Job Design and Motivation: JCM Insights

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Questions and Answers

What is the primary benefit of jobs having high autonomy for employees?

A feeling of personal responsibility for results (correct)

Enhanced interpersonal skills

Greater technical knowledge

Increased salary

How do the first three dimensions of job characteristics impact an employee's perception of their work?

They enhance the job's meaningfulness. (correct)

They lower performance expectations.

They reduce job demands.

They make work seem easier.

What effect does the presence of critical psychological states have on employees?

Reduces their work responsibilities.

Increases their likelihood of leaving the job.

Enhances their motivation, performance, and job satisfaction. (correct)

Makes them less committed to the organization.

Why is the redesign of jobs important from an organizational perspective?

It can reduce turnover and increase job satisfaction. Signup and view all the answers

What was Frank's primary reason for leaving his job at the Jeep plant?

Lack of motivational challenges in his work. Signup and view all the answers

What do individuals with a high growth need tend to experience more positively?

Critical psychological states when jobs are enriched. Signup and view all the answers

What aspect of feedback is crucial for employee performance according to the JCM?

It illustrates how well they are performing tasks. Signup and view all the answers

What was Frank's experience regarding the variability of his job at the print shop compared to the Jeep plant?

Job at print shop was challenging and continuously changing. Signup and view all the answers

What is a significant psychological benefit that ringing a bell after a child's cancer treatment provides to hospital staff?

It motivates individuals toward increased job performance. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best describes flextime as practiced by Susan?

A flexible work arrangement allowing variation in work hours. Signup and view all the answers

What is one of the potential positive outcomes associated with implementing a flextime work schedule?

Improvements in productivity. Signup and view all the answers

How does Susan's choice of work hours reflect her personal priorities?

She emphasizes work-life balance to support her family. Signup and view all the answers

What is the typical structure of work hours for employees using flextime?

A core period of mandatory work hours with flexible surrounding hours. Signup and view all the answers

What impact did the act of ringing the bell have on the emotional state of staff, according to the content?

It provided inspiration and motivation for their work. Signup and view all the answers

Which characteristic of flextime allows for its effectiveness in improving employee outcomes?

A predefined number of total work hours with flexible timing. Signup and view all the answers

Why do employees participate in stories shared by Medtronic about the impact of their work?

To create emotional connections with their work. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is NOT an aspect of self-leadership in telework success?

Micromanagement Signup and view all the answers

Employee involvement and participation (EIP) primarily aims to increase which of the following?

Employee commitment Signup and view all the answers

Participative management helps reduce which negative effect among employees?

Turnover intentions Signup and view all the answers

What is essential for participative management to be effective?

Trust among followers Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following outcomes is commonly associated with effective participative management?

Higher labor productivity Signup and view all the answers

Representative participation provides which of the following benefits?

Redistribution of power Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following describes a work council?

Elected body to represent employees in management decisions Signup and view all the answers

Which factor is NOT advisable to use in participative management?

Coercive techniques Signup and view all the answers

What is a primary reason unions typically resist merit pay plans?

They believe seniority-based pay is more equitable. Signup and view all the answers

What is a significant component of total compensation for many jobs?

Annual bonuses Signup and view all the answers

Why might splitting rewards and bonuses into categories improve employee motivation?

It increases the likelihood employees feel they missed out on rewards. Signup and view all the answers

How can profit-sharing plans affect organizational performance?

They are associated with higher levels of profitability. Signup and view all the answers

What type of pay plan is based on performance appraisal ratings?

Merit-based pay Signup and view all the answers

What can firms do to reduce compensation costs during tough economic times?

Reduce or cut bonuses. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following statements about bonuses is true?

Bonuses can create dependency among employees. Signup and view all the answers

Which bonus type has been shown to motivate workers most effectively according to the content?

Family meal vouchers Signup and view all the answers

What primary change has happened in many states regarding teacher compensation?

Pay is now linked to results in the classroom. Signup and view all the answers

What is a potential negative effect of pay secrecy on employees?

It may increase feelings of job insecurity. Signup and view all the answers

Which type of individuals tend to perform better under pay-for-performance plans?

Extraverted and emotionally stable individuals Signup and view all the answers

What is the main advantage of variable pay for management during economic downturns?

Allows faster reduction of labor costs. Signup and view all the answers

What has been indicated as detrimental to job performance in variable-pay programs?

Pay secrecy. Signup and view all the answers

What role does trust in management play in pay-for-performance plans?

It can bolster employee creativity and motivation. Signup and view all the answers

Which variable-pay program focuses on rewarding employees based on their performance exceeding expectations?

Merit-based pay Signup and view all the answers

What outcome can occur when the specific degree of guanxi is low in HR practices?

Pay-for-performance plans are less effective. Signup and view all the answers

What is the main benefit of piece-rate pay plans?

They can be motivating and lead to higher productivity. Signup and view all the answers

What typically happens to low-performing workers under a piece-rate pay system?

Their wages may stagnate or be very low. Signup and view all the answers

Why do risk-averse individuals often prefer individual piece-rate pay systems?

They have control over their own work efforts. Signup and view all the answers

Which factor can make a piece-rate pay plan less motivating?

Uncontrollable external factors affecting work pace. Signup and view all the answers

What is a significant advantage of merit-based pay plans?

They reward individual performance more effectively. Signup and view all the answers

In what type of organizational setting is piece-rate pay typically most effective?

Positions with outputs easily measured by quantity. Signup and view all the answers

What is a common concern for managers when implementing piece-rate pay systems?

That workers will focus too much on quantity over quality. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is not a characteristic of a merit-based pay plan?

Relies heavily on team performance outcomes. Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Motivation by Job Design: The Job Characteristics Model (JCM)

The way work is structured significantly impacts individual motivation.
Job design, the organization of job elements, influences employee effort.
The Job Characteristics Model (JCM) provides a framework for identifying changes to job elements.

Job Characteristics Model (JCM) Dimensions

Skill Variety: The degree to which a job requires diverse activities and specialized skills. A garage owner-operator's job (electrical repairs, engine rebuilding, bodywork) scores high, while a body shop worker's (spraying paint 8 hours a day) scores low.
Task Identity: The degree to which a job involves completing a whole and identifiable piece of work. A furniture maker (design, selecting wood, building, finishing) scores high, while operating a lathe solely for table legs scores low.
Task Significance: The degree to which a job affects the lives or work of other people. A nurse helping patients in an intensive care unit scores high, while sweeping floors scores low.
Autonomy: The freedom, independence, and discretion in scheduling work and determining procedures. A sales manager scheduling their own work scores high, while an account representative following a script scores low.
Feedback: The direct and clear information about performance, provided by carrying out job activities. Testing and inspecting iPads scores high, while installing components in an assembly line scores low.

Job Rotation

Periodic shifting of an employee from one task to another, with similar skill requirements. This is also known as cross-training.
Used by manufacturers to respond to incoming orders and management training.
Example used by Singapore Airlines.
Increases job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and organizational performance.

Job Enrichment

Adding high-level responsibilities to a job.
Increases purpose, direction, meaning, intrinsic motivation, job satisfaction, and reduces turnover.
Counters boredom, increases motivation, and helps employees understand how their work impacts the organization.

Relational Job Design

Redirects focus from employee to beneficiaries affected by the job.
Connects employees to their work's impact by relating stories from beneficiaries.
Example - Medtronic sharing stories of people whose lives were improved by company products.
Motivates individuals and increases job performance, job satisfaction, and commitment.

Alternative Work Arrangements

Flextime: Employees have variable work hours within a set work schedule, aligning core work hours with personal demands. - Reduces absenteeism and increases productivity.
Job Sharing: Two or more individuals share a full-time job. - Often used for retirees, parents with young children, or those who are unable to work full-time.

Rewards and Benefits

Variable-Pay Programs: Pay tied to performance, not seniority or credentials. This includes piece-rate pay, merit-based pay, bonuses, and profit-sharing plans.
Piece-Rate Pay: Fixed payment for each unit of production. Often used for production workers.
Performance-based pay: Pay tied to performance appraisal ratings, typically rewarding high-performed employees.
Bonuses: Payments for reaching performance goals or milestones.
Profit-Sharing Plans: Compensation tied to company profitability.
Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs): Employees acquire company stock.

Employee Involvement and Participation (EIP)

EIP programs tailored to local and national norms improve employee input and increase organizational success.
Participative Management: Joint decision-making between subordinates and superiors in organizational processes.
Representative Participation: Gives employees a voice in decision-making by including representatives on the company's board, or works councils.

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Description

Explore the impact of job design on employee motivation through the Job Characteristics Model (JCM). This quiz delves into the dimensions of the JCM, including skill variety, task identity, and task significance, to understand how work structure affects motivation at the workplace.