ABC Ltd Has a Large Secretarial Pool on the Third Floor

question 139

Essay

ABC Ltd. has a large secretarial pool on the third floor of company headquarters where professional and lower-level managers have their reports and other documents word-processed. The tasks are received by the secretarial pool coordinator and assigned randomly (on an availability basis) to secretaries in the pool. The secretaries often do not know the managers or professionals for whom the word-processing assignment is being completed. They rarely find out about the quality of their work because revisions are often sent to other secretaries in the pool due to the rotating work assignment system. Some assignments involve simple word-processing while others require complex formatting using more sophisticated word-processing software. Some secretaries don't mind working in the pool, but most are there because it represents the entry-level secretarial position. They resent the lack of control over work assignments and look forward to being transferred to other secretarial jobs in the firm where there is more freedom to schedule their own work activities. Turnover in the pool is much higher than for other support staff at ABC Ltd. What job design strategy would you recommend to improve employee effectiveness in ABC's secretarial pool?

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Definitions:

Tajfel's Theory

This social psychology theory posits that group membership creates in-group/self-categorization and enhancement in ways that favor the in-group at the expense of the out-group.

Award Money

Financial compensation given as a reward for excellence, achievement, or winning in various contexts such as contests, competitions, or incentives.

Social Loafing

Social loafing refers to the phenomenon where individuals exert less effort when working in a group than when working alone.

Exert Less Effort

The phenomenon where individuals decrease the amount of physical or mental energy put into tasks, often observed when they perceive less reward or recognition.