Choosing the right motivational tools of job design strategy :Job Enlargement VS Job Enrichment , what is the difference ?
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According to Michael Armstrong, "Job Design is the
process of deciding on the contents of a job in terms of its duties and
responsibilities, on the methods to be used in carrying out the job, in terms
of techniques, systems and procedures, and on there relationships that should
exist between the job holder and his superior subordinates and
colleagues."( Michael Armstrong’s Essential human resources management
practice 2010).
What is Job Enlargement ?
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It is the combining of job tasks across the same level within a company. Implementing job enlargement widens the scope of individual team members to include more tasks and responsibilities. , the objective of job enlargement is to design jobs where the needs of employees meet the plans and goals of the organization.
There are main two aspects as
1 horizontal job enlargement
- which refers to a job contains many tasks to achieve through adding more tasks to the existing tasks performed by an employee at the same skill level .
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2.Vertical job enlargement - which refers to the degree to which the employees decide how the task is to be done The main goal of this technique is to enhance the status and the self-fulfillment needs of the employees, while it gives the employees the opportunity to take part in the organization including the planning and the control of tasks.
Advantages of Job Enlargement
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- which refers to the degree to which the employees decide how the task is to be done The main goal of this technique is to enhance the status and the self-fulfillment needs of the employees, while it gives the employees the opportunity to take part in the organization including the planning and the control of tasks.
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- Increased team member engagement. Job enlargement expose benefits for both managers and team members.
- Employees are exposed to a larger variety of tasks so Work flexibility & productivity increase.
- Positive challenges can create to participate in a process from start to finish rather than focusing on a single portion of a larger task and with practice job enlargement Employees receive meaningful feedback for their entire work process.
- Job enlargement can expose a wider frame of training opportunities. Individual growth & Development of soft skills
Disadvantages of Job Enlargement
- Possibility of lower morale increasing employee’s workflow at the same salary. A discouraging factor for employees to take up extra work.
- Temporarily slower production employees will be performing tasks without any experience, leading to an mistaken process.
- Job creep- job creep or the constant increase in job-related tasks without the means to balance them effectively. Over time, job creeps can lead to job dissatisfaction.
- Increased stress and Organizations have to spend a significant time in training before the initiative picks up.
- Most companies today favor implementing job enrichment initiatives
What is Job Enrichment?
Job enrichment involves adding new tasks to your employee’s existing role so they can contribute their full potential. the core idea of job enrichment is that it gives employees more autonomy and freedom to accomplish their vies and skills towards company goals.
Image 1.5 source peritumagri.com The crucial role in job enrichment are variety, the belief that the task is important, the use of abilities, and feedback. Job enrichment includes a number of different workplace practices, such as quality circles, self-directed teams, job rotation, and information sharing (Armstrong, 2003):
Advantages of Job Enrichment
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- The goal of job enrichment is to provide an enhanced autonomy for the employees of an organization and increased operational efficiency for the organization itself.
- Increased motivation- provides employees with greater control and involvement in decision-making processes.
- Improved employee experience.
- Lower turnover & Lower employee absenteeism.
- More efficient training.
Disadvantages of Job Enrichment
- Increased workload -Adding new tasks to your employees existing workflow can easily become a taxing job.
- Insufficient employee skills & not suitable for unskilled employees. Need more supervision & monitoring.
Conclusion:
What is the difference between Job Enrichment and Job Enlargement?
Job enrichment gives employees more autonomy and freedom in performing their existing responsibilities. On the other hand, job enlargement purely means adding more work to an existing role.
Job enlargement has a moderate motivational impact as it provides variety and breaks monotony. In contrast, job enrichment has a higher motivational impact as it promotes job satisfaction, growth, and a sense of achievement through challenging and fulfilling tasks.
Which Concept Is matching For You?
So, which concept is right for you? If you're looking for a way to make your job more interesting, then job enlargement suit for you. If you prefer to learn new skills and advance your career, then job enrichment may be right for you .Choice is yours .
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References
Available at https://www.google.it/books/edition/Armstrong_s_Essential_Human_Resource_Man
[Accessed 25th Nov 2023]
Available at Böckerman,
P, Bryson, A, Kauhanen, A & Kangasniemi, M (2020). Does Job Design Make
Workers Happy? Scottish Journal of Political Economy, Vol. 67, No. 1, 31-52 [Accessed
25th Nov 2023]
Available at https://www.researchgate.net/publication/260288949_Aspects_of _Job_Design Accessed 25th Nov 2023]
Available at https://hbr.org/1969/03/job-enrichment-pays-off[ Accessed 25th Nov 2023]
Available at , Kenny Benedict, "Job Enlargement and Job Enrichment - A Meta-Analytic Study" (1980). Master's Theses. 1880. https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/masters_theses/1880[ Accessed 25th Nov 2023]
Comments
Good job.