Critical Thinking

1.Obtain the job description for your current or most recent job (prepare one yourself if one does not exist). Redo this description by using the job characteristics framework presented in Exhibit 6.2. Design a job that would be more interesting, challenging, and enjoyable for you.

2.What are the critical factors to consider in the design of work systems? What particular role does technology play in the design of work systems?

3.Compare and contrast job enlargement, rotation, and enrichment. How are they similar to and different from each other?

4.What barriers to change exist in most organizations, and how can they be overcome?

5.Describe a successful and unsuccessful attempt at job redesign that you have experienced or observed. What factors contributed to the success or failure of the change initiative? How could the unsuccessful attempt have been managed better?

6.Debate how offshoring might impact the U.S. economy. Do you feel that it will cause domestic organizations to become more competitive in the global marketplace through increased efficiency and reduced costs or will it simply result in higher unemployment and an erosion of the consumer segment of our economy?

7.How might the HR function be affected by outsourcing decisions in small- and medium-sized organizations? What roles can and should HR play in such decisions?

8.As an employee, how would you feel about having your employer monitor your e-mail? As an employer, why would you choose to monitor employee e-mail? How can employee morale be maintained when an employer monitors employee e-mail?