Green Mountain Assignment

BUSA 205 Management Fundamentals Hackman and Oldham Job Characteristics Model

According to Hackman and Oldham, motivation in the workplace is associated with job content, while dissatisfaction may be associated with job context factors. They believe jobs can be motivating in themselves if the proper job content factors are a part of the job design. Hackman and Oldham judged the motivating potential of a job based on five dimensions. The five dimensions are as follows with questions designed to identify the job content factors:

SKILL VARIETY: Describe the different identifiable skills required to do a job. What is the nature of the of the oral, written, and/or quantifiable skills needed? Any physical skills? Does the individual get the opportunity to use all their skills? Varying your skills and talent can add to a more challenging job. (e.g. a teacher has high skill variety because he/she may use oral, written, computer, organization skills etc.)

TASK IDENTITY: What is your work product? Are you involved in its production from beginning to end including delivery? If not, are you involved in a particular phase of production from beginning to end? (e.g. a teacher may have high task identity if they plan and create the lesson, then deliver the lesson to the class as they are involved from beginning to end)

TASK SIGNIFICANCE: How important is your product (your contribution)? How important is your role in producing it? How important is your job to the people you work with? If your job was eliminated would it affect your product? (e.g. a teacher may have high task significance if he/she is the sole provider of the lesson (product) and a substitute teacher could not provide the same lesson)

These three dimensions combined provide meaningfulness in the job.

AUTONOMY: How much independence do you have on your job? Do you have to follow a set schedule? If so, how much can you control it? How much of your work is delegated to you to decide how to do it yourself? How closely are you supervised? (e.g. a teacher may have to follow a set time schedule but may have freedom to determine what lesson and how it will be taught there by experiencing some autonomy)

This dimension provides the opportunity to experience responsibility for outcomes.

FEEDBACK: What feedback systems are in place concerning your job? Do you get regular feedback from your job itself on how you are doing? From your customers? From your peers or subordinates? From your supervisor? (e.g. a teacher may receive feedback from students (their grades), from performance reviews etc.)

This dimension provides knowledge of the actual results of your efforts.

All of these dimensions lead to lower absenteeism and turnover, higher internal work motivation, greater satisfaction, and high quality performance. Of course this is all predicated by the individual’s need for growth.