2. OBJECTIVE OF STUDY:
To investigate the impact of job design on employee
motivation
INTRODUCTION:
Job design refers to any set of activities that involve
the alteration of specific jobs or interdependent
systems of jobs with the intent of improving the
quality of employees’ job experience and their on-the-
job productivity.
3. BACKGROUND
Major challenge was loss of productivity due to
absenteeism.
Increased demands for industrial democracy.
Imposition of employment legislation
In 1980s, major changes occurred like recession,
increased competition and technological
advancement.
4. JOB DESIGN APPROACHES
MECHANISTIC APPROACH
MOTIVATIONAL APPROACH
i. Job enlargement
ii. Job enrichment
iii. Job rotation
iv. Contingency approach(job characteristic model)
BIOLOGICAL APPROACH
PERCEPTUAL APPROACH
5. MECHANISTIC APPROACH
Roots from Frederick Taylor’s research on industrial
engineering and scientific management.
Employee performs same task repeatedly, so:
a) Lesser training is required
b) Mental demand is minimal
c) Lesser chances of stress and errors
Disadvantages:
a) Boredom
b) Job dissatisfaction
c) Increased turnover and absenteeism
d) Less motivation
6. MOTIVATIONAL APPROACHES
A motivational strategy is any effort to induce
employees to begin and continue activities that can
directly or indirectly improve employee productivity.
Positive outcomes of Negative aspects of
motivation approaches motivation approaches
• Employee satisfaction • Longer training time
• Improved motivation • Greater mental demands
• Reduced absenteeism leading to difficulty in
• Reduced turnover staffing
• Improved performance • Stress and mental
overload
• More chances of error
7. JOB ENLARGEMENT
Putting a variety into a job
A process of horizontal loading in which
responsibilities are increased.
Advantages:
I. Reduced level of boredom
II. Increased flexibility
III. Improved efficiency
IV. Maximal utilization of employee skills
8. JOB ROTATION
Moving an employee from one specialized job to
another
Job rotation is based on the fact that ‘change is as good
as a holiday’
Many researchers doubts if any employee could be
trained to do more than ten jobs effectively
Firms adopt job rotation for
- employee learning
- employer learning
- employee motivation
10. Difficulties in implementation
Operators do not want to ‘lend’ their equipment to
others
Unsuitable wage forms
Practical problems of physically getting from one job
to the next
Education and training of workers for new jobs
Difficulties in finding appropriate jobs to rotate to
Inappropriate use of job rotation by management
Experienced workers do not want to learn new types of
work
11. Job Enrichment
Modification of the job to provide the opportunity of
achievement, recognition, responsibility and
advancement to the employees
Job enrichment is the practical implication of
Herzberg’s Motivator Hygiene Theory
Job enrichment leads to employee motivation by
increasing the quality of work rather than quantity of
work
It increases the employees’ intrinsic motivation.
13. Job Characteristics Model(JCM)
According to the JCM, there are five core job
characteristics that affect the employee motivation
and performance
core dimensions include: skill variety, task identity,
task significance, autonomy and feedback
when designing a new job description use the job
characteristics model as checklist
14. Ways of Job Enrichment
Expose the employees to the variety of tasks
Give training to the employees. This will also cut the
cost of recruitment by developing the existing
employees for new positions in the organization
• Combine work activities to provide the “task
identity”
• Allow the team members to participate in
decision making and consider their ideas
15. Biological Approach
Biological approach to job design is developed from
the biomechanics, work psychology and ergonomics
This approach works under the assumption that if
employees’ lower needs (for safety and comfort) are
not met, their higher needs will not be motivated
Positive outcomes include :
(a) less physical effort and fatigue,
(b) lower absenteeism
(c) higher satisfaction
16. PERCEPTUAL MOTOR APPROACH
The main contributors to this approach are human
factors engineering guidelines, perceptual and
cognitive skills.
It focuses on the amount of information an employee
should have.
Ensures that a person’s mental capability and
limitations are not exceeded.
17. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS OF JOB
DESIGN APPROACHES
Approach Practical implication Designed through
1.Mechanistic approach Low level factory jobs Specialization, simplification and
defining skill requirements
2. Motivational approach Executive, managerial and Enrichment and enlargement
professional jobs
3. Behavioural approach Heavy industry or lighter Knowledge of ergonomics, focusing
repetitive jobs on biomechanics, physiology,
occupational medicine and
anthropometry to limit movement
and safety
5. Perceptual/ motor All kinds of jobs Focusing on maximizing but not
exceeding mental capabilities.
Works in tandem with three
approaches.
18. Conclusion
Findings on the topic suggest that job design has a
positive impact on employee satisfaction nd
performance .
Job design also encourages the employees’ innovative
behaviour
Each individual has different abilities, goals and desire
to learn and even they have different reactions towards
any change in an organization. While redesigning a
job, the organizations need to consider the approach
which best suits to the job that is to be redesigned.
