Chapter 15
Individual Performance and Job
Design
 Planning Ahead

What is the meaning of work?

What influences job satisfaction and performance?

How can jobs be enriched?

What are alternative work arrangements?

How can job and work stress be managed?
1

The Meaning of Work
 Psychological
Contracts

Informal understanding about what an individual gives to and receives from an organization
2

The Meaning of Work
 Psychological
Contracts

Ideal work situation is one that is considered fair

When contract is broken, morale problems develop
3

The Meaning of Work
 Work-Life
Balance
 fit between one’s job and personal or family needs
 stress occurs if there is not balance between work and personal life
4

Job Satisfaction and
Performance
 Job
 collection of tasks performed in support of organizational objectives
 Job Design
 process of creating or defining jobs by assigning specific work tasks to individuals and groups
5

Job Satisfaction and
Performance
 Job Satisfaction
 degree to which an individual feels positively or negatively about various aspects of the job
 less turnover and absenteeism among satisfied workers
6

Job Satisfaction and
Performance
 Job Involvement
 extent to which an individual is dedicated to a job
 Organizational commitment
 loyalty of individual to the organization
7

Job Satisfaction and
Performance
 Job Performance
 quantity and quality of tasks accomplished by an individual or group at work
 value-added criterion
8

Job Satisfaction and
Performance

igh-performance equation:
Performance = Ability x Support x Effort
9

Job Satisfaction and
Performance




10

Job Design Issues and
Alternatives
 Job Simplification
 standardizing work procedures
 employing people in well-defined tasks
 can result in boredom
 extreme form is automation
11

Job Satisfaction and
Performance
 Job Rotation and Job
Enlargement

Job Rotation
 increases task variety by shifting workers between different jobs
– regular
– periodically
 keeps managers informed about job demands
12

Job Satisfaction and
Performance


Job Enlargement
 increases task variety by combining two or more tasks previously assigned to other workers
– horizontal loading
13

Job Satisfaction and
Performance

 building more opportunities for satisfaction into a job
 job depth (vertical loading)
14


 diagnostic approach to job enrichment.
 five core job characteristics.
 job high in core characteristics is enriched.
15

Job Enrichment
 Core Characteristics of Job
Characteristics Model
 skill variety
 task identity
 task significance
 autonomy
 feedback
16

Job Enrichment
 Critical Psychological States of
Job Characteristics Model
 meaningfulness of work
 responsibilities for work outcomes
 knowledge of actual results of work activities
17

Job Enrichment
 Job satisfaction is influenced by psychological states
 Psychological states are influenced by core job characteristics
 Not everyone is affected in the same way
18

Job Enrichment
 Improving Core Characteristics
 form natural work units
 combine tasks
 establish client relationships
 open feedback channels
 practice vertical loading
19

Job Enrichment
 Technology and Job Enrichment

Sociotechnical Systems
 using technology to best advantage, while treating people with respect

Robotics
 use of computer controlled machines to completely automate work tasks
20

Alternative Work
Arrangements
 Compressed Workweek
 schedule that allows a full-time job to be completed in less than standard 5 days of 8-hour shifts
21

Alternative Work
Arrangements
 4-40 (also known as 4-10)
 employees work 4 days, 10 hours each day
 increased leisure time, lower commuting costs
 increased fatigue, family scheduling problems, union objections
22

Alternative Work
Arrangements
 Flexible Working Hours
 any work schedule which gives employees some choice in daily work hours
 core time - all employees must be at work
 allows employees to schedule around personal and family responsibilities
23

Alternative Work
Arrangements
 Job Sharing
 one job is split between two or more persons
 daily, weekly or monthly arrangements
 Work Sharing
 agreement between employees to cut back work hours to avoid layoffs or termination
24

Alternative Work
Arrangements
 Telecommuting
 work arrangement that allows a portion of scheduled work hours to be completed outside of the office
25

Alternative Work
Arrangements


Advantages
 reduced commuting
 increase productivity
 fewer work distractions
 flexible hours
26

Alternative Work
Arrangements


Disadvantages
 loss of visibility for promotion
 working too much
 difficulty separating work and personal life
27

Alternative Work
Arrangements
 Part-Time Work
 work less than 40 hours and does not qualify employee as full-time
 contingency workers
 part-timers who supplement fulltime workforce, often on a long term basis
28

Stress and Stress
Management
 Stress
 state of tension experience by individuals facing extraordinary demands, constraints or opportunities
29

Stress and Stress
Management
 Sources of Stress
 work factors
 too high or too low task demands
 role conflicts or ambiguities
 poor interpersonal relations
 too slow or too fast career progress
30

Stress and Stress
Management
 Sources of Stress
 personal factors

Type A personality
 nonwork factors
 family events
 economics
 personal affairs
31

Stress and Stress
Management

 constructive stress
 acts as a positive influence
– increased effort, creativity, productivity
 destructive
 acts as a negative influence
– increased absenteeism, turnover, errors, illness
– decreased productivity
32

Stress and Stress
Management
 Managers should be skilled at dealing with workplace stress
 humanitarianism
 productivity
 creativity
 return on investment
33

Stress and Stress
Management
 Personal Wellness
 pursuit of personal and mental potential though a personal healthpromotion program
 exercise/physical fitness
 smoking control
 health risk appraisals
 nutrition education
 high blood pressure control 34