Work Organization and Job Design

The way in which a person's job tasks are organized can have a direct impact on his/her mental and physical health, as well as on job performance. The tasks and the manner in which a job is organized can either complement good physical work station design or detract from it. For example, ergonomically designed workstations will not eliminate all problems for individuals who perform repetitive work for 8 hours a day, day after day. Generally, health complaints can be significantly reduced if individuals are given a variety of tasks, as well as some control over their work. Rearranging activities can help alleviate fatigue and/or boredom.

Jobs where employees experience a high level of job satisfaction generally have at least one or more of the following characteristics:

• Task Variety
• The ability to vary the tasks performed and to move about at various times during the day. This variation provides a change in mental activity as well as physical well-being through movement and changes in body postures.
• Task Identity
• Where possible, tasks should fit together to make a complete job since this gives the employee a sense of doing a whole job from beginning to end with a visible output.
• Task Significance
• People like to feel that they have achieved something meaningful during his/her working day. It is important for them to see the importance of the tasks that are performed adn how completion of these tasks contributes to the organization.
• Autonomy
• Where possible, employees should have input as to how their jobs are done, the order of tasks, the speed of work, etc. Where possible, employees should have the opportunity to participate in decisions which affect them.
• Feedback
• The supervisor should provide constructive feedback regarding employee performance.