Expanding the scope of an employee’s duties within their existing role constitutes a job design strategy. This involves increasing the number of tasks performed by an individual without necessarily adding more responsibility or autonomy. An example would be a data entry clerk who, in addition to entering data, also begins to verify the accuracy of the entered information and generate basic reports.
This approach to job design aims to mitigate the monotony associated with highly specialized roles and improve employee satisfaction. Benefits can include increased skill variety, reduced boredom, and potentially, a greater sense of accomplishment. Historically, it has been implemented as a countermeasure to the fragmentation of work brought about by Tayloristic principles, aiming to reintegrate tasks and create a more holistic workflow.
