Question

Self-directed teams Empowerment Enrichment Self-direction Enlargement Specialization Job expansion

Using the following Job design continuum, explain each stages, their difference and relationship and give real life example for each stage. Why specialization is the lowest stage and empowerment is the higher stage towards self-direction?

Answer 1

answer-

In an organization, an employee do many task and need skills to complete those task. for example- HR employee do task like recruitment, selection by helping HR manager to interview, screening of candidates, administration of attendence,compensation etc. so the first stage comes in this ladder which is -

Job Specialization It involves breaking jobs into small component parts, assigning specialists to do each tasks. for example- A Computer programmer specializes in developing software based on his expertise.

Job Enlargement It is an expansion of the number of different tasks preformed by an employee. Fewer workers are needed with the new technology, and each employee has to be able to perform a greater number and variety of task. It increases the scope of job through extending the range of its job duties and responsibilities.

for example- A software engineer is responsible for making software also training to junior employee in the same field.

Job Enrichment - Job enrichment is a common motivational technique used by organizations to give an employee greater satisfaction in his work. It means giving an employee additional responsibilities previously reserved for his manager or other higher-ranking positions

for example- A sales leader is given the responsibility of managing the whole sales team in two areas of the organization.

. Employee empowerment is a management strategy that aims to give employees the tools and resources necessary to make confident decisions in the workplace without supervision. for example- An HR manager has given the autonomy to set salary and compensation for hiring employee on their own like giving HR manager autonomy or freedom.

Specialization at lower stage because it is the start stage where an employee needs to work on what they are expert but when they get experience and spend time in organization. they gain trust of employer and reach to each upper ladder and emplowerment at top because it requires time and trust to be build in time so that employer can give more responsibility and power to employee so that they can self direct themselves without any supervision while in specialization they need supervision like from upper authority.