Job design as a determinant of employee performance among university instructors in selected middle east countries

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between three elements of job design based on the job characteristics model (autonomy, task significance, and feedback) and employee performance. More so, the study aimed at determining the highest predictor of employee performance among the three elements investigated in this study. Design/methodology/approach: A a sample of 420 university lecturers within selected MENA states participated in this study, and SPSS version 21 correlation and regression analyses were used in analysing the data. Findings: the results revealed that there is positive and significant relationship between autonomy, task significance, and feedback, and employee performance. In addition, it found that autonomy is the highest predictor of employee performance. Research limitations/implications: Even though the job characteristics model comprises of five elements, only three were considered in this study, the findings of this study revealed how employee performance can be elevated through job design elements. Practical implications: For the human resource managers of higher institutions to achieve high level of employee performance, they should focus on designing jobs in such a way that employees are given the freedom to make decisions on their own, believe that their jobs have an impact on people within and outside their work environment. More so, higher institutions should employ a system through which the lecturers can be provided with both positive and negative feedback about their performance to motivate them to perform better. Originality/value: Several previous studies have investigated job design as a determining factor for employee performance in different contexts, but this study is one of the first to investigate the performance of university lecturers based on the elements of job design, there filling a gap in literature.