Cindy Zoghi () (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics) Alec Levenson () (University of Southern California) Michael Gibbs () (University of Chicago GSB and Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA))
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In this paper we study job design. Will an organization plan precisely how the job is to be done ex ante, or ask workers to determine the process as they go? We first model this decision and predict complementarity between these job attributes: multitasking, discretion, skills, and interdependence of tasks. We argue that characteristics of the firm and industry (e.g., product and technology, organizational change) can explain observed patterns and trends in job design. We then use novel data on these job attributes to examine these issues. As predicted, job designs tend to be 'coherent' across these characteristics within the same job. Job designs also tend to follow similar patterns across jobs in the same firm, and especially in the same establishment: when one job is optimized ex ante, others are more likely to be also. There is some evidence that firms may segregate different types of job designs across different establishments.
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Paper provided by U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics in its series Working Papers with number
382.
Length: 39 pages Date of creation: Jun 2005 Date of revision: Handle: RePEc:bls:wpaper:ec050080
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Find related papers by JEL classification: M5 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting - - Personnel Economics M50 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting - - Personnel Economics - - - General J2 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity L23 - Industrial Organization - - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior - - - Organization of Production
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