Work Matters_ Job Design PDF

Theory Building and Methods ● 2 approaches to building job design theories: Theory-Building Approaches ○ ○ ● ● ● Theory-focused: Generating conceptual models (Campion & Thayer 1985, Clegg & Spencer 2007) ■ contributing to knowledge by filling gaps or resolving tensions in the literature Problem...

Theory Building and Methods ● 2 approaches to building job design theories: Theory-Building Approaches ○ ○ ● ● ● Theory-focused: Generating conceptual models (Campion & Thayer 1985, Clegg & Spencer 2007) ■ contributing to knowledge by filling gaps or resolving tensions in the literature Problem-focused: Generating theories to solve problems (Wrzesniewski & Dutton 2001, Grant 2007, 2008a) ■ recognizing problems or challenges in the field and then generating theories to solve these problems Future job design theories increasingly problem-driven Novel "middle-range theories" to address specific job design challenges Consider organizational, occupational, social, environmental, and technological constraints - important to pay attention to context Methodological Approaches ● ● ● Methodological diversity: ○ Multidimensional scaling, Surveys, Meta-analyses, Experience-sampling studies, Laboratory experiments, Field experiments, Quasi-experiments Criticized for too many cross-sectional or single-method, single-source survey studies, limiting generalizable conclusions Recommendations for advancing job design literature: ○ Field experiments/quasi-experiments: ■ High internal/external validity ■ Diagnose, implement, evaluate interventions ○ Longitudinal survey/experience-sampling studies: ■ Stronger causal inferences ■ Greater external validity than lab experiments ○ Qualitative studies: ■ Inductively build theory about new job characteristics/mechanisms ○ Multimethod/multisource designs: ■ Triangulation (different methods or points of view are applied to the same phenomenon) of results across different methods/sources ■ Strengthen validity of conclusions