THE INFLUENCE OF EQUITY CONCERNS ON RESPONSES TO JOB ENRICHMENT

RAY VINCENT MONTAGNO, Purdue University

Abstract

This study investigated the effects of several non task related factors on worker responses to job enrichment. The theoretical base use for predicting responses to these factors came from equity theory. A review of recent job enrichment research indicates that a number of studies report unanticipated effects resulting from the existance of salient comparison groups in the work environment. In addition to comparisons made between individuals, equity theory suggests that persons may use their own personal prior experience in evaluating responses to work settings. Since enrichment interventions often involve changing an existing job, internal comparisons are especially relevant. The literature on job enrichment has found a consistent positive relationship between enrichment and job satisfaction. Based on this finding, it was assumed that most people would view task characteristics as outcomes. Equity theory predicts that if an individual receives more outcomes than some comparison other, that individual will feel inequity arising from overreward and respond in some way to relieve that inequity. If the focal person is assigned an enriched task knowing that someone else working on a similar but less enriched task, and the focal person provides no additional inputs, then that person should feel overrewarded. A similar argument is made for personal prior experience. Working on an unenriched task and then being given a more enriched task through no added inputs should create feelings of inequity through an internal comparison process. A third variable that was examined was an individual's tendency to view task related factors as either inputs or outcomes. It was proposed that outcome oriented people would tend to be more sensitive to enriching task characteristics than input oriented individuals. This variable was treated as a moderator variable. The factors identified above were examined using a laboratory study using students (N = 168) from an Introductory Psychology course subject pool and from several sections of a Personnel Administration course. The design was a 2 x 2 factorial design in which subjects were randomly assigned to work in one of four conditions: (1) No Comparison Group - No Prior Experience, (2) Knowledge of Comparison Group - No Prior Experience, (3) No Comparison Group - Prior Experience, and (4) Knowledge of Comparison - Prior Experience. Subjects also took the Tornow Input/Outcome Checklist to assess their tendency to view task characteristics as inputs or outcomes. The task used was an inventory control task in which subjects processed purchase requisitions from various departments around the university. In the enriched version, subjects were required to find items in a printout, determine a new balance, reorder stock if necessary, and send out of stock forms back to the requesting department if necessary. The unenriched version consisted of only filling out reorder forms. The results showed that subjects who knew of a comparison group performed faster than those who did not. It was also found that subjects who had prior experience were less satisfied with their task than those who did not have prior experience. Both of these results were consistent with theoretical predictions. Two significant interactions were found using the input/outcome variable as a moderator. First, the Comparison Group Knowledge x Input/Outcome Score interaction on errors was significant, and second, the Prior Experience x Input/Outcome Score on speed was significant. In both cases, the outcome oriented individuals were more influenced by the experimental manipulations than were input oriented individuals. The discussion was concerned with the ambiguity in attempting to predict which inequity resolution strategy people might choose, as well as the limitations of this study in terms of actually measuring inequity resolution.

Degree

Ph.D.

Subject Area

Occupational psychology

COinS