Quality of Work Life

Quality of Work Life

 The term "quality of work life" (QWL) was first

introduced in 1972 during an international labor
relations conference (Hian and Einstein, 1990).
QWL received more attention after United Auto
Workers and General Motors initiated a QWL
program for work reforms.
 QWL owes its origins to the marriage of the
structural, systems perspective of organizational
behavior with the interpersonal, human relations,
supervisory-style perspective (Cherns ,1978).
Definition
 Robbins (1989) defined QWL as "a process
by which an organization responds to
employee needs by developing
mechanisms to allow them to share fully in
making the decisions that design their
lives at work"
 QWL has been well recognized as a multi-
dimensional construct and it may not be universal
or eternal. The key concepts captured and
discussed in the existing literature include
 job security,
 better reward systems,
 higher pay,
 opportunity for growth,
 participative groups, and
 increased organizational productivity, among others.
 Positive results of QWL have been supported by a
number of previous studies, including reduced
 absenteeism,
 lower turnover, and
 improved job satisfaction.
 Not only does QWL contribute to a company's
ability to recruit quality people, but also it
enhances a company's competitiveness.
Managerial Implications

 longitudinal studies of QWL companies confirms a

positive association between quality of work life
and business performance.
 In the context of human resource development,
employees play an important role in transforming
an organization. Motivating employees to
contribute their best ability and knowledge in
work has long been an active research agenda.
 Previous QWL research has suggested that if
management wants to develop a cohesive, loyal,
and dedicated workforce, a clear and nurturing
policy must be in place.
 Management often falls to provide
sufficient QWL, especially in the areas of
job security, perks, and pay, for a fear of
a negative effect on company's financial
performance.
 Effective human resource development
programs are key to organizational
survival and change, providing important
competitive advantages in the global
environment.
Quality of Working Life in
practice
 Quality of Working Life (QWL) is best understood
if it is seen as a goal, as a process for achieving
that goal and as a philosophy setting out the way
people should be managed.
 QWL as a goal
 As a goal, QWL aims to improve organizational
effectiveness through the creation of more challenging,
satisfying and effective jobs and work environments.
 QWL as a process
 As a process, QWL calls for efforts to realize this goal
through the active involvement of people throughout the
organization. It is about organizational change usually
from a 'control' to an 'involvement' organization.
QWL as a philosophy

 As a philosophy QWL views people as

'assets' capable of contributing skills,
knowledge, experience and commitment,
rather than as 'costs' that are merely
extensions of the production process. It
argues that encouraging involvement and
providing the environment in which it can
flourish produces tangible rewards for both
individuals and organizations
Elements of a Quality of
Working Life Strategy
The elements may include:

- A statement of organisation philosophy and

values
- A 'participative' management style
- A flat organisational structure
- QWL based job design and work structuring
- Effective communications
-
 Joint problem solving
 Reward strategies focusing on the
organization, the group and skill
acquisition
 Selection processes emphasizing individual
attitudes and personal characteristics
 Training to match the QWL culture
 'Developmental' performance appraisal