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Article
Publication date: 1 April 1992

Abraham B. (Rami) Shani, M. Tom Basuray, Steven A. Scherling and Janice L. Odell

Quality of work life (QWL) has become an increasingly popularcross‐cultural field of theory and practice. An examination of thecurrent state of the art revealed that the inquiry…

Abstract

Quality of work life (QWL) has become an increasingly popular cross‐cultural field of theory and practice. An examination of the current state of the art revealed that the inquiry paradigm is one of the areas that leads to the contradictory and mostly disjointed state of QWL knowledge. A phenomenological‐based approach is proposed and utilized in an exploratory study that examines MBA students′ QWL experiences in the USA and Hong Kong. Discusses the learnings both in terms of the approaches used and the QWL knowledge gained.

Details

Journal of Organizational Change Management, vol. 5 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0953-4814

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 5 July 2013

Seema Arif and Maryam Ilyas

The purpose of this paper is to explore various dimensions of quality of worklife (QWL) as it affects the life and attitude at work of teachers of private universities in Lahore…

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore various dimensions of quality of worklife (QWL) as it affects the life and attitude at work of teachers of private universities in Lahore, Pakistan.

Design/methodology/approach

The study was quantitative in nature. A survey was conducted with 360 faculty members from private universities in Lahore, in order to find out their perceptions of QWL, and its spill‐over effect on employee commitment, engagement, job involvement and reputation of the university.

Findings

It was found that perceived value of work, work climate, worklife balance and satisfaction with relationships in life were the major factors which shaped work attitudes and employee perceptions of overall quality of worklife.

Research limitations/implications

The data were cross‐sectional, collected at one point in time and relatively small in size. The responses are limited to private organizations, excluding public universities.

Originality/value

The study makes both a scholarly and practical contribution. The scholarly contribution highlights that the dominant constructs of QWL play an important role in shaping attitudes towards work, life and relationships of teachers of private universities. On a practical level, the study hints at the possible implications of dissatisfaction and imbalance within employee commitment and engagement, and even the reputation of the university.

Article
Publication date: 1 August 2020

Alex Aruldoss, Kellyann Berube Kowalski and Satyanarayana Parayitam

The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between quality of work-life (QWL) and work-life balance (WLB).

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between quality of work-life (QWL) and work-life balance (WLB).

Design/methodology/approach

Using a structured survey instrument, this paper gathered data from 445 respondents in cosmopolitan city in southern part of India. First psychometric properties of the instrument were tested, and then hierarchical regression was used as a statistical technique for analyzing the data.

Findings

The hierarchical regression results indicated that QWL is (1) negatively related to job stress, (2) positively related to job satisfaction and (3) positively related to job commitment. The results also indicated that (1) job stress is negatively related to WLB, (2) job satisfaction is positively related to WLB and (3) job commitment is positively related to WLB. The results also show partial mediation of job stress, job satisfaction, and job commitment in the relationship between QWL and WLB.

Research limitations/implications

Since the present research is based on self-report measures, the limitations of social desirability bias and common method bias are inherent. However, sufficient care is taken to minimize these limitations. The research has implications for human resource managers in work organizations.

Practical implications

This study contributes to both practicing managers and the literature on human resource management. The study suggests that employers need to be aware of the importance of quality of work-life and work-life balance in achieving organizational effectiveness.

Social implications

The study is expected to contribute to the welfare of the society in terms of identifying the antecedents of work-life balance.

Originality/value

This study provides new insights about the effects of QWL on WLB through mediating variables. This is a conceptual model developed and tested and first of its kind in India.

Details

Journal of Advances in Management Research, vol. 18 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0972-7981

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 27 November 2023

Olusegun Emmanuel Akinwale, Owolabi Lateef Kuye and Olayombo Elizabeth Akinwale

The cultural norm of compelling employees to work beyond the standard measure as a result of internal pressure from organisations is gaining popularity in the business environment…

Abstract

Purpose

The cultural norm of compelling employees to work beyond the standard measure as a result of internal pressure from organisations is gaining popularity in the business environment today. This research is a pointer to a nuanced and dynamic understanding of workaholism, and this study aims to investigate factors that constitute an individual as a workaholic in the banking industry in Nigeria. This study aims to examine the influence of workaholism on the quality of work-life (QWL) of the workforce and how it led pockets of the workforce to migrate to an international workspace.

Design/methodology/approach

To capture a good understanding of what describes an individual as a workaholic, and what influences the QWL among the workforce in the banking environment, this study utilised a longitudinal research design to survey bankers in corporate organisations in Nigeria. The study administered a battery of adapted scales to measure latent constructs of dimensions of workaholism and QWL on a random simple probability technique. The study surveyed 425 professional bankers in Nigeria's banking workspace. A structural equation model was used to analyse the data obtained from the banking workforce to establish the relationship that exists between the dimensions of workaholism and QWL.

Findings

The outcome of this study indicated an insightful one. The results of the study illustrated that long hours of work, workload, work pressure, financial challenges as well and the pursuit of career growth are determinants of workaholism in banking corporate business. The study illustrated that all the predictors of workaholism equally affect the QWL of the employees in Nigeria's banking industry.

Originality/value

The originality of this study is captured in the dynamics of the concept of workaholism which portends negative outcomes in the Nigerian business environment given the nature of banking business in Nigeria. The study elucidates that workaholism is not work engagement in Nigeria but the attitude of compulsion from the management of the organisations.

Article
Publication date: 19 April 2018

Tarek A. El Badawy, Ravi Chinta and Mariam M. Magdy

Literature on organizational commitment of employees has long established that quality of work life (QWL) is a significant determinant. However, the strength of the relationship…

1215

Abstract

Purpose

Literature on organizational commitment of employees has long established that quality of work life (QWL) is a significant determinant. However, the strength of the relationship between organizational commitment and QWL is more complicated given the diversity of employees and the broad scope of organizational commitment as a construct. The researchers break down organizational commitment into three distinct measures as extant literature suggests and then explore the role played by gender in a culturally rich context as in Egypt.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper is based on a sample of 117 respondents from small and medium enterprises (SMEs). Items used in the survey were extracted from previous research studies. The survey consisted of 39 questions to measure the three research variables. QWL was measured using Zin’s (2004) developed questionnaire. The items covered seven dimensions: growth and development, participation, physical environment, supervision, pay and benefits, social relevance and workplace integration. The reported Cronbach’s alpha for the scale was 0.93. Items were measured on a five-point Likert scale.

Findings

The researchers empirically found that gender plays only a minor and moderating role in the relationship between QWL and affective commitment. The researchers conclude the study with implications for policy, practice and future research.

Research limitations/implications

This study had several limitations. First, the sample size was relatively small. Second, the sample composition (singular focus on SMEs in Egypt) was not diverse enough. Third, the tools used in collecting the data were not adjusted to the national cultural context. Fourth, the study lacks an experimental design which is a limitation (Shadish et al., 2002). These limitations, taken together, limit the generalizability of the results and conclusions from the study. Thus, the results are suggestive rather than definitive. Additionally, only the association between variables was investigated, and the researcher did not clearly explore the cause–effect relationships. Whether QWL is the antecedent or the consequence is another research question yet to be explored.

Practical implications

It is recommended for future researchers to enlarge and diversify the sample. Additional investigations of the role of gender as a mediator or moderator need to be explored. Researchers should also study the roles of other demographic variables to highlight behavioural and attitudinal variables that significantly affect QWL.

Originality/value

While the primary relationship between “perceived quality of work life” and “organizational commitment” is well established in existing literature across many organizational contexts, there is a paucity of research on the moderating and/or mediating effects of third attitudinal variables on this primary relationship. Hence, the main focus of this study was to empirically test the moderating and/or mediating effects of gender on the relationship between “perceived quality of work life” and “organizational commitment.” The researchers examine organizational commitment more granularly in terms of its components, namely, affective, continuance and normative commitments.

Details

Gender in Management: An International Journal, vol. 33 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1754-2413

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 6 September 2022

Gaurav Deep Rai and Saurabh Verma

Principally, this study aims to test a conceptual framework of the moderating influence of fear of COVID-19 on the following hypothesized relationships (1) quality of work life

Abstract

Purpose

Principally, this study aims to test a conceptual framework of the moderating influence of fear of COVID-19 on the following hypothesized relationships (1) quality of work life and bankers' commitment, (2) the mediating spillover effect of job satisfaction in the quality of work life (QWL) and affective commitment relationship.

Design/methodology/approach

A quantitative cross-sectional research design is adopted on 318 bankers chosen from four prominent Indian cities. The mediation model is tested through SPSS, PROCESS macro, and AMOS. Conditional process modeling is also administered to test the moderating effect of fear of COVID-19.

Findings

The results suggest that the positive effect of QWL on commitment is completely mediated through job satisfaction. Further, the fear induced by COVID-19 negatively moderated the positive direct relation of QWL with commitment and the positive mediating spillover effect of job satisfaction.

Originality/value

The present research is virtually the first to introduce fear of COVID-19 as a psychological construct, to test a moderated mediation model for implications to organizational behavior and human psychology theory and practice. In coalescence of the need satisfaction, spillover, and COR theories, the authors postulate that as spillover between the domains of an individual's life (work, social, financial, personal, and overall life satisfaction) occurs, such effect is calibrated (augmented or attenuated) by the degree of risk/threat/depletion of their resources in the quest for attaining higher valued resources (overall life satisfaction). The moderated mediation mechanism is suggested for replication in other avenues for greater generalizability.

Details

International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management, vol. 72 no. 10
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1741-0401

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 29 June 2023

Nanjundeswaraswamy T.S., Sindu Bharath, P. Nagesh and Vignesh K.M.

This study aims to evaluate and compare the quality of work life (QWL) of nurses, in pre- and post-COVID-19 pandemic situations.

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to evaluate and compare the quality of work life (QWL) of nurses, in pre- and post-COVID-19 pandemic situations.

Design/methodology/approach

The study adopts a descriptive research design. Data were collected during the pre- and post-pandemic periods. The target sampling unit of the study comprises nurses working in Bangalore city, Karnataka, India. The minimum sample size was determined (Bartlett et al., 2001) as 385. The scale validation is carried out. The factors for the present study were explored using exploratory factor analysis and confirmed by confirmatory factor analysis. Model fitness (proposed measurement model) is ensured by using fit indices. The linear regression method was used to measure the level of QWL of nurses.

Findings

The present study noted that key factors that affects the QWL of nursing staff are work condition; work environment; work-life balance; compensation and reward; career development; job satisfaction and security; organization culture; relationship among co-workers and stress. Further, it is noticed that QWL of nurses pre-COVID-19 pandemic is 87.2%, while post-COVID-19 pandemic, it is 67%.

Research limitations/implications

Present study can be extended to address the same research question by considering sampling unit such as therapist, technicians and sanitarians who have equally undergone tremendous pressure during pandemic.

Practical implications

The study outcome provides references for organizations engaged in health services to understand the extreme job conditions posed by pandemic. The constructive inspiration (physio-social and organizational support) reinforces the nurses to continue in their professions by decreasing negative impact.

Originality/value

The research paper extends the contributions of Hwang (2002), Nikeghbal et al. (2021), Howie–Esquivel et al. (2022) and Rania et al. (2023) and add to the existing body of the QWL literature. The outcome of the research records the prevailing conditions of pandemic and its effect on changes in work environment with specific reference to health-care sector.

Details

International Journal of Human Rights in Healthcare, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2056-4902

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 26 April 2011

Jessica Li and Roland K. Yeo

The purpose of this paper is to examine what employees perceive as positive and negative aspects of their work, and how these affect their perceptions of the quality of work life

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine what employees perceive as positive and negative aspects of their work, and how these affect their perceptions of the quality of work life (QWL) and their career development decisions.

Design/methodology/approach

This is a qualitative study using data collected from an online discussion forum. Thematic and textual analysis was performed to identify core themes associated with perceptions of QWL and career development. Data analysis was based on the researchers' interpretations of narratives based on the online postings of 140 part‐time MBA students and guided by the literature.

Findings

Four major themes emerged as domains of tensions within which employees operated to construct meanings around their work life. These include: internal and external tension, private and public tension, self and otherness tension, and present and future tension. Career development support, flexibility and autonomy in job design as well as flexibility in career development planning emerged as positive career development strategies that would affect employees' perceptions of QWL.

Research limitations/implications

This research advances the understanding of employees' perceptions on QWL and its relationship with career development planning. Future studies should include primary data gathered through face‐to‐face interaction to overcome the limitations of this study.

Practical implications

This study has identified the positive and negative factors that influence the way employees perceive their QWL. These factors can help organizations to conceptualize strategies that seek to positively integrate QWL and career development, ensuring long‐term competitive advantage.

Originality/value

The paper offers four domains of tensions and a career development matrix that will add value to both the research and practice of QWL and career planning in organizations.

Details

Employee Relations, vol. 33 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0142-5455

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 12 May 2020

Arawati Agus and Rajni Selvaraj

The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between quality of work life (QWL), employee commitment and the intention to stay of nurses in private hospitals in…

2313

Abstract

Purpose

The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between quality of work life (QWL), employee commitment and the intention to stay of nurses in private hospitals in Malaysia.

Design/methodology/approach

A cross-sectional survey design was used in this study. Primary data were collected through self-administered questionnaires with nurses as the respondents from four private hospitals in the states of Selangor and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Out of 300 questionnaires distributed, 202 valid responses were received. Statistical analyses employed were descriptive statistics, Pearson's correlation, confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling (SEM).

Findings

The strongest QWL construct that contributed significantly to the intention to stay among respondents is work context, followed by work world, work design and work life/home life. The findings further indicate that employee commitment partially mediates the relationship between QWL and the intention to stay. In conclusion, if employees are contented with their QWL, the stronger will the employee commitment be in the organization and ultimately their intention to stay.

Originality/value

This study provides robust evidence for private hospital administrators to enhance their employees' QWL, especially if they are opting to ensure that the turnover of the staff is contained.

Details

Employee Relations: The International Journal, vol. 42 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0142-5455

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 25 February 2021

Nanjundeswaraswamy TS

This is a systematically conducted study to design, develop and validate a measuring instrument to assess the nurses quality of work life (QWL) and determine the vital components…

750

Abstract

Purpose

This is a systematically conducted study to design, develop and validate a measuring instrument to assess the nurses quality of work life (QWL) and determine the vital components of nurses' QWL.

Design/methodology/approach

In this methodical study, vital dimensions of nurses QWL are identified using Pareto analysis; data and information were collected from 474 nurses through the structured questionnaire. By conducting exploratory factor analysis (EFA), the number of dimensions and items was reduced. Through the confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) using SPSS 21 software, nine predominant dimensions were confirmed, they are work environment, working condition, worklife balance, compensation, relationship and cooperation, stress at work, job satisfaction, career development and organization culture. Additional structural equation modeling (SEM) was done to determine the interrelationships between extracted nine components using AMOS. By performing different statistical tests like reliability test, content validity, construct validity, convergent, divergent validity and multicollinearity, the proposed nine-component nurses QWL instrument was validated.

Findings

The proposed measurement model explained 73.18% of total variance; reliability of the instrument Cronbach's alpha value is 0.902. Model fit indices like chi-square df (CMIN) = 685, df = 523, CMIN/DF = 1.310, goodness-of-fit index (GFI) = 0.965, adjusted goodness-of-fit index (AGFI) = 0.937, parsimony goodness-of-fit index (PGFI) = 0.918, incremental fir index (IFI) = 0.933, Tucker–Lewis index (TLI) = 0.921, comparative fit index (CFI) = 0.931 and root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA) = 0.036 fulfill the acceptable criteria. The nine factors nurses QWL measuring instrument is reliable and statistically valid.

Research limitations/implications

Data were collected from 474 nurses, poor responses and time constraints.

Practical implications

Hospitals are trying to improve the quality of patient caring by enhancing the nurses' skill sets, knowledge and attitude to meet global challenges. In this unstable business environment, hospitals face challenges like the high attrition rate and skilled nurses shortage. In this scenario, this study provides a valid instrument to measure the QWL of nurses to know the status of QWL, which will help to build a strategic plan to improve retention rate and to attract the talented workforce to the hospitals.

Originality/value

As a result, the scale developed in this study contributes to the body of the literature on nurses QWL. It seems to be more advantageous for carrying out further research in this field.

Details

Journal of Economic and Administrative Sciences, vol. 38 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2054-6238

Keywords

1 – 10 of 364