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Abstract

The present study explored the impact of incumbent satisfaction, job enrichment, and level ofjob-relevant information on observers' ratings of job characteristics. Two hundred and forty undergraduate students were randomly assigned to I of 12 experimental conditions in a 2x2x3 factorial design: unenriched versus enriched job, low versus high level of job-relevant information, and positive, negative, or no incumbent satisfaction cue. It was hypothesized that enrichment and the incumbent satisfaction cue would influence observers' ratings of job characteristics (skill variety, task identity, task significance, autonomy, and feedback). In addition, an interaction between level of information and the satisfaction cue was predicted, with the cue having a greater impact in the low-information condition. The results indicated that both enrichment and the satisfaction cue affected observer ratings, with the former having a greater effect on allfive task dimensions, while the interaction effect was not supported by the data.

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Conventional Wisdom and Ratings of Job Characteristics: Can Observers be Objective?

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