Job Enlargement

Definition: The Job Enlargement refers to the horizontal expansion of jobs wherein more and more activities, and tasks are added to the existing job scope at the same level in the organization.

In other words, job enlargement means increasing the scope of duties and responsibilities of an individual by adding the related activities to his existing job profile and generally without any change in his authority and his level in the hierarchy in the organization.

The purpose behind the job enlargement is to increase the employee flexibility and reduce the monotony that occurs gradually over a period of time. Often, the employees are not required to get the training for the task-related activities because he is already aware of that and is doing for quite some time. But however, if the activity added is new for an employee and is not related to his existing job nature, then a proper training should be given to him in order to acquaint himself with the new job conditions.

Thus, job enrichment is a job design technique which is used to broaden the scope of the employee’s activities with the intent to increase his responsibility and duties and minimize the boredom that he may be facing with his existing job duties. But however, the employee can consider this approach as a negative step taken by the management; wherein he is required to do more task or activities for the same amount of pay.