Job Characteristics Model Essay Example
Job Characteristics Model Essay Example

Job Characteristics Model Essay Example

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The job characteristics model was projected in the 1970s by Richard Hackman and Greg Oldham to present a comprehensive and precise description of the consequences of job design involving motivation, job satisfaction, performance, and other vital features of organizational behavior. The job characteristics model concentrates on the aspect that makes jobs intrinsically motivating. Hackman and Oldham rationalize that when employees are intrinsically motivated, good performance makes them feel good. This feeling motivates them to persist to execute at a high level, so good presentation becomes self-reinforcing. pic] Core Job Dimensions Any job has five core dimensions that influence intrinsic motivation, according to the job characteristics model. The better a work scores on each dimension, the better the degree of intrinsic motivation. 1) Skill variety refers t

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o the need to use different skills for successful completion of job tasks. More variety here generally leads to enhanced motivation. High variety: The self employed electrician, who does electrical repair, does body work, rebuilds engines, and interrelate with clients.

Low variety: A general worker who sweep the floor every day. 2) Task identity is the degree to which a work engages executing a whole piece of job from its beginning to its end. The higher the level of task identity, the more intrinsically motivated an employee is likely to be. High identity: A carpenter, who plans a piece of chair, selects the wood, builds the item, and finishes it to excellence. Low identity: A worker in a cake shop only prepares the dough for cakes and the remaining job was done by others. ) Task significance is the degree to which a job has an influence on the lives o

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job of other people inside or outside of the organization. Workers are more possible to benefit from performing their works when they think their works are significant in the broader scheme of things. High significance: Nursing the sick in an emergency unit at a hospital. Low significance: Cleaning tables in a restaurant. 4) Autonomy refers to the amount of responsibility a worker has in determining what, when and where tasks are carried out. Generally, enlarged autonomy guides to increased motivation.

High autonomy: An engineer who schedules his or her own work for the day, makes visits without supervision, and decides on the most effective techniques for a building construction. Low autonomy: A receptionist who must handle couriers and mails as they come according to a schedule, vastly specified process. 5) Feedback refers to the degree to which a task permits workers to obtain evaluation about their work. Workers enjoy hearing when clients are really pleased with the quality of their work and regular information of this type leads to more motivated employees.

High feedback: A salesperson delivered a car to his customer after he tests it to confirm if it operates as it should be. Low feedback: An electronics factory worker who assembles a DVD player and then sends it to a quality control inspector who tests it for accurate operation and makes required alteration. Critical Psychological States Hackman and Oldham planned that the five core job dimensions supply to three critical psychological states that decide how workers respond to the design of their works: experienced meaningfulness of the work, experienced responsibility for work outcomes, and knowledge of results. ) Workers who distinguish that their tasks are

high in skill variety, task identity, and task significance achieve the psychological state of experienced meaningfulness of the work. Experienced meaningfulness of the job is the extent to which workers sense their tasks are vital, valuable, and important. 2) Critical psychological state, experienced responsibility for work outcomes, is the level to which workers sense they are individually accountable or responsible for their work performance.

This psychological state stalks from the core dimension of autonomy. 3) Critical psychological state, information of outcome, is the extent to which workers know how well they execute their tasks on a constant base; it restricts from the core dimension of response. A task with characteristics that let an employee to familiarize all three critical states gives inner rewards that maintain motivation. The remuneration to the worker involves high-quality performance, higher employee pleasure, and lower absenteeism and turnover as explained below.

Work and Personal Outcomes Hackman and Oldham additionally suggested that the critical psychological states outcome in four key results for workers and their organizations: high intrinsic motivation, high job satisfaction, high job performance, and low absenteeism and turnover. 1) High intrinsic motivation - One of the main results of job design is intrinsic motivation. Workers experience the three critical psychological states and are intrinsically motivated when jobs are high on the five core dimensions.

Workers take pleasure in performing a job for its own sake when intrinsic motivation is high. Good performance makes workers feel good, and this positive feeling further motivates them to continue to perform at a high level. Poor performance cause workers feel awful, but this feeling might motivate them to try to perform at a high level. In other

words, the motivation to perform well comes from within the employee rather than from an external causes like praise from a supervisor or the promise of pay because good performance is self-reinforcing (performance is its own reward). ) High job performance - Jobs high in the five core dimensions, which direct to high points of the three critical psychological states, motivate workers to perform at a high level. 3) High job satisfaction - Hackman and Oldham explained that workers are possible to be more contented with their works when the critical psychological states are high as they will have more prospects for individual development and progress on the work. ) Low absenteeism and turnover - Hackman and Oldham explained, when workers take pleasure in performing their works, they will be less probable to be absent or resign. References / cited from: • George, Jennifer M. Understanding and Managing Organizational Behavior, 5th Edition. Pearson Custom (South Asia) (accessed on April 11, 2011) • No author. http://www. reocities. com/Athens/Forum/1650/hackmanoldham. htm (accessed on April 11, 2011) • http://jungleblog. foresightint. com/2009/05/27/employee-motivation-job-characteristics/

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