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Exercise 2-1: Testing Herzberg’s Job Enrichment Theory
This exercise is a reanalysis of Exercise 1-2: A Motivated Time at Work (Workbook 1). It is designed to give you a “hands on” feel for Herzberg’s theory by having you apply it to your own work experiences.
Your objective is to determine the degree to which the reasons that contributed to your being highly motivated correspond to Herzberg’s motivator/hygiene factors. If Herzberg’s theory is correct, then as an aggregate the persons doing Exercise 1-2 should have given more weight to motivator than to hygiene factors in explaining the “motivated time at work.”
Keep in mind that your own results may not fit the theory. Social scientists almost always study aggregate data in order to smooth out the idiosyncrasies of individual responses.
Step 1: Match Reasons to Herzberg’s Factors
For each reason identified in Exercise 1-2, see if you can place it alongside one of Herzberg’s lists of motivator/hygiene factors. Do this on the next page. Since it is unlikely that the terms you used in doing Exercise 1-2 correspond exactly with Herzberg’s terminology, you will probably have to do some translating. If one of the reasons that you listed in Exercise 1-2 doesn’t seem to fit Herzberg’s terms, ignore it.
When you enter the reasons from Exercise 1-2 on the lists on the next page, put in the number of the reason as it was listed in 1-2 and the weight assigned to it (e.g., #3(4) represents factor #3 which was given a weight of 4). In this way, the instructor can determine if you are classifying your Exercise 1-2 reasons correctly into Herzberg’s motivator/hygiene categories.
Step 2: Total the Factors
Total the number of motivator and hygiene factors and enter the totals in the spaces provided.
Step 3: Total the Weights of the Factors
Add the weights for the motivator and hygiene factors and put the totals in the spaces provided.
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Herzberg’s Motivator factors |
Factor Number(S) and Weight(S) from Exercise 1-2 |
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Achievement |
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Recognition |
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Interesting Work |
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Responsibility |
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Challenge |
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Professional Growth |
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Total Number of Factors = |
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| Total Number of Factors = |
Total of Weights = |
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Hygiene Factors |
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Supervision |
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Working Conditions |
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Interpersonal Relations |
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Money, Extrinsic Rewards |
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Company Policy |
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Status |
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Security |
Exercise 2-2: The Job Diagnostic Survey
The following survey (modified from Hackman & Oldham, 1980) will be used in conjunction with the main ideas of this workbook. Your answers will be used to compute a score evaluating the quality of the design of the job you are presently holding. Later, you will see how your score matches a number of jobs from the private and public sectors.
As you fill out this survey, remember the primary purpose for doing so is to enhance your own learning. The more honestly you respond to the questions, the more valuable will be your learning experience.
Part 1: Characteristics of Your Job
In the spaces provided beneath each scale, check the characteristic that best fits your present or most recent job.
1.1.
How much autonomy is there in your job? That is, to what extent does your job permit you to decide on your own how to go about doing your work?
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Very Little |
Moderate |
Very much |
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My job gives me almost no personal say about how and when the work is done. |
Many things are standardized and not under my control, but I can make some decisions about the work. |
My job gives me almost complete responsibility for deciding how and when the work is done. |
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Minimum |
Maximum |
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1.2. To what extent does your job involve a “whole” and identifiable piece of work? That is, is your job a complete piece of work that has an obvious beginning and end? Or is it only a small part of the overall piece of work, which is finished by other people or by automatic machines?
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Very Much |
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My job is only a tiny part of the overall piece of work; the results of my activities cannot be seen in the final product or service. |
My job is a moderate-sized “chunk” of the overall piece of work; my contribution can be seen in the final outcome. |
My job involves doing the whole piece of work, from start to finish; the result of my work is easily seen in the final product. |
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1.3. How much variety is there in your job? That is, to what extent does your job require you to do many different things in your work, using a variety of skills and talents?
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My job requires me to do the same routine things over and over and over again. |
My job requires me to do many different things, using a number of different skills and talents. |
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1.4. In general, how significant or important is your job? That is, are the results of your work likely to affect significantly the lives or well-being of other people?
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The outcomes of my work are not likely to have important effects on other people. |
The outcomes of my work can affect other people in very important ways. |
1.5. To what extent does doing your job itself provide you with information about your work performance? That is, does the actual work itself provide clues about how well you are doing, aside from any “feedback” co-workers or supervisors may provide?
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Very little |
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My job is set up so that I could work forever without finding out how well I am doing. |
Sometimes doing my job provides me with feedback; sometimes it does not. |
My job is set up so that I get almost constant feedback about how well I am doing. |
Part 2: Further Analysis
How accurate is each of the following statements in describing your job? In the space provided, write a number from 1 to 7 to indicate the degree of accuracy of each statement.
1 = Very Inaccurate 5 = Somewhat Accurate
2 = Mostly Inaccurate 6 = Mostly Accurate
3 = Somewhat Inaccurate 7 = Very Accurate
4 = Uncertain
2.1. My job requires me to use a number of complex or high-level skills.
2.
My job is arranged so that I do not have the chance to do an entire piece of work from beginning to end.
2.
Just doing the work required by my job provides many chances for me to figure out how well I am doing.
2.
My job is quite simple and repetitive.
2.
My job is one where many other people can be affected by how well my work gets done.
2.6. My job denies me any chance to use personal initiative or judgement in carrying out my work.
2.7. My job provides me the chance to completely finish the pieces of work I begin.
2.
My job provides very few clues about whether or not I am
performing well.
2.
My job gives me considerable opportunity for independence and freedom in deciding how to do my work.
2.
10.
My job is not very significant or important in the broader scheme of things.
Exercise 2-3: Job Interests Survey
On the following pages, you will find a survey called the “Job Interests Survey” (modified from Hackman & Oldham, 1980). After filling it out, you will learn how it relates to job design theory and you will be shown the results from other students.
The questions in the Job Interests Survey ask you to make difficult judgments about work situations you would prefer over other situations. While it is admittedly not easy to make such judgments, you should try your best to do so, keeping in mind that your answers will be part of your learning experience about job design theory.
People differ in the kinds of jobs they would most like to hold. The questions in this section give you a chance to say just what it is about a job that is most important to you.
For each question, two kinds of jobs are briefly described. You are to indicate which of the jobs you would prefer if you had to make a choice between them.
In answering each question, assume that everything else about the job is the same. Pay attention only to the characteristics actually listed. Then circle the statement below that bests fits your preferences as an individual.
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JOB A |
JOB B |
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A job where the pay is very good. |
A job where there is considerable opportunity to be creative. |
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I strongly
prefer A |
I slightly prefer A |
I’m
neutral |
I slightly
prefer B |
I stronglyprefer B | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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A job where you are often required to make important decisions. |
A job with many pleasant people to work with. |
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A job in which greater responsibility is given to those who do the best work. |
A job in which greater responsibility is given to loyal employees who have the most seniority. |
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A job in an organization which is in financial trouble–and might have to close down within the year. |
A job in which you are not allowed to have any say whatever in how your work is scheduled, or in the procedures to be used in carrying out your work. |
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A very routine job. |
A job where your co-workers are not very friendly. |
| 6. |
A job with a supervisor who is often very critical of you and your work in front of other people. |
A job which prevents you from using a number of skills that you worked hard to develop. |
| 7. |
A job with a supervisor who respects you and treats you fairly. |
A job which provides constant opportunities for you to learn new and interesting things. |
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A job where there is a real chance you could be laid off. |
A job with very little chance to do challenging work. |
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A job in which there is a real chance for you to develop new skills and advance in the organization. |
A job which provides lots of vacation time and an excellent fringe-benefit package. |
| 10. |
A job with little freedom and independence to do your work in the way you think best. |
A job where the working conditions are poor.
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JOB A |
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11. |
A job with very satisfying teamwork. |
A job which allows you to use your skills and abilities to the fullest extent. |
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12.
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A job which offers little or no challenge. |
A job which requires you to be completely isolated from co-workers. |
Exercise 2-4: Calculating the MPS of Your Job
The worksheet on this page is designed to help you to calculate the MPS of your own job. In Exercise 2-2, you filled out the Job Diagnostic Survey. Use this now to calculate your MPS.
On the Job Diagnostic Survey, you indicated answers for Parts 1 and 2 of the survey. Each term below corresponds to your own answers. For example, the term “1.3” in the equation below represents the number you checked for item 3 in Part 1 of the Job Diagnostic Survey. “8 – 2.4” means that you should subtract the number you indicated for item 4 in Part 2 of the Job Diagnostic Survey from 8. You are doing this because item 2.4 is reversed to the other items on the survey.
SKILL VARIETY = =
TASK IDENTITY = =
TASK SIGNIF. = =
AUTONOMY = =
FEEDBACK = =
Motivating Potential Score (MPS) = = _______
Your calculations can also be used to plot a “job diagnostic profile” for your job. For each of the five factors, put a “ * ” above the factor at the level (1 through 7) corresponding to your calculations for that factor.
Job Diagnostic Profile
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
SV TI TS A F
Exercise 2-5: Motivated and Unmotivated Times
This exercise will enable you to determine whether the Job Diagnostic Survey discriminates between well and poorly designed jobs.
In doing this exercise, you can either select the jobs you originally described in Exercises 1-2 (A Motivated Time at Work) and 1-3 (An Unmotivated Time at Work), or you can select different jobs/times that conform to the conditions set out in 1-2 and 1-3.
Call the motivated time job “Job M” and the unmotivated time job “Job U” (for convenience).
Step 1: Fill out Parts 1 and 2 of the Job Diagnostic Survey for both jobs (in Part 2, use the M column for Job M and the U column for Job U). A blank copy of the Job Diagnostic Survey can be found at the end of these instructions.
Step 2: Complete the job diagnostic profile and compute the MPS for both jobs.
Step 3: Determine whether the Job Diagnostic Survey has done an effective job of differentiating between the two jobs.
If the Job Diagnostic Survey is useful, it should discriminate between M- and U-type jobs. M-type jobs should range between 5 and 7, whereas U-type jobs should range from 1 to 5.
Step 4: The Job Diagnostic Survey should also pinpoint specific problem areas in terms of the job characteristics (i.e., some might be very low while others are high). In looking at the results, did it pinpoint weak job characteristics? This could occur for either M- or U-type jobs.
Step 5: Finally, and more difficult to assess, the Job Diagnostic Survey should cover all important characteristics of a job designed for intrinsic motivation. Do you sense that it does so, or are there some key aspects of work that seem to you to have been neglected in the survey?
Job Diagnostic Survey: Part 1
In the spaces provided below, write an “M” for the characteristic that best fits Job M (from Exercise 1-2) and a “U” for the characteristic that best fits Job U (Exercise 1-3).
1.1 How much autonomy is there in your job? That is, to what extent does your job permit you to decide on your own how to go about doing your work?
Very LittleModerateVery muchMy job gives me almost no personal say about how and when the work is done.Many things are standardized and not under my control, but I can make some decisions about the work.My job gives me almost complete responsibility for deciding how and when the work is done. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Minimum Maximum
1.2 To what extent does your job involve a “whole” and identifiable piece of work? That is, is your job a complete piece of work that has an obvious beginning and end? Or is it only a small part of the overall piece of work, which is finished by other people or by automatic machines?
1.3 How much variety is there in your job? That is, to what extent does your job require you to do many different things in your work, using a variety of skills and talents?
Very LittleModerateVery MuchMy job requires me to do the same routine things over and over and over again. My job requires me to do many different things, using a number of different skills and talents. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Minimum Maximum
1.4 In general, how significant or important is your job? That is, are the results of your work likely to significantly affect the lives or well-being of other people?
Very LittleModerateVery MuchThe outcomes of my work are not likely to have important effects on other people. The outcomes of my work can affect other people in very important ways. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Minimum Maximum
1.5 To what extent does doing your job itself provide you with information about your work performance? That is, does the actual work itself provide clues about how well you are doing–aside from any “feedback” co-workers or supervisors may provide?
|
Sometimes doing my job provides “feedback”; sometimes it does not. |
Job Diagnostic Survey: Part 2
How accurate is each of the following statements in describing the job? In the space provided, write a number 1 to 7 to indicate the degree of accuracy of each statement.
1 = Very Inaccurate 5 = Somewhat Accurate 2 = Mostly Inaccurate 6 = Mostly Accurate3 = Somewhat Inaccurate 7 = Very Accurate4 = Uncertain
Job M Job U
2.1 The job requires the worker to use a number of complex or high-level skills.
2.2 The job is arranged so that the worker does not have the chance to do an entire piece of work from beginning to end.
2.3 Just doing the work required by the job provides many chances for the worker to figure out how well he or she is doing.
2.4 The job is quite simple and repetitive.
2.5 This job is one where many other people can be affected by how well the work gets done.
2.6 The job denies the worker any chance to use personal initiative or judgement in carrying out the work.
2.7 The job provides the worker the chance to completely finish the pieces of work he or she begins.
2.8 The job itself provides very few clues about whether or not the worker is performing well.
2.9 The job gives worker considerable opportunity for independence and freedom in deciding how to do the work.
2.10 The job itself is not very significant or important in the broader scheme of things.
Calculations
The term “1.3” in the equation below represents the number you circled for item 3 in Part I of the Job Diagnostic Survey. “8 – 2.4” means that you should subtract the number you wrote in for item 4 in Part 2 of the Job Diagnostic Survey from 8. Thus, if you wrote in a “3” for item 4, Part 2, then 8 – 3 = 5. You are doing this because item 2.4 is reversed to the other items on the survey.
JOB M
SKILL VARIETY = =
TASK IDENTITY = =
TASK SIGNIF. = =
AUTONOMY = =
FEEDBACK = =
Motivating Potential Score (MPS) = =
JOB U
SKILL VARIETY = =
TASK IDENTITY = =
TASK SIGNIF. = =
AUTONOMY = = FEEDBACK = =
Motivating Potential Score (MPS) = =
For each of the five factors, put an “M” or a “U” above the factor at the level (1 through 7) corresponding to your calculations for that factor for the M- and U-type jobs.
Job Diagnostic Profile 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 SV TI TS A F
Exercise 2-6: Assessing the Need to Redesign a Job
A major point of interest is to what degree Job Design Theory sheds light on the causes of the sub-standard performance of the person you identified in Exercise 1-1, (Workbook 1, Attribution Theory). In this exercise, you will examine the person’s job in Exercise 1-1 to determine whether poor job design might be one source (there could be others) of that person’s lack of full effort on the job. You will also complete a Job Diagnostic Survey, decide whether the job should be redesigned, and, if so, how.
According to Hackman and Oldham, jobs should not be redesigned unless four minimal conditions hold true:
1. There must be a productivity problem that is motivational in nature.
2. The problem must be intrinsic (job quality) in part, and not just due to a poorly designed reward system.
3. The jobholders have high growth needs, and, thus, would be receptive to enriched work.
4. The benefits must outweigh the costs. Determining whether to redesign jobs must be based on a strategic decision-making process, just as making investments or other decisional activities in your organization would be handled.
You will now use these considerations to decide whether the person’s job from Exercise 1-1 should be redesigned. This will give you a feel for the importance of the considerations that Hackman and Oldham would make before undertaking a job redesign project.
Part A: Job Design Assessment
Step 1: Is there a motivation problem?
State whether you feel that there is a motivational problem among all persons holding that job. List specific, observable examples demonstrating why you think there is or is not a problem. Don’t expect the situation to be black and white. You will probably be able to come up with examples supporting both positions. You should think of workers other than the person on whom you originally focused.
A. Behaviours indicating low motivation:
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________
B. Behaviours indicating high motivation:
________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________
Step 2: What is the cause of the problem?
Assuming that there is a problem, is it because of poor intrinsic job design, poor extrinsic rewards, or both? Start by completing a Job Diagnostic Survey of the person’s job in Exercise 1-1, and prepare a job diagnostic profile. You will find a blank copy of the Job Diagnostic Survey at the end of this exercise. Post the results below:
SKILL VARIETY =
TASK IDENTITY =
TASK SIGNIF =
AUTONOMY =
FEEDBACK =
MPS SCORE =
Job Diagnostic Profile 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 SV TI TS A F
Step 3: Is the job is poorly designed?
Comment on whether the job is poorly designed and which factors, if any, rate lowest. Do these results make sense from your perspective of the job? While the Job Diagnostic Survey should provide food for thought, you should not say “yes” or “no” to whether the job is well designed based solely on the Job Diagnostic Survey. After all, you are not the jobholder, and persons at that level may see things differently than you. Obviously you will have your own opinions about the job regardless of what the profile looks like. You should use your own insights as well as the Job Diagnostic Survey in arriving at a decision.
Step 4: Will there be acceptance of or resistance to change?
If intrinsic motivation is a problem, determine whether the jobholders (including yourself) are likely to accept or resist change. You have already taken the portion of the Job Diagnostic Survey that relates to assessing a person’s growth needs (Exercise 2-3) and, thus, have a feel for the concept of growth needs. Now you have to make an educated guess about the growth needs of the person in Exercise 1-A1 person and of others holding the same job. However, keep in mind that as a supervisor you may not be able to accurately guess whether your subordinates have high growth needs, because much of their work attitudes and behaviour may be hidden from your direct observation, and because a poorly designed job may make people behave as if they have low growth needs. With these difficulties in mind, make your best guess as to whether growth needs are high and explain your reasoning.
Step 5: What costs and benefits will relate to redesigning the job?
Assuming that there is a motivational problem, that the problem is in part intrinsic in nature, and that jobholders have high growth needs and would not resist change, assess the costs and benefits that would be involved if the job was to be redesigned. List the costs and benefits that you think would be involved in such a decision.
Possible Costs:
A. _____________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________
B. _____________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________
C. _____________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________
D. _____________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________
Possible Benefits:
A. _____________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ B. _____________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ C. _____________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ D. _____________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________
Step 6: What are the roadblocks and opportunities?
Look for roadblocks and opportunities. Are there any special situations that would either block or facilitate a job redesign project in your organization?
________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________
Step 7: What recommendations can you make for improvement?
Whether you’ve decided that job redesign would be beneficial or not, make at least three specific recommendations for improving the person’s job described in Exercise 1‑1.
A. _____________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ B. _____________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ C. _____________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________
Part B: Job Diagnostic Survey
PART 1
In the spaces provided beneath each scale, check the characteristic that best fits the job of the person with sub-standard performance.
1.1 How much autonomy is there in the job? That is, to what extent does the job permit the jobholder to decide on his or her own how to go about doing the work?
|
The job gives the worker almost no personal say about how and when the work is done. |
Many things are standardized and not under the worker’s control, but he or she can make some decisions about the work. |
The job gives me almost complete responsibility for deciding how and when the work is done. |
1.2 To what extent does the job involve a “whole” and identifiable piece of work? That is, is the job a complete piece of work that has an obvious beginning and end? Or is it only a small part of the overall piece of work, which is finished by other people or by automatic machines?
|
The job is only a tiny part of the overall piece of work; the results of the worker’s activities cannot be seen in the final product or service. |
The job is a moderate-sized “chunk” of the overall piece of work; the worker’s contribution can be seen in the final outcome. |
The job involves doing the whole piece of work, from start to finish; the result of the worker’s work is easily seen in the final product. |
1.3 How much variety is there in the job? That is, to what extent does the job require the worker to do many different things in the work, using a variety of skills and talents?
|
The job requires the worker to do the same routine things over and over and over again. |
The job requires the worker to do many different things, using a number of different skills and talents. |
1.4 In general, how significant or important is the job? That is, are the results of the work likely to significantly affect the lives or well-being of other people?
|
The outcomes of the work are not likely to have important effects on other people. |
The outcomes of the work can affect other people in very important ways. |
1.5 To what extent does doing the job itself provide the worker with information about the work performance? That is, does the actual work itself provide clues about how well the worker is doing, aside from any “feedback” co-workers or supervisors may provide?
|
The job is set up so that the worker could work forever without finding out how well he or she is doing. |
Sometimes doing the job provides the worker with feedback; sometimes it does not. |
The job is set up so that the worker gets almost constant feedback about how well he or she is doing. |
PART 2: Further Analysis
How accurate is each of the following statements in describing the job? In the space provided, write a number from 1 to 7 to indicate the degree of accuracy of each statement.
1 = Very Inaccurate 5 = Somewhat Accurate 2 = Mostly Inaccurate 6 = Mostly Accurate3 = Somewhat Inaccurate 7 = Very Accurate4 = Uncertain
2.1 The job requires use of a number of complex or high-level skills.
2.2 The job is arranged so that the jobholder does not have the chance to do an entire piece of work from beginning to end.
2.3 Just doing the work required by the job provides many chances for the jobholder to figure out how well he or she is doing.
2.4 The job is quite simple and repetitive.
2.5 The job is one where many other people can be affected by how well the work gets done.
2.6 The job denies the jobholder any chance to use personal initiative or judgement in carrying out the work.
2.7 The job provides the jobholder the chance to completely finish the pieces of work he or she begins.
2.8 The job provides very few clues about whether or not the jobholder is performing well.
2.9 The job gives the jobholder considerable opportunity for independence and freedom in deciding how to do the work.
2.10 The job is not very significant or important in the broader scheme of things.
Calculations
SKILL VARIETY = =
TASK IDENTITY = = TASK SIGNIF. = = AUTONOMY = =
FEEDBACK = =
Motivating Potential Score (MPS) = =
Exercise 2-7: Redesigning a Cafeteria Cashier’s Job
At this point, we would like you to practice making job redesign suggestions. We have selected the job of being a cashier in a cafeteria because it is one that occurs in both public and private sectors and that all persons taking this course have observed at one time or another.
Assume that motivation is a problem, that the job is poorly designed, that the employees have high growth needs (you may disagree with this, but make the assumption for the purpose of the exercise), and that the benefits of redesigning the job will outweigh the costs. Also assume that there are no problems restricting the redesign of the job (e.g., union contracts, job descriptions).
In the space below, make four specific recommendations as to how such a job could be redesigned.
1. ______________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________
2. ______________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________
3. ______________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________
4. ______________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________
