Job enrichment versus social cues: A comparison and competitive test.

Abstract

Forty-one part-time student employees were randomly assigned in a 2 X 2 factorial research design including 2 types of social cues and 2 levels of job enrichment to investigate the effects of the independent variables on perceptions of job enrichment, job ambiguity, job satisfaction, and productivity. All employees worked in a simulated organizational setting involving a routine clerical task. The results showed that both the cues given off by co-workers as well as the physical properties of the task have an effect on employee perceptions of job enrichment and job ambiguity. In addition, people receiving positive social cues from co-workers were more satisfied and more productive than people receiving negative social cues from co-workers. These results are discussed in terms of their relevance for current theories of job motivation. Job enrichment has become an increasingly important issue in both the empirical and practical literature about the quality of work life in America. It is argued that job enrichment will increase commitment and satisfaction as well as the productivity of employees (e.g., Hackman & Oldham, 1975; Herzberg, 1966). These benefits supposedly result from increased levels of certain job characteristics such as task variety, task identity, significance of the job, job autonomy, and feedback (Hackman & Lawler, 1971; Hackman & Oldham, 197,6; Turner & Lawrence, 1965). It is also argued that these effects are strongest for those individuals who have high needs for achievement and growth (Oldham, Hackman, & Pearce, 1976; Steers & Spencer, 1977; Stone, Mowday, & Porter, 1977). Thus, job enrichment, when properly applied, may be