job involvement: Real world application
Business Examples
In an article by Susan Heathfield, Thomas Petzinger’s (writer for the Wall Street Journal) book entitled The New Pioneers: The Men and the Women Who are Transforming the Workplace and Marketplace is summarized. Petzinger provided a number of examples demonstrating how companies have addressed the issue of job involvement in their organizations, and the competitive advantage which has resulted. In this portion only two of those examples will be presented, and explained slightly more in depth than Healthfield’s summary. For additional examples of innovative ways companies are addressing job involvement visit Heathfield's article or access Petzinger’s book.
Monarch Marking Systems
In order to combat the typical monotony many associate or experience when in positions which do not require high levels of thinking on a daily basis, Jerry Schlaegel and Steve Schneider of Monarch Marking Systems formulated an innovative system. Within this system, all employees were required to be part of self-selected teams which chose a problem or opportunity for which they created a solution or plan for the company to adopt within a 30 day time period (Healthfield). Specifically, in this example Monarch Marking Systems worked to combat the poor design of jobs that are not intellectually stimulating, and to which many organizations still have yet to address. As the previous information has shown, this is vital to job involvement. Without job design which has job challenge or motivating potential, individuals are less likely to be involved in their jobs. That could lead to poor performance both at the individual and organizational level. Thus, Monarch successfully navigates this by granting less than intellectually stimulating positions something which does stimulate them. Ultimately, they hope an increased sense of job involvement will lead to more effort and motivation on behalf of employees within those positions.
Half Price Books
Late founders, Pat Anderson and Ken Gjemre, of Half Price Books desired to run a company which operated for the good of society. They spread that vision within all of their employees in order to invigorate them with a sense and direct knowledge of being part of something larger than themselves or just the business (Healthfield). Furthermore, they relinquished control of employees by managing to track information as opposed to people (Healthfield). This grants employees a greater degree of control, and they have found it has positive effects on the performance of the business. The genuine acceptance and promotion of these ideals is evident in even a quick scan of Half Price Book's website. According to the information provided about job involvement, this yet again involves the predictor of job design. In contrast though, Half Price Books is tapping into task significance in order to better motivate individuals, leading to job involvement. According to Brown’s model, this could further lead to organizational commitment.
In an article by Susan Heathfield, Thomas Petzinger’s (writer for the Wall Street Journal) book entitled The New Pioneers: The Men and the Women Who are Transforming the Workplace and Marketplace is summarized. Petzinger provided a number of examples demonstrating how companies have addressed the issue of job involvement in their organizations, and the competitive advantage which has resulted. In this portion only two of those examples will be presented, and explained slightly more in depth than Healthfield’s summary. For additional examples of innovative ways companies are addressing job involvement visit Heathfield's article or access Petzinger’s book.
Monarch Marking Systems
In order to combat the typical monotony many associate or experience when in positions which do not require high levels of thinking on a daily basis, Jerry Schlaegel and Steve Schneider of Monarch Marking Systems formulated an innovative system. Within this system, all employees were required to be part of self-selected teams which chose a problem or opportunity for which they created a solution or plan for the company to adopt within a 30 day time period (Healthfield). Specifically, in this example Monarch Marking Systems worked to combat the poor design of jobs that are not intellectually stimulating, and to which many organizations still have yet to address. As the previous information has shown, this is vital to job involvement. Without job design which has job challenge or motivating potential, individuals are less likely to be involved in their jobs. That could lead to poor performance both at the individual and organizational level. Thus, Monarch successfully navigates this by granting less than intellectually stimulating positions something which does stimulate them. Ultimately, they hope an increased sense of job involvement will lead to more effort and motivation on behalf of employees within those positions.
Half Price Books
Late founders, Pat Anderson and Ken Gjemre, of Half Price Books desired to run a company which operated for the good of society. They spread that vision within all of their employees in order to invigorate them with a sense and direct knowledge of being part of something larger than themselves or just the business (Healthfield). Furthermore, they relinquished control of employees by managing to track information as opposed to people (Healthfield). This grants employees a greater degree of control, and they have found it has positive effects on the performance of the business. The genuine acceptance and promotion of these ideals is evident in even a quick scan of Half Price Book's website. According to the information provided about job involvement, this yet again involves the predictor of job design. In contrast though, Half Price Books is tapping into task significance in order to better motivate individuals, leading to job involvement. According to Brown’s model, this could further lead to organizational commitment.
Personal Example
Global Village Learning Community
Global Village Learning Community is a residential living community in Parmelee Hall, in which half the students are international and half are considered American or American in origin. I began working there last year in fall 2012, as an academic mentor, which was the first year of the Global Village program. We began with nearly no direction or understanding of what our positions were, or even what Global Village was. They hired all of us because we possessed a desire to work with international students, as well as interact with them on a one-on-one basis. As a result, despite all the complications of the beginning stages of the program, we were all highly involved our job and it actually became central to many of our identities. This reflects Liao and Lee’s (2009) research that explores personality as leading to job involvement. Our high level of commitment actually led to a high level of commitment to the program, because we were so engrossed in the work we were doing. This led to a high sense of our identity belonging to the Global Village program. Khan et al.’s (2011) model can explain this, because, according to their model, our high level of job involvement led to a high level of affective commitment. It was also essential for us to be highly involved in our work because it helped us perform well despite the vague guidance in what we were supposed to be doing.
Global Village Learning Community
Global Village Learning Community is a residential living community in Parmelee Hall, in which half the students are international and half are considered American or American in origin. I began working there last year in fall 2012, as an academic mentor, which was the first year of the Global Village program. We began with nearly no direction or understanding of what our positions were, or even what Global Village was. They hired all of us because we possessed a desire to work with international students, as well as interact with them on a one-on-one basis. As a result, despite all the complications of the beginning stages of the program, we were all highly involved our job and it actually became central to many of our identities. This reflects Liao and Lee’s (2009) research that explores personality as leading to job involvement. Our high level of commitment actually led to a high level of commitment to the program, because we were so engrossed in the work we were doing. This led to a high sense of our identity belonging to the Global Village program. Khan et al.’s (2011) model can explain this, because, according to their model, our high level of job involvement led to a high level of affective commitment. It was also essential for us to be highly involved in our work because it helped us perform well despite the vague guidance in what we were supposed to be doing.