DESIGN AND REDESIGN OF WORK SYSTEMS Design Design of of Work Work Systems Systems •• Job JobSpecialization Specialization –– Creates Createsjobs jobswith withvery verynarrow narrowtask task(activity) (activity)assignments assignments –– Resulted Resultedininhigh highefficiency, efficiency,quickly quicklyachieved achievedjob jobcompetency, competency,low low training trainingcosts, costs,but butcreated createdmonotonous monotonousjobs jobs •• Job JobEnlargement Enlargement –– An Anincrease increaseinintask taskvariety varietytotorelieve relieveboredom boredom •• Job JobRotation Rotation –– –– Employees Employeesmoved movedacross acrossdifferent differentspecialized specializedpositions positions Enlargement Enlargement&&rotation rotationadd addvariety varietybut butnot notnecessarily necessarilyresponsibility responsibility Design Design of of Work Work Systems Systems •• Job Job Enrichment Enrichment –– Increasing Increasingamount amountofofresponsibility responsibilityfor forquality quality&& productivity productivitythat thatemployees employeeshave havefor fortheir theirown ownwork work •• Vertical Vertical Loading Loading –– Reassignment Reassignmentofofjob jobresponsibility responsibilityformerly formerly delegated delegatedtotosupervisor supervisortotoemployee employee Five Five Core Core Job Job Characteristics Characteristics •• Skill Skillvariety variety ––Extent Extenttotowhich whichwork workallows allows employee employeetotouse usevariety varietyofofskills skills •• Task Taskidentity identity ––Extent Extenttotowhich whichwork workallows allows employee employeetotocomplete completewhole wholeoror identifiable identifiablepiece pieceofofwork work •• Task Tasksignificance significance ––Extent Extenttotowhich whichemployee employee perceives perceivesthat thatwork workisisimportant important &&meaningful meaningfultotothose thoseinside insideoror outside outsideorganization organization •• Autonomy Autonomy ––Extent Extenttotowhich whichemployee employeeisisable able totowork work&&determine determinework work procedure procedureatat own owndiscretion discretion •• Feedback Feedback ––Extent Extenttotowhich whichwork workallows allows employee employeetotogain gainsense senseofofhow how well welljob jobresponsibilities responsibilitiesare aremet met What What Workers Workers Need Need •• Changing Changingdemographics demographics & &life lifestyles styles •• Employee Employeeneeds needs representation representation(“voice”) (“voice”) •• Employee Employeeneeds needsfor for work/life work/lifebalance balance •• Employee Employeeconcerns concerns about aboutsafety safetyin in workplace workplace –– Worker Workerneeds needsvary varyby byage, age, gender, gender,race, race,religion, religion, physical physicalabilities, abilities,sexual sexual orientation, orientation,&&marital marital&&family family status status –– Workers Workersless lesscommitted committedtoto organizations organizationstoday today –– Also Alsosuffer sufferfrom fromburnout burnout&& lower lowerperformance performance –– Workers Workerswant wanttotobe beinvolved involved ininwork-related work-relatedissues issues&& expect expectorganization organizationtotolisten listen totoconcerns concerns –– Workers Workerswant wantsafe, safe,hazardhazardfree freeworking workingenvironment environment Types Types of of Task Task Interdependence Interdependence •• Pooled Pooledinterdependence interdependence –– Individual Individualemployees employeeswork work independently independentlyofofeach eachother other ininperforming performingtasks tasksbut bututilize utilize coordination coordinationofofactivities activities •• Sequential Sequential interdependence interdependence –– Work Workininprocess processflow flowisislinear, linear, from fromone oneindividual individualtotoanother another –– One Oneindividual individualdepends dependson on timely timelycompletion completionofofquality quality work workfrom fromanother anothercoworker coworker •• Reciprocal Reciprocal interdependence interdependence –– –– Workflow Workflowisisrandom random Responds Respondstotoimmediate immediate situation situation –– Employees Employeeshave havejoint joint&& shared sharedresponsibilities responsibilitiesfor for work work •• Higher Higherlevels levelsof of interdependence interdependencerequire require higher higherlevels levelsof of coordination coordination& &attention attention Redesign Redesign of of Work Work Systems Systems •• Current Current& &future futurework worksystems systemsmore morebroadly broadlydefined defined & &more moreclosely closelyrelated relatedto tostrategic strategicchoices choices •• Workers Workersbecoming becomingmore moreinvolved involvedin indesign design& & reengineering reengineeringof ofjobs jobs •• Cross-function Cross-functionteams teamsstrategically strategicallybeneficial beneficial –– Also Alsocreate createchallenges challengesinineffectively effectivelymanaging managingthemselves themselves •• Employees Employeesraised raisedin inindividualistic individualisticcultures culturesneed need training trainingto tobe beeffective effectiveteam teammembers members •• Employees Employeestypically typicallygo gothrough throughaalife lifecycle cyclewhich which addresses addressescritical criticalpsychological psychologicaland andmotivational motivationalstates states which whichmay mayaffect affectperformance performanceand andproductivity productivity Technology Technology Issues Issues and and Challenges Challenges for for HR HR •• Telework Telework •• Employee Employee surveillance surveillance & & monitoring monitoring •• e-HR e-HR •• Social Social Networking Networking Telework Telework •• Dramatic Dramatic growth growth in in number numberof of Americans Americans working working from from home home –– 3.4 3.4million millioninin1990 1990 –– 19.6 19.6million millionby bybeginning beginning ofof2000 2000 •• Issues Issuesaffecting affectingsuccess success of oftelework teleworkprograms programs –– Clear Clearperformance performance measurement measurementsystem systemisiskey key –– Deciding Decidingwhich whichemployees employees will willbe beoffered offeredparticipation participation –– Equipment Equipmentexpense expense –– Some Somemanagers managers uncomfortable uncomfortablehaving having direct directreports reportsaway awayfrom from office office Employee Employee Surveillance Surveillance and and Monitoring Monitoring •• More Morethan than80% 80%of oflarge largeemployers employersutilize utilizemonitoring monitoringtechnology technology –– Internet Internetusage usage –– E-mails E-mails –– Computer Computerfiles files –– Voice-mail Voice-mail –– Telephone Telephoneusage usage •• Under UnderElectronic ElectronicCommunications CommunicationsPrivacy PrivacyAct Act(ECPA) (ECPA)employees employees have haveonly onlylimited limitedprivacy privacyrights rights E-HR E-HR •• Opportunity Opportunity to to deliver deliver transactional transactional types types of of services services online online –– Payroll Payroll –– Employee Employeebenefits benefits –– Scheduling Scheduling –– Recruiting Recruiting –– Training Training –– Career Careerdevelopment development Social Social Networking Networking employers employerscan canreap reapbenefits benefitsof ofsocial socialnetworking networkingto topromote promote communication, communication,particularly particularlyamong amongremote remoteworkers workers can canbe bedone donethrough throughpublic publicsocial socialnetworking networkingsites sitessuch suchas asfacebook facebook or oron onan anorganization’s organization’sin-house in-houseintranet intranet Barriers Barriers to to Change Change •• Disrupting Disruptingstatus statusquo quomay maybe bemet metwith withresistance resistanceby byboth both employees employeesand andmanagers managers •• Costs Costs& &reallocation reallocationof ofresources resources •• Employees Employeeswill willresist resistchange changeunless unlessthey they –– Perceive Perceiveneed needtotochange change –– See Seebenefits benefitsfrom fromchange change •• •• Risk Risk& &uncertainty; uncertainty;no noguarantee guaranteeof ofimprovements improvements Poor Poorcoordination coordination& &communication communicationcan canundermine underminechange change initiatives initiatives Overcoming Overcoming Resistance Resistance to to Change Change •• Promote Promote & & implement implement change change so so itit provides provides benefits benefits to to those those impacted impacted •• Involve Involve employees employees in in change change process process to to increase increase their their commitment commitment to to change change •• Open, Open, two-way two-way communication communication –– Early Earlybefore beforechange changedecisions decisionsare aremade made –– Dispel Dispelrumors rumors –– Increase Increasetrust trust&&acceptance acceptanceofofchange changeby bykeeping keeping employees employeesinformed informed&&asking askingfor forinput input Reading Reading6-1 6-1 Using UsingOutsourcing Outsourcingfor forStrategic StrategicCompetitiveness Competitivenessin inSmall Smalland and Medium-sized Medium-sizedFirms Firms Outsourcing Outsourcingoriginated originatedin inthe themanufacturing manufacturingsector sectorbut buthas hasspread spread and andisisgrowing growingwidely widelyin inthe theservice servicesector sector 80% 80%of ofFortune Fortune500 500organizations organizationsoutsource outsourceinto intoaa$386 $386billion billion annual annualmarket market Most Mostoutsourcing outsourcinghas hasbeen beendone doneby bylarger largerfirms firmsyet yetsmall smalland and medium-sized medium-sizedorganizations organizationscan cantake takeadvantage advantageof ofoutsourcing outsourcingto to enhance enhancetheir theircompetitive competitiveadvantage advantage Reading Reading6-1 6-1 Using UsingOutsourcing Outsourcingfor forStrategic StrategicCompetitiveness Competitivenessin inSmall Small and andMedium-sized Medium-sizedFirms Firms Outsourcing Outsourcingmatrix matrixconsiders considersorganizational organizationalactivities activitiesby bystrategic strategic importance importance(core (coreor ornon-core) non-core)as aswell wellas asby byoutsourcing outsourcingrole role (supplementary (supplementaryor orcomplementary) complementary) Supplementary Supplementaryoutsourcing outsourcingisisthat thatwhich whichleads leadsto tothe thereplacement replacementof of an anactivity activitybeing beingconducted conductedwithin withinthe thefirm firmwhile whilecomplementary complementary outsourcing outsourcingleads leadsto tosupporting supportingan anactivity activitybeing beingdone donewithin withinthe the firm firmso sothat thatits itsdelivery deliverybecome becomemore moreeffective effective Reading Reading6-1 6-1 Using UsingOutsourcing Outsourcingfor forStrategic StrategicCompetitiveness Competitivenessin inSmall Small and andMedium-sized Medium-sizedFirms Firms Reading Reading6-1 6-1 Using UsingOutsourcing Outsourcingfor forStrategic StrategicCompetitiveness Competitivenessin inSmall Small and andMedium-sized Medium-sizedFirms Firms •• Cell Cell11outsources outsourcesnon-core non-coresupplementary supplementaryactivities activitiesand andprovides provides enhanced enhancedefficiency efficiency •• Cell Cell22outsources outsourcesnon-core non-corecomplementary complementaryactivities activitiesand andprovides provides synergy synergyand andlegitimacy legitimacy •• Cell Cell33outsources outsourcescore corecomplementary complementaryactivities activitiesand andenhances enhances activities activitiesof ofstrategic strategicimportance importance Cell Cell33outsourcing outsourcingisismore morerisky riskythan thanthat thatof ofCells Cells11or or22 Reading Reading 6-2: 6-2: Monitoring Monitoring Employee Employee E-mails: E-mails: Is Is There There Any Any Room Room for for Privacy? Privacy? Employers Employersgenerally generallyassume assumethe theexpense expenseand andeffort effortassociated associatedwith with monitoring monitoringemployee employeee-mails e-mailsfor forthree threereasons; reasons;(a) (a)protecting protectingthe the firm firmfrom fromliability liabilityrisks, risks,(b) (b)protecting protectingcompany companyassets, assets,and and(c) (c) ensuring ensuringjob jobperformance performance Employees Employeesand andemployee employeeadvocates advocateshave haveraised raisedprivacy privacyconcerns concerns around aroundthis thismonitoring monitoringbut, but,to todate, date,employers employershave haveprevailed prevailedin in every everycase casein inwhich whichthey theyhave havebeen beenaccused accusedof ofviolating violatingemployee employee privacy privacyrights rights Employers Employerscan canface facemore morestringent stringentconditions conditionson onmonitoring monitoring employee employeee-mail e-mailand anddifferent differentcultural culturalexpectations expectationsabout aboutprivacy, privacy, particularly particularlyin inthe theEuropean EuropeanUnion Union There Therecan canalso alsobe bebehavior behaviorand andperformance performanceconsequences consequences associated associatedwith withmonitoring monitoring Reading Reading 6-2: 6-2: Monitoring Monitoring Employee Employee E-mails: E-mails: Is Is There There Any Any Room Room for for Privacy? Privacy? ... Reading 6- 1 6- 1 Using UsingOutsourcing Outsourcingfor forStrategic StrategicCompetitiveness Competitivenessin inSmall Small and andMedium-sized Medium-sizedFirms Firms Reading Reading 6- 1 6- 1 Using... work work •• Higher Higherlevels levelsof of interdependence interdependencerequire require higher higherlevels levelsof of coordination coordination& &attention attention Redesign Redesign of. .. necessarilyresponsibility responsibility Design Design of of Work Work Systems Systems •• Job Job Enrichment Enrichment –– Increasing Increasingamount amountofofresponsibility responsibilityfor forquality