Work Design for Performance, Learning, & Beyond

How work design can affect performance. In Knight & Parker (2019), we summarize evidence from a systematic review showing how work redesign interventions such as job enrichment, on average, result in improved job performance. We provide an example in Hay, Klonek, & Parker (2020); a study that shows how the effective design of team work improved the diagnosis of rare diseases. Also in the health context, Fruhen et al. (2020) showed how teamwork can improve the communication and safety of surgical teams. 

In one PhD project, we show that there are curvilinear effects of job autonomy on job performance and other outcomes, suggesting that too much autonomy is not necessarily ideal. For more information, contact Dr Cheryl Yam, cheryl.yam@curtin.edu.au.
 

Work design and effectiveness of virtual work. A focus of our research has been on how to enhance the effectiveness of virtual work and virtual teams (see Stream 4 for more detail). In reviewing the literature, we identified that work design factors (in particular task interdependence) are often critical for virtual teams to be effective (Handke et al., 2019). In an experimental study, we manipulated the extent to which virtual teams had shared resources and showed that this team-level work design manipulation significantly improved the team performance outcomes (Klonek & Parker, 2021). Furthermore, we developed novel technology (i.e., the communication analysis tool) that allows tracking team collaboration processes ‘in the wild’ so that organizations can better understand the key drivers of team performance (Klonek et al., 2020). For more information, contact Dr Florian Klonek, f.klonek@deakin.edu.au
 

How work design can affect learning and cognition. We are investigating how work design affects learning and cognition. In a thorough review of the literature, Parker, Ward, & Fisher (2021) showed that work design can affect cognition in the short-term (e.g., good work design can accelerate learning) and in the long-term (e.g., good work design protects people from cognitive decline as they age). See “Practical Resources” below for a video to understand how smart work design helps to create smart workers and a summary article in Sloan Management Review. 
 

On the theme of cognition, in Ward, et al. (2021) we showed that the physical design of the work context can shape cognition and performance. Specifically, cognition is impaired when surgery is conducted in a very hot setting. 

WALC: Working Across Lives and Careers. WALC is a long-term longitudinal study in which we investigate the role of work design in preventing cognitive decline, fostering moral reasoning, and promoting identity change. We also assess how work is changing, such as the impact of digitalization on work design (e.g., who is thriving in the digital age? Who is missing out?). 

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Once it's rolled out, all individuals are welcome to participate in WALC, and can join at any time. When participants complete surveys, they receive personalised feedback and have access to videos, tips, and guidance to support your career development. 
 

For more detail on the WALC project, please go to our dedicated website: walc.org.au

Work design and moral engagement. In her PhD project, Dr Anu Jolly has investigated how people are more likely to engage in moral disengagement and make unethical decisions when they lack autonomy in their work. For more information, please email anu.jolly@curtin.edu.au.