HRM A – G. Grote ETHZ, WS 06/07 HRM A: Work process design Overview.

HRM A – G. Grote ETHZ, WS 06/07

HRM A: Work process design

Overview

24.10. Introduction; Work and organizational perspective on HRM

31.10. Organization as socio-technical system; Management of uncertainty in organizations as basis for process design

7.11. Methods for analyzing work processes

14.11. Tutorial Work process analysis

21.11. Job design: Effects for motivation, competence development and health

28.11. Tutorial Job analysis

5.12. Job and organizational design embedded in organizational change

12.12. Methods for work process design

19.12. Key factors in HRM: Motivation, satisfaction, performance

9.1. Guest speaker from industry

16.1. Assumptions about human nature as core of job and organizational design

23.1. Discussion of student projects

30.1. Interaction of "fit task to human" and "fit human to task"


Methods for the psychological analysis of work processes

• Different goals– Determination of pay schemes– Determination of requirments/qualification profiles– Asessment of job and organizational design during/after

technological/organizational change– Humane work design

• Different levels of analysis– Human-technology interaction– Individual work tasks– Organization unit / work system– Firm– Interfirm processes

• Different perspectives– "objective" situational demands - Assessment by external experts– "subjective" personal perception - Assessment by workers themselves


Need to combine "objective" and "subjective" perspective

• Expert for the assessment of a work situation – external observer and/or workers themselves ?

• Objektive conditions and subjective re-interpretation of these conditions are relevant determinants of action

• Compensation of different kinds of biases (stemming from norms, needs, social context, different uses for data etc.)


Empirical methods

• Analysis of documents– Advantages: non-reactive, "condensed organizational knowledge"

Disadvantages: not aligned with purpose of the investigation

• Written survey – Advantages: objective, applicable for large samples– Disadvantages: no control over the actual data collection, response

biases

• Interview – Advantages: control over data collection, complex issues possible– Disadvantages: resource-intensive, interviewer influences

• Observation – Advantages: access to implicit knowledge, natural situation– Disadvantages: subjective meaning of the observed unknown, no

control over the occurrence of the events under study


Work system analysis • Description and evaluation of work processes in work

systems based on criteria such as independence of work system, autonomy and transfer of uncertain information

• Data collection method: Interview and observation based on guidelines

• Support for assessment through scales with anchor descriptions or with lists of relevant characteristics

r

r

r

r

r

low polyvalence of work system

members

medium polyvalence of work system

members

high polyvalence of work system

members Less than half of the work system’s members know

how to perform more than half of the tasks.

More than half of the work system’s members know

how to perform more than half of the tasks.

More than half of the work system’s members know

how to perform more than 75% of the tasks.

Transfer of uncertain information:

Reasons for a low ranking Resons for a high ranking

There is no information exchange on ensuing changes in the tranformation processes

There is a continuous information exchange on ensuing changes in the tranformation processes

The only information transfered concerns certain events. Certain as well as uncertain information is transfered. For uncertain information the degree of uncertainty is provided (e.g. 70% chance for an order to be placed b y client).

Information about ensuing changes are transfered that late the the receiver cannot act upon them anymore.

Information that might be relevant for the receiver is transfered as early as possible.


Method for job analysis

• Description and evaluation of work processes on the level of the individual task based on criteria such as learning opportunities and task completeness

• Data collection method: Observation with integrated interview

• Support for assessment through scales with anchor descriptions

r low

task completeness

The worker is occupied extensively with one of

these functions: preparation, planning, executing, controlling,

finishing or maintaining/repairing.

He/she does not or only partially participate in the

performance of other functions.

r r medium

task completeness

The worker participates

extensively in the performance of

preparation, planning, executing, controlling and

finishing functions.

His/her task includes no maintaining/repairing

functions.

r r high

task completeness

The worker’s task includes

preparing, planning, executing, controlling,

finishing and maintaining/repairing

functions.

He/she is strongly involved in the performance of all

these functions.


Key element of work process analysis: Variance analysis

Description of variance/disturbance

Cause of variance/disturbance

Source of variance/ disturbance - where did it happen?

Where/by whom was variance/ disturbance discovered?

Where/by whom was variance/ disturbance handled?


HRM A: Work process design

Overview

24.10. Introduction; Work and organizational perspective on HRM

31.10. Organization as socio-technical system; Management of uncertainty in organizations as basis for process design

7.11. Methods for analyzing work processes

14.11. Tutorial Work process analysis

21.11. Job design: Effects for motivation, competence development and health

28.11. Tutorial Job analysis

5.12. Job and organizational design embedded in organizational change

12.12. Methods for work process design

19.12. Key factors in HRM: Motivation, satisfaction, performance

9.1. Guest speaker from industry

16.1. Assumptions about human nature as core of job and organizational design

23.1. Discussion of student projects

30.1. Interaction of "fit task to human" and "fit human to task"


Zwei Gesichter der Arbeit (Lewin, 1920)

Arbeit ist einmal Mühe, Last, Kraftauf-wand. Wer nicht durch Renten oder Herrschaft oder Liebe versorgt ist, muss notgedrungen arbeiten, um seinen Lebensunterhalt zu verdienen. Arbeit ist unentbehrliche Voraus-setzung zum Leben, aber sie ist selbst noch nicht wirkliches Leben. Darum Arbeit so kurz und so bequem wie möglich! Wenn die Arbeit dazu gleich-förmiger und einseitiger werden muss, so schadet dies nichts, solange es ihrer Produktivität keinen Abbruch tut. Denn aller positiver Wert kommt dieser Arbeit nur indirekt zu, nur durch die wirtschaftlichen Vorteile, die sie dem Arbeitenden bietet.

Die Arbeit ist dem Menschen unentbehr-lich in ganz anderem Sinn. Nicht weil die Notdurft des Lebens sie erzwingt, sondern weil das Leben ohne Arbeit hohl und halb ist. Dieses Bedürfnis nach Arbeit, die Flucht vor dauernden Müssiggang, die bei zu kurzer Arbeitszeit zur Arbeit ausserhalb des Berufs treibt, beruht nicht auf blosser Gewohnheit zu arbeiten, sondern gründet sich auf den 'Lebenswert' der Arbeit. Weil die Arbeit selbst Leben ist, darum will man auch alle Kräfte des Lebens an sie heran-bringen und in ihr auswirken können. Darum will man die Arbeit reich und weit, vielgestaltig und nicht krüppelhaft beengt. Der Fortschritt der Arbeitsweise gehe also nicht auf mögliche Verkürzung der Arbeits-zeit, sondern auf Steigerung des Lebens-werts der Arbeit, mache sie reicher und menschenwürdiger.


Psychosocial functions of work (Jahoda, 1984)

• material means of existence

• activity / competence

• structuring of time

• cooperation / social contact

• social approval

• sense of personal identity


Job design as crucial measure for personnel development

• Design of humane work tasks in order to further– health– competencies– personality

• based on the psychosocial functions of work


Criteria for humane work tasks (from Ulich, 1998)

Promotion of physical health • Tasks which are not detrimental to physical and psycho-physiologicalwell-being

Promotion of psycho-social health • Tasks which are not detrimental to psycho-social well-being

Completeness • Taks which include planning, execution, feedback, and correction

Variety • Tasks with different cognitive and physical demands

Social interaction • Tasks which require or allow cooperation

Development Autonomy • Tasks with decision latitudeeof personality Learning and

development• Tasks which require the use of existing qualifications and the

acquisition of new qualifications

Time control • Tasks with time buffers in planning and execution

Meaning • Tasks whose outcomes are useful for society

Task compatibility • Tasks whose demands are compatible with qualifications andexpectations


Core characteristics of humane work: Complete tasks

• sequential completeness

Cycle of goal setting, planning, execution, control and correction

• hierarchical completeness demands on action regulation at different levels

of complexity (skill-, rule- und based actions)

Reversal of tayloristic principles


The five principles of Taylorism

1. Separation of planning and doing– Responsibility for planning at management level; implementation as

sole shopfloor responsibility2. "one best way" of task execution

– Definition of the more efficient way of task execution based on scientific methods; every worker executes only one step in the overall task

3. Selection of the best person– Definition of qualification profile for each task step, selection of the

appropriate person4. Reduction of training

– Training for the more efficient way of executing each task step, workers are easily replaced

5. Control– Surveillance of adherence to the prescribed work methods and of

achievement of required results


Objectives of job design

• Autonomy:Self-determination regarding goals and rules for goal achievement.

• Control:Influence on situations in order to achieve goals which can be self-determined or determined by others.

Prerequisite for effective use of control: Transparency and predictability of work situation.


Design rules regarding autonomy and control

• Control should be at a maximum.

But: Management and staff positions can only provide indirect control via line employees.

• Control without autonomy is possible if strong identification with goals determined by others can be achieved.

• Autonomy without control contains high potential for frustration (e.g. staff functions without direct influence on the line of command)


Effects of humane job design: Stress reduction

• Stress = a situation with demands that cannot be met by personal resources

• Important resources are– control (=means of influence):

given (objective) and perceived (subjective)– qualification– social support


Stress at work: EU 2002

• 28% of employees in 15 EU member countries answer that they suffer work-related stress

• Causes:• Lack of control, e.g. regarding planning (35%), work duration

(55%), time pressure (29%)• Monotony• Mobbing• Job insecurity

• Effects:• Heart diseases (Men:16%, women: 22%)• Absenteeism (50-60%)• Estimated costs 20 billion Euro


Stress at work: Switzerland 2002 (BfS, 2004)

• 44% of working people state that they suffer from severe work load.– Of these 27% indicate that they suffer physical

symptoms.

• 11% of working people fear that they might lose their job. – Of these 37% indicate that they suffer physical

symptoms.


Effects of humane job design: Furthering development of competencies and personality

• Results of longitudinal studies on the effects of job design changes:– E.g. Baitsch (1985): Increase in technical competencies,

intellectual flexibility, social competence, and moral awareness

• Results of longitudinal studies in the general public– E.g. Kohn & Schooler (1982): Reciprocal interaction

between intellectual demands of work andd intellectual development through processes of selection and socialization


Considering individual differences in job design

• Participative und differential-dynamic job design:Involvement in organizational change decisions and offer of choices regarding job design options allows for consideration of indiviual needs and competencies

• „Job crafting“:Opportunities for self-determined adaption of work tasks according to changing individual needs and competencies

• Management by Objectives (MbO):Systematic furthering of individual motivation through tailored goals and ways for goal achievement

General objective:

no fixation of individual differences, but individually tailored support


Fundamental objective of job design

Create conditions that support people in being capable (competence) and also wanting (motivation) to do their job well

HRM A – G. Grote ETHZ, WS 06/07 HRM A: Work process design Overview.

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Transcript of HRM A – G. Grote ETHZ, WS 06/07 HRM A: Work process design Overview.