Job Survey

Objective: To learn how job design affects performance.

Time: About 45 minutes.

Instructions: Have each learner take the survey below. Once they have completed it, they should total their scores and then discuss the following:

Job Design Questionnaire

Directions: Listed below are some statements about your job. For each statement, mark your response based on how much you agree or disagree with it?

My job provides:

Disagree

Slightly Disagree

Slightly Agree

Agree

1. a lot of variety.
(1) (2) (3) (4)
2. allows me the opportunity to complete the work I start.
(1) (2) (3) (4)
3. is one that may affect a lot of other people by how well the work is  performed.
(1) (2) (3) (4)
4. lets me be left on my own to do my own work.
(1) (2) (3) (4)
5. provides feedback on how well I am performing as I am working.
(1) (2) (3) (4)
6. provides me with a variety of work.
(1) (2) (3) (4)
7. is arranged so that I have a chance to do the job from beginning to end.
(1) (2) (3) (4)
8. is relatively significant in the organization.
(1) (2) (3) (4)
9. provides the opportunity for  independent thought and action.
(1) (2) (3) (4)
10. provides me with the opportunity to find out how well I am doing.
(1) (2) (3) (4)
11. gives me the opportunity to do a number of different things.
(1) (2) (3) (4)
12. is arranged so that I may see projects through to their final completion.
(1) (2) (3) (4)
13. is very significant in the broader scheme of things.
(1) (2) (3) (4)
14. gives me considerable  opportunity for independence and freedom in how I do my work.
(1) (2) (3) (4)
15. provides me with the feeling that I know whether I am performing well or poorly.
(1) (2) (3) (4)

 

Scoring for job design questionnaire

The survey is designed to analyze five dimensions of the job: Skill Variety, Task Identity, Task Significant, Autonomy, Feedback About Results.

Total your score:

The lower scoring dimensions (normally, anything below a 9) should be investigated to see if the job environment can be improved.

About The Survey

Katz & Van Maanen's Loci of Work Satisfaction

An analysis of job factors by Katz and Van Maanen (1977) identified three clusters that were important to workers as job satisfiers. They named these clusters "Loci of Work Satisfaction" and described them as follows:

Hackman & Oldham's Five Dimensions of Motivating Potential

Hackman and Oldham (1975) further broke the first Loci of Work Satisfaction — intrinsic factors (the job itself) into five dimensions. Any given job can be analyzed, utilizing these five dimensions for its motivating potential. The job can then be redesigned to eliminate what is bothering the workers. Listed below are the five dimensions of motivating potential:

Reference:

Hackman, J.R., Oldham, G.R. (1975). Development of the Job Diagnostic Survey. Journal of Applied Psychology, 60, pp.159-70.

Katz, R., Van Maanen, J. (1977). The Loci of Work Satisfaction. Human Relations, 30. pp.469-486.

Next Steps

Return to the chapter on, Leadership and Organizational Behavior

Return to the Leadership Training and Development Outline