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eobf_J 7/5/06 3:13 PM Page 445

Job Enrichment

tion as an enrichment strategy have to be carefully Feedback describes how much and what type of
weighed. information about job performance is received by the
Task identity is a matter of realizing a visible outcome employee. It is one of the most important areas for moti-
from performing a task. Being able to see the end result of vation. Without feedback, employees have no way of
the work they do is an important motivator for employ- knowing whether they are doing things correctly or incor-
ees. One way to make task identity clearer is through job rectly. Positive feedback helps to motivate employees by
enlargement, which means adding more tasks and respon- recognizing the efforts they have put into their work.
sibilities to an existing job. For example, instead of build- While monetary rewards for doing a good job can be a
ing just one component part of a humidifier, a team of strong incentive, sometimes saying “you did a really good
job on that project” can mean just as much. Corrective
employees builds the entire product from start to finish.
feedback is also important because it lets employees know
When using job enlargement as an enrichment strategy, it
what areas need improvement.
is important that enlarging the job gives the employee
more responsibility and more variety, not just more work. There are many different types of job-enrichment
activities and programs that companies can implement to
Task significance involves how important the task is
to others in the company, which is important in showing encourage worker participation and enhance motivation.
employees how the work they do fits in with that done in The team atmosphere is one way to enrich jobs. Grouping
employees into teams and allowing the team the freedom
the rest of the organization. If employees can see how their
to plan, make decisions, and accomplish their goals gives
work affects others, it will be a motivator to do the best
employees a feeling of importance and responsibility. It
job they can.
can also help employees come up with creative ideas on
Many companies take new employees on a tour of the
ways to improve work activities by giving them the oppor-
company and provide training sessions on how each part tunity to work closely with others. Asking for and encour-
of the company works together with the other parts. In aging employees to give input on company strategies and
order to accept and handle responsibility, it is important plans is another way to enrich jobs. Often employees have
that employees know how the various areas of the com- the best input because they are the ones actually perform-
pany work together; without this knowledge, it is very dif- ing the activity on a daily basis. Holding company award
ficult for them to handle decision-making responsibilities. ceremonies can also help to enrich jobs and motivate
Putting employees from different areas of the company employees by recognizing individual employees for their
into planning teams can also help them see the signifi- contributions to the company.
cance of the tasks they perform.
The purpose of job enrichment is to improve the
Autonomy involves the degree of freedom, independ- quality of an employee’s job and therefore motivate the
ence, and decision-making ability the employee has in employee to accomplish more. However, in order for job
completing assigned tasks. Most people like to be given enrichment to work, the employee has to desire and
responsibility; it demonstrates trust and helps motivate accept new ways of accomplishing tasks. Some employees
employees to live up to that trust. Responsibility can also lack the skills and knowledge required to perform
help speed up work processes by enabling the employee to enriched jobs, while others are quite happy doing routine
make decisions without having to wait for management jobs because they feel the current work situation is rela-
approval. Autonomy is a very important part of job tively stress-free. It is likely that these types of employees
enrichment because it gives the employee power and a would not like job-enrichment activities and would not
feeling of importance. accept the new way of doing things. Therefore, asking for
A type of job enrichment that restructures work to employee input and keeping communication lines open is
best match the employee to the job is job redesign. Job essential to the success of job-enrichment programs.
redesign can focus on combining existing jobs, forming SEE ALSO Job Satisfaction; Management
work groups, and/or allowing closer contact between
employees and individual suppliers or customers. The idea
BIBLIOGRAPHY
behind job redesign is to match employees with a job they
Boone, Louis E., and Kurtz, David L. (2006). Contemporary
like and are best qualified to perform. Self-managed teams
Business. Mason, OH: Thomson/South-Western.
are a type of job design whereby employees are grouped
Bounds, Gregory M., and Lamb, Charles W., Jr. (1998).
into teams and given certain guidelines to follow as well as Business. Cincinnati, OH: South-Western College Publishing.
goals to accomplish and are then left alone to accomplish Fletcher, Jerry L. (1993). Patterns of High Performance: Discover-
those goals. Self-managed teams demonstrate the com- ing the Way People Work Best. San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler.
pany’s faith in the employees and give employees a feeling French, Wendell L. (2003). Human Resources Management.
of power and pride in the work they accomplish. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.

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