Job Characteristics Model

1
Job Characteristics Model

• Task Identity
• Extent to which employees complete a whole,
  identifiable piece of work
• Job Feedback
• Extent to which completing a task provides clear
  timely performance feedback
• Autonomy
• Extent of freedom and discretion available to
  determine how to perform the job

2
Job Characteristics Model (cont)

• Skill Variety
• Extent to which job requires a range of
  competencies and abilities
• Task Significance
• Extent to which employees impact others and the
  company

3
The Job Characteristics Model
Personal and Work Outcomes
Core Job Dimensions
Critical Psychological States
Skill variety Task identify Task significance
Experienced meaningfulness of the work
High internal work motivation High-quality work
performance High satisfaction with the work Low
absenteeism and turnover
Experienced responsibility for outcomes of the
work
Autonomy
Knowledge of the actual results of the work
activities
Feedback
Employee Growth Need Strength
4
Examples of High and Low Job Characteristics

• Characteristics Examples
• Skill Variety
• High variety The owner-operator of a garage who
  does electrical repair, rebuilds engines,
• does body work, and interacts with customers
• Low variety A bodyshop worker who sprays paint
  eight hours a day
• Task Identity
• High identity A cabinetmaker who designs a
  pieces of furniture, selects the wood, builds the
  object, and finishes it to perfection
• Low identity A worker in a furniture factory
  who operates a lathe to make table legs
• Task Significance
• High significance Nursing the sick in a
  hospital intensive care unit
• Low significance Sweeping hospital floors
• Autonomy
• High autonomy A telephone installer who
  schedules his or her own work for the day, and
  decides on the best techniques for a particular
  installation
• Low autonomy A telephone operator who must
  handle calls as they come according to a
  routine, highly specified procedure
• Feedback
• High feedback An electronics factory worker who
  assembles a radio and then tests it to
• determine if it operates properly
• Low feedback An electronics factory worker who
  assembles a radio and then routes it to a
  quality control inspector who tests and adjusts
  it

5
JCM Assembly Line Application

• Changes in management philosophy?
• Changes in how the work was done?
• Outcomes for the organization?
• Outcomes for the employees managers?

6
(No Transcript)
7
Need Theories of Motivation

• Maslows Hierarchy
• Mclellands Theory of Needs (read these)
• Achievement
• Power
• Affiliation

8
Assumptions of Maslows Theory

• Five needs arranged in a hierarchy
• Lower order needs
• Similar to hygiene factors
• Higher order needs
• Similar to motivator factors
• Unfulfilled needs motivate behavior
• Start at the bottom and move up

9
Maslows Hierarchy

• Physiological
• Basic needs (food shelter) satisfied through
  wages
• Security
• Basic protection from threats
• safe working conditions, job security (move to
  employability based security)
• Social
• Feeling welcomed, part of the group or
  organization

10
Maslows Hierarchy (Continued

• Esteem
• Feeling your work is appreciated by others
  Recognition from others
• Awards, public recognition
• Informal recognition, communicating that a job is
  well done
• Self-Actualization
• Achieving ones potential
• Doing work that is of critical importance to you
• Self-development growth is being maximized