The Job Characteristics Model Button Factory Activity

Several characteristics of the Job Characteristics Model (JCM) can be challenging to understand conceptually, particularly for undergraduate students. This experiential activity offers a factory scenario where students act as employees to experience a job that is either high or low in all five JCM characteristics. The debrief explores not only how the differences in job design impacted employee experience and satisfaction, but how the JCM could be used to evaluate jobs from an applicant perspective to aid in career planning. This activity is ideal for undergraduate or graduate courses on organizational behavior, industrial organizational psychology, or human resource management.