Work Psychology Summary
Problem 1 – The Meaning of Work
Manifest functions are the recognized and intended consequences of any social pattern
Latent functions are those unrecognized and unintended consequences.
Theory of Marie Jahoda
The work of Marie Jahoda (1981,1982,1997) shows a latent deprivation model, which stated
that employment has not only the manifest function of earning a living but also five
unintended or "latent" functions. These latent functions correspond with basic human needs
and help to sustain well-being and mental health. Jahoda's model implies that employment
is an important means for mental health and satisfaction in contemporary societies.
Referring back to latent functions, these are assumed to be unintended by-products of
employment, as opposed to its "manifest" products, which are obvious and primary
functions of earning a living and the production of goods.
Jahoda specified five aspects of employment that unemployed people usually lack. These
five aspects appear to be an important cause of distress among unemployed people
1. Time structure: since modern society shapes the experience of time through social
institutions such as school and employment, people nowadays are in need of clear
time structures. When being unemployed, life is perceived to lack time structure
2. Collective purpose: people cannot do without the feeling of being useful, of being
needed by other people. This sense of purposelessness results in distress.
3. Social contact: the need for regularly shared experiences and contacts with people
outside the immediate family.
4. Social status: essential for construction of one’s identity. People tend to see
themselves in a similar way as others see them, and even a low status (manual
worker) is better than having no status at all
5. Level of activity: being active, even due to external forces such as the need to earn a
living, is better for a person’s psychological well-being than being passive
Satisfaction or dissatisfaction of these needs is expected to influence psychological well-
being. According to Jahoda, employment is the only sufficient source for these latent
functions. As not only unemployed people but also other persons who are out of
employment (housewives and retired people) should experience a lack of the latent
functions. Other sources might fulfil the needs as well, but only to a limited degree.
Problem 2 – Job Design
Job design is defined as “the processes and outcomes of how work is structured, organized,
experienced and enacted”.
Importance of job design:
1. Has been one of only a handful of organizational theories which has simultaneously
high validity, importance, and usefulness
, 2. Fundamental component of the execution and experience of work. It influences the
actions and experiences of employees on every type of work, occupation, and
organization
3. It is an actionable feature of organizational contexts. Managers have more influence
and control over job design than they do over culture, structure, relationships,
technology, and people themselves
4. The dramatic changes in domestic and international landscape have created new
types of work and, therefore, ask for attention (redesign of jobs)
Job Characteristics Model (JCM)
The JCM focuses on five core job characteristics that make jobs more satisfying for workers:
- Task significance: the extent to which the job provides opportunities to have a
positive impact on the well-being of other people
- Task identity: the extent to which the job allows individuals to complete a whole,
identifiable, visible piece of work from start to finish
- Skill variety: the extent to which the job involves a wide range of capabilities and
talents
- Autonomy: the extent to which the job provides freedom and discretion in how and
when to do the work
- Feedback: the extent to which the job itself provides clear, direct information about
performance effectiveness.
It was proposed that the five core job characteristics lead to three critical psychological
states: experienced meaningfulness, responsibility, and knowledge of results, which
ultimately result in a set of positive work outcomes. The critical psychological states mediate
the positive association between the core job characteristics and the four positive work
outcomes; internal work motivation, growth satisfaction, general satisfaction, and work
effectiveness
, The JCM model was modified by Hackman and Oldham (1976) to account for the fact that
two employees may have the same jobs, experience the same job characteristics, and yet
have different levels of job satisfaction. The concept of growth need strength (GNS), an
employee’s desire for personal growth, was added as a moderator in the model. Intrinsic job
characteristics are especially satisfying for individuals who score high on GNS.
Elaborating the JCM
The most common used work design measure (Job Diagnose Survey) looks at only five
motivational work characteristics (JCM), but this way other potentially important work
elements might be missing in the job design. Morgeson & Humphrey, (2006) developed the
Work Design Questionnaire (WDQ) in part to address this narrow set of work characteristics
measured in traditional work design research
Past research has suggested that increasing knowledge requirements makes work more
intrinsically motivating and promotes positive attitudinal outcomes. But the increased
cognitive requirements associated with these work characteristics were expected to harm
employee well-being.
Social characteristics are important components of work. Relationships between workers are
among the most important determinants of well-being and perceptions of meaningful work.
Problem 1 – The Meaning of Work
Manifest functions are the recognized and intended consequences of any social pattern
Latent functions are those unrecognized and unintended consequences.
Theory of Marie Jahoda
The work of Marie Jahoda (1981,1982,1997) shows a latent deprivation model, which stated
that employment has not only the manifest function of earning a living but also five
unintended or "latent" functions. These latent functions correspond with basic human needs
and help to sustain well-being and mental health. Jahoda's model implies that employment
is an important means for mental health and satisfaction in contemporary societies.
Referring back to latent functions, these are assumed to be unintended by-products of
employment, as opposed to its "manifest" products, which are obvious and primary
functions of earning a living and the production of goods.
Jahoda specified five aspects of employment that unemployed people usually lack. These
five aspects appear to be an important cause of distress among unemployed people
1. Time structure: since modern society shapes the experience of time through social
institutions such as school and employment, people nowadays are in need of clear
time structures. When being unemployed, life is perceived to lack time structure
2. Collective purpose: people cannot do without the feeling of being useful, of being
needed by other people. This sense of purposelessness results in distress.
3. Social contact: the need for regularly shared experiences and contacts with people
outside the immediate family.
4. Social status: essential for construction of one’s identity. People tend to see
themselves in a similar way as others see them, and even a low status (manual
worker) is better than having no status at all
5. Level of activity: being active, even due to external forces such as the need to earn a
living, is better for a person’s psychological well-being than being passive
Satisfaction or dissatisfaction of these needs is expected to influence psychological well-
being. According to Jahoda, employment is the only sufficient source for these latent
functions. As not only unemployed people but also other persons who are out of
employment (housewives and retired people) should experience a lack of the latent
functions. Other sources might fulfil the needs as well, but only to a limited degree.
Problem 2 – Job Design
Job design is defined as “the processes and outcomes of how work is structured, organized,
experienced and enacted”.
Importance of job design:
1. Has been one of only a handful of organizational theories which has simultaneously
high validity, importance, and usefulness
, 2. Fundamental component of the execution and experience of work. It influences the
actions and experiences of employees on every type of work, occupation, and
organization
3. It is an actionable feature of organizational contexts. Managers have more influence
and control over job design than they do over culture, structure, relationships,
technology, and people themselves
4. The dramatic changes in domestic and international landscape have created new
types of work and, therefore, ask for attention (redesign of jobs)
Job Characteristics Model (JCM)
The JCM focuses on five core job characteristics that make jobs more satisfying for workers:
- Task significance: the extent to which the job provides opportunities to have a
positive impact on the well-being of other people
- Task identity: the extent to which the job allows individuals to complete a whole,
identifiable, visible piece of work from start to finish
- Skill variety: the extent to which the job involves a wide range of capabilities and
talents
- Autonomy: the extent to which the job provides freedom and discretion in how and
when to do the work
- Feedback: the extent to which the job itself provides clear, direct information about
performance effectiveness.
It was proposed that the five core job characteristics lead to three critical psychological
states: experienced meaningfulness, responsibility, and knowledge of results, which
ultimately result in a set of positive work outcomes. The critical psychological states mediate
the positive association between the core job characteristics and the four positive work
outcomes; internal work motivation, growth satisfaction, general satisfaction, and work
effectiveness
, The JCM model was modified by Hackman and Oldham (1976) to account for the fact that
two employees may have the same jobs, experience the same job characteristics, and yet
have different levels of job satisfaction. The concept of growth need strength (GNS), an
employee’s desire for personal growth, was added as a moderator in the model. Intrinsic job
characteristics are especially satisfying for individuals who score high on GNS.
Elaborating the JCM
The most common used work design measure (Job Diagnose Survey) looks at only five
motivational work characteristics (JCM), but this way other potentially important work
elements might be missing in the job design. Morgeson & Humphrey, (2006) developed the
Work Design Questionnaire (WDQ) in part to address this narrow set of work characteristics
measured in traditional work design research
Past research has suggested that increasing knowledge requirements makes work more
intrinsically motivating and promotes positive attitudinal outcomes. But the increased
cognitive requirements associated with these work characteristics were expected to harm
employee well-being.
Social characteristics are important components of work. Relationships between workers are
among the most important determinants of well-being and perceptions of meaningful work.
