Issues in Job Design

As we know, job design is a systematic organization of job-related tasks, responsibilities, functions and duties. It is a continuous process of integration of content related to job in order to achieve certain objectives. The process plays a vital role as it affects the productivity of employees and organizations.

However, there are a number of existing issues emerged recently while designing the jobs in organizations. These are alternative work patterns that are equally effective in handling organization’s functions.

• Telecommuting/Work from Home: Telecommuting or work from home is considered as the best alternative of working from the actual office. The concept of virtual office is gaining more and more popularity because of ease and convenience associated with it.

  By using computer networks, fax machines, telephones and internet connection, employees can communicate and perform the job from home. It eliminates the need of coming to office everyday and offers employees the convenience to work at the comfort of their home.

  Though there are lots of advantages associated with this working style but it suffers from many limitations.

  It allows employees to stay at home and manage their job tasks and functions without actually being present in the office but it doesn’t allow them to communicate with other employees and establishing relationships with them. They only deal with machines whole day, thus lose creativity. Moreover, it is a great hindrance in their way as it does not allow skill upgradation.

• Job Sharing: It is the second most preferable alternative of traditional working styles where two or more individuals share the responsibilities of a full time job. They divide the tasks, responsibilities and compensation according to their mutual consent. This option is generally used by women who are on maternity leave or have family and kids to look after but want to continue their job. These days, organizations are open to this kind of working style where two or more individuals can share a job.

• Flexi-Working Hours: These days, organizations allow their employees to work according to the timings that suit them best. There are 3-4 working schedules and individuals can choose any one of them depending upon their availability.

  Employees can work in early hours as well as night hours. This is good for those individuals who have colleges or some other engagements during the day or specific hours of the day. The best part is that unlike telecommuting, flexi-timings give them chance to communicate with other employees too.

• Alternative Work-Patterns: Companies these days allow their employees to work on alternate months or seasons. Though the concept is not that common in India but can be seen in European and American world of work. They also have the option of working two to three full days and can relax after that.

  According to the latest concept, employees can work for fixed number of hours and then can attend to their personal needs during the left days.

• Technostress: Technostress is the latest technology to keep a check on employees’ performance even when they choose to work from home. Because of the introduction of new machines, there performance can be electronically monitored even when they are not aware of it.

• Task Revision: Task revision is nothing but modification of existing work design by reducing or adding the new job duties and responsibilities to a specific job.