What are some best practices for applying the job characteristics model in remote or hybrid teams?

2 Psychological states

The Job Characteristics Model (JCM) states that core job dimensions influence three psychological states that mediate the relationship between job design and work outcomes. These states include experienced meaningfulness, experienced responsibility, and knowledge of results. They all reflect the intrinsic motivation of workers, or how much they are driven by internal rewards such as enjoyment, interest, and satisfaction. Experienced meaningfulness relates to the feeling of value and worth in one's work, experienced responsibility reflects the accountability and control one has over their work outcomes, and knowledge of results measures how well one is doing their work.

3 Work outcomes

The JCM suggests that when workers experience high levels of the three psychological states, they are more likely to display positive work outcomes, such as high performance, satisfaction, low absenteeism, and low turnover. These outcomes benefit both the workers and the organization, as they can lead to improved productivity, quality, and retention. Additionally, they can result in a more efficient and effective performance of tasks, greater job satisfaction, less missed work or quitting of jobs, and increased loyalty to the organization and team.

4 Advantages and disadvantages

The Job Characteristics Model (JCM) has several advantages and disadvantages for managers and workers. Its comprehensive and empirically supported framework for understanding and improving work motivation is beneficial, as it emphasizes the importance of intrinsic motivation and psychological needs. Additionally, it offers a flexible and adaptable approach that can be applied to various types of jobs and contexts. It also encourages workers to participate in job design and redesign, which can increase their commitment and engagement. However, it may not capture all the factors that affect work motivation, such as individual differences, organizational culture, or external rewards. It may also not be feasible or desirable to increase all the core job dimensions for every job, as some jobs may have inherent limitations or trade-offs. Implementing job design and redesign interventions may also not be easy or cost-effective, especially in large or complex organizations. Additionally, the JCM may not be suitable or acceptable for some workers or managers who prefer more structure, guidance, or supervision in their work.

5 Best practices

To apply the JCM effectively in your team, you should assess the current state of your team's jobs, involve your team members in the job design and redesign process, consider the feasibility and implications of changing the core job dimensions, monitor and evaluate the impact of the job design and redesign interventions, and provide your team members with adequate support, resources, and recognition. Assessing the current state of jobs can be done by using the Job Diagnostic Survey or other methods to identify areas that need improvement. Involvement in job design and redesign allows for feedback and suggestions on how to increase core job dimensions. Balancing benefits and costs of each option is essential for successful job design. Monitoring and evaluation of impact on psychological states and work outcomes can help make adjustments as needed. Finally, providing support, resources, and recognition can facilitate motivation and performance.