RETENTION TOOLKIT
PART B: JOB CONNECTION
  • Working Conditions

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WORKING CONDITIONS

While the individual's own job is usually the most important determinant of job satisfaction, an organisation will have several other variables which also affect levels of satisfaction.

Social Support / Interaction with other employees is the most important of these other factors and the means by which social needs at the workplace are fulfilled.
Most individuals require some degree of ``belonging'' and mutual support and recognition, even if it is only as an outlet for other job-induced frustrations.
When redesigning or reallocating jobs, the effect on existing work groups and social interaction should be taken into account, otherwise there may be strong resistance to changes.
The heading of ``social interaction at work'' includes relationships with peers, supervisors and workers in related jobs.
Technology / Several theorists have identified the concept of socio-technical systems, emphasising the need when planning a work environment to match up people's needs with technological requirements so that one did not dominate the other. Technology will strongly influence what type of organisation structure is most suitable, and therefore what types of jobs are possible and what types are appropriate to that structure. Common examples include assembly line technology or organisations with a large, centralised computer setup. By comparison, tertiary or service industries may have considerable scope for flexibility in job design.
Research into the effects of computerisation of workplaces has suggested that, as a general rule, lower level jobs have tended to become more routine, higher level jobs more interesting, procedures more detailed, quality standards higher and deadlines more strict.
A factor which is increasing the effects of technology is the increasing pace of its change. By allowing less time for people to respond or adapt to its changes, technology's influence on job design has increased, which can conflict with the social forces.
Organisation / Team Structure / Organisation structure can be defined as the sum total of the ways in which the organisation divides its labour into distinct tasks and then achieves coordination among those tasks in order to attain goals and objectives.
 It is affected by many things — environment (such as market, economic conditions, etc), size, age, ideology and methods of communication, in addition to technology.