Master of Business Admin

Work Design

UNIT 7

WORK DESIGN

Objectives Upon completion of this unit, you would be able to: relate the reasons and objectives for studying Work Design identify the need for an integrated approach to Work Design understand that Work Study is one of the productivity improvement techniques chosen for achieving objectives of World Design realise that the approach is essentially a scientific, systematic method of problem solving conduct Methods Studies, Time Studies and Work Sampling with a fair degree of confidence detect certain factors that have not found a place in this unit, though they are also of prime importance to Work Design realise that concepts discussed in the unit are not necessarily restricted only to manufacturing situations Structure 7.1 Introduction to Work Design 7.2 The Work Study Approach: An Overview 7.3 Method Study 7.4 Work Measurement 7.5 Work Study Application 7.6 Summary 7.7 Key Words 7.8 Self-assessment Exercises 7.9 Further Readings

7.1

INTRODUCTION TO WORK DESIGN

For most of us, work is a major source of economic livelihood and human enrichment. Everyone works. The attitudes towards work held by various individuals and different societies keep changing at various times in human history. In defining the work system, we could set boundaries to what must be effectively and efficiently managed. A work system brings together technical competence in the form of people and equipment to achieve the organisational objective. Work Design is concerned with the study and design of work system in any type of organisation or institution. Historical Trends in the Management of Work From the beginning of mankind, individuals or groups of individuals have engaged themselves in a multitude of activities with a progressive degree of sophistication and ingenuity to satisfy their basic needs and wants. Over the years, the effort has been to provide work and time saving devices, some of which have resulted from flashes of genius and long...