Effect of Work Design on Job Performance of SAAOs of DAE

Abstract

Work design is important for job performance because it can significantly impact how effectively and efficiently employees are able to carry out their tasks. A study was conducted to (1) determine the work design and the job performance, (2) assess the effects of work design on the job performance, (3) explore the influence of the selected characteristics on their job performance, and finally (4) identify the challenges for improving the work design and the job performance of the SAAOs of the DAE. The investigation was done with the SAAOs, their authority, and their respective farmers of seven upazilas of Dinajpur district: Birganj, Bochaganj, Chirirbandar, Birol, Kaharol, Khansama, and Sadar. Seventy-one (71) SAAOs were selected randomly as samples from the population of 142 SAAOs. To measure the job performance of the SAAOs, their respective supervisors (one for each SAAO) and the respondent farmers (two for each SAAO) were also interviewed to assess their perceptions regarding the job performance of the respective SAAO’s. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews of the respondents using a well-structured interview schedule from 01 October to 31 December 2020. The work design was measured by the four-point rating scale considering the four dimensions: (1) job demands, (2) job control, (3) perceived organizational support, and (4) perceived colleagues’ support. The job performance was also measured using the four point rating scale. Pearson’s Product Moment Correlation Coefficient (r) was computed to explore the relationships between the selected characteristics of the SAAOs and their job performance. To measure the contributions of the selected characteristics to job performance, multiple and step-wise regression analyses were done. The channel effects were measured using path analysis. The overall work design indicated that 52.1% respondents mentioned the existing work design as good followed by 33.8% as excellent and only 14.1% as poor. The Work Design Dimension Indices indicate that out of the four dimensions of the perceived colleagues’ support ranked the top followed by the perceived organizational support, job demands, and job control, respectively. The overall job performance indicates that 43.7% of the respondents had moderate followed by 32.4% had low and only 23.9% had high job performance. Six out of the 13 characteristics of the SAAOs: additional education, job facilities, managerial orientation, self-efficacy, job satisfaction, and work design had significant positive relationships with job performance at the 1% level of significance. The multiple regression analysis indicates that the four independent variables: additional education, job facilities, self-efficacy, and work design had significant positive contribution to job performance. However, the step-wise regression analysis indicates that the work design had the highest contribution (51.8%) in predicting job performance followed by job facilities, additional education, and job satisfaction, respectively. Moreover, the path analysis indicated that the work design had the highest direct effect on job performance followed by job satisfaction, job facilities, and additional education, respectively. In addition, the work design had the highest total indirect effect on job performance followed by job satisfaction, additional education, and job facilities, respectively. The top-ranked challenge for the improvement of the work design was the “training needed for sustainable agriculture” whereas for the improvement of the job performance “necessity of financial support for extra work” ranked the first. So, to improve the performance of the selected SAAOs in their respective jobs, emphasis should be given to improvising the existing work design from time to time keeping in mind the needs of the SAAOs. Moreover, the extension authority should create provisions for the skill development of the SAAOs through training and imparting non-formal education. Work benefits, accolades, appreciation, etc. should also be provided by the DAE to make the SAAOs’ content lucrative with their jobs.