Motivational Approach

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The Motivational

Approach

It views the effectiveness of organizational activities primarily as a function of

member needs and satisfaction, and seeks to improve employee performance and

satisfaction by enriching jobs.

1Provides people with opportunities for autonomy, responsibility, closure (that is, doing a

complete job), and performance feedback.

2 The weaknesses of old approaches “Herzberg’s motivation and hygiene factors”.

3 The new approach “Hackman and Oldham job characteristics model”.

Skill variety – task identity – task significance – autonomy – feedback.

The Motivational Approach

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The Core Dimensions of Jobs

The Motivational Approach

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Application Stages

1 Making a Thorough Diagnosis. 2 Forming Natural Work Units.

3 Combining Tasks. 4 Establishing Client Relationships.

5 Vertical Loading. 6 Opening Feedback Channels.

The Motivational Approach

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Barriers to Job Enrichment

1 The technical system.

2 The human resource system.

3 The control system.

4 The supervisory system.

Results of Job Enrichment

The Sociotechnical Systems Approach

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Conceptual Background

STSAn organization or work unit is a combined, social-plus-technical system

(sociotechnical), and that this system is open in relation to its environment.

1 Sociotechnical System (a social part + a technical part = joint optimization).

2 Environmental Relationship (boundary management).

The Sociotechnical Systems Approach

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Self Managed Work Teams

Self Managed

Work Teamsmembers performing interrelated tasks and they are responsible for a complete

product or service, or a major part of a larger production process.

1 How they work?

2 Hay it is widely used?

Also known as

Self directed teams - self regulating teams – high performance work teams

The Sociotechnical Systems Approach

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Self Managed Work Teams

“Model”

The Sociotechnical Systems Approach

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Self Managed Work Teams

“How to over come problems and barriers?”

1 Recruitment and selection.

2 Training.

3 Evaluation and reward systems.

4 Leadership support systems.

5 Use of freed-up time.

The Sociotechnical Systems Approach

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Self Managed Work Teams

“Application Stages”

1 Sanctioning the design effort. 2 Diagnosing the work system.

3 Generating appropriate designs. 4 Specifying support systems.

5Implementing and evaluating the work

designs.6 Continual change and improvement.

Results of Self Managed Work Teams

Designing Work for Technical and

Personal Needs

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Technical Factors

Designing Work for Technical and

Personal Needs

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Personal Need Factors

Designing Work for Technical and

Personal Needs

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Meeting Both Technical and Personal Needs

1The ideal situation (satisfying both technical and human needs to achieve work-design success)

is difficult to attain.

2 What to do technology and people are incompatible?

3The strategy of designing work to bring technology and people more into line with each other is

preferable to the compromise work-design strategy.

a First strategy change. (what?). bSecond strategy compromise. (what

& How?).