1. Organization Development and Change
Chapter Sixteen:
Work Design
Thomas G. Cummings
Christopher G. Worley

2. Learning Objectives for Chapter Sixteen
To explore work design as a central component of many EI interventions
To approach work design from three different perspectives: engineering, motivational, and socio-technical
To understand how different approaches align with different technical and social conditions
Cummings & Worley, 9e (c) South-Western/Cengage Learning

3. Work Design Approaches
Engineering: Traditional Jobs & Groups
High specification and routinization
Low task variety and autonomy
Motivational: Enriched Jobs
High task variety and autonomy
Feedback of results
Sociotechnical: Self-Managing Teams
Control over total task
Multi-skilled, flexible, and self-regulating
Cummings & Worley, 9e (c) South-Western/Cengage Learning

4. Traditional Jobs & Workgroups
Based on Scientific Management
Highly specified behaviors
Narrow range of skills
Low levels of authority and discretion
Highly repetitive
Benefits
Low selection and training costs
High productivity
High levels of control
Cummings & Worley, 9e (c) South-Western/Cengage Learning

5. Cummings & Worley, 9e (c) 2008 South-Western/Cengage Learning
Enriched Jobs
Critical
Psychological
States
Core Job
Characteristics
Outcomes
Skill variety
Task identity
Task significance
Experienced
Meaningfulness
of the Work
Hi internal
work motivation
Hi growth
satisfaction
Hi job
Hi work
effectiveness
Autonomy
Experienced
Responsibility
Feedback from
work
Knowledge of
Actual Results
Moderators
Cummings & Worley, 9e (c) South-Western/Cengage Learning

6. Cummings & Worley, 9e (c) 2008 South-Western/Cengage Learning
Core Job Dimensions
Skill Variety - extent to which multiple skills are used
Task Identity - extent to which an individual works on a “whole” task
Task Significance - impact of the work on others
Autonomy - amount of discretion in the work
Feedback from the Work Itself - extent to which work provides information on effectiveness
Cummings & Worley, 9e (c) South-Western/Cengage Learning

7. Job Enrichment Application Stages
Perform a thorough diagnosis
Form natural work units
Combine tasks
Establish client relationships
Vertical loading
Opening feedback channels
Cummings & Worley, 9e (c) South-Western/Cengage Learning

8. Sociotechnical Systems Approach
Sociotechnical systems (STS) theory is based on two basic ideas:
An organization or work unit is a combined, social-plus-technical system (sociotechnical)
The system is open in relation to their environment and must interact with their environments to survive and develop
Self-managed work teams is the most prevalent application of STS
Cummings & Worley, 9e (c) South-Western/Cengage Learning

9. Sociotechnical Systems Diagnosis
Define the Work System
Conduct an Environmental Analysis
Conduct a Technical Analysis
Conduct a Social Analysis
Cummings & Worley, 9e (c) South-Western/Cengage Learning

10. Sociotechnical Systems Design
Can work system be designed to better fit with the environment?
Can work system be designed to better operate conversion process and control variances?
Can work system be designed to better satisfy members’ needs?
Cummings & Worley, 9e (c) South-Western/Cengage Learning

11. Team Task Design & Development
Whole and interdependent tasks
Common mission and goals
Requisite multi-skills
Task and boundary control
Feedback of results
Minimum specification design
Develop from narrow to broad boundaries for discretion
Cummings & Worley, 9e (c) South-Western/Cengage Learning

12. Team Process Intervention
Promoting healthy interpersonal relationships
Coordinating efforts
Weighting member inputs and sharing knowledge
Making good decisions
Confronting and resolving conflicts
Cummings & Worley, 9e (c) South-Western/Cengage Learning

13. Organization Support Systems
Performance management systems
Training systems
Information systems
Selection systems
Management systems
Cummings & Worley, 9e (c) South-Western/Cengage Learning

14. Self Managed Teams Application Stages
Sanction the design effort
Diagnose the work system
Generate appropriate designs
Specify support systems
Implement and evaluate the work design
Continual change and improvement
Cummings & Worley, 9e (c) South-Western/Cengage Learning

15. Designing Work for Technical and Personal
Technical Factors
Technical interdependence: the extent to which cooperation among workers is required
Technical Uncertainty: the amount of information processing and decision making among workers necessary to do the work
Personal Need Factors
Social Needs: the desire for significant social relationships
Growth Needs: the desire for personal accomplishment, learning, and development.
Cummings & Worley, 9e (c) South-Western/Cengage Learning

16. Work Designs That Optimize Technology
Traditional
Work Groups
Traditional
Job Design
High Technical Uncertainty Low
Self-Regulating
Work Groups
Enriched Jobs
Low Technical Interdependence High
Cummings & Worley, 9e (c) South-Western/Cengage Learning

17. Optimize Personal Needs
Work Designs that
Optimize Personal Needs
Traditional
Job Design
Traditional
Work Groups
High Growth Needs Low
Enriched Jobs
Self-Regulating
Work Groups
Low Social Needs High
Cummings & Worley, 9e (c) South-Western/Cengage Learning