Synthesis Literature Review on Flexible Job Assigning

Introduction

One of the approaches to performance management in a workplace is flexible job assigning. This entails assigning of duties, tasks, projects, and responsibilities in a dynamic fashion with an objective of ensuring that employees work efficiently. Providing employees with duties and responsibilities that align with their strengths and passion is an effective strategy of lifting their morale and by extension increase their productivity. Therefore, having an effective task assigning system has the potential of keeping an organization ahead of competition. The popularity of flexible task assigning emanates from the dynamics experienced in the work environment. These changes are attributable to advances in technology, the changing nature of work and the evolving needs of the workforce. Technologically supported flexible job assigning is critical in promoting job satisfaction, organizational agility, workload management and opportunities for employee career growth resulting into overall productivity and sustainability.

Benefits of Flexible Job Assigning

Flexible working arrangements have been found to contribute to overall job satisfaction. Flexibility in assignment of tasks can take various forms and shapes including job rotation, skill-based allocation, reassignment of tasks, and cross training among other related approaches. Investigating employees from public sector universities in Pakistan, Aziz-Ur-Rehman and Siddiqui (2019), established that a significant positive correlation existed between flexible working arrangements and job satisfaction. Job satisfaction manifested among the participants through their work-life balance. In another study, teleworkers from various companies in Mexico were found to have heightened job satisfaction, one of the main factors attributable to it being the flexible working arrangements. In this case, the choice of teleworkers was because they could adjust their work processes (Ordez Parada, 2018). Based on these two studies, it is evident that job satisfaction is one of the significant benefits of flexible task assigning in organizations. This approach is beneficial since it allows employees to avoid monotony and at the same time allowing them to acquire additional skills, relevant to the work environment.

Flexible assigning roles and responsibilities within an organization have the benefits of optimal resource utilization and workload management. Human resource management being one of the most important resources in an organization can be optimally utilized within the organization under the circumstance. In this regard, the organization is able match tasks with the most appropriate employees in consideration of factors such as availability, skillset, and expertise (Utin & Yosepha, 2019). Furthermore, assignment of roles based on employee's liking and abilities ensures that everyone within the organization is actively engaged in some form of work. Therefore, the organization can keep every employee active and fully utilized. Cases of some employees being fully utilized, and others less utilized rarely arise. Bottlenecks emanating from organizational processes can be easily identified since the responsible person or team is identified and the appropriate action taken. Workload management is efficiently addressed when the skillset within the organization is broad (Qin, Nembhard & Barnes II, 2015). This means that employees can easily cover for their colleagues and still execute the tasks effectively. Aspects such as job rotation are important in preparing the workforce to handle diverse duties and responsibilities within the organization.

Concerns about Flexible Assignment of Tasks

Despite the benefits that accrue from flexible working arrangements, concerns exist. In the first place, the mode of operation is not applicable for all employees and positions within all organizations. For example, only specific experts can do specific technical work. Workplace adaptability and flexibility is often a source of stress for some employees hence are unable to cope with flexible assignment of tasks (Putnam, Myers & Gailliard, 2014). The problem can often escalate to resistance to change. Therefore, such employees can only be exempt from the arrangement or be allowed adequate time to adapt to the flexible task assigning arrangement. In dealing with flexible assignment of tasks, an organization grapples with a tight balance between the overall continuity of the organization and its stability. When managed effectively, assignment of tasks can improve the culture and status of the organization. However, its mismanagement can result into chaos, in which case stress and burnout of employees are likely. Stone, Cox and Gavin (2020) observe that flexible assigning of tasks requires an appropriately designed task assigning system. The system ought to be designed in a way it is data-driven and accommodative of the need for task delegation. Concerns about the fairness and transparency of the task assigning system also exist. Any indications that the designs lack in the two attributes can be counterproductive to the organization.

The Place of Technology in Flexible Assigning of Tasks

Human resource management is leveraging on technology to improve its processes and approaches. In this regard, data-driven assignment of tasks among employees is taking center stage. Through artificial intelligence and machine learning, computer algorithms have been advanced that are capable of assigning employees tasks based on an individual's strengths, preferences, skills, and workload. As noted by Lee, Kusbit, Metsky and Dabbish (2015), these technologies support scheduling of operational processes, assignment of tasks as well as monitoring of performance. They also construct an employee's working history, which informs on future recommendations. Remote assignment of tasks can be done using computer technologies, which rely on criteria meant to boost productivity for each employee. Technological support will continue to revolutionize the future of work even as rapid changes continue to be experienced in how people work. However, a study by Wang, Xing and Zhang (2023) showed that AI as having a negative effect on employee responsibility. The findings also did show that the application of AI has no significant impact on innovation efficiency and innovation output.

Conclusion

Assigning of jobs to employees in a flexible fashion is clearly a core component of the modern organization. It provides an opportunity for flexibility and adaptability, which has a host of benefits to both the individual and the organization at large. Apart from promoting job satisfaction among the employees, this working arrangement promotes skills development and enhances the overall agility of the organization, all leading to improved organizational performance. Optimal resource utilization and workload management are also critical benefits that emanate from flexible assigning of tasks. Flexible assigning of tasks is weakened by the fact that it is not fit-for-all, it can result to resistance to change and can yield negative findings when mismanaged. There is also a great need to consider the transparency and fairness of the processes involved in assignment of tasks since they play an important role in motivation of employees. Technology is also an important factor in this space. The advancement in AI and machine learning coupled with working remotely are shaping the scheduling, execution, and monitoring of task.

Answer the following questions.

1.Discuss how well the student has synthesized the sources.

• Note one area where synthesis was well done. Explain in a sentence or two why the synthesis was effective in this part of the paper.
• Note one area where synthesis could have been improved. Explain in a few sentences why the synthesis was not particularly effective in this part of the paper.

2. Check to see if the student writer has provided at least one citation for every source listed in the references for the student's paper. Note whether the student has done this successfully or has failed to cite any source(s). Why is citing all sources listed as references important?