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 selfdirected teams. Summarize your observations, analysis, and conclusion. Feel free to incorporate outside
sources from the academic literature.