A paper entitled "Work design theory and research: Looking back over 100 years and looking forward to the future" is soon appearing in print. The paper provides a a big picture look at research on work design, the impact that work design research has had, and the role of JAP (one of the premier journals in our field) in shaping the topic over the past 100 years.
One especially novel feature of the review is a scientific map of the field (an excerpt is shown in the picture). By analysing more than 4000 articles on work design, we identified five key work design perspectives, each of which maps onto distinct historical developments. We also identify contemporary integrative perspectives on work design that builds connections across the clusters and we argue that there is scope for further integration. In the second section of the paper, we review the role of JAP in shaping work design research. We conclude that JAP has played a vital role in the advancement of this topic over the last 100 years. In the third section, we address the impact of work design research on: applied psychology and management, disciplines beyond our own, management thinking, work practice, and national policy agendas. Finally, we draw together observations from our analysis and identify key future directions for the field.
Paper Citation: Parker, S. K., Morgeson, F., Johns, G. (in press). One Hundred Years of Work Design Research: Looking Back and Looking Forward. Journal of Applied Psychology. Special Centennial Issue. Journal of Applied Psychology. [It is not possible to release this paper yet - it should be available wihtin the next couple of months]