It seems reasonable that a worker's level of job satisfaction would influence their job performance. At some point in your life, you have probably performed a job task that you did not enjoy. Perhaps the work was too physically demanding, or there was a problem with the location of the work area. Or perhaps the work was so monotonous that you were starved for mental stimulation. One of the ways that operations managers can impact job satisfaction is through work systems design. In this unit, we will explore how operations managers use strategies like skill variety, task significance, or work organization to enhance job performance. We will also consider models for analyzing work to eliminate unnecessary tasks and regulate the duration of each stage in a production line.
Completing this unit should take you approximately 3 hours.
Read this section and pay attention to the approaches to job design and the importance of the key elements of good design. This is important because efficiency and effectiveness are directly related to how a job is designed. Good job design takes attention to detail and alignment with the process.
The core dimensions and techniques of job design are important because different combinations of these core dimensions motivate different types of employees. Each of the core dimensions can be viewed as if on a continuum. You may need a high skill variety and a low task identity for a specific job.
This section discusses the research associated with high-performance work systems from a human resource department's perspective. This is important because high-performance work systems are the holy grail of organizations focused on quality and Lean.
After you've spent some time reviewing what you have learned so far in this unit, post about this topic on the discussion forum. Respond to your classmates' posts, as well.
Take each core job dimension, and using a 1–10 scale (where 1 is lowest and 10 is highest), rate each dimension of your current job or a job you previously had. Based on your job experience, how did the job design impact your job satisfaction, loyalty to the organization, and quality of work and performance? How would you redesign your job to these core dimensions based on your answer? If you have never had a job, think about a volunteer experience you may have had, or you might try answering the above questions based on your dream job.
Click on the Unit 7 Discussion and then on 'reply' to post your response.
Read this page. Pay close attention to the types of time and motion studies and the criticisms associated with this approach. Time motion studies have been used and continue to be used in all types of organizations. This source creates a foundation for applying time-motion studies within the context of operations.
Review this article about Taylor's Principles of Scientific Management. Explore his observations about time and motion and how efficiency could be improved. Take the quiz at the end of the article to test your understanding of what you have read.
Read this section to help you understand work measurement from an HR department's perspective. Pay close attention to the Balanced Scorecard method and consider the implications for a manufacturing and service organization. Use of this method is useful in getting a picture of the organization's effectiveness beyond the financial statements. As you read, keep Figure 16.10 in mind and consider the balanced scorecard would help your organization make better decisions related to operations.
In addition to measuring employee output, measuring employee experience in the workplace is equally important. Read this article to examine the definition of an employee experience, the best ways to measure that experience, and the levels at which a company is determined to evaluate that experience. Consider your work experiences and whether the company has taken the time to measure employees' attitudes.
This chapter explores different methods for dealing with problems, the value of addressing problems early, and why it is important to have methods in place for problems that are certain to arise. Pay particular attention to the Responsibility Matrix, which plays a key role in how methods are developed and applied. Try the exercises at the end of the chapter to test your knowledge.
Complete this activity to identify your organization's operational processes.
Take this assessment to see how well you understood this unit.