Elsa owns the local ski shop. It seems that her employees are more interested in hanging out with each other than actually getting work done. She realizes that they are bored with their positions and seem to have too much time on their hands. She wonders how she can motivate her staff. What can she do to increase performance and their satisfaction in their jobs? Pick one of the job design dimensions mentioned in the textbook, define it, and apply it to this scenario to help motivate the shop staff.

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

*Job enlargement, a method of job design that increases the range of tasks and duties associated with a
job in order to make it more challenging and varied.
*For example, Elsa can give her staff more duties to complete throughout the day. She can require that
the store must be vacuumed and cleaned every morning and require the closing staff to make the night
deposit. Adding anything new to each position would be considered enlargement.
or
*Job rotation, which is a process of periodically moving employees from one job to another.
*For example, Elsa can rotate each employee from the register attendant to the dressing room then to the
stock room then on to the sales floor and so on.
or
*Job enrichment, which increases the scope of a job to make it more complex, stimulating, and
satisfying for employees.
*For example, Elsa can implement job enrichment by creating a “lead sales” position. On any given day,
the most experienced sales person would be the lead, a sort of quasi-manager who has additional
responsibilities and authority.