Strategy Execution Module 10: Using the Job Design Optimization Tool to Build Effective Organizations

This module reading provides directions for using the online Job Design Optimization Tool (JDOT) which is available free of charge from Harvard Business School Publishing at https://cb.hbsp.harvard.edu/cbmp/resources/marketing/multimedia/JDOT/index.html. This tool can be used to design, or test the design, of any job in any organization. The module introduces the concepts of span of control, span of accountability, span of influence, and span of support and explains how these variables affect job design. After adjusting the spans for the job being analyzed, JDOT allows you to test whether the resources provided to the job are sufficient to meet the demands imposed by that job. After determining whether a job is designed for success (or failure), JDOT provides a menu of job attributes that can be modified to improve the effectiveness of the job. While this module is designed to be used alone, it is part of the Strategy Execution series. Taken together, the series forms a complete course that teaches the latest techniques for using performance measurement and control systems to implement strategy. Modules 1 - 4 set out the foundations for strategy implementation. Modules 5 - 10 teach quantitative tools for performance measurement and control. Modules 11 - 15 illustrate the use of these techniques by managers to achieve profit goals and strategies.