RELATIONSHIPS AMONG DIFFERING FRAMES OF REFERENCE, PERCEIVED TASK ENRICHMENT, JOB SATISFACTION, AND JOB PERFORMANCE.
Contributors: Virginia Commonwealth University.
Published: 1993
Number of pages: 236
Subjects: Health Sciences, Nursing.; Business Administration, Management.; Health Sciences, Health Care Management.
Description: This study attempted to integrate current task design theory while identifying individual differences that influence task design processes. The objective of this study was to investigate several determinants of individual perceptions of the task and their impact on performance, specifically nursing job performance. The ability to understand the intrapersonal processes involved with perceptions of the task offers nursing administration an opportunity to design tasks specific to the individual to improve nursing job performance.

The participants were 201 general surgical and general medical-surgical registered nurses working in three large teaching hospitals. A descriptive, correlational survey design was used to determine whether individual (age, education, self-esteem) and individual-organizational characteristics (job level, tenure, organizational commitment) influenced perceptions of task enrichment and job satisfaction and performance.

The results of this research offer three significant findings: (a) perceived task enrichment explained a very small amount of the variance in outcomes (i.e., job satisfaction and job performance); and (b) only one individual-organizational characteristic (organizational commitment) explained any of the variance in perceived task enrichment; (c) there was a significant positive relationship between tenure and performance ratings. Together, these results suggest that other factors in the work environment may be more influential in predicting outcomes. Future studies should incorporate additional facets of the work environment and a wider array of individual characteristics which may influence perceptions.

The current research suggests that individual differences do influence performance and therefore performance evaluations should take into consideration the background of the workers. Attempts to improve performance must incorporate an understanding of the individual differences that influence job and performance perceptions. Further understanding of the development of perceptions of task characteristics may provide information on how to influence employee attitudinal and behavioral responses through task design.
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 54-04, Section: B, page: 1895.

Thesis (PH.D.)--VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY, 1993.

School code: 2383.