Essentials of

Organizational Behavior
Stephen P. Robbins & Timothy A. Judge

Chapter 8

Motivation: From Concepts

to Application

Copyright ©2010 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall

6-1
 After studying this chapter, you
should be able to:
1. Describe the way in which employees can be
motivated by changing their work environment.
2. Compare and contrast the three main ways jobs
can be redesigned.
3. Give examples of employee involvement measures
and how they can motivate employees.
4. Describe the four major strategic rewards
decisions.
5. Demonstrate how the different types of variable-
pay programs can increase employee motivation.

Copyright ©2010 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall

 Motivating by Changing the Work
Environment: JCM
The Job Characteristics Model - jobs are described in terms of
five core dimensions:

 Skill variety: The degree to which the job requires variety of

different activities.
 Task identity: The degree to which a job requires completion
of a whole and identifiable piece of work.
 Task significance: The degree to which a job has a substantial
impact on the lives or work of other people.
 Autonomy: The degree to which a job provide freedom and
discretion to the employee in job design.
 Feedback: The degree to which carrying out work activities
required by a job results in the individual obtaining direct and
clear information about the effectiveness of his or her
performance.
Copyright ©2010 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall
Copyright ©2010 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall
6-4
 The Job Characteristics Model

Copyright ©2010 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall

 JCM: Designing Motivational Jobs

 JCM-designed jobs give internal rewards

 Motivating jobs must be:
◦ Autonomous
◦ Provide feedback, and
◦ Have at least one of the three meaningfulness
factors

Copyright ©2010 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall

6-6
 How Can Jobs be Redesigned?
Job Rotation
The periodic shifting of an employee from one task
to another
◦ Cross training

◦ New employees

Limitation:
◦ Poor decision making
◦ Training cost
◦ Reduce overall productivity
◦ Creates disruptions when members have to adjust to new
employees.
◦ More supervisory responsibility
Copyright ©2010 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall
6-7
 How Can Jobs be Redesigned? Cont….

Job Enlargement
Increasing the number and variety of tasks
Job Enrichment
Increasing the degree to which the worker controls
the planning, execution and evaluation of the work

Copyright ©2010 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall

6-8
 Alternative Work arrangements
 Flextime:
Flextime employees must work a specific
number of hours per week but may vary their hours
of work within limits.
 Job Sharing:

An arrangement that allows two or more

individuals to split a traditional 40-hour–a week job.
 Telecommuting:

Working from home at least two days a week

on a computer that is linked to the employer’s office.

Copyright ©2010 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall

6-9
 Employee Involvement

A participative process that

uses the input of employees to
increase their commitment to
the organization’s success

Two types:
Participative Management
Representative Participation

Copyright ©2010 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 6-

10
 Participative Management
 Subordinates share a significant degree of
decision-making power with superiors
 Required conditions:
◦ Issues must be relevant
◦ Employees must be competent and
knowledgeable
◦ All parties must act in good faith
 Only a modest influence on productivity,
motivation, and job satisfaction

Copyright ©2010 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 6-

11
 Representative Participation
 Workers are represented by a small group
of employees who participate in decisions
affecting personnel
◦ Works Councils
◦ Board membership

Does not appear to be very motivational for

all.

Copyright ©2010 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 6-

12
 Rewarding Employees

Major strategic rewards

decisions:
1. What to pay employees
2. How to pay individual
employees
3. What benefits to offer
4. How to construct employee
recognition programs

Copyright ©2010 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 6-

13
 1. What to Pay
 Need to establish a pay structure
 Balance between:

◦ Internal equity – the worth of the job to the

organization (job evaluation)
◦ External equity – the external competitiveness
of an organization’s pay relative to pay
elsewhere in its industry (pay survey)
 A strategic decision with trade-offs

Copyright ©2010 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 6-

14
 2. How to Pay:
Variable-Pay Programs
Bases a portion of the pay on a given measure of
performance
◦ Piece-Rate Pay – workers are paid a fixed sum for
each unit of production completed
◦ Merit-Based Pay – pay is based on individual
performance appraisal ratings
◦ Bonuses – rewards employees for recent
performance

Copyright ©2010 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 6-

15
 More Variable Pay Programs
 Profit-Sharing Plans – organization-wide programs
that distribute compensation based on an
established formula designed around profitability

 Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs) – plans in

which employees acquire stock, often at below-
market prices

While it appears that pay does increase

productivity, it seems that not everyone responds
positively to variable-pay plans.
Copyright ©2010 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 6-
16
 3. What Benefit to Offer:
Flexible Benefits
Each employee creates a
benefit package tailored to
their own needs and situation
◦ Modular plans – predesigned
packages to meet the needs of
a specific group
◦ Core-plus plans – core of
essential benefits and menu of
options to choose from
◦ Flexible spending plans – full
choice from menu of options
Copyright ©2010 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 6-
17
 4. How to Recognize Them:
Employee Recognition Programs
 In addition to pay there are intrinsic rewards
◦ Can be as simple as a spontaneous comment
◦ Can be formalized in a program
 Recognition is the most powerful workplace
motivator – and the least expensive!

Thank you!
Copyright ©2010 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall 6-
18