Jeffrey a mello 4e chapter 6 design and redesign of work systems

Design of Work SystemsDesign of Work Systems • Job Specialization – Creates jobs with very narrow task activity assignments – Resulted in high efficiency, quickly achieved job competency

DESIGN AND REDESIGN OF

WORK SYSTEMS

Design of Work Systems

Design of Work Systems

• Job Specialization

– Creates jobs with very narrow task (activity) assignments

– Resulted in high efficiency, quickly achieved job competency, low

training costs, but created monotonous jobs

• Job Enlargement

– An increase in task variety to relieve boredom

• Job Rotation

– Employees moved across different specialized positions

– Enlargement & rotation add variety but not necessarily responsibility

• Job Specialization

– Creates jobs with very narrow task (activity) assignments

– Resulted in high efficiency, quickly achieved job competency, low

training costs, but created monotonous jobs

• Job Enlargement

– An increase in task variety to relieve boredom

• Job Rotation

– Employees moved across different specialized positions

– Enlargement & rotation add variety but not necessarily responsibility

Design of Work Systems

Design of Work Systems

• Job Enrichment

– Increasing amount of responsibility for quality &

productivity that employees have for their own work

• Vertical Loading

– Reassignment of job responsibility formerly

delegated to supervisor to employee

• Job Enrichment

– Increasing amount of responsibility for quality &

productivity that employees have for their own work

• Vertical Loading

– Reassignment of job responsibility formerly

delegated to supervisor to employee

Five Core Job Characteristics

Five Core Job Characteristics

• Skill variety

–Extent to which work allows

employee to use variety of skills

• Task identity

–Extent to which work allows

employee to complete whole or

identifiable piece of work

• Task significance

–Extent to which employee

perceives that work is important

& meaningful to those inside or

outside organization

• Skill variety

–Extent to which work allows

employee to use variety of skills

• Task identity

–Extent to which work allows

employee to complete whole or

identifiable piece of work

• Task significance

–Extent to which employee

perceives that work is important

& meaningful to those inside or

outside organization

–Extent to which employee is able

to work & determine work procedure at own discretion

–Extent to which work allows

employee to gain sense of how well job responsibilities are met

–Extent to which employee is able

to work & determine work procedure at own discretion

–Extent to which work allows

employee to gain sense of how well job responsibilities are met

What Workers Need

What Workers Need

& life styles

– Worker needs vary by age,

gender, race, religion,

physical abilities, sexual

orientation, & marital & family

& life styles

– Worker needs vary by age,

gender, race, religion,

physical abilities, sexual

orientation, & marital & family

– Workers want to be involved

in work-related issues & expect organization to listen

to concerns

• Employee concerns

about safety in workplace

– Workers want safe,

hazard-free working environment

• Employee needs

representation (“voice”)

– Workers want to be involved

in work-related issues &

expect organization to listen

to concerns

about safety in workplace

– Workers want safe,

hazard-free working environment

Types of Task Interdependence

Types of Task Interdependence

• Pooled interdependence

– Individual employees work

independently of each other

in performing tasks but utilize

coordination of activities

• Sequential

interdependence

– Work in process flow is linear,

from one individual to another

– One individual depends on

timely completion of quality

work from another coworker

• Pooled interdependence

– Individual employees work

independently of each other

in performing tasks but utilize

coordination of activities

• Sequential

interdependence

– Work in process flow is linear,

from one individual to another

– One individual depends on

timely completion of quality

work from another coworker

• Reciprocal

interdependence

– Workflow is random– Responds to immediate

situation

– Employees have joint &

shared responsibilities for work

• Higher levels of

interdependence require higher levels of

coordination & attention

• Reciprocal

interdependence

– Workflow is random– Responds to immediate

situation

– Employees have joint &

shared responsibilities for work

• Higher levels of

interdependence require higher levels of

coordination & attention

Redesign of Work Systems

Redesign of Work Systems

• Current & future work systems more broadly defined

& more closely related to strategic choices

• Workers becoming more involved in design &

reengineering of jobs

• Cross-function teams strategically beneficial

– Also create challenges in effectively managing themselves

• Employees raised in individualistic cultures need

training to be effective team members

• Employees typically go through a life cycle which

addresses critical psychological and motivational states which may affect performance and productivity

• Current & future work systems more broadly defined

& more closely related to strategic choices

• Workers becoming more involved in design &

reengineering of jobs

• Cross-function teams strategically beneficial

– Also create challenges in effectively managing themselves

• Employees raised in individualistic cultures need

training to be effective team members

• Employees typically go through a life cycle which

addresses critical psychological and motivational states which may affect performance and productivity

Outsourcing

• Involves contracting out some of organization’s noncore work

activities to outside specialists

– Can do work more effectively

– Often for less than cost of doing work in-house

• Areas frequently outsourced:

• Involves contracting out some of organization’s noncore work

activities to outside specialists

– Can do work more effectively

– Often for less than cost of doing work in-house

• Areas frequently outsourced:

– Whether contractor can deliver

– Compliance with laws

– Impacts on employees whose jobs might be lost – Impacts on morale of remaining employees

• Can free up HR staff to focus on more

strategic issues

• Considerations:

– Cost savings

– Whether contractor can deliver

– Compliance with laws

– Impacts on employees whose jobs might be lost – Impacts on morale of remaining employees

Offshoring Offshoring

• Involves exporting tasks & jobs to countries where labor costs

significantly less than in U.S.

• India remains largest market

• Wages approximately 10% of those paid in U.S.

– Often considered good by local standards

• Challenge of managing virtual global teams

• Need for tight organizational & operational control to ensure

coordination & communication

• Involves exporting tasks & jobs to countries where labor costs

significantly less than in U.S.

• India remains largest market

• Wages approximately 10% of those paid in U.S.

– Often considered good by local standards

• Challenge of managing virtual global teams

• Need for tight organizational & operational control to ensure

coordination & communication

Offshoring Offshoring

Mergers & Acquisitions

Mergers & Acquisitions

• Mergers pursued for a variety of

reasons:

– Economies of scale in operations

– Consolidation in saturated markets

– Improving competitive position through larger asset

base

• Two thirds of mergers fail

– Largely because of inability to merge cultural &

other human factors

• Mergers pursued for a variety of

reasons:

– Economies of scale in operations

– Consolidation in saturated markets

– Improving competitive position through larger asset

base

• Two thirds of mergers fail

– Largely because of inability to merge cultural &

other human factors

Technology Issues and Challenges

measurement system is key

– Deciding which employees

will be offered participation

– Equipment expense– Some managers

uncomfortable having direct reports away from office

• Issues affecting success

of telework programs

– Clear performance

measurement system is key

– Deciding which employees

will be offered participation

– Equipment expense– Some managers

uncomfortable having direct reports away from office

Employee Surveillance and

• Under Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA) employees

have only limited privacy rights

• More than 80% of large employers utilize monitoring technology

• Under Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA) employees

have only limited privacy rights

E-HR

• Opportunity to deliver transactional

types of services online

• Opportunity to deliver transactional

types of services online

Social Networking

Social Networking

employers can reap benefits of social networking to promote

communication, particularly among remote workers

can be done through public social networking sites such as facebook

or on an organization’s in-house intranet

employers can reap benefits of social networking to promote

communication, particularly among remote workers

can be done through public social networking sites such as facebook

or on an organization’s in-house intranet

Barriers to Change

Barriers to Change

• Disrupting status quo may be met with resistance by both

employees and managers

• Costs & reallocation of resources

• Employees will resist change unless they

– Perceive need to change

– See benefits from change

• Risk & uncertainty; no guarantee of improvements

• Poor coordination & communication can undermine change

initiatives

• Disrupting status quo may be met with resistance by both

employees and managers

• Costs & reallocation of resources

• Employees will resist change unless they

– Perceive need to change

– See benefits from change

• Risk & uncertainty; no guarantee of improvements

• Poor coordination & communication can undermine change

initiatives

Overcoming Resistance to Change

Overcoming Resistance to Change

• Promote & implement change so it

provides benefits to those impacted

• Involve employees in change process to

increase their commitment to change

• Open, two-way communication

– Early before change decisions are made

– Dispel rumors

– Increase trust & acceptance of change by keeping

employees informed & asking for input

• Promote & implement change so it

provides benefits to those impacted

• Involve employees in change process to

increase their commitment to change

• Open, two-way communication

– Early before change decisions are made

– Dispel rumors

– Increase trust & acceptance of change by keeping

employees informed & asking for input

Reading 6-1 Using Outsourcing for Strategic Competitiveness in Small and

Medium-sized Firms

Reading 6-1 Using Outsourcing for Strategic Competitiveness in Small and

Most outsourcing has been done by larger firms yet small and

medium-sized organizations can take advantage of outsourcing to enhance their competitive advantage

Outsourcing originated in the manufacturing sector but has spread and is growing widely in the service sector

80% of Fortune 500 organizations outsource into a $386 billion

annual market

Most outsourcing has been done by larger firms yet small and

medium-sized organizations can take advantage of outsourcing to enhance their competitive advantage

Reading 6-1Using Outsourcing for Strategic Competitiveness in Small

and Medium-sized Firms

Reading 6-1Using Outsourcing for Strategic Competitiveness in Small

and Medium-sized Firms

Outsourcing matrix considers organizational activities by strategic importance (core or non-core) as well as by outsourcing role

(supplementary or complementary)

Supplementary outsourcing is that which leads to the replacement of

an activity being conducted within the firm while complementary outsourcing leads to supporting an activity being done within the firm so that its delivery become more effective

Outsourcing matrix considers organizational activities by strategic importance (core or non-core) as well as by outsourcing role

(supplementary or complementary)

Supplementary outsourcing is that which leads to the replacement of

an activity being conducted within the firm while complementary outsourcing leads to supporting an activity being done within the firm so that its delivery become more effective

Reading 6-1Using Outsourcing for Strategic Competitiveness in Small

and Medium-sized Firms

Reading 6-1Using Outsourcing for Strategic Competitiveness in Small

and Medium-sized Firms

Reading 6-1Using Outsourcing for Strategic Competitiveness in Small

and Medium-sized Firms

Reading 6-1Using Outsourcing for Strategic Competitiveness in Small

and Medium-sized Firms

• Cell 1 outsources non-core supplementary activities and provides

enhanced efficiency

• Cell 2 outsources non-core complementary activities and provides

synergy and legitimacy

• Cell 3 outsources core complementary activities and enhances

activities of strategic importance

Cell 3 outsourcing is more risky than that of Cells 1 or 2

• Cell 1 outsources non-core supplementary activities and provides

enhanced efficiency

• Cell 2 outsources non-core complementary activities and provides

synergy and legitimacy

• Cell 3 outsources core complementary activities and enhances

activities of strategic importance

Cell 3 outsourcing is more risky than that of Cells 1 or 2

Reading 6-2: Monitoring Employee E-mails: Is

There Any Room for Privacy?

Reading 6-2: Monitoring Employee E-mails: Is

There Any Room for Privacy?

Employers generally assume the expense and effort associated with monitoring employee e-mails for three reasons; (a) protecting the firm from liability risks, (b) protecting company assets, and (c) ensuring job performance.

Employees and employee advocates have raised privacy concerns around this monitoring but, to date, employers have prevailed in every case in which they have been accused of violating employee privacy rights

Employers can face more stringent conditions on monitoring

employee e-mail and different cultural expectations about privacy, particularly in the European Union

There can also be behavior and performance consequences

associated with monitoring

Employers generally assume the expense and effort associated with monitoring employee e-mails for three reasons; (a) protecting the firm from liability risks, (b) protecting company assets, and (c)

ensuring job performance.

Employees and employee advocates have raised privacy concerns

around this monitoring but, to date, employers have prevailed in every case in which they have been accused of violating employee privacy rights

Employers can face more stringent conditions on monitoring

employee e-mail and different cultural expectations about privacy, particularly in the European Union

There can also be behavior and performance consequences

associated with monitoring

Reading 6-2: Monitoring Employee E-mails: Is

There Any Room for Privacy?

Reading 6-2: Monitoring Employee E-mails: Is

There Any Room for Privacy?