Which job-design approach includes the horizontal loading of additional tasks, meaning added tasks are similar in responsibility and effort?

Which job-design approach includes the horizontal loading of additional tasks, meaning added tasks are similar in responsibility and effort?

• A. Job enrichment
• B. Job simplification
• C. Job enlargement
• D. Intrinsic rewards

Answer: (C)

Expanding a job by adding more tasks at the same level of responsibility is called job enlargement. This horizontal loading increases the breadth of work without increasing authority or decision-making power, giving the employee more duties that are similar in effort and responsibility. The idea is to reduce monotony and better utilize skills by widening the scope of the role while keeping its level of control intact. This differs from job enrichment, which would add tasks that give the employee more depth—greater autonomy, control, or decision-making—thereby increasing the vertical load. Job simplification, on the other hand, reduces complexity by breaking work into simpler, more repetitive steps. Intrinsic rewards refer to internal motivation factors and aren’t a specific approach that changes the job’s scope in the same way as enlargement, enrichment, or simplification.

Expanding a job by adding more tasks at the same level of responsibility is called job enlargement. This horizontal loading increases the breadth of work without increasing authority or decision-making power, giving the employee more duties that are similar in effort and responsibility. The idea is to reduce monotony and better utilize skills by widening the scope of the role while keeping its level of control intact.

This differs from job enrichment, which would add tasks that give the employee more depth—greater autonomy, control, or decision-making—thereby increasing the vertical load. Job simplification, on the other hand, reduces complexity by breaking work into simpler, more repetitive steps. Intrinsic rewards refer to internal motivation factors and aren’t a specific approach that changes the job’s scope in the same way as enlargement, enrichment, or simplification.