Job design methods seek how to design jobs. Jobs can be designed to range them from very simple to highly complex ones depending on the skill requirement to perform the job. The well known methods of job design are as follows:
1. Classical Approach
The classical approach of job design is greatly influenced by the work of F.W Taylor. From his work, time and motion study, he realized that by bringing a proper match between labor, tools and tasks it would be possible to increase productivity. Hence under this approach, the job is designed in the basis of organizational requirements. Its purpose is to simplify the tasks and break them down into small work units. The primary focus of this approach is planning, standardizing and improving human effort at work in order to optimize organizational productivity. Different methods under classical approach are as follows:
* Work Simplification: It is a process through which the job is broken down into small work units.
* Job Rotation: It is a process of transferring workers from one job to another or from one work unit to another without disrupting the flow of work.
* Job Enlargement: It refers to a process of expanding the job's duties. It increases a number of different tasks performed by an individual in a single job.
2. Socio-technical Approach
This is another important approach of job design in which social and technical aspects of the organization are considered. Under it, jobs are designed according to individual needs and organizational requirements. Furthermore, this approach considers both job-related technical systems as well as accompanying social forces of the job. It means it includes an entire job situation along with organizational and social factors while designing jobs. This approach leads to development of self-managed work teams in organization.
The technical and social aspects of job are analyzed in order to create jobs which have supportive relationship. Moreover, it requires a combined efforts of employees, supervisors, and union representatives to design and redesign the jobs under this approach. Hence, it is situational approach as it assesses the technical requirements and social surroundings of the job.
3. Behavioral Approach
Behavioral approach is concerned with behavioral factors such as: autonomy, variety, task identity, task significance, feedback mechanism etc. It means the above mentioned behavioral factors are analyzed and considered while designing the jobs under this approach. The different behavioral methods are as follows:
* Job Enrichment: It is concerned with the process of putting specialized tasks together so that the individual who is assigned with the task is responsible to perform the whole task.
* Job Characteristics: This method states that job characteristics affect the job designing process. It focuses on job redesign, work structuring, job enrichment, and so on to improve organizational productivity and quality of work life of employees.
* Autonomous Team: It is a group of workers in which they solve problems, implement solution and take full responsibility for outcomes. They are self-directed and self-managed work groups who perform related or interdependent tasks.
* Modified Work Schedule: It is a technique of job design through which the working schedules, timing, work week etc. are rescheduled as per the convenience of the workers.