The Job Diagnostic Survey: An Instrument for the Diagnosis of Jobs and the Evaluation of Job Redesign Projects

Abstract : The report describes the Job Diagnostic Survey (JDS), an instrument designed to measure the following three classes of variables: (1) The objective characteristics of jobs, particularly the degree to which jobs are designed so that they enhance the internal work motivation and the job satisfaction of people who do them; (2) The personal affective reactions of individuals to their jobs and to the broader work setting; and (3) the readiness of individuals to respond positively to 'enriched' jobs--i.e., jobs which have measured potential for generating internal work motivation. The JDS is based on a specific theory of how jobs affect employee motivation. It is intended for two general types of use: For diagnosing existing jobs to determine if (and how) they might be re- designed to improve employee productivity and satisfaction; and for evaluating the effect of job changes on employees--whether the changes derive from deliberate 'job enrichment' projects or from naturally-occurring modifications of technology or work systems.