Participation in job redesign: An evaluation of the use of a sociotechnical tool and its impact

In this article we describe the use of a sociotechnical tool within a compa ny Manufacturing photographic products. The tool was used by shop-floor ope rators and managers to redesign a group of jobs and tasks prior to the intr oduction of new technology. The tool involved two stages: (a) generating al ternative scenarios of ways to reconfigure existing and new jobs and tasks within the plant: and (b) using a set of decision criteria (e.g., control, skill variety, and opportunity For social contact) to evaluate these scenar ios, drawing on est;established sociotechnical and job design principles. T he tool proved to be successful in generating new job designs, reinforcing the value of such design techniques, and highlighting the value of shop-flo or involvement in the design process. However, participation in the design process was not without its problems. We discuss these further in terms of the critical role of the workshop facilitator and the important role played by factors such as selection of participants and their background knowledg e. (C) 2001 John Wiley & Sons, inc.