| dc.description.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. | en_US |
