the human resources manager for the Applied Systems Group at Spar AppliedSystems redesigned the work into teams so that most workers interacted with customers toincrease the focus on customer needs.39 Another example is a study of callers requestingdonations that found the callers were more persistent and motivated when they were incontact with undergraduate students funded by their efforts.40 Thus
organizations mightincrease employee motivation by designing interactions with those who benefit from theemployeeâs efforts. The authors of this study conclude:Consider the back room accountant who never meets the clients who benefitfrom her work. Merely introducing her to these clients may allow her to perceiveher impact on them and feel affectively committed to them and thereby enableher to maintain her motivation.41This form of motivation is based on how people may be motivated by helping othersâprosocial motivation
which has emerged as an important outcome variable in OB asnoted in Chapter 1.42
43 A meta-analytic review found that the prosocial aspects of workcontribute to the explanation of performance
turnover
and job satisfaction beyond that ofjob characteristic.44 Thus
it appears that both the work itself and social aspects areimportant to motivation.Work may be redesigned so that employees have more autonomy and discretion in howthey perform their work to increase the level of autonomy experienced. Finally
openingfeedback channels so that employees can learn more quickly about the results of their workmay increase motivation (as we have seen
feedback is an important aspect of motivation inother theories such as goal setting). Research has supported the job characteristics model bydemonstrating that job enrichment does reduce turnover and increases employeemotivation and satisfaction.45
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50Work Redesign and Job StressThe design of jobs may also lessen the experience of work stress. In a study conducted inSweden
work was redesigned to improve the quality of work life
and this interventionalleviated work stress.51 Another study found that when workers are able to create their384
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