Compare the Difference Between Similar Terms

Difference Between Job Enlargement and Job Enrichment

Job Enlargement vs Job Enrichment
 

In any job, attempts to make it more exciting, challenging and satisfying for employees is referred to as a process called job enrichment. This is a process that tries to create opportunities to allow employees, to showcase their talent in the sense that they make full use of their skills and abilities. Another phrase that is being used in the industry that looks similar to job enrichment is the job enlargement. However, there are clear differences between job enlargement and job enrichment and these differences will be highlighted in this article.

What is Job Enlargement?

This is a process that pertains with increasing the range and scope of duties and responsibilities of a job. At first, this is perceived as a challenge by the employee and taken in a positive manner, however, when he sees that there is no reward associated with increased responsibilities and no previous duty has been removed from the job, his motivation levels go down. The management, by adding scope and variety of tasks, seeks to add variety to the activities undertaken by the employee. Thus, job enlargement is a job design technique, where a variety is added to a job, to reduce monotony and make the job more interesting for the employee.

What is Job Enrichment?

Job enrichment is a job design technique that is not focused upon making the job more interesting and to reduce monotony. The focus here is to instill a sense of achievement, and provide a sense of involvement with the job and the company. A feeling of personal growth and a sense of responsibility is what the end goal of this job designing technique.

 

What is the difference between Job Enlargement and Job Enrichment?

• Job enlargement adds to tasks and scope of a job, to make the job more varied and interesting. It tries to tackle the issue of monotony and tries to decrease repetitive actions.

• Rather than just adding new duties and responsibilities, job enrichment tries to instill feelings of involvement and achievement.

• Job enlargement involves horizontal restructuring of duties and responsibilities while, in job enrichment, there is a vertical restructuring of duties.

• People management skills of an employee are brought to the fore through job enrichment whereas, in job enlargement, the focus is to reduce monotony and add variety to the job.