CHAPTER 6

DESIGN AND
REDESIGN OF
WORK SYSTEMS
Design
Design of
of Work
Work Systems
Systems

6–2
 •• Job
Job Specialization
Specialization
–– Creates
Createsjobs
jobswith
withvery
verynarrow
narrowtask
task
(activity)
(activity)assignments.
assignments.
–– Resulted
Resultedininhigh
highefficiency,
efficiency,quickly
quickly
achieved
achievedjob jobcompetency,
competency,low lowtraining
training
costs,
costs,but
butalso
alsocreated
createdmonotonous
monotonous
Design jobs.
Design of
of jobs.
•• Job
Job Enlargement
Work
Work Enlargement
–– An
Anincrease
increaseinintask
taskvariety
varietyininan
an
Systems
Systems attempt
attempttotorelieve
relieveboredom.
boredom.
•• Job
Job Rotation
Rotation
–– Employees
Employeesare aremoved
movedacross
across
different
differentspecialized
specializedpositions.
positions.
 Design
Design of
of Work
Work
Systems
Systems (cont’d)
(cont’d)

•• Job Enrichment
Job Enrichment
–– Increasing the amount of responsibility
Increasing the amount of responsibility
for
forquality
qualityand
andproductivity
productivitythat
that
employees
employeeshavehavefor
fortheir
theirown
ownwork.
work.
•• Vertical Loading
Vertical Loading
–– Is the reassignment of job
Is the reassignment of job
responsibility
responsibilityformerly
formerlydelegated
delegatedtotothe
the
supervisor
supervisortotothe
theemployee.
employee.

6–4
 Five
Five Core
Core Job
Job Characteristics
Characteristics
•• Autonomy
Skill
Skillvariety
Autonomy
variety
––The
Theextent
extenttotowhich
whichthe
theemployee
work
workallows
employee isisan
allows able
anemployee
abletotowork
workand
employee to
touse
and determine
use aavariety
determine work
varietyofofacquired
work acquired
skills.
procedure
skills.
procedure atather/his
her/hisown
owndiscretion.
discretion.
•• Feedback
Task
Taskidentity
Feedback
identity
––The
Theextent
extenttotowhich
whichthe
workwork
work
the allows
work allows
allows an
anemployee
allowsthe
theemployee
employeetotocomplete
employee totogain
gainaaaasense
complete whole
wholeof
sense or
orhow
of how
identifiable
well job
jobresponsibilities
identifiable
well piece
pieceofofwork.
responsibilitiesare
arebeing
work. beingmet.
met.
•• Task
Tasksignificance
significance
––The
Theextent
extenttotowhich
whichthe
theemployee
employeeperceives
perceivesthat
thathis/her
his/herwork
workisisimportant
important
and
andmeaningful
meaningfultotothose
thoseininthe
theorganization
organizationorortotothose
thoseoutside
outsidethe
the
organization.
organization.

6–5
6–6
 What
What Workers
Workers Need
Need
•• Changing
Changingdemographics
demographicsand andlife
lifestyles
styles
–– Worker
Workerneeds
needsvary
varybybyage,
age,gender,
gender,race,
race,
religion,
religion,physical
physicalabilities,
abilities,and
andmarital
maritaland
and
family status.
family status.
•• Employee
Employeeneedsneedsforforwork/life
work/lifebalance
balance
–– Workers
Workersareareless
lesscommitted
committedtotoorganizations
organizations
today
todaybut
butalso
alsosuffer
sufferfrom
fromburnout
burnoutand
andlower
lower
performance.
performance.
•• Employee
Employeeneedsneedsrepresentation
representation(“voice”)
(“voice”)
–– Workers
Workerswant
wanttotobebeinvolved
involvedininwork-related
work-related
issues
issuesand
andexpect
expectthe
theorganization
organizationtotolisten
listentoto
their
theirconcerns.
concerns.
•• Employee
Employeeconcerns
concernsabout
aboutsafety
safetyininthe
the
workplace
workplace
–– Workers
Workerswant
wantaasafe,
safe,hazard-free
hazard-freeworking
working
environment.
environment.
 How
How Jobs
Jobs Interface
Interface
with
with Other
Other Jobs
Jobs
•• Types
TypesofofTask
TaskInterdependence
Interdependence
–– Pooled
PooledInterdependence
Interdependence
•• Individual
Individualemployees
employeeswork work
independently
independentlyofofeach eachother
otherinin
performing
performingtaskstasksbut
bututilize
utilizecoordination
coordination
of their activities.
of their activities.
–– Sequential
SequentialInterdependence
Interdependence
•• The
Thework
workininprocess
processflows
flowsfromfromone
one
individual
individualtotoanother,
another,where
whereone one
individual
individualdepends
dependson onthe
thetimely
timely
completion
completion of quality workfor
of quality work foranother
another
coworker.
coworker.
–– Reciprocal
ReciprocalInterdependence
Interdependence
•• Workflow
Workflowisisnot notlinear
linearasasininsequential
sequential
interdependence
interdependencebut butrandom.
random.Work Workflow
flow
responds to immediate situation
responds to immediate situation and and
employees
employeeshave havejoint
jointand
andshared
shared
responsibilities for the work.
responsibilities for the work.
 Redesign
Redesign of
of Work
Work
Systems
Systems
•• Current and future work systems are more broadly
Current and future work systems are more broadly
defined
definedandandmore
moreclosely
closelyrelated
relatedtotostrategic
strategic
choices
choicesmade
madeby bymanagement.
management.
•• Workers are becoming more involved in the
Workers are becoming more involved in the
design
designandandreengineering
reengineeringofoftheir
theirjobs.
jobs.
•• Cross-function teams are strategically beneficial,
Cross-function teams are strategically beneficial,
but
butalso
alsocreate
createchallenges
challengesinineffectively
effectivelymanaging
managing
their activities.
their activities.

6–9
 Understanding
Understanding Change
Change

•• The
Thepressure
pressuretotochange
changeisisconstant.
constant.
•• Barriers
Barrierstotochange:
change:
–– Change
Changeinvolves
involvesdisrupting
disruptingthe
thestatus
statusquo
quoand
andmay
may
be met with resistance by both employees
be met with resistance by both employees and and
managers.
managers.
–– Change
Changecomes
comeswithwithcosts
costsand
andthethereallocation
reallocationofof
resources.
resources.
–– Employees
Employeeswill willresist
resistchange
changeififthey
theydodonot
notperceive
perceive
aaneed
needtotochange
changeworkworksystems
systemsororseeseenonobenefits
benefits
from change.
from change.
–– There
Thereisisrisk
riskand
anduncertainty
uncertaintyandandno noguarantee
guaranteeofof
increased
increasedresults
results(performance,
(performance,efficiency,
efficiency,oror
morale)
morale)ininchange
change
–– Poor
Poorcoordination
coordinationandandcommunication
communicationcan can
undermine change initiatives.
undermine change initiatives.
 Managing
Managing Change
Change

•• How to overcome resistance to change:

How to overcome resistance to change:
–– Promote and implement change so that it provides
Promote and implement change so that it provides
benefits
benefitstotothose
thoseimpacted
impactedby bythe
thechange.
change.
–– Involve employees in the change process so that
Involve employees in the change process so that
their
theircommitment
commitmenttotothe thechange
changeprocess
processfacilitates
facilitates
implementation of the change process.
implementation of the change process.
–– Change is facilitated by open, two-way
Change is facilitated by open, two-way
communication.
communication.Begin
Beginearlyearlybefore
beforechange
changedecisions
decisions
have
have yet been made. Reduce apprehension,dispel
yet been made. Reduce apprehension, dispel
rumors,
rumors,increase
increasetrust
trustand
andacceptance
acceptanceofofchange
changeby by
keeping
keepingemployees
employeesinformed
informedandandasking
askingfor
fortheir
their
input.
input.
 Restructuring
Restructuring Teams
Teams for
for
Re-engineered
Re-engineered
Organizations
Organizations
•• Reasons
Reasonsfor forusing
usingteams
teamsininorganizations:
organizations:
–– The
Thecomplexity
complexityofofmany manydecisions
decisionsininorganizations
organizations
that
that needs to be made make it unlikelythat
needs to be made make it unlikely thatone
one
individual will have all of the knowledge
individual will have all of the knowledge and and
information
informationneeded
neededtotomake makeaagood gooddecision.
decision.
–– Teams
Teamscan canprovide
providemoremore“buy-in”
“buy-in”(commitment)
(commitment)toto
decisions.
decisions.
–– Managers
Managersbelievebelievethat
thatteams
teamsenhance
enhancemotivation
motivation
and productivity.
and productivity.
–– Teams
Teamsfacilitate
facilitatethe
theacquisition
acquisitionand andsharing
sharingofof
information
informationthat thatisisvital
vitaltotoorganizational
organizationalgrowth
growthand
and
flexibility.
flexibility.
 Reading
Reading 6.1:
6.1: Restructuring
Restructuring
Teams
Teams for
for
Re-engineered
Re-engineered Organizations
Organizations

•• Problems with the use of teams:

Problems with the use of teams:
–– Teams may fail without proper training and support.
Teams may fail without proper training and support.
–– Teams are often poorly integrated into the
Teams are often poorly integrated into the
organization’s
organization’shierarchy.
hierarchy.
–– Individuals often feel that their contributions to the
Individuals often feel that their contributions to the
team
teamdilute
dilutetheir
theirpersonal
personalsuccess
successand
andfew
fewteams
teams
have found effective means to deal
have found effective means to deal withwith
“freeloaders.”
“freeloaders.”
–– Teams are also usually not represented at top levels
Teams are also usually not represented at top levels
ofoforganizations,
organizations,sending
sendingaamixed
mixedmessage
messageabout
about
their
theirimportance.
importance.
 Reading
Reading 6.1:
6.1: Restructuring
Restructuring
Teams
Teams for
for
Re-engineered
Re-engineered Organizations
Organizations

Three
ThreeKeys
KeystotoSuccessful
SuccessfulTeams
Teams

Value
Valueand
andEndorse
EndorseDissent
Dissent
Encourage
EncourageFluidity
FluidityofofMembership
Membership
Enable
EnableTeams
TeamstotoMake
MakeDecisions
Decisions
 •• Five
Five competitive
competitive forces
forces driving
driving
HRM organizations
organizations to
to outsource
outsource HR
HR
HRM activities:
Outsourcin activities:
Outsourcin –– Downsizing
g: Downsizing
g: The
The –– Rapid
Rapidgrowth
growthorordecline
decline
Make
Make oror –– Globalization
Globalization
Buy
Buy –– Increased
Increasedcompetition
competition
Decision
Decision –– Restructuring
Restructuring
 Reading
Reading
6.2:
6.2: • • Operational Rationales for Outsourcing:
Operational Rationales for Outsourcing:
–– Size of the HR function in the organization. Small firms lack
Size of the HR function in the organization. Small firms lack
HRM
HRM resources
resourcesand andlarge
largefirms
firmsgain
gaineconomies
economiesofofscale.
–– Specialized HR expertise and objectivity; also reduced
scale.
Specialized HR expertise and objectivity; also reduced
Outsourcin
Outsourcin liability
liabilityand
specialists
andrisk
in
riskfor
forthe
legally
theemployer
employerthrough
sensitive HR
throughthe
areas.
theuse
useofofoutside
outside
specialists in legally sensitive HR areas.
g:
g: The
The
–– Innovations and economies of scale in HRIS technology used
Innovations and economies of scale in HRIS technology used
bybyoutside
outsidevendors
vendorsthat thatsimplify
simplifytransactions
transactionsand
andreduce
reduceHRHR
Make
Make oror
costs.
costs.
–– Time-sensitive issues that are better handled by outsourcing.
Time-sensitive issues that are better handled by outsourcing.
Buy
Buy
–– Temporary or cyclical increases in HR needs.
Temporary or cyclical increases in HR needs.

Decision
Decision