Davin Shing
Non-instructional Intervention Project
Work Design Interventions
Definition and Description
Work Design (or job design) is the blueprint of tasks required to
accomplish a job successfully; the purpose of the intervention is to
structure the job to improve organization efficiency and employee
satisfaction.
Job design is a combination of the following components according to
Sherman, Bohlander and Snell:
Components
of Job Design
Industrial
Engineering concerns
(Efficient production
processes and work
method improvements)
Organizational Objectives
(Tasks, duties, job responsibilities
to be performed)
Job Design
Human Engineering
concerns
(Human capes and
limitations)
Quality-of-work Changes
(Favorable work environment thru
physical, psychological and social
improvements)
The interventions are further defined by, but not limited to the
following concepts:
Ergonomics: the relationship between workers, their equipment and
the work environment; physical ergonomics involves the active part of
performance, while cognitive ergonomics supports the mental work
environment
Preventive Maintenance: Proactively scheduling to work on the
equipment
Work Methods: Optimizing resources to work efficiently toward the
company’s mission and product/service
Davin Shing
Non-instructional Intervention Project
Value Engineering: The redesigning of parts, products, processes or
services in an effort to meet customer needs and reduce costs
Safety Engineering: Maintaining a safe work environment and
meeting OSHA requirements; accident prevention
Quality: (control, management and assurance) a system of values,
concepts and methods for maximizing value. It involves evaluating the
quality of performance, comparing actual performance to quality goals
and then acting on the differences
Continuous Improvement: Doing the job right the first time; the
continuous improvements made to a company’s inputs, processes and
out puts
Interface Design: The “smooth and easy” interaction of workers,
machinery and the working processes
Teamwork and Collaboration: Researching, developing ideas from a
group, working with other groups
Case Study Example-Redesigning the Workspace
This example would affect the human engineering concerns and the
industrial engineering concerns in the Components of Design Model. In
2004 Cisco initiated a redesign of one of its headquarters buildings in
san Jose. The redesign was aimed at improving employee satisfaction,
improving productivity and efficiency and improving the overall
environment within and outside of the location. The overhaul changed
a typical cubical environment to open spaces, meeting rooms and
rooms for cognitive work. They installed a wireless computer system to
allow workers to be flexible in how they conducted their work daily. A
year later, the company noted a significant improvement:
“They felt the new working environment had improved their
productivity and enhanced their ability to collaborate with other team
members and between teams.” The design also became the prototype
for redesigning its other locations.
http://www.cisco.com/web/about/ac227/ac111/cisco_and_the_environment/operations.html
Davin Shing
Non-instructional Intervention Project
Case Study Example-Quality of Life Improvements
This example would affect the quality of work changes in the
Components of Design Model. This article focuses on several concepts
that aim at making daily work routines “fun” and more time
advantageous for employees. Canadian employers have come up with
some out of the box ideas to get the job done more efficiently as well
as make their employees happier. An elaborate breakfast on sitefacility, organized fun events at the workplace, soft flextime schedules,
work-from-home situations are all offered as culture changes that
decreases stress, provide more work stimulation, improve work
environment and productivity, and create super-happy employees!
http://www.theizzogroup.com/pdfs/MacleansMagazine-Redesigning_Work.pdf
Consultants, Researchers and Writers

Sherman A., Bohlander, G. and Snell, S., Managing Human
Resources (job design)

W. Edwards Deming, Jospeh M. Juran, Philip B. Crosby (continuous
improvement)

Kearny, Lynn, founder of Human Performance Management, and
Phyl Smith (Workplace Design for Creative Thinking) Designing
Workplaces Where People Can Think.

Becker F., and Steel, F., Workplace by design: Mapping the highperformance workscape (Becker, Franklin, Ph.D., Director of the
International Workplace Studies Program, Chairman of the
Department of Design and Environmental Analysis in NYS College of
Human Ecology, Cornell University)

Ostrom, L., Creating the ergonomically sound workplace

Hale, Judith, Performance Consultant's Fieldbook: Tools and
techniques for improving organizations and people
Trends, Hot Topics and Buzzwords
Alternative design-Non-traditional type office organization, where
the focus is on optimizing the work environment for the right activities.
Collaboration in an open spaced office; private areas where cognitive
ergonomics can be optimized.
Davin Shing
Non-instructional Intervention Project
Integrated Workplace Strategy (IWS) - a strategy to optimize the
workplace settings, when and where employees choose to work, as
well as creating high performance workplace systems where
technology, organization and management are balanced.
Ergonomic interventions: Making adjustments to current processes
in the work environment and organization, the application of total
quality management.
Sources
Corporate culture and office design article (from lecture)
http://www.designmatters.net/features/0603power.html
Work effectiveness and office type Cornell University study article (also
from lecture)
http://iwsp.human.cornell.edu/pubs/excerpts/odws_excerpt2.HTML
Job Design by Roberto Encarnación
http://edweb.sdsu.edu/people/ARossett/pie/Interventions/jobdesign_2.htm
An Ergonomics Approach to Avoiding Workplace Injury
http://www.aiha.org/Content/AccessInfo/consumer/AnErgonomicsApproachtoAvoidingWorkplaceInjury.ht
m
International Workspace Strategies Studies Program
http://iwsp.human.cornell.edu/research/default.html
Occupational Ergonomics: Principles of Work Design (2003).
Karwowski, Waldemar and Marras, William S.
http://www.nexgenergo.com/ergocenter/refs.html