One individual is in their late twenties and do not seem very happy with the job they have. Your task is to think about how the job might be re-engineered or enriched. (Bring your responses to class)

Mary works as a receptionist at a large law firm. Her primary job is answering the telephone and switching the call to the correct lawyer. As most of the lawyers have their own secretaries and voice-mail, she doesn’t take messages. After installing the voice-mail system, for several months the law firm didn’t nave a receptionist. The managing partner received complaints from some elderly clients who didn’t like the complex instructions and wanted a human receptionist. So the managing partner hired Mary and gave her written instruction for what to do if a caller doesn’t ask to speak to a particular lawyer (e.g., if the client says, “I had an accident,” the call is forwarded to Mr. Wilson, Ms. Inchira, or Mr. Wu). Mary also greets clients when they com to the office and asks which lawyer they want to see. Then she calls the office, and the lawyer or his/her screcta5ry comes to the reception area and meets the client. Again, Mary has written instructions about whom to call if the client doesn’t give a specific name.

Type in your responses and bring a copy to class!

1. What core job dimension from the Job Characteristic Model is Mary experiencing?
2. Using Ch.7 & Ch.8 what recommendations would you make to the managing partner about re-engineering or enriching Mary’s job?
3. Spend a few minutes and design the ideal job for yourself. This is a “blue sky” exerecise. Let your imagination run wild. Think about past jobs you have had and what you liked or didn’t like about them. Think about other jobs and then create the ideal job for yourself. Wire out some specifics that make it an ideal job for you. (you may find the following questions helpful: 1) what kind of tasks would you like to do in your ideal job? 2) What kinds of tasks would you like to avoid in your ideal job.)