Case 5 "It Isn't Fair .. ."

1. At the beginning, when the painting was done by hand, employees were doing their job with no complaints. The painter’s job score on the core job characteristics was high on the employee satisfaction because the demand for the toys was not an issue for management. Nevertheless, when the demand for toys increased, there were some changes that require employees to have special skills and the work environment also changed. Not only was there a certain amount of toys that employees needed to complete by the end of day, but the whole process of making these toys was changed—more equipment was installed and the job was different in general. After the changes were made, workers were required to work at a faster pace, they were required to use new machines, and, still learning the way machines operated, they were required to meet specific goals every day. With complaints, meetings to resolve employee issues, bonuses and higher pay, and installing accommodations for the workers, the painter’s job score on the core job characteristics improved, meeting the organization’s demand, producing more toys, generating more revenue, and increasing employee satisfactions with the bonuses offered.

The positive impact of the job redesign can be explained in a way that, by comparing the outcomes before and after the changes were made, demand was higher when the salary was higher. At one point, the company was able to satisfy the employee needs. Not only did this produce more toys for the organization, but it made the employees happier than before.

2. Absolutely! The learning bonus was handled properly in this case because this motivational impact made the employees aware that the learning bonus would decrease every month and it would be gone after six months. From the content theory, it can be said that there were factors that increase employee motivation. On the other side, the process theory can also be seen in this case because it was shown how the motivation increased and...