Behavioral Approaches to Job Design Case Study

You are a consultant hired to improve productivity within a manufacturing assembly-line environment. The assembly line manufactures wiring harnesses for the automobile industry. The work hours are lengthy, and the work itself is tedious. Each member of the assembly line performs one task on each harness as it moves down the assembly line. The company makes five types of harnesses, but each harness is built on a separate assembly line.

Using what you have learned in this module, consider what action you might undertake to improve productivity and morale using approaches to job design including job enlargement, job rotation, and enrichment. Consider further how you might restructure the operation to improved ergonomics as well as the deployment of self-directed teams. Summarize your observations, analysis, and conclusion. Feel free to incorporate outside sources from the academic literature.