Job enrichment

Job enrichment is a strategy that aims to offer variations in work activity. It aims to increase the attractiveness of a job for employees (Marta et al., 2021). It is a qualitative extension of work and can be considered as a vertical extension of tasks (Umukoro et al., 2019). Job enrichment is used to maintain employee motivation and adapt to a dynamic and rapidly changing business environment. It is a flexible approach that is results-oriented and has a clear objective. Job enrichment can include, for example, involvement in higher management tasks. For successful implementation of job enrichment, it is important to consider the key dimensions of the job the person has been doing. These include the skills required, the degree of autonomy, and the importance of the tasks within the organization. In addition, the method of job enrichment should be adapted to the employee's age and desired career (Marta et al., 2021).

Benefits of job enrichment

Job enrichment can be an informal way of learning. One way to offer job enrichment can be to have employees act as consultants, coaches, or specialists in their area of interest (Kooij et al., 2013). It allows people to take on more responsibility and use their skills and competencies (Marta et al., 2021). For this reason, job enrichment can lead to higher job performance (Kooij et al., 2013). Participating in a job enrichment process and taking on new and challenging tasks can motivate workers to perform well (Marta et al., 2021). Especially for older workers, job enrichment can be an opportunity when hierarchical improvements cannot be considered. It is said that older workers are more intrinsically motivated, e.g., by helping others. Therefore, on the one hand, job enrichment can motivate older employees by giving them the opportunity to act as a coach or mentor to younger employees, and on the other hand, job enrichment can help improve their own skills and abilities. Giving employees the opportunity to learn and grow from new challenges can also increase their overall well-being and job satisfaction (Kooij et al., 2013). Thus, it is also possible that job enrichment has a positive impact on the employee's organizational commitment, i.e., the psychological bond an employee has towards the company (Marta et al., 2021).

Risks of job enrichment

It is not necessarily said that job enrichment has a positive effect on the worker and the company (Marta et al., 2021). If the worker is not ready for job enrichment that is accompanied by higher autonomy, it can increase stress levels in the workplace (Trivellasa et al., 2013). It can also increase anxiety about not completing assigned tasks in a timely manner. This can lead to lower organizational commitment. In addition, the individual needs to be prepared for the new tasks that come with job enrichment. Training can be one way to improve the employee's skills and competencies and prepare them for the new tasks (Marta et al., 2021).

Similar approaches

In addition to Job Enrichment, there are similar ways to allow workers to vary their work activities:

1. Job enlargement
2. Job rotation

Job enlargement is a quantitative expansion of work where tasks of the same type are added to the original workload. It is a horizontal expansion of work. This approach, similar to the job enrichment approach, helps to increase organizational commitment and employee motivation (Tumi et al., 2022). Job rotation is another way of changing job characteristics. Here, the employee is transferred to a different job within the organization. This prevents boredom and brings new challenges and variety to the work. This approach also helps to maintain the employee's productivity (Umukoro et al., 2019).

References

• Kooij, D. T., Guest, D. E., Clinton, M., Knight, T., Jansen, P. G., & Dikkers, J. S. (2013). ‘’How the impact of HR practices on employee well‐being and performance changes with age’’. “Human Resource Management Journal”, 23(1), 18-35.
• Marta, I. A., Supartha, I., Dewi, I. G. A. M., & Wibawa, I. (2021). ‘’Job enrichment, empowerment, and organizational commitment: The mediating role of work motivation and job satisfaction’’. “The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business”, 8(1), 1031-1040.
• Trivellasa, P., Reklitisa, P., & Platis, C. (2013). ‘’The effect of job related stress on employees' satisfaction: A survey in Health Care’’. “Procedia – Social and Behavioral Sciences, 73(2013), 718-726.
• Tumi, N. S., Hasan, A. N., & Khalid, J. (2022). ‘’Impact of compensation, job enrichment and enlargement, and training on employee motivation’’. “Business Perspectives and Research”, 10(1), 121-139.
• Umukoro, J. E., & Johnson, A. (2019). ‘’Job-characteristics dimensions and employee continuance commitment’’. “Global Journal of Management And Business Research”, 19(10), 55-65.

Author: Mira Sophie Schön

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