JOB ENRICHMENT Developments in Business Simulation & Experiential Exercises, Volume 9, 1982 JOB ENRICHMENT1 Allen K. Gulezian, Central Washington University 1 Adapted from an exercise entitled “Motivation to Work,” whose authorship is unknown to this writer. ABSTRACT This paper describes a structured exercise useful for introducing and promoting discussion on job enrichment and the design of jobs. OBJECTIVES 1. To determine participants’ views of what has made them most and least productive in past work situations. 2. To compare participants’ responses with Fred Herzberg’s theory of motivation. 3. To explore with participants conditions under which the principles of job enrichment would likely be most and least effective. GENERAL DESCRIPTION Over the last decade, the design of jobs has been increasingly viewed as a critical factor affecting employee performance and satisfaction (3; 8; 9). A prevalent view asserts that designing jobs using traditional industrial engineering principles stressing work simplification, specialization, and routinization strips jabs of their potential for satisfying and motivating work which causes many employees to become alienated and less productive. Herzberg and others argue that these jobs need to be redesigned and enriched with motivational factors to overcome and prevent the effects of traditional job design (1;2;4;5;6;7;1O). This exercise is intended to help introduce the subject of job enrichment with specific focus on Fred Herzberg’s Motivation-Hygiene Model. MATERIALS NEEDED − Chalkboard, chalk and eraser or newsprint, felt tip marker and masking tape. − A copy of the Performance Work Sheet for each participant. − One pencil for each participant. − Tables and chairs or other surfaces suitable for participants to write on. − Total time for the exercise is 50 minutes - four groups of 5 7 participants. INSTRUCTIONS 1. The facilitator distributes a copy of the Performance Work Sheet to each participant, reads the accompanying instructions, answers any clarifying questions and directs participants to make their lists. Appendix I contains a copy of the Performance Work Sheet. 2. After all participants have prepared their list, the facilitator forms participants into small groups. Each group is instructed to prepare from individual listings a composite list of important factors agreed upon by the group for the two areas of “best” and ‘less than best” performance. Subgroups are asked to be prepared to give an example from one member’s experience for each factor. 3. The facilitator now asks each subgroup to select a spokesperson. Next the facilitator asks each spokesperson, one at a time, to give a factor from the group’s “best” list and writes it on the chalkboard. Examples may be requested for clarification. The procedure is repeated in turn until their lists are exhausted or the process becomes redundant. 4. The facilitator repeats the above procedure for the “less than best” factors. 5. The facilitator now gives a brief presentation of Fred Herzberg’s theory of motivation and then compares subgroup responses with Herzberg’s “motivation’ and “hygiene” factors. DEBRIEFING THE EXERCISE This exercise has been used with a large number of college undergraduates and graduates as well as practicing middle and first line managers. In all but one instance, comparison of subgroup responses were highly consistent with Herzberg’s work. However, the author uses the debriefing to point out that these results are not definitive and explores with participants the conditions under which Herzberg’s model and its practical application in job enrichment would likely be most and least effective. Even if the results of the exercise differ from those of Herzberg, this same procedure is appropriate. One may also wish to discuss with participants some criticisms of Fred Herzberg’s original study. My experience has been that the exercise is a fairly easy and straight forward one for heightening involvement and learning about job enrichment and related motivational theory and applications. Developments in Business Simulation & Experiential Exercises, Volume 9, 1982 APPENDIX I Performance Work Sheet Task 1. Think back on your work experience to a time when you were performing at your very best. What were the factors that accounted for your high performance? List them. (5 minutes) Task2. Think back on your work experience to a time when you were performing at less than your best or poorly. What were the factors that accounted for this? List them. (5 minutes) REFERENCES [1] Alber, A., “How (and How Not) to Approach Job Enrichment, Personnel Journal, December 1979, pp. 837-841. [2] Dunham, R.B., R.J. Aldag, and A. P. Brief, Dimensionality of Task Design as Measured by The Job Diagnostic Survey,” Academy of Management Journal, June 1977, pp. 209-223. [3] Fein, H., ‘Job Enrichment: A Re-evaluation,” Sloan Management Review, Winter 1974, pp. 69-88. [4] Hackman, J. R., C. Oldham, R. Janson, and K. Purdy, “A New Strategy for Job Enrichment,” California Management Review, Summer 1975, pp. 55-71. [5] Herzberg, F., “One More Time: How Do You Motivate Employees?” Harvard Business Review, January-February 1968, pp. 53-62. [6] Hulin, C.L., "Individual Differences and Job Enrichment: The Case Against General Treatments,” in R. Steers and L. W. Porter, eds., Motivation and Work Behavior. (New York: McGraw Hill, 1975), pp. 425-436. [7] Oldham, G.R., J. R. Hackman, and 3. L. Pearce, “Conditions Under Which Employees Respond Positively to Enriched Work,” Journal of Applied Psychology, August 1976, pp. 395-403. [8] Pierce, 3. L. and R. B. Dunham, “Task Design: A Literature Review,” Academy of Management Review, October 1976, pp. 83-97. [9] Steers, R. M. and R. T. Mowday, “The Motivational Properties Tasks,” Academy of Management Review, October 1977, pp. 645-658. [10] Walton, R. E. , “How to Counter Alienation in the Plant, Harvard Business Review, November-December 1972, pp. 70-81. Table of Contents Volume 9, 1982 The Value of Conjoint Analysis in Enhancing Experiential Learning The Effect of Participation in a Collective Bargaining Simulation on the Expectations and Attitudes of Union and Management Representatives Conflict Resolution in Experiential Learning The Use of Simulation to Test Theories of Bargaining in a Business Context The Nominal Group Technique: A Vehicle for Improving Case Method Courses A Framework for Developing a Business Policy Case Produce Your Own Video Cases for Classroom Use: A Demonstration An Experiential Effect from Charismatic Encounters Nine Topic Oriented Mini Simulations: Descriptions, Purposes, and Observations A Hospital Simulator (HOSPSIM) A Report of the Model and Results Expected from Field Testing An Evaluation of SLIM (A System Laboratory for Information Management) An Experiential Exercise Introducing Students to the Role Ambiguity Faced by Salespersons The Advertising Research Project as an Innovative Experiential Learning Technique The Small Group Research Project: An Experiential Learning Approach for Undergraduate Marketing Research Students The Relationship of Cognitive Style Maps to the Preference for Experiential Learning of Undergraduate Students The Learning Style Inventory Debate Revisited: An Empirical Assessment fo the Construct Validity Issue Related to Experiential Learning Theory Conducting a Classroom to Facilitate Career Goal Attainment Corporation Executives' Ratings of Policy Learning Techniques The Generation and Application of Evaluation Criteria for Management Policy and Strategy Simulation Games Experiential Opportunities with Microcomputers Leading Students to Learning: The Teacher's Obligation An Experiment in Teaching Principles Courses: The Mini Debate Formula Developing Creative Thinking Through Experiential Learning Heuristic and Systematic Evaluation of Policy: Exercise in Decision Making A Case Study Approach for the Litigation Decision: Employing Decision Analysis to Determine When a Business Should Settle or Go to Court Learning Negotiation Skills Through Simulation Union vs. Management: A Simulation of Collective Bargaining in Action Inside the Black Box: An Analysis of Underlying Demand Functions in Contemporary Business Simulations A Review of Channel Exercises and the Description of a New Alternative SIMCON I: A computer Based Simulation Model for Evaluating Physical Distribution Strategies Involving Order Consolidation Toward Competency-Based Management Education: The Interpersonal/Communications cluster The Value of Pre-Teaching in Role Playing Some Effects of Positive Personal Reinforcement upon Socializing Students in an Experiential Learning Course Who Gains and Who Does Not from Experiential learning Toward the Ultimate Experiential Exercise, the Student View Simulating Professional Writing Experiences in the Classroom The Johari Window as a Measure of Personal Development Windows Into Management: A Participative Aid to Learning Get Your Faculty Involved A Pedagogical Approach to Business Gaming for the Commuter Student Super Service for Computer Game Administrators Expand the Role of Simulation with Creative Scenarios The Delivery, Administration, and Evaluation of an Executive Development Program Using a Total Enterprise Business Game An Application of Experiential Learning in International Trade and Foreign Direct Investment International Management: Building Bridges Analysis of a Business Simulation Exercise: Organizational Survival and Success The FALRIS Organizational Scavenger Hunt Trainee V. Trainee Subordinates' Evaluation of Experiential Learning Longitudinal Analysis of an Innovative Teaching Intervention Student Perceptions of Effective Teacher Behaviors Revisited Realism and Learning: The Evolution of a Management Game A Merger and Acquisition Simulation A Stock Market Investor Simulation Experiential Learning in Consumer Behavior: Perceptual and Attitude Change Exercises The Recycling Industry Problems of Women in Management: A Role Playing Exercise for a Course in Contemporary Organizational Problems Experimental Three Weekend Course: Empirical Results A Process for the Analysis and Development of Course Content and Instructional Methodology for Large Class Sections Problems Associated with the Assessment of Experiential learning Using the Multiple Choice Test Combining Lecture and Simulation Teaching Methodologies Qualitative Determinants of Team Performance in a Simulation Game The Effects of Different Team Sizes on Business Game Performance Comparison of Problem-Solving Technologies: A Free Simulation Approach Consistency in Business Games A computer Simulation of Personnel Selection Decisions Giving Praise Exercise Job Enrichment A Look at the Spoken and Written Word in Organizations A Pattern of Group Communication A New Generation in Business Simulation Adapting Mainframe Business Simulations to Min Computers File Access is the Essential Prerequisite to Time-Flexible and Interactive Computer Simulation A Microcomputer Simulation for Teaching Retail Location Strategy Blocks & Chips: A computer-Assisted, Geno-Typical Entrepreneurial Game Development of a Self-Paced Course in Business Statistics The Involvement of Student Bodies in the Teaching of Advanced Technical Concepts Systems Learning Sequence: An Experiential Course Module for Management Information Systems An Experiential Approach to Developing Managerial Competencies Communication Research, Inc. An Experiential Learning Activity Developed as a Practicum for a Course in Organizational Communication