Work Matters_ Job Design in Classic and Contemporary Perspectives-part-4.pdf

● Criticism of JCM: ○ objective nature of job characteristics and distinctness of core job characteristics ○ but more recent work supports distinctness Social Information Processing Perspective - Salancik and Pfeffer (1978): ○ ○ ● ● ● Challenged JCM assumptions with social information processi...

● Criticism of JCM: ○ objective nature of job characteristics and distinctness of core job characteristics ○ but more recent work supports distinctness Social Information Processing Perspective - Salancik and Pfeffer (1978): ○ ○ ● ● ● Challenged JCM assumptions with social information processing perspective: Identified 4 pathways through which social cues can affect employees ■ Direct: Overt statements from others ■ Attentional: Making particular aspects of a job salient ■ Interpretation: Providing frames for assessing ambiguous job properties ■ Learning: Providing information about what needs or values are important Research on social information processing perspective: ○ Field studies: social comparisons can impact job design reactions ○ Laboratory experiments: positive social cues lead to more favorable task perceptions ○ Effects on performance inconclusive in laboratory experiments Field experiments: ○ Jex and Spector (1989): no changes in job perceptions and attitudes ○ Griffin (1983): social information affects task perceptions but not productivity ○ Griffin (1983, 1987): social cues can impact attitudes and behaviors, but weaker than job design itself Conclusion: importance of considering how jobs are objectively designed and structured Sociotechnical systems theory - Tavistock Institute in UK ● ● ● Joint optimization of human and mechanical-technological components for individual and organizational effectiveness Suggests creating autonomous workgroups can improve communication, problem-solving, productivity, and well-being Research: Implementation of autonomous workgroups shows mixed effects: ○ Increased intrinsic job satisfaction and productivity ○ Higher voluntary labor turnover