Psychology Chapter 6: Motivating Work Design

Expanding the tasks performed by employees to add more variety.

A job redesign technique allowing workers more control over how they perform their own tasks.

Changes employees make to their own job description, often to better fit their personality or achieve better work-life balance.

The extent to which the job requires a person to utilize multiple high-level skills.

The degree to which the job allows an individual to experience freedom, independence, and discretion in scheduling work and determining procedures.

The degree to which the job has a substantial impact on the lives of others.

The degree to which the job requires completing an identifiable piece of work from beginning to end.

The degree to which the employee receives direct and clear information about the effectiveness of their performance.

A philosophy of management that focuses on increasing worker efficiency by breaking down tasks into simpler steps and assigning them to specialized workers.

A method of job design where a task is broken down into its simplest parts, and each worker performs only a few of those parts repeatedly.

A drawback of job specialization that can lead to boredom, low motivation, and increased absenteeism.

A strategy to reduce boredom and increase worker satisfaction by rotating employees between different jobs at regular intervals.

An advantage of job rotation where workers gain skills and knowledge in various areas, making the workforce more versatile.

A combination of job enrichment and job enlargement aimed at improving employee motivation, satisfaction, and engagement.

Employee empowerment is not just about individual growth, but also requires a supportive work environment where everyone has the power to contribute and make decisions.

Goals that are Specific, Measurable, Aggressive, Realistic, and Time-bound. It helps employees to have clear targets and understand their progress.

Goals that are clearly defined, have a quantifiable target, and a specific timeline. This increases the chances of successful completion and understanding of progress.

Setting challenging goals can motivate individuals to push their limits and perform at their best. People strive for higher performance when faced with a demanding goal.

A positive work environment where employees feel respected, valued, and empowered to contribute their ideas and make decisions toward organizational goals.

Empowerment might not be suitable for everyone. Individuals with low growth needs or achievement needs may not benefit as much from increased autonomy and responsibility.

Managers may feel threatened by employee empowerment, fearing loss of control or power. Employees may also be apprehensive about increased responsibility.

The idea of employee empowerment, while beneficial, can be difficult to implement due to various factors, including managerial resistance and employee hesitation.

Performance appraisals are more effective when tied to rewards like bonuses and promotions, creating a clear link between performance and outcomes.

The degree to which a person is committed to achieving a goal. It is higher when goals are made public (because this creates accountability to peers), employees have a supportive relationship with managers, they participate in goal setting, and they are rewarded for goal accomplishment.

Employees may focus solely on achieving their goals and neglect other important aspects of performance. For example, if production output is the primary goal, quality may suffer.

Supervisors are often the primary raters in performance appraisals, but this can lead to bias because they may not fully understand the employee's work.

A strong emphasis on achieving goals can increase the likelihood of employees engaging in unethical behaviors to reach those goals.

Feedback from multiple sources (managers, peers, subordinates, even customers) provides a more comprehensive view of an employee's performance.

Employees may lose the motivation to learn and adapt to new situations because they are too focused on achieving their set goals.

360-degree feedback can be helpful for development, but it's not always suitable for reward decisions. Peers might be hesitant to give accurate feedback if it impacts their own rewards.

Letting employees know in advance what criteria will be used for their evaluation helps them understand expectations and perform better.

Employees may resist adapting to unforeseen changes or challenges as they are primarily focused on achieving their predefined goals.

During performance appraisals, both the employee and the evaluator should have a chance to express their viewpoints, ensuring a fair exchange of information.

Setting outcome goals without ensuring employees have the necessary skills may lead to decreased performance.

Performance appraisals should be based on concrete evidence and documented performance problems, not on subjective opinions or gut feelings.

Focus on setting goals for behavioral changes and learning instead of purely outcome-based goals. This promotes skill development and better adapts to changing environments.

A performance appraisal system should include elements like clear communication, objective criteria, and a focus on development to be productive.

Goals are more effective when employees are committed to achieving them. This means they are more likely to put in the effort and strive to reach the target.

A payment method where employees receive a permanent pay increase based on their past performance. However, it can lead to expectations of regular raises and may not always accurately reflect current contributions.

A system where sales employees are rewarded with a percentage of their sales volume or profits generated. Requires careful design to align with company goals and avoid prioritizing quick sales over customer relationships.

Motivating employees through awards, plaques, or symbols to show appreciation for their work. Effective when employees have choices and the recognition is genuine.

Financial incentives rewarding teams for achieving shared goals. Useful when collaboration is crucial and individual performance is hard to isolate.

A company-wide program rewarding employees for improving performance compared to previous periods. Can involve reducing costs or increasing productivity.

Sharing a portion of the company's profits with all employees. Designed to encourage loyalty and commitment, but may not be effective for linking pay to individual effort.

Giving employees the right (but not obligation) to purchase company stock at a predetermined price. Aims to align employee and company interests by making them owners. However, employees often sell the stock instead of holding it.

A company-wide incentive program where employees are rewarded with a percentage of the company's profits. It encourages loyalty and commitment, but doesn't directly link pay to individual effort as each employee's influence on profitability is limited.