Job Characteristics Model

Definition

The Job Characteristics Model is a framework that identifies core job dimensions which impact employee motivation, job satisfaction, and work performance. It suggests that certain job characteristics can enhance an employee's internal work motivation, leading to positive work outcomes.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. The Job Characteristics Model was developed by organizational psychologists Richard Hackman and Greg Oldham in the 1970s.
2. The model identifies five core job dimensions: skill variety, task identity, task significance, autonomy, and feedback.
3. These core job dimensions lead to three critical psychological states: experienced meaningfulness, experienced responsibility, and knowledge of results.
4. The presence of these psychological states is theorized to result in positive work outcomes, such as high internal work motivation, job satisfaction, and performance.
5. The Job Characteristics Model emphasizes the importance of designing jobs to be intrinsically motivating, rather than relying solely on extrinsic rewards.

Review Questions

• Explain how the Job Characteristics Model relates to employee motivation and work performance.
  • The Job Characteristics Model suggests that certain job dimensions, such as skill variety, task identity, and task significance, can enhance an employee's experienced meaningfulness of the work. This, in turn, leads to higher internal work motivation, job satisfaction, and improved work performance. By designing jobs to be intrinsically motivating, organizations can foster a sense of purpose and engagement among employees, ultimately improving overall organizational effectiveness.
• Describe the role of the three critical psychological states in the Job Characteristics Model.
  • According to the Job Characteristics Model, the five core job dimensions (skill variety, task identity, task significance, autonomy, and feedback) lead to three critical psychological states: experienced meaningfulness, experienced responsibility, and knowledge of results. Experienced meaningfulness refers to the degree to which the employee feels the work is valuable and important. Experienced responsibility is the extent to which the employee feels personally accountable for the outcomes of the work. Knowledge of results is the degree to which the employee understands how effectively they are performing their job. These psychological states are theorized to be the mechanisms by which the core job dimensions influence employee motivation, satisfaction, and performance.
• Analyze how the Job Characteristics Model can be used to design more engaging and motivating jobs.
  • The Job Characteristics Model provides a framework for designing jobs that are intrinsically motivating. By intentionally incorporating the five core job dimensions (skill variety, task identity, task significance, autonomy, and feedback), organizations can create roles that foster the three critical psychological states: experienced meaningfulness, experienced responsibility, and knowledge of results. For example, increasing skill variety by cross-training employees, enhancing task identity by allowing employees to complete whole projects, and providing meaningful feedback on performance can all contribute to more engaging and motivating jobs. Ultimately, the goal is to design jobs that align with employees' needs for personal growth and development, leading to higher levels of motivation, satisfaction, and performance.

Related terms

Skill Variety: The degree to which a job requires the use of different skills and talents by the employee.

Task Identity: The extent to which a job involves completing a whole, identifiable piece of work from start to finish.

Task Significance: The degree to which the job has a substantial impact on the lives or work of other people, either within the organization or in the external environment.