Chapter 3 - Lecture Slides

HRM for MBA students
Lecture 3
Designing work: organising jobs
and people
Learning outcomes
• have an appreciation of the concept of division
of labour
• understand the principles of scientific
management
• know about developments in job design
following scientific management
• understand the principles of team formation
• have some appreciation of the organisation of
work beyond the team level
• see why organisations seek flexibility
• understand the role of HRM in change
management.
Definition of job design
‘Deciding on the content and performance

and competency requirements of jobs or
roles in order to provide a basis for
selection, performance management and
reward and to maximise intrinsic job
satisfaction.’
Armstrong (2009)
Division and synthesis
• Division of labour and job specialisation is

necessary to achieve higher productivity
and is essentially for modern work.
• But after the division of labour must come
synthesis of outputs for modern
organisation to function.
Scientific management (Taylorism)
• A clear division of tasks and responsibilities

between management and workers with:
– management studying the work methods for
each job
– establishing the most efficient methods
– dictating these to the workers.
• ‘Scientific’ selection and training of workers:
– matching suitable employees to the
scientifically designed jobs.
• The ‘enthusiastic co-operation’ of management
and workers, secured by the use of economic
incentives.
Criticisms of scientific
management
• led to significantly higher productivity but
at cost of workers’ well-being and poor
industrial relations
• ignorance of non-financial aspects of
individual motivation
• ignorance of group psychology and
motivation.
After Taylorism
• ‘Maslow’s influence is clearly stamped

across the work design theories and
practices of the latter half of the twentieth
century’.
Buchanan (1994)
General principles derived from
motivation theory
• set goals
• involve the employees concerned in
designing and agreeing the goals
• ‘stretch’ goals lead to significant increases
in employee performance
• link rewards to performance when possible
• increase employees’ sense of ‘self-
efficacy’ (confidence that they can
perform the job or task well).
General principles derived from
motivation theory
• let employees know the expected level of
performance and give them accurate and
timely feedback
• giving positive rewards for good
performance is more effective in
motivating people then punishing them for
poor performance
• perceived fairness or equity is vital to the
motivation.
SMART Goals
• Specific
• Measurable
• Assignable
• Realistic
• Time-bound
The autonomous work group
(AWG)
• Work should be organised in teams.
• Individual jobs should provide:
– variety
– a meaningful task
– an ‘optimum’ work cycle
– worker’s control over work standards
– feedback on results
– a perceived contribution to end product.
• The AWG concept is not dependent on any
specific technology so it applicable in virtually all
work situations.
Toyota production system (TPS)
• Features of both AWG and Taylorism?

– just–in-time (JIT) production processes
– team-working
– Jidoka quality principle (error–free
processes)
– standardised work and kaizan
(continuous improvement).
Stages in team development
• Forming
• Storming
• Norming
• Performing
• [Adjourning]
Team roles (Belbin)
• chairperson (or coordinator)
• company worker (or implementer)
• completer-finisher
• monitor-evaluator
• plant
• resource investigator
• shaper
• team-worker
• [specialist]
Belbin website: http://www.belbin.com/
Organising beyond the team level
• by product
• by function
• matrix structure
• divisionalisation.
Flexibility
• Employers pursue flexibility to:

– minimise human resource costs in both
the short and long run
– protect the core from short-term
fluctuations in market demand
– respond to the demands of an
increasingly diverse workforce in terms
of (i) legal compliance and (ii)
discretionary entitlement to
attract/retain core employees.
Lewin’s three-stage model of
change management
1. ‘unfreezing’ the status quo
2. ‘changing’ to the new desired situation
3. ‘refreezing’ or establishing the new
situation.
Role of HR in change
• advising project leaders on the skills

available within the organisation and
identifying any skills gaps
• negotiating and engaging with employee
representatives
• understanding employee concerns and
anticipating problems
• advising on communications with
employee groups
• helping individuals to cope with change

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How is work organized in teams according to the passage?

What are some criticisms of scientific management discussed in the passage?

HRM for MBA students

‘Deciding on the content and performance

• Division of labour and job specialisation is

• A clear division of tasks and responsibilities

• ‘Maslow’s influence is clearly stamped

• Features of both AWG and Taylorism?

• Employers pursue flexibility to:

• advising project leaders on the skills

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