job enrichment

Means enhancing a job by adding more meaningful tasks and duties to make the work more rewarding or satisfying. This was popularized by Herzberg who highlighted the motivational needs of employees like self-fulfillment and self-esteem.This is for long-term satisfaction and performance goals.

Job enrichment, or vertical expansion of jobs, may be accomplished by increasing the autonomy and responsibility of employees.

Hertzberg described 5 factors for enriching jobs and motivating employees:

1. Achievement
2. Recognition
3. Growth
4. Responsibility
5. Performance of the whole jobs instead of of only parts of the job

      Managers were expected to enrich the jobs in terms of the following.

-increasing the level of difficulty and responsibility of the job

-allowing employees to retain more authority and control over work outcomes

-providing unit and individual job performance directly to employees

-adding new tasks to the jobs that require training and growth

-assigning individuals specific tasks to enable them to become experts.

The above factors enable

(a)    Greater role in the decision-making process

(b)   More involved in Planning, Organizing, Directing and Controlling

(c)    May be accomplished by formation of teams for self-management

JE is not a solution to problems of pay or benefits dissatisfaction,or employee security

Moreover its not that all employees are dissatisfied with mechanical work on the assembly line and its not that all employees seek responsibility and challenge in their jobs as they like their minds to wander while they work.