Human resource management practice I also available by michael armstrong

Chapter 

11

  Work, Organization and Job Design

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Work, organization and job design

These are three distinct but closely associated 

processes that establish what work is done in 

organizations and how it is done.

Work design

Work design is the creation of systems of work and  

a working environment that enhance organizational 

effectiveness and productivity, ensure that the 

organization becomes ‘a great place in which to 

work’ and are conducive to the health, safety and 

well-being of employees.

Work system design

Work system design is concerned with how the 

processes required to make a product or provide  

a service should operate. It deals with the set of 

related activities that combine to give a result that 

customers want. The structure of the system 

describes the relations between different  

operations.

Smart working

The CIPD (2008: 4) defined smart working as: ‘An 

approach to organizing work that aims to drive 

greater efficiency and effectiveness in achieving job 

outcomes through a combination of flexibility, 

autonomy and collaboration, in parallel with 

optimizing tools and working environments for 

employees.’

Flexible working

Flexible working is a pattern of working practice or 

working hours that deviates from the standard or 

normal arrangement.

Key learning points: Work, organization and job design

High-performance working

High-performance working was defined by Combs 

et al (2006) as the sum of the processes, practices 

and policies put in place by employers to enable 

employees to perform to their full potential.

Lean manufacturing

A process improvement methodology developed by 

Toyota. ‘Lean’ focuses on minimizing waste and 

ensuring the flow of production in order to deliver 

value to customers.

Aims of organization design

The overall aim of organization design is to optimize 

the arrangements for conducting the affairs of the 

business or function and thus achieve the ‘best fit’ 

between the structure and what the business or 

function is there to do.

Organization analysis

The starting point for an organization review is  

an analysis of the existing circumstances,  

structure and processes of the organization and  

an assessment of the strategic issues that might 

affect it in the future.

Organization diagnosis

The aim of the diagnosis is to establish, on the basis 

of the analysis, the reasons for any structural 

problems facing the organization or function.

Organizational choice

There is never one best way of organizing anything. 

There is always a choice.

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