Running Head: WORK REDESIGN IN INSURANCE COMPANY

Case for Analysis: Work Redesign in an Insurance Company

1. Explain which core characteristics of the employees’ jobs will be changed if the consultant’s recommendations are accepted.
Answer: The core characteristic that needs to be changed according to the consultant’s recommendation is the job range. Employees only had a job depth but very little job range. The consultant suggested the company to change operation structure to a client basis from functional orientation, in which each employee would handle every aspect of service as issuing policies, collecting premiums, change beneficiaries, processing loan application pertaining to a particular policyholder. This company has a …show more content…

Employees are already working in a much enriched situation, so employee grievances won’t be reduced with this technique.
While job enlargement is considered a horizontal restructuring method, job enrichment is a vertical restructuring method by virtue of giving the employee additional authority, autonomy, and control over the way the job is accomplished.
For this company the problem is the employees are interested in job redesign by changing job range while the manager of internal operation is more interested in job redesign by increasing job depth. The employees are getting bored by monotonic work schedule, they are feeling uncared by the authority and these may be the reasons of high absenteeism.

3. What would be your decision in this case? What should management be willing to pay for employee satisfaction? Defend your answer.
Answer: In my opinion Total Quality Management (TQM) combining the ideas of job enrichment and socio-technical theory will be the best fit here. Managers who implement TQM design jobs that empower individuals to make important decisions about service quality. This empowerment process will encourage participative management, team-oriented task modules, and autonomy. The electronic data processing system is very much required for this organization. Before starting job redesign the authority should consider the following facts. * Assessing the need for job