Job Characteristics and the Attitudes of Female Manual Workers: A Research Note

Abstract

This note reports an exploratory investigation of the relationship between certain job characteristics (cycle time, stage in the process, nature of the work, work pacing), workers'perceptions of their jobs, and their attitudes to them. Data were collected by interview and forced-choice questionnaire in respect of the jobs of 428 full-time female workers employed on 21 manual semiskilled jobs. Multiple linear regression was employed in order to control the effects of certain intervening variables. Job satisfaction was found to be positively related to stage in the process and work pacing, and negatively related to cycle time and nature of the work. The validity of some of the normal assumptions of job design is questioned and it is concluded that in some situations it may not be desirable to prescribe job designs that result in the provision of greater variety, responsibility, and worker control.