Companies today have a lot to consider when they design a job. Some companies need only one
Question:
Companies today have a lot to consider when they design a job. Some companies need only one or two types of job designs because they may be a small firm or produce only one product. Other companies may need to have several job designs. Job design is the process of defining how work will be performed and the tasks that will be required in a given job. Job redesign refers to changing the tasks or the way work is performed in an existing job. To effectively design jobs, one must thoroughly understand the job as it exists. Read the case and answer the questions related to optimal job design. Tommy is from a small town and quit high school to get married. He and his wife have five kids, and his wife stays home with the children. Tommy is a hard worker and strives to provide for his family, although his skills are limited. Tommy has been a butcher for his entire career. He has been with his present company, a large retail grocer, for the past six years performing the same job. There are twelve people in the meat department, and each one specializes in cutting certain types of meat. Tommy's job is to cut ribeye steaks. Cutting ribeye steaks is very precise and requires holding and using a knife in the same way every day. This requirement has started to cause Tommy pain in his right hand. Although Tommy still likes his work, he is getting a little bored of the repetition and is bothered by the pain. a. The quality of Tommys work has not suffered, but the store managers can tell that he is getting bored. What could they do to keep him better engaged? Choose your answer from the following set of propositions and justify the reason:
offer Tommy more money because he is so good at cutting meat
purchase special ergonomic mats to help with the pain associated with standing on the hard floor every day
cross train the employees in the meat department, so beef cutters can learn how to cut pork and vice versa
administer a work personality quiz to Tommy to see if there is another area in the store where he could move to, such as the produce department
motivate Tommy by giving him feedback about how skilled he is in cutting ribeye and explain that customers visit the store for his custom steaks
Expert Answer:
