Job Characteristics Theory

The job characteristics theory focuses on the specific motivational properties of jobs. Job characteristics theory uses five motivational properties of tasks and three critical psychological to improve outcomes. At the core of the theory is the idea of critical psychological states. These states are presumed to determine the extent to which characteristics of the job enhance employee responses to the task.

If employees experience these states at a sufficiently high level, they are likely to feel good about themselves and to respond favorably to their jobs. Hackman and Oldham suggest that the three critical psychological states are triggered by the following five characteristics of the job, or core job dimensions.

Much research has been devoted to this approach to job design. This research has generally supported the theory, although performance has seldom been found to correlate with job characteristics.