The Job Characteristics Model was developed by which pair of scholars?

• A. Porter and Kramer
• B. Maslow and Alderfer
• C. Hackman and Oldham
• D. Adams and Vroom

Answer: (C)

Hackman and Oldham developed the Job Characteristics Model to explain how the design of a job affects motivation and work outcomes. The model identifies five core job characteristics—skill variety, task identity, task significance, autonomy, and feedback—that shape three critical psychological states: the experienced meaningfulness of the work, the experienced responsibility for outcomes, and the knowledge of one’s actual results. When these states are strong, employees tend to be more motivated, perform better, and experience higher job satisfaction and lower turnover. This where the model comes from and why it’s associated with Hackman and Oldham.

The other scholars listed are known for different theories: Porter and Kramer focus on creating shared value and strategy; Maslow and Alderfer proposed needs-based theories of motivation; Adams and Vroom are tied to equity theory and expectancy theory.