Design of Work Systems

DESIGN OF WORK SYSTEMS
First, a company determines its objectives, and then it develops an operations

strategy to achieve those objectives. Part of the operations strategy is designing a
work system, which provides the structure for the productivity of the company.
The work system includes job design, work measurement, and worker
compensation. The company determines the purpose of each job, what the job
consists of, and the cost of the employees to do the job. A job must add value and
enable the company to achieve its objectives.
Suppose your company is an organization with an objective to operate a fancy,

upscale restaurant. To achieve its objective, the restaurant must define a set of
jobs, the tasks each job consists of, and a system for evaluating the employee's
performance in the job. The set of jobs at your restaurant would include a chef, a
trained kitchen staff, a professional wait staff, a maitre d’, a wine steward, and so
forth. The chef's tasks would include developing the food motif and menu, for
example. The performance measurement would be based on revenue.
Design of Work Systems is an important component in Production and Operations

Management. Design of Work Systems forms the basis and explains the
importance of work design. Design of Work Systems is used to describe the two
basic approaches to job design, the first approach focuses on Efficiency through
job specialization and the other focuses behavioral approaches to job design.
Design of Work System also entails method analysis which in turn centers on how
jobs are performed. Motivation and Trust also form an important dimension in
Design of Work systems as this alone provides an opportunity to the Organization
to develop effective teams who can achieve organizations short- and long-term
objectives. Motivation and Trust observations also emphasizes working conditions
that in turn lead to work measurements which leads to reward and compensation
of the individual working for the organization. In short, this topic of Design of Work
Systems provides the perfect bridge between Production and Operations
Management with Human Resource Management.
Work System Design consists of job design, work measurement and establishment
of time standards and worker compensation. The interesting fact is that even in
decisions in other areas of design can affect the work design system or even a
change in the work design system can change the decisions in other areas. Like
Product or Service design will affect Design of Work Systems. Layout Decisions will
also affect Design of Systems. It is thus logical to ensure that SYSTEMS approach is
followed in a decision for DESIGN, so a decision in one part of the system is equally
replicated and acceptable to all the system. E.g. Product or Service Design would
require proper people with standardized job description.
Job Design
Job design involves specifying the content and methods of job. In general the goal
of the job design is to create a work system that is not only productive but also
efficient.
 What will be done
 Who will do the job
 How the job will be done
 Where the job will be done
 Ergonomics
A successful Job Design must have the following qualities

 Carried out by experienced personnel who have the necessary training and
background.
 Consistent with the goals of the organization.
 In documented form.
 Understood and agreed by both management and employees.
 Shared with the new employees.
 Factors that affect Job Design
Specialization
 The terms specialization refers to work that concentrates on some aspect of
a product or service.
 Jobs that have a narrow scope. Assembly lines, medical specialties, MBA
courses. Specialization jobs tend to yield high productivity, low unit costs
and lead to high standard of living.
 in most of the industrial nations.
 Specialization in Business: Advantages
 Disadvantages
Behavioral Approaches to Job Design
 JOB ENLARGEMENT
Job enlargement is a job design technique wherein there is an increase in the
number of tasks associated with a certain job. In other words, it means increasing
the scope of one’s duties and responsibilities. The increase in scope is quantitative
in nature and not qualitative and at the same level.
Job enlargement is a horizontal restructuring method that aims at increase in the

workforce flexibility and at the same time reducing monotony that may creep up
over a period of time. It is also known as horizontal loading in that the
responsibilities increase at the same level and not vertically.
Many believe that since the enlargement is horizontal in nature there is not a great
need for training! Contrary to this, job enlargement requires appropriate training
especially on time and people management. Task related training is not required
much since the person is already aware of the same or doing it for some time.
Benefits of Job Enlargement
The following are the major benefits of Job enlargement:
1. Reduced Monotony
Howsoever interesting the job may appear in the beginning, sooner or later
people complain of boredom and monotony. Job enlargement if planned
carefully can help reduce boredom and make it more satisfying and fulfilling
for the employees.
2. Increased Work Flexibility
There is an addition to the number of tasks an individual performs. There is
thus an increased scope of carrying out tasks that are versatile and yet very
similar in certain aspects.
3. No Skills Training Required

Since the individual has already been performing the task in the past, there
is no great requirement for imparting of new skills. However, people and
time management interventions may be required. The job thus gets more
motivational for the one performing it.
Job Enrichment and Job Enlargement
1. The difference between job enrichment and job enlargement is essentially

of quantity and quality. Whereas job enlargement means increasing the
scope of job quantitatively by adding up more tasks, job enrichment means
improvement in the quality of job such that employees are more satisfied
and fulfilled.
2. Through job enrichment an employee finds satisfaction and contentment in
his job and through job enlargement employee feels more responsible and
worthwhile in the organization.
3. Job enrichment entails the functions of planning and organizing and
enlargement involves execution of the same. Both complement each other,
in that job enrichment empowers and enlargement executes.
4. Job enrichment depends upon job enlargement for success and the reverse
in not true.
5. Job enrichment means a vertical expansion in duties and responsibilities and
span of control whereas in job enlargement the expansion is horizontal in
nature.
Job enrichment has been found to have greater impact in terms of motivation
when compared to job enlargement. Since enrichment gives employee greater
insights in managerial functioning and a better work profile, it is looked upon as an
indicator of growth and development. The same is not true in case of job
enlargement which is seen as an employer tactic to increase the workload.
 JOB ROTATION
Job Rotation is a management approach where employees are shifted between
two or more assignments or jobs at regular intervals of time in order to expose
them to all verticals of an organization. It is a pre-planned approach with an
objective to test the employee skills and competencies in order to place him or her
at the right place. In addition to it, it reduces the monotony of the job and gives
them a wider experience and helps them gain more insights.
Job rotation is a well-planned practice to reduce the boredom of doing same type
of job every day and explore the hidden potential of an employee. The process
serves the purpose of both the management and the employees. It helps
management in discovering the talent of employees and determining what he or
she is best at. On the other hand, it gives an individual a chance to explore his or
her own interests and gain experience in different fields or operations.
Job Rotation Objectives
1. Reducing Monotony of the Job

The first and foremost objective of job rotation is to reduce the monotony and
repetitiveness involved in a job. It allows employees to experience different type of
jobs and motivates them to perform well at each stage of job replacement.
2. Succession Planning
The concept of succession planning is ‘Who will replace whom’. Its main function
of job rotation is to develop a pool of employees who can be placed at a senior
level when someone gets retired or leaves the organization. The idea is to create
an immediate replacement of a high-worth employee from within the
organization.
3. Creating Right-Employee Job Fit

The success of an organization depends on the on-job productivity of its
employees. If they’re rightly placed, they will be able to give the maximum output.
In case, they are not assigned the job that they are good at, it creates a real big
problem for both employee as well as organization. Therefore, fitting a right
person in right vacancy is one of the main objectives of job rotation.
4. Exposing Workers to All Verticals of the Company

Another main function of job rotation process is to exposing workers to all verticals
or operations of the organization in order to make them aware how company
operates and how tasks are performed. It gives them a chance to understand the
working of the organization and different issues that crop up while working.
5. Testing Employee Skills and Competencies

Testing and analyzing employee skills and competencies and then assigning them
the work that they excel at is one of the major functions of job rotation process. It
is done by moving them to different jobs and assignments and determining their
proficiency and aptitude. Placing them what they are best at increases their on-job
productivity.
6. Developing a Wider Range of Work Experience

Employees, usually don’t want to change their area of operations. Once they start
performing a specific task, they don’t want to shift from their comfort zone.
Through job rotation, managers prepare them in advance to have a wider range of
work experience and develop different skills and competencies. It is necessary for
an overall development of an individual. Along with this, they understand the
problems of various departments and try to adjust or adapt accordingly.
JOB ENRICHMENT
Job enrichment is a common motivational technique used by organizations to give
an employee greater satisfaction in his work. It means giving an employee
additional responsibility previously reserved for his manager or other higher-
ranking positions. In essence, an enriched job gives the employee more self-
management in his duties.
The Job Enrichment is the job design technique used to increase the satisfaction
among the employees by delegating higher authority and responsibility to them
and thereby enabling them to use their abilities to the fullest.
In other words, job enrichment is the opportunity given to the employees to
explore their abilities when some tough task is assigned to them. The job
enrichment is the vertical restructuring of moral excellence in which more
authority, autonomy, control is given to the employees to perform a given set of a
job. This concept is in contrast to the job enlargement which considers the
horizontal restructuring, where more and more tasks get added, and the challenge
remains the same.
Thus, job enrichment is characterized by the different range of tasks and

challenges having varying levels of difficulties. The organization can realize benefits
through this job design technique in any of the following ways:
 With an increase in the employee morale, the more motivated, he gets to

produce top results and hence, the profitability of the firm increases.
 When the employees bear more responsibility for their work and results, it
becomes quite easy for the organization to operate.
 By giving authority to the employees to perform higher level jobs, the
company is preparing its employees to occupy those high-level positions in
the near future.
 Also, with the job enrichment, the number of levels in the management may
reduce, thereby minimizing the complexity of the organization.
The purpose behind the job enrichment is to motivate the employees to use their
abilities which remained unused during their course of action. Also, through job
enrichment, the monotony breaks and the employees get the opportunity to do
something new, which ultimately results in the increased satisfaction levels.
MOTIVATION
The importance of these approaches to job design is that they have the potential
to increase the motivational power of jobs by increasing worker satisfaction
through improvement in quality of work life. Motivation always influences quality
and productivity. It contributes to work environment where as Trust influences
productivity and employee-management relations
Key Elements of Job Design
To understand job design, it is helpful to identify some key elements and their
relationship with job design processes.
 A task can be best defined as a piece of assigned work expected to be

performed within a certain time. Job designers must strictly and thoroughly
identify tasks that need completion.
 Motivation describes forces within the individual that account for the level,
direction, and persistence of effort expended at work. Individuals need to be
compelled, excited, and passionate to do their work. Managers should
design jobs that motivate employees.
 Resource allocation occurs when an organization decides to appropriate or
allocate certain resources to specific jobs, tasks, or dilemmas facing the
organization. In job design, it is necessary to identify and structure jobs in a
way that uses the company’s resources efficiently. Appropriate resource
allocation allows large organizations to foster and develop innovation in
their workforce and underscores strategy through distribution.
 Reward systems also play a role in job design. Reward systems include
compensation, bonuses, raises, job security, benefits, and various other
reward methods for employees. An outline or description of reward
packages should be established when constructing jobs.
Methods Analysis
Methods analysis deals with analyzing how a job gets done, begins with overall
analysis and then moves to specific details like changes in tools and equipment,
Changes in product design or new products, Changes in materials or procedures
and Other factors (e.g. accidents, quality problems)
Methods Analysis Procedure is simple and effective and does the following:
 Identifies the operation to be studied
 Gets employee input
 Studies and documents the current method
 Analyzes the job
 Proposes new methods
 Installs new methods
 Follow-ups to ensure improvements have been achieved
Analyzing the Job and proposing new methods
Job Design Analyst should question the integrity and effectiveness of present and
proposed methods. He or she should use charts, graphs and verbal descriptions to
capture how the job is being performed. This can be the first basis and can lead to
improvement in job design.

Design of Work Systems

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DESIGN OF WORK SYSTEMS

First, a company determines its objectives, and then it develops an operations

Suppose your company is an organization with an objective to operate a fancy,

Design of Work Systems is an important component in Production and Operations

A successful Job Design must have the following qualities

Behavioral Approaches to Job Design

Job enlargement is a horizontal restructuring method that aims at increase in the

Benefits of Job Enlargement

The following are the major benefits of Job enlargement:

3. No Skills Training Required

Job Enrichment and Job Enlargement

1. The difference between job enrichment and job enlargement is essentially

Job Rotation Objectives

1. Reducing Monotony of the Job

3. Creating Right-Employee Job Fit

4. Exposing Workers to All Verticals of the Company

5. Testing Employee Skills and Competencies

6. Developing a Wider Range of Work Experience

Thus, job enrichment is characterized by the different range of tasks and

 With an increase in the employee morale, the more motivated, he gets to

 A task can be best defined as a piece of assigned work expected to be

Analyzing the Job and proposing new methods

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