Work complexity in structured job designs*

Abstract

The authors show that the structural attributes of job designs may be expressed as parameters of systems of abstract automata (black box machines) that model the work setting and worker: machine interfaces. Through links with the formal complexity theory for such systems, they show that ‘job content’ can be measured in terms of the algebra and parts list for such systems. Different approaches to job restructuring associate with different algebraic combinations. The authors note that previous work experimentation has proceeded with insightful understanding of job attributes but without an operational theory to tie job complexity to work satisfaction and productivity. They show how plausible schemes for job enlargement, in fact, may impose ‘complications’ which threaten to detract from job satisfaction and efficiency. Along with sketches of the formal methodology, the paper contains intuitive descriptions of schemes to classify technologies and job designs.