A manager has allowed a subordinate employee to have greater control and responsibility over the tasks that he performs This is an example of which…

Question breakdown

Tests

Differentiate job design concepts

Difficulty

Easy

Key idea: Job enrichment, also called vertical loading, gives employees more control, autonomy and responsibility over their work.

How to reach the answer

1. The clue is that the employee gets greater control and responsibility over tasks he already performs.
2. Adding authority and autonomy is vertical loading, which is job enrichment.
3. Job enlargement, or horizontal loading, adds more tasks at the same level.
4. Job rotation moves employees between different jobs.

Each option

• AIncorrect. Enlargement adds more tasks of a similar kind without adding control.
• BCorrect. Enrichment adds responsibility and autonomy, which matches the scenario.
• CIncorrect. Horizontal loading is another name for job enlargement and means more tasks at the same level.
• DIncorrect. Rotation moves the employee across different jobs instead of deepening authority in one job.

Common trap: Enlargement and enrichment sound alike, and a larger role seems to fit greater responsibility.

In practice: Auditors who review HR or motivation practices may see enrichment used to retain staff, and they should consider whether the added authority changes segregation of duties.

Remember: Enrichment is vertical and means more control, while enlargement is horizontal and means more tasks.

Drafted with AI assistance and checked against the answer key.