The Job Diagnostic Survey: An Instrument for the Diagnosis of Jobs and the Evaluation of Job Redesign Projects

Abstract

The report describes the Job Diagnostic Survey (JDS), an instrument designed to measure the following three classes of variables: (1) The objective characteristics of jobs, particularly the degree to which jobs are designed so that they enhance the internal work motivation and the job satisfaction of people who do them; (2) The personal affective reactions of individuals to their jobs and to the broader work setting; and (3) the readiness of individuals to respond positively to 'enriched' jobs--i.e., jobs which have measured potential for generating internal work motivation. The JDS is based on a specific theory of how jobs affect employee motivation. It is intended for two general types of use: For diagnosing existing jobs to determine if (and how) they might be re- designed to improve employee productivity and satisfaction; and for evaluating the effect of job changes on employees--whether the changes derive from deliberate 'job enrichment' projects or from naturally-occurring modifications of technology or work systems.