Cognitive and social factors in the design of computerized jobs

Job design literature indicates that "enriching" jobs will result in positive work outcomes such as job satisfaction. In contrast, cognitive psychology research emphasizes that computer interfaces should be designed in a simple manner for ease of use, thus decreasing the mental workload of the user. The present study was designed to test a proposed conceptual model of job design by integrating job enrichment and mental workload to maximize job satisfaction in a computerized work environment. This conceptual model is tested using seventy subjects in a between-subjects laboratory experiment. The task consisted of a simulated university admissions processing job. This task was manipulated such that both low and high job enrichment and low and high mental workload levels were studied. Significant positive correlations were present for mental workload with both job enrichment and job satisfaction. The experimental task manipulations do not appear to test the "overload" region of a hypothesized inverted-U shape relationship between mental workload and job satisfaction. For the portion of the inverted-U shape excluding the "overload" region, the inverted-U shape relationship between mental workload and job satisfaction is supported. Job enrichment manipulations did influence job satisfaction measures while mental workload manipulations did not. However, multiple regression analysis of subject's job enrichment and mental workload perceptions accounted for forty-one percent of the variance in job satisfaction. A within-treatment intercorrelation for perceptions of job satisfaction, mental workload, and job enrichment suggests that mental workload may influence the perception of job enrichment. These findings suggest that in order to most effectively design computerized jobs which maximize job satisfaction, a team effort which integrates both cognitive and industrial psychologists may be required. Furthermore, in order to effectively design jobs which are not only satisfying but also productive, the team may need to be increased to include input from industrial engineers.