Fundamentals of Management, 8th ed

• Skill variety

• Task identity

• Task significance

• Autonomy

• Feedback

Knowledge of the

actual results of

work activities

Employee

growth-need

strength

• High internal

 work 

motivation

• High-quality work

 performance

• High satisfaction

  with the work

• Low absenteeism

 and 

turnover

Experienced

meaningfulness

of the work

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F I G U R E 6 . 1

The Job Characteristics Approach

The job characteristics approach to job design provides a viable alternative to job

specialization. Five core job dimensions may lead to critical psychological states that,

in turn, may enhance motivation, performance, and satisfaction while also reducing

absenteeism and turnover.

Source: J. R. Hackman and G. R. Oldham, “Motivation through the Design of Work:

Test of a Theory,” Organizational Behavior and Human Performance, 1976, Vol. 16,

pp. 250–279.

functional

departmentalization

Grouping jobs

involving the same

or similar activities

Chapter 6: Organization Structure and Design

1 6 5

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bureaucratic. Employees may also begin to concentrate too narrowly on their own unit

and lose sight of the total organizational system. Finally, accountability and performance

become increasingly difficult to monitor. For example, determining whether a new product

fails because of production deficiencies or a poor marketing campaign may not be possible.