IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/jobhdp/v136y2016icp20-35.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Job design research and theory: Past, present and future

Author

Listed:
  • Oldham, Greg R.
  • Fried, Yitzhak

Abstract

This article reviews the research and theory that have focused on the design of jobs in organizations. We begin by summarizing some of the earliest work on this topic and then move to a discussion of several approaches to job design that attempted to address the shortcomings of this work. Next, we discuss several streams of contemporary research that have expanded the scope or deepened our understanding of job design. We conclude with a discussion of some future directions for research with an emphasis on job crafting, the effects of new work arrangements on the design of jobs, generational differences and reactions to job design, cultural differences and job design, and the impact of job design on organizational structures and employees’ personal characteristics.

Suggested Citation

  • Oldham, Greg R. & Fried, Yitzhak, 2016. "Job design research and theory: Past, present and future," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 136(C), pages 20-35.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jobhdp:v:136:y:2016:i:c:p:20-35
    DOI: 10.1016/j.obhdp.2016.05.002
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0749597816302643
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.obhdp.2016.05.002?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Babbage, Charles, 1832. "Economy of Machinery and Manufactures," History of Economic Thought Books, McMaster University Archive for the History of Economic Thought, number babbage1832.
    2. Boas Shamir & Robert J. House & Michael B. Arthur, 1993. "The Motivational Effects of Charismatic Leadership: A Self-Concept Based Theory," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 4(4), pages 577-594, November.
    3. Oldham, Greg R. & Kulik, Carol T. & Ambrose, Maureen L. & Stepina, Lee P. & Brand, Julianne F., 1986. "Relations between job facet comparisons and employee reactions," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 38(1), pages 28-47, August.
    4. Grant, Adam M. & Campbell, Elizabeth M. & Chen, Grace & Cottone, Keenan & Lapedis, David & Lee, Karen, 2007. "Impact and the art of motivation maintenance: The effects of contact with beneficiaries on persistence behavior," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 103(1), pages 53-67, May.
    5. Taylor, Frederick Winslow, 1911. "The Principles of Scientific Management," History of Economic Thought Books, McMaster University Archive for the History of Economic Thought, number taylor1911.
    6. Cristina B. Gibson & Jennifer L. Gibbs & Taryn L. Stanko & Paul Tesluk & Susan G. Cohen, 2011. "Including the “I” in Virtuality and Modern Job Design: Extending the Job Characteristics Model to Include the Moderating Effect of Individual Experiences of Electronic Dependence and Copresence," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 22(6), pages 1481-1499, December.
    7. Astrauskaite, Milda & Notelaers, Guy & Medisauskaite, Asta & Kern, Roy M., 2015. "Workplace harassment: Deterring role of transformational leadership and core job characteristics," Scandinavian Journal of Management, Elsevier, vol. 31(1), pages 121-135.
    8. Shantz, Amanda & Alfes, Kerstin & Truss, Catherine & Soane, Emma, 2013. "The role of employee engagement in the relationship between job design and task performance, citizenship and deviant behaviours," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 48156, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    9. Karl Pajo & Louise Lee, 2011. "Corporate-Sponsored Volunteering: A Work Design Perspective," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 99(3), pages 467-482, March.
    10. Barry L. Bayus, 2013. "Crowdsourcing New Product Ideas over Time: An Analysis of the Dell IdeaStorm Community," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 59(1), pages 226-244, June.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Terri L. Griffith & Emma S. Nordbäck & John E. Sawyer & Ronald E. Rice, 2018. "Field study of complements to supervisory leadership in more and less flexible work settings," Journal of Organization Design, Springer;Organizational Design Community, vol. 7(1), pages 1-26, December.
    2. Andrzej Janowski & Anna Szczepańska-Przekota, 2022. "The Trait of Extraversion as an Energy-Based Determinant of Entrepreneur’s Success—The Case of Poland," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(13), pages 1-21, June.
    3. Huatian Wang & Peikai Li & Shi Chen, 2020. "The Impact of Social Factors on Job Crafting: A Meta-Analysis and Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(21), pages 1-29, October.
    4. Shangbiao Tang & Guanglei Zhang & Hai-Jiang Wang, 2020. "Daily Empowering Leadership and Job Crafting: Examining Moderators," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(16), pages 1-14, August.
    5. Adrián Segura-Camacho & Juan-José García-Orozco & Gabriela Topa, 2018. "Sustainable and Healthy Organizations Promote Employee Well-Being: The Moderating Role of Selection, Optimization, and Compensation Strategies," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(10), pages 1-18, September.
    6. Sugumar Mariappanadar & Wayne A. Hochwarter, 2022. "A Three-Way Synergistic Effect of Work on Employee Well-Being: Human Sustainability Perspective," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(22), pages 1-21, November.
    7. Marie Komagata & Yukie Takemura & Naoko Ichikawa & Kimie Takehara & Keiko Kunie, 2020. "Quality of work among part‐time nurses and its relationship to job satisfaction and work values: A cross‐sectional study," Nursing & Health Sciences, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 22(4), pages 1010-1021, December.
    8. Piia Seppälä & Lotta K. Harju & Jari J. Hakanen, 2020. "Interactions of Approach and Avoidance Job Crafting and Work Engagement: A Comparison between Employees Affected and Not Affected by Organizational Changes," Post-Print hal-03188191, HAL.
    9. Laura Lorente & Núria Tordera & José María Peiró, 2018. "How Work Characteristics Are Related to European Workers’ Psychological Well-Being. A Comparison of Two Age Groups," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(1), pages 1-11, January.
    10. Lin, Xiao Song & Chen, Zhen Xiong & Ashford, Susan J. & Lee, Cynthia & Qian, Jing, 2018. "A self-consistency motivation analysis of employee reactions to job insecurity: The roles of organization-based self-esteem and proactive personality," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 92(C), pages 168-178.
    11. Janusz Rymaniak & Katarzyna Lis & Vida Davidavičienė & Manuela Pérez-Pérez & Ángel Martínez-Sánchez, 2021. "From Stationary to Remote: Employee Risks at Pandemic Migration of Workplaces," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(13), pages 1-25, June.
    12. Yize Qin & Yuqing Shen, 2024. "Can Process Digitization Improve Firm Innovation Performance? Process Digitization as Job Resources and Demands," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(13), pages 1-14, June.
    13. Patchara Popaitoon, 2022. "Fostering Work Meaningfulness for Sustainable Human Resources: A Study of Generation Z," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(6), pages 1-13, March.
    14. Leyer, Michael & Schneider, Sabrina, 2021. "Decision augmentation and automation with artificial intelligence: Threat or opportunity for managers?," Business Horizons, Elsevier, vol. 64(5), pages 711-724.
    15. Federico Ceschel & Plinio Limata & Lucia Marchegiani, 2023. "Including the Excluded: Sense-Making and Job Crafting as Drivers of Dialogical Change Management in Italian Universities for Refugees’ Inclusion," Administrative Sciences, MDPI, vol. 13(6), pages 1-22, May.
    16. Eunice N. Wandiga & James M. Kilika & Rosemary James, 2017. "Firm Performance in the Context of Knowledge Based Intensive Sector: A Theoretical Review," International Journal of Business and Management, Canadian Center of Science and Education, vol. 12(8), pages 234-234, July.
    17. Jodi Oakman & Katrina A. Lambert & Victoria P. Weale & Rwth Stuckey & Melissa Graham, 2023. "Employees Working from Home: Do Leadership Factors Influence Work-Related Stress and Musculoskeletal Pain?," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(4), pages 1-11, February.
    18. Piia Seppälä & Lotta Harju & Jari J. Hakanen, 2020. "Interactions of Approach and Avoidance Job Crafting and Work Engagement: A Comparison between Employees Affected and Not Affected by Organizational Changes," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(23), pages 1-20, December.
    19. Gabriel, Kelly P. & Aguinis, Herman, 2022. "How to prevent and combat employee burnout and create healthier workplaces during crises and beyond," Business Horizons, Elsevier, vol. 65(2), pages 183-192.
    20. Valerio Ghezzi & Tahira M. Probst & Laura Petitta & Valeria Ciampa & Matteo Ronchetti & Cristina Di Tecco & Sergio Iavicoli & Claudio Barbaranelli, 2020. "The Interplay among Age and Employment Status on the Perceptions of Psychosocial Risk Factors at Work," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(10), pages 1-25, May.
    21. Matthew D. Deeg & Douglas R. May, 2022. "The Benefits to the Human Spirit of Acting Ethically at Work: The Effects of Professional Moral Courage on Work Meaningfulness and Life Well-Being," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 181(2), pages 397-411, November.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Venus, Merlijn & Stam, Daan & van Knippenberg, Daan, 2013. "Leader emotion as a catalyst of effective leader communication of visions, value-laden messages, and goals," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 122(1), pages 53-68.
    2. Grant, Adam M. & Hofmann, David A., 2011. "Outsourcing inspiration: The performance effects of ideological messages from leaders and beneficiaries," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 116(2), pages 173-187.
    3. Gajendran, Ravi S. & Loewenstein, Jeffrey & Choi, Hyeran & Ozgen, Sibel, 2022. "Hidden costs of text-based electronic communication on complex reasoning tasks: Motivation maintenance and impaired downstream performance," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 169(C).
    4. Christopher Michaelson & Michael Pratt & Adam Grant & Craig Dunn, 2014. "Meaningful Work: Connecting Business Ethics and Organization Studies," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 121(1), pages 77-90, April.
    5. Guadalupe Vila-Vázquez & Carmen Castro-Casal & Dolores Álvarez-Pérez & Luisa Del Río-Araújo, 2018. "Promoting the Sustainability of Organizations: Contribution of Transformational Leadership to Job Engagement," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(11), pages 1-17, November.
    6. Chitra Khari & Shuchi Sinha, 2020. "Organizational Spirituality and Employee Volunteering: A Study of Mediating Variables," Vision, , vol. 24(4), pages 460-470, December.
    7. Jagjit Singh Srai & Mukesh Kumar & Gary Graham & Wendy Phillips & James Tooze & Simon Ford & Paul Beecher & Baldev Raj & Mike Gregory & Manoj Kumar Tiwari & B. Ravi & Andy Neely & Ravi Shankar & Fiona, 2016. "Distributed manufacturing: scope, challenges and opportunities," International Journal of Production Research, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 54(23), pages 6917-6935, December.
    8. Reginald A. Litz, 1997. "The Family Firm's Exclusion from Business School Research: Explaining the Void; Addressing the Opportunity," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 21(3), pages 55-71, April.
    9. Biljana Bogićević Milikić & Milica Čučković, 2019. "How To Increase Job Satisfaction And Organisational Commitment In The Ict Sector Through Job Design," Economic Annals, Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Belgrade, vol. 64(222), pages 81-116, July – Se.
    10. Ni, Dan & Jiwen Song, Lynda & Zheng, Xiaoming & Zhu, Jinlong & Zhang, Mengyi & Xu, Lingxiao, 2022. "Extending a helping hand: How receiving gratitude makes a difference in employee performance during a crisis," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 149(C), pages 967-982.
    11. Douglas Cumming & Lars Hornuf & Moein Karami & Denis Schweizer, 2023. "Disentangling Crowdfunding from Fraudfunding," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 182(4), pages 1103-1128, February.
    12. Jeremy Atack & Robert A. Margo & Paul Rhode, 2020. "‘Mechanization Takes Command’: Inanimate Power and Labor Productivity in Late Nineteenth Century American Manufacturing," NBER Working Papers 27436, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    13. Bertschek, Irene & Kesler, Reinhold, 2022. "Let the user speak: Is feedback on Facebook a source of firms’ innovation?," Information Economics and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 60(C).
    14. N. I. Fisher & V. N. Nair, 2009. "Quality management and quality practice: Perspectives on their history and their future," Applied Stochastic Models in Business and Industry, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 25(1), pages 1-28, January.
    15. Diwas Singh KC & Bradley R. Staats, 2012. "Accumulating a Portfolio of Experience: The Effect of Focal and Related Experience on Surgeon Performance," Manufacturing & Service Operations Management, INFORMS, vol. 14(4), pages 618-633, October.
    16. Lise Arena & Anthony Hussenot, 2021. "From Innovations at Work to Innovative Ways of Conceptualizing Organization: A Brief History of Organization Studies," Post-Print hal-03290300, HAL.
    17. repec:awi:wpaper:0421 is not listed on IDEAS
    18. Bloom, Nick & Manova, Kalina & Teng Sun, Stephen & Van Reenen, John & Yu, Zhihong, 2018. "Managing trade: evidence from China and the US," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 88703, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    19. Gayoung Kim & Woo Jin Lee, 2021. "The Venture Firm’s Ambidexterity: Do Transformational Leaders Boost Organizational Learning for Venture Growth?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(15), pages 1-15, July.
    20. Robert J. Bennett & Harry Smith & Piero Montebruno & Carry van Lieshout, 2022. "Changes in Victorian entrepreneurship in England and Wales 1851-1911: Methodology and business population estimates," Business History, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 64(7), pages 1211-1243, September.
    21. Shan, Wei & Qiao, Tong & Zhang, Mingli, 2020. "Getting more resources for better performance: The effect of user-owned resources on the value of user-generated content," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 161(C).

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:jobhdp:v:136:y:2016:i:c:p:20-35. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/obhdp .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.