Job enrichment is something that all employees are looking out for. Literally speaking, a job is said to be enriched when a job holder is given more powers in decision making, planning and controlling. No one wants a job which is routine and lacks motivation.
As such an enriched job will have the following characteristics; direct feedback to the employees from the boss, interaction with the clients and ability to solve the grievances of the clients, learning something new everyday in his/her job, ability to schedule ones work, control over the resources of the organization in which he/she works, and ability to accept with grace any positive feedback as well as criticism for any bad work. If all these features are complied with, a person can certainly say with confidence that his job is enriched.
Yes, in today’s world no one can work long on a job which is not enriched. This stems from the fact that people in general seek power and want jobs wherein they can show-off their authority. Even in say a hotel establishment, the waiter will try to enrich his job by giving suggestions to the customers as to what is good in his hotel.
Needless to state that job enrichment causes job satisfaction as it increases personal recognition and achievement. It provides for a challenging environment where responsible work is being done. It also increases ones autonomy. The employee does more planning and controlling and thereby provides for his advancement and growth.
An enriched job also results in less absenteeism. The problem of absenteeism is a serious issue at times. It could hinder the work of many others as well as other departments. For example if you have to sign a file or put your remarks on to some matter, and you remain absent, you will be stopping not only your work but also preventing others from going ahead with their jobs. Since an enriched job increases motivation to work, an individual considers the work place as his/her second home and longs to be there rather than at home.
Job enrichment could also mean job involvement. Being involved in what one does is a positive factor for the individual as well as the organisation. A person whose job is enriched will display positive vibes which will spread like a virus to others and thereby simulate improvements in other areas in the organisation.
However there are two sides to a coin. Enrichment is a relative term which for some may mean that their jobs have become more meaningful and valued, while others may consider their non enriched jobs also as challenging and important. At times an enriched job will necessary mean more responsibility which most workers do not want. The susegad lifestyle of most Goans does not permit many Goans to take up additional responsibilities. For example to get promotions in a bank, exams have to be answered, which many of us Goans shirk away as the fear of getting promoted could mean a transfer and thereby loss of the Goan lifestyle that one is used to having.
Another reason why job enrichment does not work is that it is difficult to implement. Change is resisted by most people and any job enrichment programmes necessary calls for change. And finally job enrichment after a period of time may become static as the worker who was enthusiastic earlier now finds that the job no longer motivating to him and begins to get bored with what he does.
Another term which often gets confused with job enrichment is job enlargement. Job enlargement only means expansion of a number of different tasks performed by a single employee in a single job. For example a tailor may cut, stitch as well as do embroidery on a shirt. This means that more tasks are added to a job thereby providing variety and making the job more interesting and challenging.
An enlarged job provides a worker with a whole unit of work or as such he can see his work as an entire project. This results in satisfaction to the worker who now feels that his work has resulted in completion of a project.
However an enlarged job can also cause frustration especially if the enlarged job is not attainable. Many a time an enlarged job mat include a number of tasks which are difficult to achieve and could be a stumbling block to many. Workers as such are used to be evaluated on the basis of narrow jobs, which mean jobs which do not have an end point. Enlarged jobs have an end point which is good in a way since it can be graded but it also translates into more work by the worker. Moreover increasing the number of tasks may not necessarily decrease boredom because the additional tasks may also be monotonous.
