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Some perspectives on organization

Human relations OD, i.e. Organization development Socio-technical systems theory power points used Sep 14 and 28, 2010 by Torbjörn Stjernberg. Some perspectives on organization. Western Electric’s Hawthorne works in Cicero, Illinois. The relay assembly test room. The Hawthorne project.

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Some perspectives on organization

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  1. Human relations OD, i.e. Organization developmentSocio-technical systems theorypower points used Sep 14 and 28, 2010 by Torbjörn Stjernberg

  2. Some perspectives on organization

  3. Western Electric’s Hawthorne worksin Cicero, Illinois

  4. The relay assembly test room

  5. The Hawthorne project • A: The Relay Assembly Test Room 1924-32 • Stage 1 (Phase I, 3 months; Phase II, 7 months; Phase III, 14 months) 5 girls (of which 2 were exchanged after Phase II), 30% increase in productivity caused by changes in mental attitudes rather than physical working conditions. • Stage 2: 9 weeks: 5 other girls, 12 % immediate increase caused by group rather than factory bonus. • Stage 3: 2 years, 5 other girls, 15 % increase due to friendly supervision, rest pauses, etc. during first 14 months, then declining productivity. • B: Bank Wiring Test Room: 1931 Observations and interviews • “The function of restriction of output … is to protect the worker from management’s schemes” (Dickson quoted in Hoopes, 2003 p 152) • C: The Interview Program: Training interviewees (and supervisors) in “therapeutic interviewing skills”, aiming to interview every worker • D: The Counseling Program

  6. recommendations Analyze the situation. What are the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) of the work organization in the example? Give your recommendations to the production manager about how to develop the work organization. Give your recommendations to the human resource manager about how to develop the work organization. Give your recommendations to a joint management and union committee about how to develop the work organization

  7. Typology of production systems

  8. Leavitt's diamond Harold J. Leavitt "Applied Organizational Change in Industry: Structural, Technological, and Humanistic Approaches" in James G,. March (ed.) Handbook of Organizations. Rand McNally, 1965;

  9. Motivation and work studies(individual - work relation) Motivation theories such as those formulated by Maslow (fysiological, security, social, esteem, self-actualization needs) Herzberg (satisfiers and motivators) Vroom (Force to perform act i = Valence of outcome j x Expectancy that act i will lead to outcome j.) Hackman & Oldham (motivation depends on perceived meaning, responsibility and knowledge of results, i.e. work content, autonomy and feedback) Work organization principles such as Job rotation Job enlargement Job enrichment

  10. Intrinsic job needs • Variety & challenge: Reasonably demanding and with some variety • Continuous learning: Be able to learn, but neither too much, not too little • Discretion, autonomy: Own area of decision-making • Recognition & support: Some social support and recognition at the workplace for what one does. • Meaningful social contribution: To be able to relate what one does and produces to a larger social life, to afford dignity • Desirable future: To feel that the job leads to some sort of desirable future (not necessarily a promotion) based on Eric Trist (1981) The evolution of socio-technical systems; a conceptual framework and an action research program. Ontario Quality of Working Life Centre, Toronto Ca.

  11. Hackman's & Oldham's Job Characteristics Model CRITICAL PSYCHOLOGICAL STATES DESIGN PRINCIPLES CORE JOB CHARACTERISTICS OUTCOMES Skill variety Task Identity Task significance Combine tasks Create "natural" task areas Establish direct contacts with internal and external customers Increase autonomy Create channels for supporting feedback Meningfullness Autonomy Responsibility Motivation Feedback from job Knowledge of results Moderators: Knowledge and skill Growth need strength "Context" satisfactions J. Richard Hackman & Greg R. Oldham, Work Redesign. Addison-Wesley, 1980

  12. Work design - what is a good work? • Optimum variety • Meaningful pattern of tasks • Optimum length of the work cycle • Suitable standards for quantity and quality and feedback of knowledge of results • Inclusion of auxiliary and preparatory tasks • Inclusion of some degree of care, skill, knowledge or effort that is worthy of respect in the community • The inclusion of some perceivable contribution to the utility of the product for the consumer based on Eric Trist (1981) The evolution of socio-technical systems; a conceptual framework and an action research program. Ontario Quality of Working Life Centre, Toronto Ca. p 31.

  13. Socio-technical analysis - key concepts JOINT OPTIMIZATION OF SOCIAL AND TECHNOLOGICAL SYSTEMS AS A SOCIO-TECHNICAL SYSTEM Organizing groups rather than individuals Redundancy of functions rather than redundancy of parts Minimum critical specification design rather than complete specification design Requisite variance Self-regulation Boundary-control based on Eric Trist (1981) The evolution of socio-technical systems; a conceptual framework and an action research program. Ontario Quality of Working Life Centre, Toronto Ca.

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