At this point in the course, you have many things to keep in your mind about organizational behavior.

Chapter 14 addresses job design to the organizational behavior model.

As Chapter 14 implies, models are often oversimplified and leave out the complicating factor of
individual differences (refer back to Figure 3.1 on page 83). Herzberg pointed out that not every job or
person is a fit for enrichment. Businesses and their strategies differ and the kinds of skills,
procedures, and behavior required on the factory floor is quite different from those required for a
leading-edge design shop. In addition, people with the same abilities and personalities may be at
different levels in terms of satisfying their needs (e.g., Maslows hierarchy). It should be no surprise to
you that both job and organizational design are situational and interdependent with many other
concepts involved in the management of human energy."

1. In either designing the job, or in hiring to fill the job, does your organization consider any of the
individual factors that might influence success? Explain your answer and consider the following
factors:
- Cultural differences in the people (Chapters 1 and 2)
- Personality factors like MBTI type, conscientiousness, locus of control, and hardiness
- Where a person is in satisfying their higher- and lower-level needs (Chapter 5)

2. In your organization, are there any jobs that appear to have been successfully designed (either
initially or as they have evolved) using ideas like those described in the textbook? Anchor your
comments in the achievement of the three critical states described on page 525, and in the
achievement of engagement as described on pages 526-527.

3. How would you describe the organization you work for on each of the basic design dimensions
(pages 557-558)? What changes in these dimensions have you seen in your organization due to
pressures for improved cost/effectiveness or to meet other changes in the environment/competition?