Chapter 6: Motivation:

From Concepts To
Applications

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The Job Characteristics Model

Skill Variety Task Indentity Task Significance

Autonomy Feedback
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The Job Characteristics Model
• Five Core Job Dimensions
– Skill Variety: degree to which the job incorporates a
number of different skills and talents
– Task Identity: degree to which the job requires the
completion of a whole and identifiable piece of work
– Task Significance: how the job impacts the lives of
others
– Autonomy: identifies how much freedom and
independence the worker has over the job
– Feedback: how much the job generates direct and clear
information about the worker’s performance
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Job Characteristics Model

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How Can Jobs be Redesigned?

Job Rotation
• The shifting of an employee from one task to
another with similar skill requirements.

Job Enrichment
• The expansion of a job by increasing the degree
to which the worker controls the planning,
execution, and evaluation of the work.

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Strengths of Job Rotation

Helps
Reduces
managers in
scheduling boredom
Increases
Increased understand
skills -ing of work
contribution

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Drawbacks of Job Rotation
• Training cost
increases
• Productivity
decreases
• Disruption
• Team and manager
take time to adapt
new employees
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Job Enlargement

• Expanding jobs horizontally

• Involve with Job redesign

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Job Enrichment – Possible Actions
Combine Tasks

Form Natural Work Units

Establish Client Relations

Expand Jobs Vertically

Open Feedback Channels

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Job Enrichment – Possible Actions

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Alternative Work Arrangements
• Flextime
– Flextime allows employees to choose the
hours they work within a defined period of
time.

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Alternative Work Arrangements
• Flextime
– Reduce absenteeism
– Increase productivity
– Reduce overtime expenses
– Lessening in hostility toward management
– Reduce traffic congestion around work sites
– Elimination of tardiness
– Increase autonomy and responsibility
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 Alternative Work Arrangements
• Job Sharing
– Job Sharing allows two or more individuals to
split a traditional 40-hour-a-week job.

– Can find new talented ppl but difficult to share

job effectively 13
Alternative Work Arrangements
• Telecommuting
–Telecommuting allows workers to work
from home at least 2 days a week on a
computer linked to the employer’s
office.

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Alternative Work Arrangements
• Telecommuting
– Advantages:
• Flexible hours
• Freedom to dress
• Few or no interruptions
– Disadvantages
• Less direct supervision
• Difficult to coordinate
• Increase feelings of isolation
• “Out of sight, out of mind” 15
 Social and Physical Context of Work
Social Context
– Some social characteristics that improve job performance
include:
• Interdependence
• Social support
• Interactions with other people outside of work
Physical Context
– The work context will also affect employee satisfaction
• Work that is hot, loud, and dangerous is less satisfying
• Work that is controlled, relatively quiet, and safe
will be more satisfying
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Employee Involvement
• Definition: A participative process that
uses employees’ input to increase their
commitment to the organization’s
success.
Examples of Employee Involvement Programs

• Participative Management
• Representative Participation

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Using Rewards to Motivate Employees

• Although pay is not the primary

factor driving job satisfaction, it is a
motivator.
–Establish a pay structure
–Variable-pay programs

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Establishing a Pay Structure

Internal External
Pay Equity Pay Equity

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How to Pay
• Variable-Pay Programs
– Piece-Rate Pay
– Merit-Based Pay
– Bonuses
– Skill-Based Pay
– Profit-Sharing Plans
– Gainsharing
– Employee Stock Ownership Plans
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Types of Variable-Pay Programs
• Piece-Rate Pay
– Pays a fixed sum of money for each unit of production
completed. For example: Ballpark workers selling peanuts
and soda get $1 for each bag of peanuts and soda sold.
• Merit-Based Pay
– Pays for individual performance based on performance
appraisal results. If appraisals are designed correctly,
workers performing at a high level will get more pay.
• Bonuses
– Pay a lump sum at the end of a designated period of time
based on individual and/or organizational performance.
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More Types of Variable-Pay Programs
• Skill-Based Pay
– Pays based on the number of skills employees have or the
number of jobs they can do.
• Profit-Sharing Plans
– Pays out a portion of the organization’s profitability. It is
an organization-wide program and is based on a
predetermined formula.
• Gainsharing
– Pays for improvements in group productivity from one
period to another. It is a group incentive plan.
• Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOP)
– Provides each employee with the opportunity to acquire
stock as part of their benefit package. 22
Types of Variable-Pay Programs

Piece rate Pay Merit based Pay Bonus

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Types of Variable-Pay Programs

Profit sharing Gain sharing ESOP

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Flexible Benefits
• Flexible benefits give individual rewards
by allowing each employee to choose the
compensation package that best satisfies
his or her current needs and situations.

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 Employee Recognition Programs
• Employee rewards need to be intrinsic and extrinsic.
Employee recognition programs are a good method of
intrinsic rewards.
– The rewards can range from a simple thank-you to more
widely publicized formal programs.
– Advantages of recognition programs are that they are
inexpensive and effective.
– Some critics say they can be politically
motivated and if they are perceived to be
applied unfairly, they can cause more harm
than good. 26
 Global Implications
• Job Characteristics and Job Enrichment
– Studies do not yield consistent results about applicability to other
cultures
• Telecommuting
– Most common in the United States
• Variable Pay
– Most believe variable pay systems work best in individualistic cultures
such as the United States.
– Fairness is an important factor
• Flexible Benefits
– Popular in all cultures
• Employee Involvement
– Differ among countries 27