Job Enlargement: Definition, History, and Characteristics
Introduction
Job enlargement is a job design technique used in business to increase job satisfaction and motivation for employees. It involves adding additional tasks to an existing job, rather than creating a brand new job. Job enlargement is typically used when an employee’s job has become too specialized or when there is an organizational need to increase job satisfaction and motivation. This article provides an overview of job enlargement, including its definition, history, and characteristics.
Definition
Job enlargement is the practice of adding additional tasks to an existing job that have a similar level of complexity and difficulty. The additional tasks are designed to increase the employee’s job satisfaction and motivation, as well as make the job more interesting. The focus of job enlargement is on increasing the scope of the job, rather than increasing the difficulty or complexity of the tasks.
History
Job enlargement has been used in business since the 1950s. During this time, the concept of job specialization was popular, and businesses sought to increase efficiency by breaking down tasks into smaller, specialized roles. However, the lack of variety in job tasks caused employees to become bored and unmotivated. Job enlargement was seen as a way to increase job satisfaction and motivation by adding additional tasks to an existing job.
Characteristics
Job enlargement has several key characteristics. First, it is designed to increase job satisfaction and motivation by adding additional tasks to an existing job. The additional tasks should have a similar level of complexity and difficulty as the existing job tasks, and should be related to the existing job.
Second, job enlargement is used when a job has become too specialized or when there is an organizational need to increase job satisfaction and motivation. It is not typically used to increase task difficulty or complexity.
Third, job enlargement is typically used in organizations with high levels of formalization, where employees are expected to follow specific procedures and processes. It is not typically used in organizations with low levels of formalization, where employees have more freedom to make decisions about their work.
Conclusion
Job enlargement is a job design technique used in business to increase job satisfaction and motivation for employees. It involves adding additional tasks to an existing job, rather than creating a brand new job. Job enlargement has been used in business since the 1950s and has several key characteristics, including increasing job satisfaction and motivation, being used when a job has become too specialized, and being used in organizations with high levels of formalization.
References
Baird, L., & Meshoulam, I. (1988). Human resource management: An experiential approach. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin.
Kaufman, B. E. (2008). Job design: A practical guide for HR professionals. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.
Mossholder, K. W., & Bennett, N. (1996). Job enrichment and job enlargement: A meta-analysis. Journal of Applied Psychology, 81(3), 350-359. doi:10.1037/0021-9010.81.3.350