Job Characteristics

Motivation and achievement at work is an interactive phenomenon it results from the intricate interplay between characteristics of the job and characteristics of the person. The nature of job characteristics, though, is changing at a much faster pace than personality variables. Job changes are related to changing organizational designs and structures, caused by environmental pressures, such as the increased globalization, rapid technological changes and tougher competition. The increased reliance on autonomous but temporary teams leaves fewer clearly defined job positions. Consequently, the area of research on job characteristics has become more challenging than ever. There is a strong need for conceptualizing dimensions of job characteristics which are universal and stable in a period of transition, filled with both a lot of uncertainty and arising opportunities.