Job enlargement and enrichment are two methods by which tasks are added to an employee’s job. Job enlargement involves addition of tasks considered to be of same qualitative level. On the other hand, job enrichment involves an improvement in job content through incorporation of higher qualitative level tasks. These processes are aimed at improving the quality of employee’s work by increasing motivation and productivity. Job enlargement and enrichment are processes by which employer’s make an effort to create labor division and design individual jobs to promote high levels of performance and job satisfaction.
Job enlargement involves change of labor division by increasing the number of duties performed in a particular job. A secretary or a salesman may be given extra tasks and duties more than what they were previously doing. The main concept behind job enlargement is that an increment in duties and tasks performed by an employee will subsequently reduce fatigue and boredom thereby increasing performance and motivation. High employee performance means an increment in quality and quantity of goods and services. Job enlargement has acted as a tool by which employer’s put extra workload on their employee’s in tough economical times. Enlargement of employee job description and responsibilities in this case a secretary or a sales person would give them a chance of enhancement and increased productivity, motivating them in the process (Gareth and George 229).
Regarding job enrichment, an employer may increase the degree of responsibility of sales person or a secretary by empowering them to experiment and find better ways to perform their duties, develop new skills, allowing them to make decisions regarding their work and response to different work related situations and measure their own performance (Gareth and George 229).This consequently increases employee involvement in their jobs through increase in responsibility hence increasing their interest in the quality of service they provide thereby motivating them.
