Job Restructuring Amongst Blue‐collar Workers

Published date01 February 1973
Pages40-56
DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1108/eb055230
Date01 February 1973
AuthorDave Birchall,Ray Wild
Subject MatterHR & organizational behaviour
Job
Restructuring
Amongst
Blue-collar Workers
DAVE BIRCHALL
Dave Birchall is
a
Doctoral
Research
Associate at the
Management Centre of
the
University of Bradford. During
the
last
year he has been
researching
in the field of job
design and he is the author of
several papers
in this
area.
Introduction
This paper presents a review and classification of reported
experiments in job design. The study is confined, in the
main, to published experiments directed towards the
improvement of the motivational content of blue-collar
jobs,
and is intended principally to provide a reference
source to those researchers or practitioners engaged in work
in this field. Before describing these experiments, we shall
briefly review the methods available to the job designers
who seek to restructure jobs. Much has been written on the
subject and for this reason our discussion will be
brief,
nor
will we discuss the history or development of job design
principles which is adequately dealt with elsewhere [1].
Throughout this paper the following terminology will be
employed:
Job Extension. The addition of one or more related tasks to
the basic job. The benefits are said to include reduced
operator fatigue, relief from the boredom of highly
specialized and repetitive work and broadened work skills.
Extension may be achieved by either increasing the number
of tasks to be completed by one operator or through batch
production of slightly different products. Critics of this
method argue that usually the extended job is only
composed of multiples of the original task and that nothing
is added that will contribute to the operator's job satisfac-
tion.
Work Rotation. The movement of operators between
different tasks which are either similar or dissimilar, and on
either an obligatory or a voluntary basis. As well as
increasing job interest due to changes in the environment,
skill requirements and job content, it is claimed to have the
advantage, from the management's point of view, of
increasing the operators' skills and, therefore, their
flexibility.
Work Simplification. A technique aimed at the breakdown
of work sequences with a view to increasing efficiency by
rationalization of tasks. When the technique is practised by
the operator and is applied to the analysis of
his
work task
in order to devise methods where duplication and unneces
sary steps have been eliminated, it is claimed that the
employees, by participating in their own job design
become intimately involved in that job and then are
personally involved in its success.
40
Dave Birchall and
Ray Wild
RAY WILD
Dr
Wild
is the Head of Production
Programmes
at the
Management Centre of the University of Bradford. His
principal interests
are
in the fields of
mass
production
management and job
design,
and he is the author of several
books and
articles
in these and related
areas.
Job Enrichment. The redesign of jobs with the purpose of
increasing their motivational content by giving the worker
greater opportunity for achievement and recognition.
Horizontal job enrichment involves changes to the immedi-
ate work to enable the operator to exercise more control
over his working speed and use more of his skills. Vertical
job enrichment is aimed at increasing the operator's
involvement in the organization and/or job perhaps by
providing increased 'say' in company policy-making;
increased job responsibility; increased involvement in the
process; increased opportunity for training and advance-
ment. Herzberg sees an enriched job as one which includes
responsibility, achievement, recognition, advancement and
growth [2]. To this can be added the dimensions of
autonomy, feedback, variety and task identity [3].
Table 1 lists all the relevant reported experiments dis-
covered in the course of the investigation. In the few cases
where the source information permitted, details have been
included about the original job, the reason for carrying out
the experiment, the redesigned job, preparatory work
undertaken, changes to the payment system and the results
of the experiment. Where possible, the experiments have
been grouped into one of the following categories:
Formation of Autonomous Groups. These groups of
workers, often largely independent of external control or
influence for substantial periods of time, are normally
engaged on the assembly of a complete unit or sub-unit, the
manning of certain equipment, or responsibility for a
complete area of work. Such groups are usually responsible
for quality inspection, organizing and planning the work
and problem-solving. The members of the groups are
normally trained to perform most, if not all, of the tasks
carried out within the group, and are responsible for plant
or machinery maintenance. Such experiments mostly
contain some element of both horizontal and vertical job
enrichment.
Use of Work-Teams for Problem-Solving. In these cases,
either the work group or the individual performing the task
was involved in problem-solving activities. This involvement
was usually preceded by training sessions in the application
of Work Simplification.
41

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