Job enrichment and mental workload in computer-based work: Implications for adaptive job design

Abstract

A conceptual framework for job design of computer-based work is presented which includes job enrichment and mental workload as important constructs influencing work outcome variables. A total of 66 university students participated in a laboratory-based experiment designed to examine the confounded relation between mental workload and job enrichment in a simulated computer-based work setting. The results of the experimental study indicated that although mental workload was effectively manipulated independently of job enrichment, the experimental manipulations did not provide statistically significant differences in job satisfaction as a function of job enrichment and mental workload presumably because of exceptionally large within-group variance. However, correlational analysis supported the notion that mental workload is a significant contributor to job satisfaction. This has implications for the design of adaptive computer-based work since both job enrichment and mental workload can be independently manipulated in order to achieve an individual's job satisfaction potential. Relevance to industry The study outcome provides the opportunity to design computer-based jobs in industry which accommodate an individual's job design preferences such as varying the levels of job enrichment and mental workload for the purpose of increasing job satisfaction.