1 Job Design, Legislation and Strategy Operations Management Session 7

2 Objectives By the end of this session, student will be able to: Discuss advantages and disadvantages of implementing different types of job enlargement Appreciate the requirements of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 Appreciate the importance of understanding the impact of specific pieces of legislation on work practices Discuss the importance of operations strategy

3 Topics Job design – current trends Legislation affecting operations –Health and safety –Environment Strategy and operations

4 Job Design

5 Labour Specialization Involves Breaking jobs into small component parts Assigning specialists to do each part First noted by Adam Smith (1876) Observed how workers in pin factory divided tasks into smaller components Found in manufacturing & service industries

6 Taylorism Mechanical pacing – automated assembly line monitors speed of production Repetitive work processes Concentration on only a fraction of a product Prescribing tools and techniques as closely as possible Limited social interaction Low skill requirements

7 Greater dexterity & faster learning Less lost time changing jobs or tools Use more specialized tools Pay only for needed skills Labour Specialisation Often Reduces Cost

8 Job Expansion After WWII limitations of Taylor’s approach became apparent and the trend reversed: Process of adding more variety to jobs Intended to reduce boredom associated with labor specialization Methods – Job enlargement – Job enrichment – Job rotation – Employee empowerment

9 Job Expansion/Enrichment Present Job Control Planning Enriched Job Task #3Task #2 Enlarged Job

10 Job Enlargement Recombination of what were separate tasks – no re-organisation required Where this not possible Job Rotation Herzberg commented that workers often thought that Job Rotation just added one meaningless job to another

11 Job Enrichment Identity – task is one meaningful piece of work Significance – task directly affects others Variety – task employs different skills and abilities Autonomy – worker can exercise discretion over how job is performed Feedback – worker receive direct information about how effectively the task has been performed

12 Employee Empowerment Control Decision-Making Planning

13 Job Design Continuum Specialization Enlargement Enrichment Empowerment Self-directed Teams Increasing reliance on employees contribution and increasing acceptance of responsibility by employee

14 Higher capital cost Many individuals prefer simple jobs Higher wages are required since the worker must utilize a higher level of skill A smaller labour pool exists of persons able and willing to perform enriched or enlarged jobs Increased accident rates may occur Current technology in some industries does not lend itself to job enlargement and enrichment Limitations to Job Enlargement/Job Enrichment

15 Work Patterns Empowered work team Flexible working times Job sharing Home working

16 Case Study Create a schedule for a motor race pit stop

17 Legislation Affecting Operations

18 Health & Safety at Work Act 1974 For the employer: The Act places a general duty to "ensure so far as is reasonably practicable the health, safety and welfare at work of all their employees".

19 Employer’s Responsibilities Provide and maintain safety equipment and safe systems of work. Ensure materials used are properly stored, handled, used and transported. Provide information, training, instruction and supervision. Ensure staff are aware of instructions provided by manufacturers and suppliers of equipment. Provide a safe place of employment. Provide a safe working environment. Provide a written safety policy/risk assessment. Look after health and safety of others, example public. Talk to safety representatives.

20 Employees’ Responsibilities Take care of their own health and safety and that of other persons. Employees may be liable Co-operate with their employers Must not interfere with anything provided in the interest of health and safety

21 Related Legislation - PUWER The Provision & Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER) states that all equipment given to employees must be: Safe and of good standard For workshops and building contractors, all machinery will need to be tested and regularly maintained. In a small office, ensure all electrical equipment is tested and certified Employers have a responsibility to ensure all employees are fully trained to use the equipment they work with Must have some focus on employee health, such as posture (for chair based workers), eye-strain (when using screens and computers), repetitive strain injury and other work-related health risks

22 Related Legislation - LOLER The Lifting Operations & Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 (LOLER) Governs provision and use of lifting equipment and lifting operations in all work places in UK Regulations are made under the Health and Safety Work Act 1974 Also builds on requirements of Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER’98) LOLER provides a single set of modern “goal setting” regulations governing the provision and use of lifting equipment

23 Environment Energy consumption Recycling from the process Recycling of the product at the end of its useful life Disposal of waste product Atmospheric pollution Green reporting

24 Environmental Legislation List of legislation at - Examples that may affect your organisation:- Clean Air Act 1993 Noise Act 1996 Environment Act 1995 Environmental Protection Act 1990 Water Act 2003 Pollution Prevention and Control Act 1999 Controlled Waste Regulations 1992, SI 588 Detergents Regulations 2005, SI 2469

25 Strategy and Operations

26 Four Perspectives Operations Strategy Bottom-up Perspective What day-to-day experience suggests operations should do Top-down Perspective What the business wants operations to do Market Requirements Perspective What the market position requires operations to do Operations Resources Perspective What operations resources can do