Hackman & Oldham’s job characteristics
theory essentially states that the job (or task) that the employee is doing is
the key to employee motivation. That is
to say that if the job or task is monotonous, not challenging, tedious, and in
general not fun, then the employee(s) will not be very motivated to do said job
or task. The job characteristics theory
states that there are three ways to enrich or add challenge to a job or task
and these three ways are: autonomy,
decision authority, and variation in the job/task. The job characteristics theory (and model)
is based on the assumption that there are five main job characteristics (skill
variety, task identity, task significance, autonomy, and feedback). These five components have a direct impact of
three psychological states of the employee(s) which are: experienced
responsibility, experienced meaningfulness, and knowledge of the results of the
job or task. The five fundamental
characteristics and the three impacted psychological states, in turn, will
influence work outcomes such as employee motivation, work performance,
satisfaction with work, and absenteeism/turnover (Bowditch, Buono, & Stewart, 2007). The job characteristics survey is a tool used
to measure the motivation of employees and is a good guideline to see “how
likely a job is to affect an employee’s attitudes and behaviors” (Ball,
2012).
Now, which theory in the text best complements the job characteristic
model? In the text, the theory
categories listed are:
1. Static-content theories which
are based off energizing the behavior of employees - (which is where the job
characteristic theory is situated).
2. Process theories which are concerned with channeling employee
behavior.
3. And environmentally based theories which are concerned with how to
maintain specific behavior over time.
Immediately, I can see that all three of these categories are related
to the job characteristics model and with reading all of the theories in the
text I noted that they are all somehow connected to the job characteristics
model. However, I feel that since the
job characteristics model has to do mainly with the task itself and how to make
the job more appealing to employees, that the theory that best complements the
job characteristics model is the Herzberg Motivator-Hygiene Theory. This theory is a static-content theory and
essentially states that the motivators need to be put into the job itself, just
like the job characteristics model assumes. As stated in the text on page 76, “for
employees to be truly satisfied and perform above minimally accepted standards,
motivators had to be built into the job” (Bowditch, Buono, & Stewart, 2007). This statement is directly related to the job
characteristics model in regards to making the job more interesting to
employees by not focusing mainly on their psychological well-being (such as
Maslow’s hierarchy of needs dictates), or by the manager setting up a system of
rewards based on outcomes (as the expectancy theory does), but rather by making
the job more interesting itself. Even
though there are validity concerns with this theory, I feel it best supports
the job characteristics model. Furthermore
I feel that the motivator-hygiene theory was a foundation to the job
characteristics model because it laid the framework of different thinking in
the field of employee motivation.
Overall, Herzberg’s theory not only states that it’s the job itself that
motivates people but also “achievement, recognition for that achievement”,
“responsibility, and the opportunity for growth or advancement” in an
organization (Bowditch, Buono, & Stewart, 2007). Again, this directly relates to experienced
responsibility, experienced meaningfulness, and knowledge of the results of the
job or task as the job characteristics model suggests.
