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Module III: Job satisfaction

Job satisfaction- meaning-factor-theories-measurement -morale- importance-Employee attitudes
and behavior and their significance to employee productivity- job-enrichment-lob enlargement

Job satisfaction
Definition
Hoppock defined job satisfaction as any combination of psychological, physiological and
environmental circumstances that cause a person truthfully to say I am satisfied with my job
(Hoppock, 1935). According to this approach although job satisfaction is under the influence of
many external factors, it remains something internal that has to do with the way how the
employee feels. That is job satisfaction presents a set of factors that cause a feeling of
satisfaction.
Vroom in his definition on job satisfaction focuses on the role of the employee in the workplace.
Thus he defines job satisfaction as affective orientations on the part of individuals toward work
roles wich they are presently occupying (Vroom, 1964).
Spector according to whome job satisfaction has to do with the way how people feel about their
job and its various aspects. It has to do with the extent to wich people like ore dislike their job.
Thatswhy job satisfaction and job disstatisfaction can appear in any givern work situation.
Job satisfaction represents a combination of positive or negative feelings that workers have
towards their work. Meanwhile, when a worker employed in a business organization, brings with
it the needs, desires and experiences which determinates expectations that he has dismissed. Job
satisfaction represents the extent to which expectations are and match the real awards. Job
satisfaction is closely linked to that individual's behaviour in the work place (Davis et al.,1985).
Job satisfaction is a worker’s sense of achievement and sucess on the job. It is generally
perceived to be directly linked to productitivty as well as to personal well-being. Job satisfaction
implies doing a job one enjoys, doing it well and being rewarded for one’s efforts. Job
satisfaction further implies enthusiasm and happiness with one’s work. Job satisfaction is the key
ingridient that leads to recognition, income, promotion, and the achevement of other goals that
lead to a feeling of fullfillment (Kaliski,2007).
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The term job satisfactions refers to the attituted and feelings people have about their work.
Positive and favorable attitudes towards the job indicate job satisfaction. Negative and
unfavorable attitudes towards the job indicate job dissatisfaction.

NATURE OF JOB SATISFACTION

Job satisfaction is the most frequently measured organisational variable in both research and
applied settings. There are multiple reasons for interest in this work attitude. First, organisations
and researchers are interested in simply assessing the current state of employee job satisfaction.
They are often concerned with employee well-being and psychological health, and some form of
job satisfaction measurement is therefore included in employee opinion surveys. Second,
understanding the influences on job satisfaction is important for improving organisational
functioning. Significant lines of research have therefore focused on the role of personal,
work-related and organisational variables in job satisfaction. Third, job satisfaction has important
implications for work outcomes within an organisation. Interest has thus been in the empirical
examination of job satisfaction and its relationship with such outcomes as performance,
withdrawal behaviours, organisational citizenship behaviours and other work behaviours.

Meaning of Job Satisfaction

In the past hundred years, job satisfaction has been given various definitions by organisational
behaviour scholars and researchers. The most-used research definition of job satisfaction is by
Locke (1976), who defined it as “a pleasurable or positive emotional state resulting from the
appraisal of one’s job or job experiences”. Cook et al. (1981) defined job satisfaction as “an
attitude which manifests itself in evaluation of the job and of the employing organisation as
contributing suitably to the attainment of one’s personal objectives”. More recently, Lambert,
Barton, and Hogan (1999) defined the term as “the fulfillment or gratification of certain needs
that are associated with one’s work.” Spector (1997) defines it as “the extent to which people like
(satisfaction) or dislike (dissatisfaction) their jobs”.
Some important characteristics emerge out of these definitions:
1) Job satisfaction is an emotional response to a job situation. As such it cannot be seen, it can
only be inferred.
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2) Job satisfaction is the extent to which the working environment meets the Job Satisfaction
needs and expectations of employees. It is a result of employees’ perception of how well their
job provides outcomes that are viewed as important.
3) Job satisfaction is an evaluation of the job and of the organisation that shows up in significant
work behaviours such as productivity, absenteeism, turnover, workplace deviance, organisational
citizenship and so forth.
Job satisfaction can thus be understood as an important job attitude. As an attitude, it has three
elements: affective, cognitive and behavioural. The affective component is the emotional
response to the job situation and is reflected in the statement “I feel good about my job”. The
cognitive element is the appraisal on the extent to which the job fulfills important needs
associated with one’s work. It is illustrated in the statement “My job helps me to achieve my
goals”. The behavioural component is the intention to engage in specific behaviours as
manifested in productivity, absenteeism, turnover and forms of organisational citizenship. It is
reflected in the statement “I want to give my best on the job”.
Although viewing job satisfaction as made of three components is helpful in understanding its
complexity, the term as it is generally used, essentially refers to the affect part of the three
components. Thus the statement “I like my job” best exemplifies job satisfaction and signifies
that it is primarily an individual’s affective reaction to a particular job that results from the
person’s comparison of actual outcomes with those that are desired, anticipated, or deserved.

MEASUREMENT OF JOB SATISFACTION

Measuring job satisfaction is difficult, for it is an abstract personal cognition that exists only in
an individual’s mind. Nonetheless, numerous techniques to measure the construct have been
devised that can be broadly classified as indirect and direct techniques. Indirect measurement of
an employee’s job satisfaction can be obtained from data that a company regularly collects like
absenteeism, turnover and theft rates. It can also be seen in terms of its relationships with other
key factors, such as general well-being, psychological health, stress experienced at work and
working conditions.
Direct measurement involves asking employees how satisfied they are with their job, through
interviews or questionnaires. Most researchers opt for in-depth survey questionnaires as they are
easily distributed, have less room for bias, have increased likelihood of confidentiality, and
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require much less time and money than one-on-one interviews. These questionnaires are usually
based on the Likert technique wherein respondents are asked to indicate their response on a
rating scale. Ratings on individual items are then summated to obtain a summary satisfaction
score.
Using the summated rating technique, reliable and valid measures of both facet and global job
satisfaction have been developed. Typical scales used for facet job satisfaction include:
i) The Job Descriptive Index (JDI),
ii) The Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire (MSQ) and
iii) The Job Satisfaction Survey (JSS).

Measures used for assessing global satisfaction include:

i) The Job Satisfaction Index (JSI) and
ii) The Job in General Scale (JIGS).
The Job Descriptive Index (Smith, Kendall, & Hulin, 1969) has probably been the most popular
facet scale among organisational researchers. It measures one’s satisfaction in five facets: pay,
promotions and promotion opportunities, coworkers, supervision, and the work itself. The scale
contains 72 items with either 9 or 18 items per subscale. Each item is an evaluative adjective or
short phrase that is descriptive of the job. Participants answer either yes, no, or can’t decide
(indicated by ‘?’) in response to each item. A value is then calculated for each facet based upon a
respondents’ reply on the items for each facet. The JDI is considered the best choice when
survey participants are not good readers or attempt to finish the questionnaire quickly.
The Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire (Weiss, Dawes, England, & Lofquist, 1967) is
another satisfaction scale that has been very popular among researchers. It assesses employee’s
job satisfaction on 20 facets of work. Subjects are asked to indicate their level of satisfaction
using a five-point scale for each item on the measure. The scale has two forms. The long form
has 100 questions with five items from each facet and the short form has 20 questions with one
item from each facet. Most researchers who use the short form combine all items into a single
total score, or compute extrinsic and intrinsic satisfaction subscales from the subset of items.
The Job Satisfaction Survey (Spector, 1997) measures nine facets of job satisfaction, as well as
overall satisfaction. The nine facets include: pay, promotion, supervision, fringe benefits,
contingent rewards, operating conditions, coworkers, nature of work and communication. The
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scale contains 36 items and uses a summated rating scale format. Each of the nine face subscales
contain four items, and a total satisfaction score can be computed all of the items.
The Job Satisfaction Index (Brayfield & Rothe, 1951) measures overall job satisfaction when
all aspects of the job are considered. It consists of 18 items with responses ranging from 1
(strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree). Although several of these items have become obsolete
because the BRI was established in 1951, the instrument still has been very reliable and
correlates highly with other job satisfaction measures.
The Job in General Scale is an 18-item measure of global job satisfaction. It was developed in
the early 1990’s to provide an overall evaluation of how employees feel about their jobs,
complementing the Job Descriptive Index diagnostics on specific facets of employee job
satisfaction. It is more general, more evaluative, and uses a longer time perspective than the JDI.
As a result, it has been found to consistently correlate more highly with such global measures as
intention to leave, life satisfaction, identification with the work organisation, and trust in
management.

Factors Influence Job Satisfaction

Several key factors play distinct roles in shaping job satisfaction, directly impacting how
employees perceive and value their work. While everyone’s values and preferences differ, our
team has put together a list of the following 10 factors that affect job satisfaction:
1. Environment and Workplace Relationships
2. Career Growth Opportunities
3. A Fair and Competitive Salary
4. Recognition and Rewards
5. Work-Life Balance
6. Leadership and Management Style
7. A Sense of Autonomy
8. A Reasonable Workload
9. Culture Alignment
10. Job Security
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1. Work-life balance

The pandemic has shown us how unpredictable things are. Gone are the days when it’s possible
to ensure a strict eight-hour shift or sufficient vacation days every year.

These blurred boundaries and unrealistic expectations are not sustainable work practices.
Resulting in employees feeling overwhelmed, and overworked, building dissatisfaction, and
resentment leading to employees leaving.

Workplaces with work practices that are rigid find it challenging to attract top talent who opt for
employers who consider remote or hybrid working models. It’s important to embrace flexible
work, part-time work, and leave policies that employees are looking for.

“Compensation and benefits, including fair and competitive salaries, healthcare, and other perks,
also play a crucial role in overall satisfaction and well-being. Moreover, work-life balance is
increasingly essential. Employees appreciate organizations that support personal
responsibilities.”

2. Health and safety

In the modern workplace, safety involves several elements. Employers must ensure from a safety
standpoint that the workplace has no hazards, provide ample health benefits to ensure they’re in
the pink of their health to contribute to the business effectively as well as ensure they continue to
remain healthy.

Here are some ways to assure your employees of good health and safety:

○ Pick a health benefits provider who focuses on better health outcomes

○ Focus on preventive care rather than curative care to make sure employees are always
healthy
○ Choose emphatic care providers who care for you because they want to and not have to

Showing your employees you’re giving them the care they deserve immensely impacts job
satisfaction.
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3. Company values

It is unlikely that a vegetarian would seek employment in a meat shop, as their personal values
would not align with the company. This is just for example's sake. In reality, issues aren’t always
so apparent and clear-cut.

However, when a person's values align with their employer and the overall workplace culture,
they are more likely to be satisfied in their job.

4. Recognition

While it feels like a given, despite consistent hard work, employees feel underappreciated. It’s
demoralizing to turn up to work day after day, facing the same old and no one acknowledges you
leave alone tells you what a great job you’re doing. Down the road, this leads to losing
motivation and eventually quitting.

A simple ‘well done!’ from coworkers or bosses can turn your mundane day into one filled with
respect and value. When appreciation leads to encouragement, the ultimate result is reflected in
the efficiency of work automatically. Therefore, the level of job satisfaction is always higher
with increased appreciation.

“Recognition and appreciation for one's contributions further enhance job satisfaction, fostering
a sense of belonging and validating individual efforts.”

5. Relationship with managers

Effective managers have certain traits, which help their employees and teams do better. Rather
than telling their staff what to do, they lead by example. They recognize strengths and
weaknesses, treat everyone as individuals, and utilize people to their best potential. All this
contributes to consistently high workforce morale and motivation.

Besides this, they give out praise and recognition often for accomplishments and efforts, this
keeps team spirit high. On the other hand, grievances are low, because employees know the door
is always open to discuss any concerns that affect their ability to do their jobs effectively and
impending satisfaction in the office.
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6. Payscale

Wages and salaries are recognized as significant factors affecting job satisfaction of employees.
Besides helping attain basic needs, money plays an instrumental role in upper-level need
satisfaction. Payscale reflects how management views an employee’s contribution to the
organization and recognizes and rewards the value that an employee brings to the table.

When employees are not compensated fairly or in line with industry standards, you will find
them feeling disgruntled, leading to poor performance and satisfaction, and eventually quitting.

7. Working conditions

Considering employees spend a large portion of their time at work, it’s important to ensure they
have a conducive work environment that aids their overall development.

By providing comfortable workstations, adequate ventilation and lighting, and a spacious work
area, you’re aiding employees to easily carry out their jobs. This improves their health and
safety, which caters to both personal interest and comfort and facilitates doing a good job,
contributing to overall satisfaction.

“A stable work environment, coupled with reasonable job security, provides employees with a
sense of assurance and confidence in their career choice.”

8. Unique work styles

A cookie-cutter approach will not cut it with today’s job roles. Every employee comes with a
unique and fresh perspective, which they want to be appreciated for. As an employer, you cannot
restrict employees or change the way they work to meet the demands of the organization.

Instead, businesses must realign their culture, values, and styles to respect employees' needs and
work styles. This way satisfaction is much higher.

Giving employees the creative freedom to run projects results in fulfillment, which means a lot to
them. Rather than monotony leading to alienation and hence a dip in satisfaction.

One of the gifts that workplaces appreciate the most is time. And flexibility is an excellent way
to show your teams what you expect from them.
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9. Learning and career development

None wants to be stuck in a dead-end job, doing the same thing, the same way until it’s time to
retire. Employees see more job satisfaction in jobs where there are clear pathways to move
higher up, gain more responsibility, and a higher income.

Offering employees the opportunity to acquire more advanced skills will come to your benefit.
You’ll have a more aspirational and motivated workforce.

Some ways to do this include offering to pay a part of the tuition for an employee's course,
providing in-house training sessions, skills development courses, etc.

10. Challenges and responsibilities

Jobs where responsibility is involved always carry a higher level of satisfaction. It suggests that
employers think employees are trustworthy and capable candidates. Conversely, without any
responsibility, people doubt themselves and feel detached, causing dissatisfaction.

Similarly, it’s important to challenge employees; it’s associated with ability and capability. An
employee feels that leaders trust them and their capacity to meet expectations. Hence, a
challenging environment immediately raises the level of satisfaction.

Popular Job Satisfaction Theories

Job satisfaction has been recognized as a business priority since the beginning of the 20th

century. Its research and theories, which overlap with theories explaining motivation, can help

change agents better understand the employee experience, identify factors impacting job

satisfaction, and develop potential solutions for positive change. Oftentimes, real world

situations call for the application of more than one theory.

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Maslow’s Needs Hierarchy

Key Concept: A hierarchy of needs motivates human behavior; the five-tier model is divided into
deficiency needs (physiological, safety, love/belonging and esteem) and the top level known as
growth or being needs (self-actualization).

Herzberg’s Two Factor Theory

Key Concept: Factors causing job satisfaction (motivators) are different from those causing job
dissatisfaction (dissatisfiers-also referred to as hygiene factors).
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McClelland’s Motivation Theory

Key Concept: People possess three motivational needs (achievement, power and affiliation) and
exhibit a combination of these characteristics; some employees have a strong bias towards a particular
motivational need(s).

● Achievement. Strives to succeed. Desires more feedback and job advancement.

● Power. Desires to lead and for their ideas to prevail. Gets things done to make an impact.
● Affiliation. Desires to teach and coach. Values interaction. Focused on accomplishing
group goals.

Employee Attitudes and Behaviors

Employee attitudes and behaviors are fundamental influences on productivity in any

organization. A positive and engaged workforce translates to a higher output, improved quality,
and a thriving business. Let's delve deeper into this relationship and explore its significance.
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Understanding Employee Attitudes

Employee attitudes reflect an individual's feelings and perspectives towards various aspects of
work, including:

● Job Satisfaction: How much an employee enjoys their tasks, responsibilities, and overall
work experience.
● Job Involvement: The degree to which an employee identifies with their work and feels
passionate about it.
● Organizational Commitment: The employee's loyalty and dedication to the company's
goals and values.

These attitudes significantly impact how employees approach their work. Satisfied and involved
employees are more likely to:

● Take initiative and ownership of their tasks.

● Be proactive in problem-solving and finding solutions.
● Put in extra effort to achieve goals and deliver quality work.

Employee Behaviors and their Impact

Employee behaviors are the outward manifestations of their attitudes. Positive behaviors that
contribute to productivity include:

● Collaboration and teamwork: Working effectively with colleagues towards shared

objectives.
● Communication: Clearly expressing ideas, actively listening, and providing constructive
feedback.
● Time management: Effectively prioritizing tasks, meeting deadlines, and using work
time productively.
● Adaptability: Embracing change, learning new skills, and adjusting to new situations.
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Conversely, negative behaviors like negativity, absenteeism, or lack of effort can significantly
hinder productivity. They can create a toxic work environment, demotivate colleagues, and
ultimately lead to a decline in overall output.

The Significance of Positive Attitudes and Behaviors

Organizations that prioritize fostering positive employee attitudes and behaviors reap significant
benefits:

● Increased Productivity: Engaged employees are more likely to produce high-quality

work consistently.
● Reduced Absenteeism and Turnover: Satisfied employees are less likely to miss work
or seek employment elsewhere.
● Enhanced Innovation and Creativity: Positive attitudes create an environment where
employees feel comfortable sharing ideas and taking risks.
● Improved Customer Satisfaction: Engaged employees are more likely to provide
excellent customer service experiences.
● Stronger Employer Brand: A positive work culture attracts and retains top talent.

Strategies to Foster Positive Attitudes and Behaviors

Here are some key strategies to cultivate a positive and productive work environment:

● Open Communication: Encourage regular communication between leadership and

employees to address concerns and foster transparency.
● Recognition and Appreciation: Acknowledge and reward employee achievements to
boost morale and motivation.
● Career Development Opportunities: Provide training and development programs to
help employees grow professionally.
● Work-life Balance: Promote healthy work-life balance practices to reduce stress and
burnout.
● Positive Work Culture: Build a culture of trust, respect, and collaboration where
employees feel valued.
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By focusing on employee attitudes and behaviors, organizations can unlock a wellspring of

productivity, innovation, and success. Happy and engaged employees are the backbone of any
thriving business.

Job Enrichment

Job Enrichment is the process of enhancement of a job by increasing the level of responsibility
and autonomy of employees. It provides employees with challenges and more accountability to
instill a feeling of achievement and growth.

Organizations use job enrichment in HRM (Human Resources Management) as a strategy to

make jobs more meaningful and engaging for employees. The job enrichment process expands
job responsibilities, grants employees autonomy, and provides growth and development
opportunities. This aims at higher employee satisfaction, motivation and increases the overall
performance of the organization.

When employees feel challenged, they ought to feel more empowered and start contributing
more to the organization’s success. This strategy is also useful to avoid boredom from
monotonous jobs with repetitive tasks. Hence, it can be said that job enrichment involves making
employees better retained.

The job enrichment concept is based on the premise that jobs have recently become very
monotonous and boring due to excessive job specialization and technological advancements.
This phenomenon also leads to frustration, alienation, and poor human relations. An attempt to
solve this was using job rotation as a measure, but it hasn’t effectively reduced work boredom.
Social and behavioral scientists have concluded that the need for improving job content by
enriched jobs can ease these problems.
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Job Enrichment Definitions: Expert Quotes

According to Frederick Herzberg, in his groundbreaking article ‘One More Time: How Do You
Motivate Employees?’, job enrichment means making improvements to a job by adding more
challenges.

The challenges include completing tasks, more responsibility, growth opportunities, and the
chance for employees to contribute their ideas.

According to another author, David Bennett, job enrichment is an approach to structuring jobs
that provides you with more self-actualization than you receive during job enlargement or job
rotation. His theory involves exploring jobs vertically more than horizontally.

This means jobs are made more satisfying by diversifying the levels of work rather than adding
more amount of the same work.

Here are some points from the study on job enrichment conducted in the paper, ‘Is Job
Enrichment Really Enriching?’ by Robert D. Mohr and Cindy Zoghi.

● The purpose of job enrichment is to enhance job content to satisfy employees’

psychological and social needs, ultimately increasing job satisfaction.
● It involves providing opportunities for employee motivation, such as suggestion
programs, job rotation, information sharing, quality circles, and classroom training.
● The results of the study suggest that job enrichment positively impacts job satisfaction
and does not lead to increased work intensity or decreased job security.

What is the impact of Job Enrichment?

● 2/3rd of individuals felt an improvement in product quality.
● 50% of respondents saw a reduction in employee turnover to an average of 18%.
● 16% decrease in absenteeism.
● 16% drop in employee grievances: improvement in employee satisfaction.
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Job Enrichment Models

We shall study how these models provide strategies for redesigning jobs by incorporating
elements such as increased autonomy, skill variety, task significance, and feedback. By applying
these models, companies aim to create enriched jobs to foster a sense of accomplishment,
growth, and engagement among employees.

Job Enrichment Through Job Crafting Model

What is a Job Crafting?

Job Crafting is a process in which employees redesign their jobs by altering their job
responsibilities and duties in a way that makes them more engaged and satisfied. It is seldom a
one-time event. It is a continuous process that employees go through during their tenure in a job
role. The process takes place in 3 main stages.

1. Motivation: Finding the motivational factors to craft and recraft the job.
2. Identification: Identifying and discovering the opportunities available to redesign the job.
3. Outcomes: Observing outcomes after crafting new models for the job.

A study by Amy Wrzesniewski and Jane Dutton as mentioned in ‘What is Job Crafting and Why
Does It Matter?’ concludes:

Employees do not usually follow the job description for a role to the tee. They shape their
responsibilities in a way that makes more sense to them and is more productive. Some examples
to support this are:

● Design engineers create beneficial connections while working on a project.

● Restaurant cooks treat their job as art rather than just following a recipe.
● Nurses encourage communication and collaboration with each other for improved patient
care.

In the job crafting model, employees are motivated by a change in the meaning of their work or
their personal beliefs. When they are presented with opportunities to make an impact they work
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towards a more fulfilling objective. This can also come in the form of coping with adversity.
However, the end goal is to gain a more meaningful and enjoyable experience.

Job Enrichment Through Job Characteristic Model

The Job Characteristics Model, developed by Hackman and Oldham in the 1970s, offers
recommendations on how to enhance jobs within organizations. The model suggests five key
characteristics for effective job design.

● Skill variety: Using a number of different skills and talents to complete tasks in a job.
● Task identity: Completing a task as a whole, from beginning to end with a definite
outcome.
● Task significance: The impact of the job on the team, organization, or the world at large.
● Autonomy: Having the freedom and independence to decide on the schedule and
procedure to complete tasks on the job.
● Job feedback: Obtaining information and feedback from peers or managers about the
effectiveness of carrying out the job.

According to the model, these characteristics impact motivation, job satisfaction, and
performance. The model also includes additional factors such as the meaningfulness of the work,
sense of responsibility, and knowledge of results as important influences on job outcomes.

The Job Characteristics Model produces a single index called Motivating Potential Score (MPS)
that measures the motivating potential of a job. It can be obtained from the above 5
characteristics using this formula:

Motivational Potential Score (MPS) =

[(Skill variety + Task identity + Task significance)/3] x Autonomy x Feedback

Advantages and Disadvantages of Job Enrichment

Job enrichment offers several advantages and disadvantages for both employees and
organizations. By enhancing job responsibilities and increasing employee autonomy, it can foster
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greater job satisfaction, motivation, and skill development. However, it may also lead to
increased stress, role overload, and potential resistance to change. Let us observe some of these
pros and cons one at a time.

Advantages:

1. Higher productivity as a result of increased employee motivation.

Since the main goal of enriching jobs is to improve jobs so that employees enjoy doing them,
there needn’t be extra effort to be put into motivating employees. When you’re engaged with
something enjoyable, you do not need motivation to carry it out.

This also means that there is no extra push or pressure put by the organization upon the
employees. As a result, the organization enjoys higher productivity without the cost of
motivating employees constantly.

2. Brings about organizational change smoothly.

To conduct an organizational change or development in the workplace, managers have to have a
keen understanding of the wants and needs of employees. When employees already enjoy
enriched jobs, they feel more loyal and committed to the organization. This makes it easier for
managers to bring changes to the organization without having demotivated or disengaged
employees.

3. Humanizes the organization.

Job enrichment can make a workplace more human and personal. It gives people a boost by
helping them learn new skills and perform their job effectively. It encourages personal growth
and motivates individuals to challenge themselves.

As mentioned in the International Journal of Applied Sciences, ‘Job enrichment: A tool for
employee motivation’ companies like ICICI, Infosys, Asian Paints, and more, have invested in
making jobs more enriched. As a result, employees in the aforementioned companies are more
satisfied with their jobs and feel more secure.
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Disadvantages

1. Increased Workload
Enriched jobs can lead to an increase in responsibilities and tasks for employees. Not all
individuals are prepared to accept such challenges. Hence, it can result in a heavier workload and
potential feelings of being overwhelmed or stressed for employees.

Problems like these can soon turn into a higher rate of turnover among employees. Hence, while
rooting for enriched jobs, ensure that employees are prepared to accept the improvisation of their
jobs.

2. Resistance to Change
Enrichment initiatives can face some amount of resistance from employees. This happens
particularly if they are accustomed to their current job duties and schedule for a long time. They
may feel uncomfortable with the changes and prefer to stick to their existing routines.

Just like organizational change, enriching jobs has to come about slowly and with the consent of
employees. This will help them get ready for it and be more accepting of it.

3. Skill and Knowledge Gaps

The process of enriching jobs requires employees to acquire new competencies and skills.
However, not all individuals may possess the necessary knowledge or training, which can lead to
performance gaps and a steep learning curve.

While most employees are eager to upskill themselves, some might not find it very interesting.
This causes dissatisfaction among employees and can turn into reduced employee morale.

Advantages Disadvantages

Interesting and challenging job Insufficient knowledge to take decisions produces

responsibilities the wrong attitude in the workplace

Better decision making Some employees experience overwork

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Increased job satisfaction Potential resistance to change

Potential for personal and professional Need for additional support and training
growth

Identification of potential leaders and More power to employees can lead to ego problems
managers

Points out employee needs and Internal dissatisfaction cannot be addressed with
requirements in a different level enrichment

Reduced workload for superiors and Unsuitable for job roles with already enough
managers independence and responsibilities

Job Enrichment Examples

1. Google

Google encourages job enrichment through its “20% time” policy, allowing employees to spend
20% of their work hours on projects of their choice outside their regular responsibilities.

Founders of Google, Sergey Brin, and Larry Page, wrote in their 2004 IPO letter, “We encourage
our employees, in addition to their regular projects, to spend 20% of their time working on what
they think will most benefit Google. This empowers them to be more creative and innovative.”

The same initiative has led to the development of innovative products and services such as Gmail
and Google News. This is an excellent example of how enriching one’s job can lead to more
productivity and can cause overall success for the organization.
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2. Zappos

Zappos, an apparel company, practices a culture of job enrichment by giving employees the
opportunity to learn new skills and take on new challenges. They are constantly encouraged to
stretch themselves so that they do not feel stuck at their jobs.

As a result, Zappos enjoys its employees having a higher engagement rate. According to Great
Place to Work, 82% at Zappos.com, Inc. and its subsidiaries, consider it an excellent workplace,
in contrast to only 57% of employees at an average U.S.-based company.

3. Starbucks

At Starbucks, most employees, except the cashier, are encouraged to perform multitasking as a
part of their job. This enables employees to experience a variety of job responsibilities that
avoids boredom and monotony.

The HR team at Starbucks specifically looks out for individuals who are “adaptable,
self-motivated, passionate, creative team members.”

The training programs at Starbucks have been particularly designed to enhance the performance
of employees. It is mandatory to train all employees on soft skills like speed and productivity.
The employees are also included in the decision making process and are encouraged to open
communication (Starbucks Job Design, Denise Harris). They are constantly updated with
technological changes such as changes in the way service is given.

As a result of the above-mentioned measures, the company enjoys increased employee

productivity, efficiency, and output which in turn enhances the quality of service the cafe offers
to its customers.
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4. HDFC Standard Life Insurance

A study conducted with 120 respondents from HDFC Standard (Bangalore division) concluded
that a majority of the employees were satisfied with the job enrichment practices at their
company. The main points suggested by the study are:

● An increase in job enrichment techniques leads to increased job satisfaction.

● While job enrichment practices satisfy employees, there is a need to enhance personal
talents for individual growth.
● There was a need to implement job rotation strategies to prevent job and task monotony.
● Employees require more recognition and appreciation.
● There was a need to grant employees greater authority and freedom in their roles.

Job Enlargement

Job enlargement is defined as a work design that expands the role and responsibilities of an
employee by adding a few more tasks. It helps employees develop a broader skillset and enhance
their professional experience.

Job enlargement also helps reduce the monotony of daily work life by introducing a new set of
responsibilities, also promoting employee engagement and motivation levels. It benefits
organizations by maximizing the potential of their current workforce as employees are exposed
to diverse tasks beyond their current job role.

Advantages of job enlargement

Job enlargement has many positive effects on the organization and the employees. The key
benefits offered are discussed below:

1. Increased job satisfaction

It helps enhance job satisfaction by providing employees with a broader range of tasks that helps
cut through the monotony and boredom associated with routine tasks. This helps increase the
levels of employee satisfaction and engagement as a whole.
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2. Reduced supervision
Employees are actively involved in the decision-making and problem-solving tasks, which
minimizes their dependency on their immediate supervisors, which allows them to focus on more
critical tasks. It also helps nurture a culture of trust, transparency and empowerment within the
organization.

3. Employee development and growth

Employees can deepen their understanding of various aspects of work, which aids in their
personal and professional growth. The increased exposure to multiple job responsibilities assists
employees in exploring new strengths and identifying potential career paths.

4. Improved employee-management communication

Involving employees in a broader range of tasks helps them better understand the overall
organizational operations and challenges. This helps in transparent communication with the
management regarding process improvements, potential issues and other creative ideas for
enhancing productivity. It also places the employees in a position to advise the management on
the challenges impacting the overall growth.

5. Cost savings
It helps the organization save costs by minimizing the hiring needs and training the existing
workforce to carry forward the extra workload. It also aids the employees in becoming
multi-taskers optimizing resource utilization and improving operational efficiency.

6. Team collaboration and cross-training

When the employees are encouraged to take on new responsibilities, they interact more with
cross-departmental teams promoting knowledge sharing, creativity and team bonding across the
organization. It also improves interdepartmental communication, leading employees to develop a
holistic understanding of the organization and its functions.
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Disadvantages of job enlargement

While job enlargement offers many benefits, it also has a few drawbacks. The potential
disadvantages of job enlargement are as follows:

1. Increased workload and stress

Job enlargement leads to adding additional responsibilities to a potential job role which helps
employees gain new skills. But it can also lead to excessive stress, leading to employee burnout
without adequate resources.

2. Lack of specialization
Employees perform a wide range of work and fail to develop a deep understanding of a particular
area or skill. This leads to employees becoming generalists rather than specialists, tremendously
impacting the quality and efficiency of work requiring specialized knowledge and skills.

3. Training and development needs

Employees need additional training and development to excel in their new field. Organizations
invest more time and resources to fill the training gaps, and in absence of proper training
employees struggle to adapt to the new role.

4. Decreased efficiency
Employees need to constantly shift between multiple roles to accommodate their new roles and
responsibilities, leading to constant disruptions. This reduces productivity due to decreased focus
and attention, and employees are prone to costly mistakes while multitasking.

5. Resistance and job dissatisfaction

Employees often resist such changes as they feel comfortable in their specialized job role and see
this as an additional burden on their work. Implementing job enhancement without proper
communication results in job dissatisfaction and reduced morale.

6. Complexity in performance evaluation

Employees performing diverse set of tasks, makes it difficult for the organization to assess their
performance accurately. Organizations struggle to develop a system where multiple roles and
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responsibilities are fairly assessed, hindering the reward and recognition system. Regular
performance feedback and transparent communication are ways to address this challenge.

Examples of job enlargement

1. Administrative assistant
The primary job role of an administrative assistant includes managing schedules, handling
correspondence, and organizing meetings. Implementing job enlargement broadens the scope by
incorporating event planning and budget planning, which helps expand the skill set and allows
them to hold a more strategic position within the organization.

2. Customer service representative

A customer service representative looks after customer inquiries, resolves issues, and provides
additional support. Job enlargement adds responsibilities like conducting customer satisfaction
surveys, developing training materials, or managing cross functional teams to improve customer
experience. This helps them better understand the organization’s operations and customer needs,
improving overall customer satisfaction.

3. Sales associate
A sales associate assists customer, processes transactions, and maintains inventory. Job
enlargement includes adding tasks like visual merchandising, sales data analysis, and being a part
of product development meetings. This assists the sales associates in gaining a more
comprehensive understanding of the sales process and contributing to overall business
productivity.

These examples show how job enlargement can broaden the range of employees and contribute
to their professional growth and development and improve organizational effectiveness.