Home / Summaries / Essentials of Organizational Behavior An Evidence-Based Approach / job-task-crafting

Motivation: Core Concepts - Job characteristics theory

Q: What is growth need strength?

growth need strength refers to a person’s need to learn new things, grow, and develop from working.

Q: How can jobs be redesigned to increase motivation?

Horizontol/vertical job loading This job loading may be horizontal (e.g., adding different tasks at the same level) vertical (e.g., adding decision-making responsibility). Recall that it is important to consider the growth needs of employees when redesigning work since these employees will respond more positively to the redesign of their work. Job rotation Job rotation involves cross-training or allowing workers to do different jobs. This increases the skill variety, task identity, and possibly the task significance. Job enrichment Increasing the degree to which the worker controls the planning, execution and evaluation of their work.

Q: What is job crafting?

Job crafting is the extent to which individuals can demonstrate initiative in designing their own work. Task crafting - is about retooling the activities included in your job. Relational crafting - is about revamping your interactions with others. Cognitive crafting - is about reframing how you view your tasks and relationships.

4 important questions on Motivation: Core Concepts - Job characteristics theory

Describe the job characteristics theory (JCT) and why growth needs matter.

The work itself may have characteristics that have the potential to motivate people to higher levels of performance. These are the five core dimensions of the job characteristics theory:

Skill variety - the extent to which people use different skills and abilities at work.
Task identity - the task is one that people experience from beginning to end.
Task significance - the degree to which the job is seen as having an impact on others.
Autonomy - the employee has the freedom to plan and perform his or her own work.
Feedback - the job provides information on how effective the employee’s work is.

What is growth need strength?

growth need strength refers to a person’s need to learn new things, grow, and develop from working.

How can jobs be redesigned to increase motivation?

Horizontol/vertical job loading

This job loading may be horizontal (e.g., adding different tasks at the same level)
vertical (e.g., adding decision-making responsibility). Recall that it is important to consider the growth needs of employees when redesigning work since these employees will respond more positively to the redesign of their work.

Job rotation
Job rotation involves cross-training or allowing workers to do different jobs. This increases the skill variety, task identity, and possibly the task significance.

Job enrichment
Increasing the degree to which the worker controls the planning, execution and evaluation of their work.

What is job crafting?

Job crafting is the extent to which individuals can demonstrate initiative in designing their own work.

Task crafting - is about retooling the activities included in your job.
Relational crafting - is about revamping your interactions with others.
Cognitive crafting - is about reframing how you view your tasks and relationships.

The question on the page originate from the summary of the following study material:

Essentials of Organizational Behavior An Evidence-Based Approach | 9781506310794 | Terri A Scandura

View summary