Job Design and Task Management

Organization Needs to Identify All Tasks

• To complete "Right Work", organizations need to identify all tasks, some done internally, some outsourced.
• Tasks are assigned to individuals with the necessary skills.
• Organizations need to determine the needed skills and find qualified people.
• Many tasks are common, and skills acquisition methods are available (training programs, trade schools, apprenticeships).

Job Design Considerations

• Jobs should be designed to be reasonable and achievable by an individual.
• Early industrialization created specialized, simplified jobs for efficiency, but this often led to monotonous work and employee dissatisfaction.
• Effective job design balances efficiency with meaningfulness for employees.
• Job Design aims for efficiency and meaningful work for employees.

Job Characteristics Model

• Skill Variety: Extent to which a job uses different skills.
• Task Identity: Extent to which a job requires a worker to complete a whole task.
• Task Significance: Extent of job effect on other people.
• Autonomy: Extent of job freedom and control.
• Feedback: Extent of information on job performance.

Contingency Factors in Job Design

• Employee knowledge/skills are crucial for job success.
• Job satisfaction depends on employee motivation/personal growth desire.
• Effective Job Design requires analyzing job characteristics and assessing employees' satisfaction.

Organizational Structure

• Job groupings into work groups for easier collaboration, accountability, and decision-making.
• Effective delegation of authority and responsibility.
• Various structures: Functional (similar skills), Divisional (diverse skills), Matrix (both function and division).
• Span of Control (number of direct reports) and Levels of Hierarchy (managerial levels) affect organizational efficiency.

Integrating and Coordinating Workflows

• Coordination techniques: Liaisons, Task Forces, Cross Functional Teams, Integrating Roles, Cross-functional teams.
• Importance of collaboration across departments and teams
• Structures like task forces or cross-functional teams are useful for specific projects or ongoing activities.
• Integrating roles ensure communication and coordination among groups.

Organization Culture

• Culture is the norms, beliefs, values, and attitudes shared by employees.
• A culture that supports the organization's goals and strategies leads to success.
• Understanding organizational culture is crucial for effective design.
• Cultures with similar values generally lead to better work efficiency.

Changing Organization Culture

• Organizations need to identify their target culture and align it with their strategy.
• The Boston Consulting Group suggests seven dimensions of culture to aid in evaluation and design.
• Critical levers for changing culture include leadership, people development, performance management, informal interactions, organizational structure, resources, and values.

Agile Organizations

• Agile organizations are quickly adapting to dynamic environments.
• Employs empowered teams, rapid decision making, and strong focus on individual employee talents for better results.
• The trademarks of a successful agile organization include empowered teams, a focus on clear goals, rapid decision cycles, dynamic employees, and next-gen technology.

This quiz explores the principles of job design and the importance of identifying tasks within organizations. It covers the Job Characteristics Model and looks into how effective task allocation can lead to employee satisfaction and efficiency. Test your understanding of how organizations can design jobs that balance efficiency and employee engagement.