ABSTRACT

This paper seeks to understand how quality of work life has been achieved in
organizations.
Due to changes in work environment i.e. technological, high competition, rise of
employee unions etc, employers are not only offering pay as compensation, but are
considering other benefits both intrinsic & extrinsic to create a quality working
environment that will attract and retain the best brains in the industry.
With focus on recruitment, compensation, training & development, supervision and
motivation, this paper seeks to clarify the extent of quality of work life in
organizations.
A case study of the Ministry of Youth and Sports is undertaken.

Introduction
OBJECTIVES
1. To know the favorableness and unfavorableness of work in organizations.
2. Seek to know what employees like or dont like about their jobs. Why?
3. See to know the work conditions and environment in organizations.
4. Seek to come up with a strategy to improve quality of work life in
organizations.
PROBLEM STATEMENT
How are organizations handling their human resources by providing a favorable
working environment and attending to their workers needs to ensure quality of work
life?
Definition: QUALITY OF WORK LIFE. (QWL)
1. Quality of work life refers to the favorableness or unfavorableness of the work
environment
2. eHOW.com, a scholarly website defines QWL as the level of (satisfaction/
happiness) or dissatisfaction with ones career.
Various authors have proposed models of quality of working life which include a wide
range of factors.
Hackman& Othman (1976) drew attention to psychological growth needs as
necessary considerations in QWL. These needs include skill variety, task identity, task
significance, autonomy and feedback.
Taylor (1979) came up with components such as extrinsic job factors (e.g. wages,
hours of work & working conditions) and intrinsic job factors. He states that quality
of work life must have considerations such as:

Employee participation in management

Fairness and equity

Social support

Self development

Meaningful future at work

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Mirvis and Lower (1948) suggested that QWL was associated with:

Satisfaction of wages

Hours and working conditions

Safe working environment

Equitable wages

Equal employment opportunities

Opportunities for advancement

Danna & Griffin (1999) argues that Quality of work life is a wider concept that
incorporates not only work based factors as pay and relations at work but also reflect
on life satisfaction and general feeling of well being.
Job and Career Satisfaction (JCS) of quality work life is said to reflect on employees
feelings and their satisfaction and contentment with their jobs and the training they
receive to do it.
It has been proposed that positive job satisfaction has been influenced by factors such
as:

Clarity of goals and role ambiguity

Appraisal

Recognition and reward

Personal development career benefits

Enhancement and training needs

Training and Development is aimed at nurturing employee talent and enable them
perform more difficult tasks.
Alan Price (2007) states that empowering frontline employees and emphasis on team
work helps to harness intelligence & energies of employees thus creating potential for
success and quality results. This is achieved through giving knowledge and
competencies to handle high performance work through team work, team briefings,
interpersonal skills, appraisal and information sharing.
Reward and compensation systems must also be aligned to satisfy, motivate and retain
employees. Several reward criteria proposed include Rewards based on performance,

effort, skill, seniority, job difficulty and discretion time. DeCenzo and Robbin (2004)

The above contributions are largely based on the need theories e.g.
As identified by Maslow in his Hierarchy of needs theory, all the five needs must be
attended to in order to achieve a quality working life. The needs are:

Physiological: These are basic physical comfort or bodily needs: food, sex,
drink, and sleep.
In the workplace, these needs translate into a safe, ergonomically
designed work environment with appropriate base salary
compensation.

Security/safety: People want to feel safe, secure, and free from fear. They need
stability, structure, and order.
In the workplace, job security and fringe benefits, along with an
environment free of violence.

Belongingness and love: This is a need for friends, family, and intimacyfor
social acceptance and affection from one's peers.
In the workplace, this need is satisfied by participation in work groups
with good relationships among co-workers and between workers and
managers.

Esteem: People want the esteem of others and they want to be regarded as
useful, competent, and important. People also desire self-esteem and need a
good self image.
In the workplace, increased responsibility, high status, and recognition for
contributions satisfy these needs.

Self-actualization: This highest motivation level involves people striving to

actualize their full potential, to become more of what they are capable of
being. They seek to attain self-fulfilment.

 In the workplace, people satisfy this need by being creative, receiving

training, or accepting challenging assignments.
CASE STUDY
Ten questionnaires on quality of work life were issued out, with three questionnaires
at each level i.e. top level, Mid-level and four for support staff.
The respondents were from all the departments of the organization and gave the
following response:

50% complained of too much work leading to less time for personal
life and recreation.

According to what the employees wanted the employer to do for them

in order to work efficiently included
Demanded more training
Pay sufficiently
Have job security
Provide necessary tools of work

100% of respondents mentioned that they had good supervision and

promotions on ability

80% of them enjoyed their work but only required to be equipped with
office equipment and have clarity on their roles.

60% that comprised of mid level and support level management

complained of pay to be inadequate for normal expenses and less than
they deserve

100% think their jobs describe their abilities.

20% mentioned the issue of conflicting roles and reporting

relationships

Addressing the issues that arose

The above responses clearly cut on issues of compensation, training & development,
fairness and equity, supervision among others.

Compensation was quite clear that employees were dissatisfied thus less motivated.
Such cases may lead to employee turnover hence the need to update pay structures to
meet employee needs and be in line with organizational goals.
Good pay structures should feature aspects as employee motivation, employee
retention, need satisfaction and internal equity besides external considerations such as
competitor offers and market rates.
Training and equipping employees also contributes to QWL by ensuring employee are
skilled enough and equipped to handle assigned tasks. Tools of work must be
ergonomically designed and provided.
Promotions on ability means there are equal opportunities for advancement thus a
motivation to employees. With the mention of less time for recreation, the
organization should provide leaves and time off for recreational activities to achieve a
quality work environment.
According to respondents, supervision is good meaning that there are clear outlines
regarding goals and objectives. However, theres need for clarity of roles to avoid
conflicting reporting relationships. Good communication is also a key factor when it
comes to supervisor worker relationships.
Too much work leading to poor personal life must be addressed to ensure the
employee lives a socially balanced life. Provision of leaves, time offs, company trips
are advisable.
Developed countries have holidays such as (Take your child to your work place) day.
Company gatherings that incorporate family members of employees are advisable.
Others include provision of entertainment/country club membership for employees.
Employment Act also provides for some of the rights and time off work as essential.
Summary & Conclusion
Human Resource is the most vital resource for any organization to ensure QWL. It is
responsible for each and every decision taken, each and every work done and each
and every result. Employees should be managed properly and motivated by providing
best remuneration and compensation as per the industry standards. The entire work
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environment should be made favourable as well as satisfying to the needs of

employees.
REFERENCE
1. McCoy, Thomas J. (1992). Compensation and Motivation: Maximizing
Employee Performance with Behaviour-Based Incentive Plans. New York:
AMACOM, a division of American Management Association
2. Daft, Richard L. (1997). Management, 4th ed. Orlando, Fl.: Harcourt Brace.

3. DeCenzo & Robbin (2004) Personnel and Human Resource management, 3rd
ed, Prentice Hall, India

4. Allan Price (2007).Human Resource Management, in a business context, 3rd

ed, Pat Bond, UK

5. G.A Cole (2002). Personnel and Human Resource Management, 5th ed, Book
Power, London.

6. www.wikipedia.org/wiki/quality_of_work_life

7. www.e how.com