JOB ENRICHMENT
| IRELAND |
| JOB ENRICHMENT |
Job enrichment or 'vertical enlargement' is a method of job design in which new responsibilities, tasks or skills are added to existing jobs giving employees a greater opportunity for achievement and recognition. The tasks that are added are of a different nature than those already performed. Very often the job is enriched to include functions that were previously considered to be supervisory or managerial. Job enrichment can apply to individual jobs or to autonomous work groups, but in either case the objective is to give people better freedom and autonomy in their work organisation.
The advantages of job enrichment are said to include an increase in employees' level of motivation at work, both individually and in groups, a reduced need for supervision, a reduced level of fatigue, absenteeism and labour turnover, and an increase in the level of skill flexibility. The main disadvantages include the high costs of installing such systems in terms of equipment, machinery and training, increasing salary costs and conflicts between participants and non-participants.
Please note: the European industrial relations glossaries were compiled between 1991 and 2003 and are not updated. For current material see the European industrial relations dictionary.