Pros and Cons of Job Design

Pros and Cons of Job Designs of Motivation Job Simplification Pros- a) As job requires very little training, they can be completed by less costly, unskilled labour with high efficiency. b) Job speed is increased because each worker is performing only a small portion of the previously large job and thus is able to master a smaller, less complicated job unit. Cons- a) Workers experience boredom and low satisfaction as they perform repetitive, monotonous jobs. b) Workers lose the opportunity to learn new skills in their jobs, as they usually only perform similar, repeated tasks with low skill variety. c) It decreases workers’ chance to exercise their judgements and take problems in stride, as they are usually not entitled to make decisions on their own. (usually having to refer to higher authority for decision-making) Job Enlargement Pros- a) Increases varieties in jobs and creates interests in otherwise mundane jobs, as workers perform more tasks, and less repetitive actions (as compared to job simplification) b) Workers can learn and enrich their skills at work, as they are required to perform several different tasks in their jobs. c) As workers feel more interested in their jobs, they tend to put in more effort to the job, leading to higher job productivity. Cons- a) As jobs are enlarged, costs of developing the job increase. There are additional costs (as compared to simplified job) for employee training. b) Workers may take longer time adapting to and learning all the skills required for the enlarged jobs, and this may lead to increased rate of accidents and reduced productivity.

Job Enrichment Pros- a) As job enrichment provides greater responsibility and authority, it increases employee motivation (Herzberg’s two-factor theory includes responsibility as a motivational factor). b) Allow workers to make decisions on their own when faced with new situations, hence leading to greater satisfaction for employees. c) Workers experience flexibility of work as they have control over their jobs, causing higher productivity and lower turnover rate. Cons- a) Some workers do not have sufficient skills for the huge responsibility given to them, hence causing ineffective allocation of resources. b) Some workers tend to fear larger responsibilities, and this may cause some workers to experience nervousness and anxiety during work. Based on various surveys, higher percentage of workers complain that increased responsibilities lead to higher chance of committing mistakes. c) Many workers do not feel alienated from their jobs and do not desire more responsibility or involvement at their workplace. d) Job enrichment requires higher expenditures, and this leads to lower profitability for the company.