II. The types of flexibility introduced
C. Work organization: Changes to the specification of jobs
In order to explore the extent of functional flexibility, respondents to the 1995 CUL survey were asked to comment on changes in the specification of jobs over the previous three years. In analysing developments in the area of functional flexibility the findings show, on balance, a move towards wider, more flexible jobs, particularly in the case of clerical workers ( figure 1.3). They also demonstrate that a greater percentage of jobs in all categories have become wider than those that have become specific. Even with these findings, the overall position is one of stability, with a high percentage of respondents reporting no change in job specification. Given the general trend toward flexibility it is most surprising to note also the high percentage of management jobs which have become more specific. It is not clear why management, who have been the chief advocates for flexibility among other categories of employees, should have presided over a situation where 24 per cent of managerial jobs have become more specific. It may very well be that there are significant hidden costs to extending flexibility in managerial jobs. Table 1.15 compares the findings of the 1995 and 1992 surveys in relation to the previous question on changes in job specification. A significantly higher number of respondents to the 1995 survey considered that jobs have become more flexible for all categories of worker in their organizations. There is a corresponding decrease between 1992 and 1995 in the percentage of respondents reporting no major change in job specification.
Figure 1.3 Changes in the specification of jobs in the past three years, 1995
Source: Cranfield-University of Limerick Survey, 1995.
Table 1.15. Changes in the specification of jobs in
the past three years, 1992 and 1995
| Management | Prof/technical | Clerical | Manual | ||||||||
| 1992 | 1995 | 1992 | 1995 | 1992 | 1995 | 1992 | 1995 | ||||
| More specific | 24% | 22% | 17% | 15% | 12% | 10% | 12% | 9% | |||
| No major change | 38% | 35% | 49% | 40% | 52% | 40% | 56% | 42% | |||
| Made wider | 38% | 44% | 34% | 45% | 36% | 50% | 32% | 49% | |||
| N=226 | N=249 | N=207 | N=233 | N=214 | N=240 | N=191 | N=192 | ||||
| Source: Cranfield-University of Limerick Survey, 1992 and 1995. | |||||||||||
When analysing developments in functional flexibility in the public and private sector, significant variation in practices was found (see table 1.16).
Table 1.16. Changes to the specification of jobs:
Public and private sector, 1995
| Private | Public | |||||||||
| Management | Professional | Clerical | Manual | Management | Professional | Clerical | Manual | |||
| More specific | 22% | 16% | 12% | 10% | 20% | 12% | 2% | 5% | ||
| No change | 29% | 36% | 33% | 35% | 48% | 54% | 60% | 62% | ||
| More flexible | 47% | 48% | 55% | 54% | 29% | 31% | 34% | 26% | ||
| Don't know | 1% | 0.5% | 0% | 1% | 3% | 3% | 4% | 7% | ||
| Source: Cranfield-University of Limerick Survey, 1995. | ||||||||||
Change in the specification of jobs was less likely to take place in public sector organizations, across all job categories. Public sector respondents reported significantly higher levels of "no change" to jobs across the organizational hierarchy. A greater percentage of private sector organizations reported jobs becoming more specific for all work categories, particularly clerical workers. However, a substantially higher percentage of jobs have been made more flexible in private sector organizations, most significantly for manual employees. The picture that emerges then is one of change in the private sector, with such change clearly directed toward greater flexibility, with relative stability in the public sector. If organizational size is considered as an influencing factor regarding changes in the area of functional flexibility, it emerges that change is less likely in smaller companies (see table 1.17). This may of course be due to the fact that jobs in smaller organizations may be less specific traditionally and therefore require less change. A greater percentage of jobs in all staff categories have become more flexible in large companies, particularly in the case of manual employees.
Table 1.17. Size and changes to the specification
of jobs, 1995
| 50-199 | 200+ | |||||||||
| Management | Professional | Clerical | Manual | Management | Professional | Clerical | Manual | |||
| More specific | 21% | 15% | 11% | 10% | 23% | 16% | 9% | 8% | ||
| No change | 36% | 42% | 43% | 48% | 33% | 38% | 36% | 36% | ||
| More flexible | 41% | 41% | 45% | 37% | 48% | 46% | 54% | 56% | ||
| Don't know | 2% | 2% | 1% | 5% | 1% | 1% | 1% | 1% | ||
| Source: Cranfield-University of Limerick Survey, 1995. | ||||||||||