Job enrichment as stimulus to employees of B&H companies

Abstract

In the environment of increasingly aggressive competitors the successfulness of a company primarily depends on the knowledge, skilfulness and capabilities of its employees as well as their willingness and commitment in investing that knowledge and skills in achieving the strategic goals of the company. The motivation of the employees is extremely important for the effectiveness of the company's processes and recording of positive results. This paper aims at proving that the satisfaction and motivation of employees are conditioned by the features of the working environment but primarily by the features of their jobs. The analysis has focused on the key dimensions of a job, which are related to its motivating potential. Here in we have applied Hackman-Oldham's model of job motivating potential as a methodological framework for the analysis. The comparative analysis of the specialising and motivating approach to job designing, as an integral part of the theoretical research, has brought us to the conclusion that employees are more motivated for performing jobs that are creative, significant for the organisation's success, require great knowledge and skills and secure for their performers the freedom, independence, possibility of making decisions and precise feedback on the results. The empirical research that has been carried on through the filling of questionnaires by B&H companies provided us with an analysis of the existing fundamental job features in the light of job enrichment practice. Based on the results of both the theoretical and empirical research, the top management of the companies as well as their HR managers may be recommended the non-material strategies of employees' motivating through job design and primarily through the vertical job expansion according to the Hackman-Oldham's model of job motivating potential. If a job includes several different tasks and skills, responsibilities and autonomy, the employees are given more opportunities to apply wide range of knowledge and skills. That does not contribute only to the individual upgrading and developing of employees but also to the organisational.