Compare and contrast job enlargement, job enrichment, and job rotation. Give an example for each.

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Answer: Student examples will vary but should demonstrate an accurate knowledge of job rotation, enlargement, and enrichment. With job rotation, workers who otherwise would spend all their time in one routine task can instead move from one task to another. Job rotation is intended to alleviate boredom by giving people different things to do at different times. Job enlargement is similar to job rotation in that people are given different tasks to do, but whereas job rotation involves doing one task at one time and changing to a different task at a different time, job enlargement means that the worker has multiple tasks at the same time. With job enlargement, the person's additional tasks are at the same level of responsibility. Job enrichment, however, creates more profound changes by adding higher levels of responsibility. This practice includes giving people not only more tasks but higher-level ones, such as making more important decisions.