Employee reactions to job characteristics: A constructive replication.

Abstract

Hackman and Lawler's conceptual model involving relationships between job characteristics and employee affective reactions was investigated by a partial replication. Subjects, 104 emplos'ees occupying jobs aimed at rehabilitating inmates, completed a questionnaire involving their (a) perceptions of job core dimensions; (b) internal work motivation; (c) general job satisfaction; (d) job involvement; (e) higher order need strength; and (f) specific satisfactions measured by Job Descriptive Index items. Significant, positive correlations were found between job dimensions and employee reactions. While the results were in the direction of Hackman and Lawler's finding that higher order need strength moderated the job characteristics-employee reaction relationship, the role of higher order need strength was found to be more complex. Several researchers have argued that shortcycle, repetitive jobs cost an organization in terms of increased job dissatisfaction, absenteeism and turnover, and difficulties in effectively managing employees who perceive their jobs as monotonous (e.g., Blauner, 1964; Guest, 19SS; Walker, 19SO; Walker & Guest, 19S2). In response to these arguments against simplified work, numerous students of worker behavior have called for the vertical and horizontal expansion of jobs (e.g., Ford, 1969; Lawler, 1969; Sheppard & Herrick, 1972).