Assignment 2 (4%)

Exercise 2-1: Testing Herzberg’s Job Enrichment Theory

This exercise is a reanalysis of Exercise 1-2: A Motivated Time at Work (Workbook 1). It is designed to give you a “hands on” feel for Herzberg’s theory by having you apply it to your own work experiences.

Your objective is to determine the degree to which the reasons that contributed to your being highly motivated correspond to Herzberg’s motivator/hygiene factors. If Herzberg’s theory is correct, then as an aggregate the persons doing Exercise 1-2 should have given more weight to motivator than to hygiene factors in explaining the “motivated time at work.”

Keep in mind that your own results may not fit the theory. Social scientists almost always study aggregate data in order to smooth out the idiosyncrasies of individual responses.

 

Step 1: Match Reasons to Herzberg’s Factors

For each reason identified in Exercise 1-2, see if you can place it alongside one of Herzberg’s lists of motivator/hygiene factors. Do this on the next page. Since it is unlikely that the terms you used in doing Exercise 1-2 correspond exactly with Herzberg’s terminology, you will probably have to do some translating. If one of the reasons that you listed in Exercise 1-2 doesn’t seem to fit Herzberg’s terms, ignore it.

When you enter the reasons from Exercise 1-2 on the lists on the next page, put in the number of the reason as it was listed in 1-2 and the weight assigned to it (e.g., #3(4) represents factor #3 which was given a weight of 4). In this way, the instructor can determine if you are classifying your Exercise 1-2 reasons correctly into Herzberg’s motivator/hygiene categories.

 

Step 2: Total the Factors

Total the number of motivator and hygiene factors and enter the totals in the spaces provided.

 

Step 3: Total the Weights of the Factors

Add the weights for the motivator and hygiene factors and put the totals in the spaces provided.

Herzberg’s Motivator factors	Factor Number(S) and Weight(S) from Exercise 1-2
Achievement
Recognition
Interesting Work
Responsibility
Challenge
Professional Growth
Total Number of Factors =	Total Number of Factors =Total of Weights =

 

Hygiene Factors	Factor Number(S) and Weight(S) from Exercise 1-2
Supervision
Working Conditions
Interpersonal Relations
Money, Extrinsic Rewards
Company Policy
Status
Security
Total Number of Factors =	Total of Weights =

 

 

Exercise 2-2: The Job Diagnostic Survey

The following survey (modified from Hackman & Oldham, 1980) will be used in conjunction with the main ideas of this workbook. Your answers will be used to compute a score evaluating the quality of the design of the job you are presently holding. Later, you will see how your score matches a number of jobs from the private and public sectors.

As you fill out this survey, remember the primary purpose for doing so is to enhance your own learning. The more honestly you respond to the questions, the more valuable will be your learning experience.

Part 1: Characteristics of Your Job

In the spaces provided beneath each scale, check the characteristic that best fits your present or most recent job.

1.1.      How much autonomy is there in your job? That is, to what extent does your job permit you to decide on your own how to go about doing your work?

Very Little					Moderate					Very much
My job gives me almost no personal say about how and when the work is done.					Many things are standardized and not under my control, but I can make some decisions about the work.					My job gives me almost complete responsibility for deciding how and when the work is done.
1		2		3			4		5			6		7
Minimum												Maximum

 

1.2.      To what extent does your job involve a “whole” and identifiable piece of work? That is, is your job a complete piece of work that has an obvious beginning and end? Or is it only a small part of the overall piece of work, which is finished by other people or by automatic machines?

Very Little					Moderate					Very Much
My job is only a tiny part of the overall piece of work; the results of my activities cannot be seen in the final product or service.					My job is a moderate-sized “chunk” of the overall piece of work; my contribution can be seen in the final outcome.					My job involves doing the whole piece of work, from start to finish; the result of my work is easily seen in the final product.
1		2		3			4		5		6		7
Minimum											Maximum

 

1.3.      How much variety is there in your job? That is, to what extent does your job require you to do many different things in your work, using a variety of skills and talents?

Very Little					Moderate					Very Much
My job requires me to do the same routine things over and over and over again.										My job requires me to do many different things, using a number of different skills and talents.
1		2		3			4		5			6		7
Minimum												Maximum

 

1.4.      In general, how significant or important is your job? That is, are the results of your work likely to affect significantly the lives or well-being of other people?

Very Little					Moderate					Very Much
The outcomes of my work are not likely to have important effects on other people.										The outcomes of my work can affect other people in very important ways.
1		2		3			4		5			6		7
Minimum												Maximum

 

1.5.      To what extent does doing your job itself provide you with information about your work performance? That is, does the actual work itself provide clues about how well you are doing, aside from any “feedback” co-workers or supervisors may provide?

Very little					Moderate					Very much
My job is set up so that I could work forever without finding out  how well I am doing.					Sometimes doing my job provides me with feedback; sometimes it does not.					My job is set up so that I get almost constant feedback about how well I am doing.
1		2		3			4		5			6		7
Minimum												Maximum

 

Part 2: Further Analysis     

How accurate is each of the following statements in describing your job? In the space provided, write a number from 1 to 7 to indicate the degree of accuracy of each statement.

1          =       Very Inaccurate                                   5       =       Somewhat Accurate

2          =       Mostly Inaccurate                               6       =       Mostly Accurate

3          =       Somewhat Inaccurate                         7       =       Very Accurate

4          =       Uncertain

 

               2.1.   My job requires me to use a number of complex or high-level skills.

               2.2.   My job is arranged so that I do not have the chance to do an entire piece of work from beginning to end.

               2.3.   Just doing the work required by my job provides many chances for me to figure out how well I am doing.

               2.4.   My job is quite simple and repetitive.

               2.5.   My job is one where many other people can be affected by how well my work gets done.

               2.6.   My job denies me any chance to use personal  initiative or judgement in carrying out my work.

               2.7.   My job provides me the chance to completely finish the pieces of work I begin.

               2.8.   My job provides very few clues about whether or not I am

                        performing well.

 

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