QUALITY OF WORK LIFE

(QWL)

Human Resource Management

QWL
Quality of relationship between employees &
total working environment

It is a process by which an organization

responds to employee needs

Varying from industry to industry

OBJECTIVES
To create a positive attitude
To increase productivity
To improve standard of living of the people
To increase the effectiveness of the
organization

MAJOR ISSUES IN QWL

1. Pay and stability of employees
. Employees will demand more in the form of
social security and welfare benefits
. Not given proper payments will affect the QWL
2. Job security
. Should not have fear of losing their job
. Systems with healthy working conditions &
optimum financial security

3.Occupational stress
Due to working conditions , working
schedule , hypertension, irritability etc..

Adversely effect employ productivity

4. Adequacy of resources
Match between resource availability & company
objectives
Lead to employee dissatisfaction

STRATEGIES FOR IMPROVEMENT OF QWL

1. Self managed work team
. Autonomous work group or integrated work
teams
. Plan , co-ordinate & control activities with the
help of team leader
. Employee participation

2. Participative management
. Allowed to participate in management
participative schemes quality circle
. Develop a positive attitude

3. Worker- supervisor relationship

. Social association , belongingness,
achieve of work results etc

4.

Promotion
Opportunity to move in to jobs with
High job satisfaction and prestige
Orderly, logical and prompt source of
recruitment for the management to fill
vacancies

5. Recognition
Human being rather than employee
Rewarding system, job enrichment , offering
membership etc

6.Organizational health program

Educating employee about health problems
Results in reduction of absenteeism,
hospitalization etc..
7. Alternative work schedule
Work at home, flexible working hours, part time
employment etc

MEASURING OF QWL
Questionnaires and
Interviews

Example In General Motors the management gives

a questionnaire of 16 critical dimensions of Q.W.L
to its employees each year. The responses are then
used to measure the employees perception of their
work life.

IMPLEMENTATION OF QWL
Management and Employees co-operation
Action plans developed must be followed
Support of middle-managers by top management
and bottom-level employees to implement the
program
The objectives of Q.W.L should be a joint one, i.e.,
for workers it is to improve Q.W.L; for management
it is to improve organizational efficiency

BARRIERS OF QWL
Resistance to change both by mgt and employees
There is a general perception that Q.W.L
implementation will cost much to the organization
Continuous increase in Q.W.L may result in less
productivity, i.e., after a certain level the
productivity will not increase in proportion to the
increase in Q.W.L

BARRIERS OF QWL IN INDIA

Widespread unhappiness due to comparison
with colleagues

Skepticism about the performance appraisal

system and promotion criteria
Division into camps and cliques hampering
fruitful communication

Frequent fits of anger of top level officials

Regional prejudice

Glorification of speed and excitement as against

serenity
Unreasonable personal expectation
Limitless addiction to lower-order material needs
Source: The Hindu, November 29,
1990, p 18

QWL IN IBM
Wages & benefits
Working Hours
Nondiscrimination & harassment
Respect & dignity
Health & safety

QWL IN TATA GROUP

Gifts & donations
Health, safety & environment
Ethical conduct

SOME NEW METHODS OF QWL

Apple Computers office has a meditation room
and employees are given 30 minutes to meditate or
pray.
Marriott Internationals 10,000 workers
dedicate a day of service to their local
communities each year
IBM funds childcare centers at 60 of its locations
Intel offers 22 weeks of maternity leave

Presented by,
Prashant Shukla
Srikant N Patro
Ankita Masih
Ankit Kumar
Ankur Pandey
Bharath Akula
Shahzadey Alam