Job Design Theories and Its Utility in Understanding Service Sector Work - Essay Example

Management Essay Table of Contents Management Essay Table of Contents 2 Introduction 3 Introduction Business organizations encompass lot of tasks, responsibilities, goals and purposes. The overall organisation objective is decomposed into several tasks, responsibilities, and duties. Such decomposition has made the task of monitoring accomplishment of such tasks and responsibilities quite difficult. In the past years, employees of business firms are faced with various kinds of role ambiguity and confusions at the time of discharging role and responsibilities associated with the job. There are various reasons or factors give rise to role ambiguity like lack of knowledge about working pattern, vague expectations, intermingled responsibilities and many more. All such factors give rise to numerous doubts and confusions in the minds of personnel and make them reluctant. Therefore, a need has been felt to evolve or develop a concept proves helpful in putting such decomposed responsibilities into a unified framework. As a result, the concept of job design has evolved in business world. The job designs in business organizations entail a clear set of role, responsibilities, and expectations thus avoiding any kind of role ambiguity (Armstrong, 2012). In this context, underlying essay aims at discussing job designing theories and utility of such theories in understanding working and functioning specifically of service sector. The different job theories will be approached and included in the essay in order to gain deep insight about the service sector and working mechanism of service sector. Job design In simple terms, job design is the sum total or the manner in which tasks are put in a single framework or combined together in order to form a complete job. It is well known fact that jobs are accumulation or inclusion of various tasks and responsibilities performed in a simultaneous manner to accomplish job successfully. People or employees in the business organisations are assigned with the job with a specific purpose and intention. Assigning job to an individual means entrusting set of responsibilities and duties on a person and expecting discharge of such duties and responsibilities in an effective manner. With respect to this, concept of job design has gained considerable popularity in the entire business world i.e., manufacturing and non-manufacturing sector. The proponents of job design states and emphasize that workers, employees and staff members of any organization is motivated and encouraged by the job they are engaged in. In other words, job design is the effective tool in the hands of business organizations for creating a difference in the employees’ motivation and perception level. The stage of fear, confusions, reluctance, stress, and doubts can be handled and transformed into enthusiasm, positives, and encouragement with the help of job design (Armstrong & Baron, 2002). Job design theories and its utility in understanding service sector work The service sector entails varied and unique set of working pattern, processes and procedures. It is necessary to understand the functioning pattern of service sector in order to yield maximum output with optimum utilization of resources. The concept of job design and its theories has gained considerable attention and significance in understanding the working of service sector in recent years. This is probably because job design and its theories throw light on the nature of tasks and responsibilities entailed in any kind of work and how such tasks and responsibilities are combined and offered in the form of a job to the organization’s personnel (Cheminais, Fox & Bayat, 2008). Job theories will foster discussion regarding nature of tasks, responsibilities and jobs prevailing in the service sector and thereby will provide a means for understanding the overall mechanism and working pattern of service sector organizations. The four theories of job design-mechanistic job design theory, motivational job design theory, biological job design theory and perceptual job designing theory has been selected and utilized for understanding working of service sector. A detailed description of each of these theories in an attempt to gain insight about the service sector working is shown below: 1) Mechanistic job design theory This theory focuses on work simplification and specialization aspects and utilized by the jobs predominantly in mechanistic structure or feature. In other words, such areas or sector where work can be easily done by anyone having minimal skills and qualities. The works do not require high knowledge and specialized skills and there is very less mental exercise and effort. Further, level of stress and workload occur less likely as there is less mental work on the part of employees. The duration of training provided to the employees and personnel is also quite short and completes in few slots and programs (Baechle & Earle, 2008). Job designs are done in accordance with mechanistic perspective according to this theory. There is less or almost no inclusion of job satisfiers and motivating elements in the job designs. This kind of job designs is done primarily for assembly line jobs. The theory do not apply to service sector as jobs and tasks in the service sector need to be analyzed and designed carefully with conscious efforts in order to maximize productivity level. Additionally, working pattern of service sector is not mechanistic in structure as there is no fixed or rigid standard or working patterns. The service sector jobs cannot be easily performed by anyone else without having specialized set of skills and abilities. In other words, layman or any random personality cannot perform a job or task in service sector properly and adequately. The service sector personnel needs adequate training in order to develop desired set of skills and abilities. It is also worth mentioning that service sector entail lot of mental work as compared to physical work. Mental work requires numerous skills and abilities to understand customer minds and deliver offerings accordingly. The need of skills and abilities increases in service sector as there is lot of stress and work pressures. Additionally, work done by one personnel in service sector is irreplaceable means it cannot be performed with anyone else with same efficiency and effectiveness (Cheminais, Fox & Bayat, 2008). Mechanistic job design theory also outlines that working of service sector is quite complex and complicated one. This is so because outputs and results in the service sector depends entirely o individual skills and abilities. The working process is quite complicated and needs active support, involvement and participation of members at each instance. In other words, physical involvement of members will not yield any result in service sector like that in manufacturing sector. It means physical involvement of members is more crucial and significant in manufacturing organisations as production of product cannot be performed isolated by machines without involvement of members. Their mental state and involvement is not necessary as it is not going to affect production process. In contrary to this, service sector demand mental involvement of personnel and focuses on it more heavily. The success and growth of service sector is determined and governed by the level and extent to which personnel and members are involved mentally. This is so because mental involvement leads the personnel towards effective discharge of responsibilities and thus ensuring business success and growth (Barbazette, 2007). 2) Motivational job design theory This theory of job design was developed with the aim of avoiding mechanistic or bureaucratic cultures or pattern in the working patterns. Job enrichment and enlargement are the main source or corner stone of this theory. Motivational job design theory holds the belief that business firms or sectors providing more enriched and enlarged jobs are more likely to have motivated, encouraged and involved employees. This is so because job enrichment and enlargement provides the employees and individuals to utilize their skills and abilities in an extended manner and pursue the path of their growth and development. Business organisations functioning in accordance with this theory experiences lower rate of absenteeism and employee turnover. In addition, work performance of such employees is also quite high and extraordinary as they are highly satisfied and motivated on account of their jobs and prevailing working patterns and structure. There are also various other aspects of this theory like it demands comparatively longer training sessions and programs to equip necessary skills and abilities among members. The longer training sessions are also required in order to enable the members to gain competent mental skills and abilities. Business firms utilizing this theory of job design has identified that level of stress and mental pressure in quite high among their employees (Barrett &Ware, 2002). The discussion of above features and aspects of motivational job design theory witnesses the applicability of this theory in service sector to a wide extent. The application of this theory in the service sector proves to be of immense helpful in understanding dynamics and functioning of underlying sector. It can be identified from the theory that working of service sector is quite professional in nature and employees can yield high performance through the means of job enlargement and enrichment. In other words, professional working pattern of service sector demands inclusion of motivators in the employees’ jobs for recording high productivity and efficiency level. The professional nature also evidences that during of training sessions and programs in service sector is also comparatively long as compared to manufacturing business sector. Besides, working of service sector adopts task oriented perspective like giving high importance to achievement and results. It has been identified that jobs in service sector are designed in such a manner giving maximum results and bringing achievement. Other than this, people interaction aspects like participation, communication and involvement are also emphasised in the working pattern of service sector in addition to above aspects. People oriented aspects are given due importance in order to motivate the personnel to perform jobs and discharge responsibilities underlying in it in a proper manner (Davenport & Prusak, 2000). 3) Biological job design theory This approach of job design stems science and deals with ascertaining cost structure. In simple terms, biological job design theory states that jobs in business organizations should be designed in such a manner that it entail minimum cost burden. It is so because costs affect profit margin and sustainability position of a business firm significantly. Due to this, business organizations need to emphasize on cost elements and should stimulate efforts for reducing cost burden through optimizing cost structure. This can be achieved through designing jobs in light of cost estimates and figures (Bersin, 2008). The work performances in this job design theory is monitored closely and minutely to identify areas of improvement. The close monitoring of work performances is also necessary as profit margin under this theory depends on work performances significantly as compared to business processes. This theory seems perfectly suitable and profound in context of service industries. It is evident that service sector earns profit on account of high and positive work performances of its employees. Service sector do not indulge in any kind of production and manufacturing activity therefore cannot tie or build their profit expectations on it. In other words, manufacturing organizations produces specified products and sells it in the market by adding some profit margin on it. This activity enables manufacturing organization to earn profits and revenue and thereby continue their process. On the other hand, business firms operating in service sector do not indulge in any such production and manufacturing activities and therefore cannot sell any products in the market. In such situation, profits can be accrued to service sector business firms only from the services offered by them to the customers (Davenport & Prusak, 2000). It is also worth mentioning that offerings of service are not enough for accruing profits for service sector. It is the ability and competence with which such offerings are offered to the customers will determine profit figures and estimates. Such ability and competence accounts work performance of the personnel functioning in the service sector. The higher the work performance of personnel the greater will be profit margin and vice versa. In all, working in service sector depends and influences by the work performance of individuals to a wide extent. Each and every aspect of business like profit, cost, sustainability, position, image, reputation, etc are determined and influenced by the work performances as there is not any tangible product to be offered (Buckley, 2009). 4) Perceptual job design theory Human factors and their ability to understand and process information is the main theme or thinking behind perceptual job design theory. The perception, attitudes, and behavior of human affect the process of gaining, receiving, interpreting and processing information considerably. Besides, psychological factors affecting human personality and influences organization’s performance has also been discussed and explained by the concerned theory. The contents i.e., tasks, duties, responsibilities contained in a job should provide an opportunity to individuals to enhance and improve their mental abilities and skills. Job design should be done in light of this objective and work performances are also measured in light of mental abilities and skills. It means higher the level of mental abilities and skills, the better is the designing of job and vice-versa (Cheminais, Fox & Bayat, 2008). The goal of this theory behind designing job around the framework of mental abilities and skills is to reduce the incidences of errors and mistakes. It has been identified that incidences of errors and mistakes create a negative impact on the productivity and efficiency level of any organization. The business organizations are suffering from the problem of human errors and mistakes significantly specifically in manufacturing and other organizations engaged in some kind of production work. This assumption and belief that incidence of errors and mistakes are confined only to manufacturing business firms has changed in recent years and includes service sector also. The increasing mental demands and pressure in the jobs of service sector has included it in the dimension of this theory. The implementation of this theory or designing job in accordance with the principles of this theory can prove helpful in handling increasing cases of errors and mistakes. It is worth mentioning that working in service sector demands high and extraordinary mental skills and abilities in order to sustaining in the midst of increasing competing pressures. Other than it, service sector working is quite mentally stimulating expecting individuals to learn and equip themselves with creative, unique and distinct set of mental skills and abilities (Budhwar, 2004). Conclusion It can be concluded from the above discussion that job design and its theories proves significantly helpful in understanding working pattern of service sector organizations. Job design is an effective tool of bringing difference and motivating employees in accomplishing assigned tasks and responsibilities in an effective manner. It has been identified that working pattern of service sector is quite different and complicated as compared to manufacturing organizations. This is so because manufacturing organizations produces or manufacturer good in physical form easily identifiable and recognizable whereas service sector offers intangible services difficult to be identified and recognized. The visibility of output enables the manufacturing organizations to easily measure the performance and define job descriptions accordingly. On the other hand, job descriptions and working phenomenon of service sector is people-oriented as compared to product-oriented. It depends entirely on people skills, abilities and performances as compared to product quality and specifications. References Armstrong, M. (2012). Armstrongs Handbook of Human Resource Management Practice. Kogan Page Publishers. Armstrong, M. & Baron, A. (2002). Strategic HRM: The Key to Improved Business Performance. CIPD Publishing. Baechle, T.R.& Earle, R.W. (2008). Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning. US: Human Kinetics. Barbazette, J. (2007). Managing the Training Function for Bottom Line Results: Tools, Models and Best Practices. US: John Wiley & Sons. Barrett, R. &Ware, M. (2002). Planned Giving Essentials: A Step-By-Step Guide to Success. USA: Jones & Bartlett Learning. Bersin, J. (2008). The Training Measurement Book: Best Practices, Proven Methodologies, and Practical Approaches. US: John Wiley & Sons. Buckley, R. (2009). The Theory and Practice of Training. US: Kogan Page Publishers. Budhwar, P. (2004). Human Resource Management in Developing Countries. UK: Routledge. Cheminais, J., Fox, W., & Bayat, M.S. (2008). The Fundamentals of Public Personnel Management. UK: Juta and Company Ltd. Davenport, T.H.& Prusak, L.(2000). Working Knowledge: How Organizations Manage What They Know. Harvard Business Press. Read More