Life In Organizations
Jobs
WHAT'S MY JOB'S MOTIVATING POTENTIAL?
Describe your present job (or a previous paid or unpaid job you've had) using the following questionnaire. Choose the number (1-7) that best describes the job.

  1. How much variety is there in your job? That is, to what extent does the job require you to do many different things at work, using a variety of your skills and talents?

    1 Very little; the job requires me to do the same routine things over and over again.
    2
    3     		 
    4 Moderate variety.
    5
    6
    		  
    7 Very much; the job requires me to do many different things, using a number of different skills and talents.

  2. To what extent does your job involve doing a "whole" and identifiable piece of work? That is, is the job a complete piece of work that has an obvious beginning and end, or is it only a small part of the overall piece of work, which is finished by other people or by machines?

    1 My job is only a tiny part of the overall piece of work; the results of my activities cannot be seen in the final product or service.
    2
    3     		 
    4 My job is a moderate-sized "chunk" of the overall piece of work; my own contribution can be seen in the final outcome.
    5
    6
    		  
    7 My job involves doing the whole piece of work, from start to finish; the results of my activities are easily seen in the final product or service.

  3. In general, how significant or important is your job? That is, are the results of your work likely to significantly affect the lives or well-being of other people?

    1 Not very significant; the outcomes of my work are not likely to have important effects on other people.
    2
    3     		 
    4 Moderately significant.
    5
    6
    		  
    7 Highly significant; the outcomes of my work can affect other people in very important ways.


  4. How much autonomy is there in your job? That is, to what extent does your job permit you to decide on your own how to go about doing the work?

    1 Very little; the job gives me almost no personal "say" about how and when the work is done.
    2
    3     		 
    4 Moderate autonomy; many things are standardized and not under my control, but I can make some decisions about the work.
    5
    6
    		  
    7 Very much; the job gives me almost complete responsibility for deciding how and when the work is done..


  5. To what extent does doing the job itself provide you with information about your work performance? That is, does the actual work itself provide clues about how well you are doing aside from any feedback coworkers or supervisors may provide?

    1 Very little; the job itself is set up so that I could work forever without finding out how well I am doing.
    2
    3     		 
    4 Moderately; sometimes doing the job provides feedback to me; sometimes it does not.
    5
    6
    		  
    7 Very much; the job is set up so that I get almost constant feedback as I work about how well I am doing.




©2002 Prentice-Hall, Inc.
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Source: Adapted from J.R. Hackman and G.R. Oldham, WORK REDESIGN (Reading, MA: Addison?Wesley, 1980).