CHAPTER-1

INTRODUCTION

 

Quality of Work Life:

Quality of work life (QWL) is viewed as an alternative to the control approach of

managing people. The QWL approach considers people as an 'asset' to the organization rather

than as'costs'. It believes that people perform better when they are allowed to participate in

managingtheir work and make decisions.This approach motivates people by satisfying not only

their economic needs but also their socialand psychological ones. To satisfy the new generation

workforce, organizations need toconcentrate on job designs and organization of work. Further,

today's workforce is realizing theimportance of relationships and is trying to strike a

balance between career and personal lives.

Successful organizations support and provide facilities to their people to help them to

balance thescales. In this process, organizations are coming up with new and innovative ideas to

improvethe quality of work and quality of work life of every individual in the organization.

Various programs like flex time, alternative work schedules, compressed work weeks,

telecommutingetc., are being adopted by these organizations. Technological advances further

help organizationsto implement these programs successfully. Organizations are enjoying the

fruits of implementingQWL programs in the form of increased productivity, and an efficient,

satisfied, and committedworkforce which aims to achieve organizational objectives. The future

work world will also havemore women entrepreneurs and they will encourage and adopt QWL

programs.Quality of Working Life is a term that had been used to describe the broader job-

relatedexperience an individual has.Whilst there has, for many years, been much

research into  job satisfaction (1), and, morerecently, an interest has arisen into the broader

concepts of stressandsubjective well-being(2),the precise nature of the relationship between these

concepts has still been little explored. Stressat work is often considered in isolation, wherein it is

assessed on the basis that attention to anindividual’s stress management skills or the sources of

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stress will prove to provide a goodenough basis for effective intervention. Alternatively, job

satisfaction may be assessed, so thataction can be taken which will enhance an individual’s

performance. Somewhere in all this, thereis often an awareness of the greater context, whereupon

the home-work context is considered, for example, and other factors, such as an individual’s

personal characteristics, and the broader economic or cultural climate, might be seen as relevant.

In this context, subjective well-being isseen as drawing upon both work and non-work aspects of

life.However, more complex models of an individuals experience in the workplace often appear

to beset aside in an endeavour to simplify the process of trying to measuring “stress” or

somesimilarly apparently discrete entity. It may be, however, that the consideration of

the bigger,more complex picture is essential, if targeted, effective action is to be taken to address

quality of working life or any of it’s sub-components in such a way as to produce real benefits,

be they for the individual or the organisation.Quality of working life has been differentiated from

the broader concept of Quality of Life.Tosome degree, this may be overly simplistic, as Elizur

and Shye,(1990)(3) concluded that qualityof work performance is affected by Quality of Life as

well as Quality of working life. However,it will be argued here that the specific attention to

work-related aspects of quality of life is valid.Whilst Quality of Life has been more widely

studied (4), Quality of working life, remainsrelatively unexplored and unexplained. A review of

the literature reveals relatively little onquality of working life. Where quality of working life has

been explored, writers differ in their views on its’ core constituents.It is argued that the whole is

greater than the sum of the parts as regards Quality of working Life,and, therefore, the failure to

attend to the bigger picture may lead to the failure of interventionswhich tackle only one

aspect. A clearer understanding of the inter-relationship of the variousfacets of quality of

working life offers the opportunity for improved analysis of cause and effect in the

workplace….This consideration of Quality of working Life as the greater context for various

factors in the workplace, such as job satisfaction and stress, may offer opportunity for more cost-

effective interventions in the workplace. The effective targeting of stress reduction, for example,

may otherwise prove a hopeless task for employers pressured to take action to meetgovernmental

requirements.

2

COMPANY PROFILE

HISTORY

Samsung Group (Samsung) was founded in 1938 by Byung-Chull Lee. In the early days of its

operations, the group exported dried fish, vegetables, and fruits produced in Korea to Manchuria

and Beijing (both in China). Soon after, Samsung started small-scale manufacturing by setting up

flour mills and confectionery machines.

Samsung Corporation was incorporated in 1951. It began substituting imported goods with

domestically produced products through the establishment of Cheil Sugar, in 1953. The

following

year, Samsung established Cheil Industries.

The group acquired Feb Ankuk Fire & Marine Insurance in 1958 and the company was renamed

Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance in 1993. In 1963, Samsung acquired Jul DongBang Life

Insurance,

which was renamed as Samsung Life Insurance in 1989. Samsung also acquired DongHwa

Department Store, in 1963. In 1965, the group acquired Saehan Paper Manufacturing.

The group established Samsung Electronics, in 1969. During the 1970s, Samsung entered into

various industries including heavy industries, chemical, and petrochemical. In 1973, Samsung

established a new shipbuilding company. The next year, it established Samsung Heavy Industries

3

(SHI). Samsung acquired Daesung Heavy Industry to form Samsung Shipbuilding, in 1977. In

the

same year, it established Samsung Precision (later renamed Samsung Techwin).

Until 1983, Samsung produced semiconductors for the domestic market, but with the

development

of a 64K dynamic random access memory (DRAM) chip in 1983, Samsung introduced many

new

semiconductor products worldwide. Samsung established Samsung Data Systems in 1985, which

was renamed as Samsung SDS.The next year, it established Samsung Economic Research

Institute.

In 1987, it started Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology as a main research and

development

center.

The group acquired KOCA credit card company in 1988 and renamed it Samsung Credit Card

(later

again renamed as Samsung Card in 1995). In the same year, Samsung Electronics merged with

Samsung Semiconductor & Telecommunications; and a new company Samsung General

Chemicals

was also established. In 1989, Samsung established Samsung BP Chemicals.

In 1990, the group established Cheju Shilla Hotel and Advanced Technology Research Center.

The

following year, Shinsegae Department Store, Chonju Paper Manufacturing, and Koryo Hospital

became independent from Samsung.

The group acquired Kukje Securities in 1992 (later renamed Samsung Securities), and Samsung

SDI acquired WF of Germany. In the same year, Samsung Electronics began manufacturing in

China. Samsung Electronics acquired HMS of US and 14 affiliated companies of the group

became

independent, in 1993. The group's Japan headquarters opened in 1994. In the same year, it

launched the first 256 Mb DRAM chip. Further in 1994, Samsung Corning office was

established in

Germany. In the same year, the group acquired Korea Fertilizer and renamed it Samsung Fine

4

Chemicals.

The group made a number of strategic moves in 1995, including the establishment of Samsung

Corning Precision Glass, Samsung Aerospace (later folded into Samsung Techwin), and

Samsung

Finance (later renamed Samsung Capital); and also acquired Union Optical. In the same year,

Samsung Aerospace acquired Rollei, a German camera manufacturer. Samsung Aerospace test

flied

the first Korean made F 16 produced for the Korean Air Force, also in 1995.

Samsung's expansion continued during 1996, with the construction of three semiconductor

factories

in Austin, Texas by Samsung Electronics, and a manufacturing complex in Tijuana, Mexico.

In 1997, the group entered into satellite communication service and a nuclear power plant

construction

business was started by Samsung Corporation. In 1997, it entered Chinese code division multiple

access (CDMA) market with an agreement to provide broadband CDMA wireless local loop

(WLL)

network to China United Telecom.

The group established Samsung Venture Investment, in 1998. In the same year, SHI sold its

construction equipment division to Volvo of Sweden and Samsung Motors introduced its first

passenger car. Samsung Electronics entered the combi chip card business, in 1999. In the same

year,

Samsung Aerospace, Daewoo Heavy Industries, and Hyundai Space and Aircraft formed a single

business alliance, Korea Aerospace Industries.

Samsung entered into a deal with Lucent Technologies to supply internet phones, in 2000. In the

same year, it collaborated with Chosun Computer Center of North Korea. In 2002, Samsung

Electronics entered into digital related businesses, when the digital media combined the formerly

known multimedia home appliance business with the media service division. In the same year,

Samsung Electronics entered into e-commerce agreement with Yahoo!, an Internet media

company.

Samsung entered into a partnership with Telecom Italia in 2003, to develop services and

products

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using WiFi technology, targeted at the Italian, French, German, and Dutch markets. In the same

year, Samsung Electronics produced the world's first land based DMB receiver. Samsung

Electronics

entered into a partnership with IBM, in 2004, wherein Samsung Electronics licensed the 90 nano

meter logic processing technology from IBM and together developed the 65/45 nano meter logic

processing technology.

In 2005, the S-LCD, a joint venture with Sony, started seventh generation amorphous TFT (thin

film

transistor) production facility to meet the increasing demand of LCD (liquid crystal display)

panels for

TVs. In the same year, the group made a second round of investments in its Hwaseong

semiconductor

plant with a seven year investment plan including a research and development facility and eight

abrication lines by 2012.

Samsung Electronics and Microsoft formed an alliance, in 2005, to develop gaming with high

definition

technology. Microsoft chose Samsung as the exclusive HDTV worldwide marketing partner for

the

Xbox, a high-definition gaming platform. Further in 2005, Sprint Nextel and Samsung

Telecommunications America entered into a joint wireless broadband technology agreement to

test

the IEEE 802.16e standard.

Samsung Electronics Korea made an agreement of cooperation in the area of Terrestrial Digital

Media Broadcasting (T-DMB) for the first trial service in France, with Bouygues Telecom (a

France-based mobile operator), TF1 (a French mobile TV operator), and VDL (a French digital

network provider and equipment manufacturer), in 2006.

Further in 2006, Samsung Telecommunications America announced its plans to work with

Arialink,

a regional service provider, to deploy the commercial Mobile WiMAX network in North

America,

6

which enabled Arialink to launch Mobile WiMAX in Muskegon County, Michigan in early

2007.

In 2007, the company formed a joint venture agreement with IBM, Standard Charted, Infineon,

and

Freescale Semiconductor for jointly working and developing a semiconductor process along with

manufacturing agreements.

Subsequently in 2007, the company invested $57 million for the construction of a new TV plant

in

Kaluga, Russia in response to the fast-growing digital TV demands in the CIS market. In the

same

year, the company launched Ultra Edition 12.1 (U700), the slimmest high-speed downlink packet

access (HSDPA) slider phone for South Asian market. It also unveiled the latest additions to its

range

of Mobile WiMAX equipment.

Further in 2007, the company made worldwide patent cross license agreement with Ericsson for

2G

and 3G mobile technologies. In the same year, Samsung's trading and investment group

embarked

on the construction of Jindo solar power station.

Later in 2007, Samsung Electronics and Toshiba entered into an agreement to license one

another

the rights to produce and sell memory with the specifications and trademarks of Samsung's

OneNAND

and Toshiba's LBA-NAND memory chips.

In 2008, Samsung's trading and investment group acquired a Japanese steel maker, Myodo

Metal.

In the same year, the company signed agreements with HydroGen. Further in 2008, Samsung's

trading and investment group signed a contract with Taylor Energy Company for purchase of oil

and

gas production assets.

7

Subsequently in 2008, Samsung Electronics acquired the IP assets of Clairvoyante, an IP

licensing

company responsible for the development of PenTile subpixel rendering display technology and

associated gamut mapping algorithms. In the same year, Samsung's trading and investment group

won the Mexico LNG (Liquid Natural Gas) terminal BOO (Boild, own, Operate) project.

Further in 2008, Samsung C&T acquired an Indonesian bio-diesel palm plantation, and

Lobinave,

an Angolan ship repair company. In the same year, Samsung C&T incorporated Samsung

Precision

Stainless Steel in China.

Subsequently in 2008, Samsung Heavy Industries signed a contract to purchase a stake in the

Brazilian shipyard, EAS (Estaleiro Atlantico Sul) Shipyard. In the same year, Samsung Techwin

installed one of its cogeneration systems in Samsung Medical Center in Seoul. Samsung

Electronics

also entered into a partnership agreement with Netflix, the world's largest online movie rental

service.

Later in 2008, Samsung Techwin introduced NaBee, a worldwide wireless USB solution for

digital

cameras. In the same year, Cheil Industries opened the Bean Pole New York studio.

In January 2009, SHI received an order from a European shipper for an LNG-FPSO (Floating

Production Storage and Off-loading) with an annual natural gas production capacity of 2.5

million tons.

In February 2009, SHI entered into a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for partnership with

the

Russian company USC, a fully government-contributed corporation, for the modernization of the

Russian shipbuilding industry.

In May 2009, Samsung Techwin established a sales corporation in Shanghai, China. In June

2009,

Samsung Electronics signed a patent cross license agreement with Toshiba for semiconductor

technologies.

In September 2009, Samsung Electronics launched 640 gigabit (GB) and 2.5 inch Spinpoint M7

8

internal hard disk drive. In the same month, Samsung Electronics introduced its first Long Term

Evolution (LTE) modem complying with the latest standards of the 3rd Generation Partnership

Project

(3GPP). During the same period, Datak Telecom selected Samsung Electronics as its sole

WiMAX

equipment vendor to bring the first WiMAX Wave2 services to Iran.

Samsung Electronics launched an environmentally friendly mobile phone, Samsung Blue Earth,

in

October 2009. The phone combines the multimedia features and designs, while achieving lower

energy consumption and incorporating eco-friendly materials.

In November 2009, Samsung Electronics collaborated with Microsoft on efficient energy usage

in

computers. In December 2009, the company acquired the Poland-based refrigerator and washing

machine manufacturing facilities from Amica, the Polish home appliance manufacturer, in a deal

valued at $76 million. The acquisition included Amica's Poznan city factory and its assembly

line for

refrigerators and washing machines. In the same month, the company collaborated with Yota, a

provider of innovative mobile services, to roll out a Mobile WiMAX service in Nicaragua.

Samsung Electronics extended its contract with Yota, the Russia-based Mobile WiMAX service

provider, for the establishment of the nationwide Mobile WiMAX network in Russia, in January

2010.

Under the new contract, Samsung Electronics would supply more than 5,000 Mobile WiMAX

macro

cellular base stations and Access Control Routers (ACR) to Yota from March 2010 onwards. In

the

same month, Samsung Electronics entered into an agreement with Rambus settling all claims

between them and licensing Rambus' patent portfolio covering all Samsung semiconductor

products.

In addition, Samsung Electronics and Rambus signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU)

relating to a new generation of memory technologies.

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In February 2010, Samsung Electronics signed a contract with WIND Telecom, a broadband

internet

and subscription TV service provider in the Dominican Republic, to build up the Mobile

WiMAX

network in Dominican Republic.

In March 2010, Samsung Techwin launched access control system solutions, which provides

separate

finger print and face recognition devices along with a total access control solution.

In April 2010, Samsung Electronics merged with Samsung Digital Imaging, an affiliated

company of

Samsung which produces digital cameras and imaging technology. In the same month, Samsung

Electronics introduced the Galaxy A (SHW-M100S) to the Korean market. Further in April

2010,

Samsung Techwin launched intrusion detection systems.

In May 2010, Samsung Electronics announced that it would increase its total investment in

manufacturing facilities and research and development for 2010 to KRW26 trillion

(approximately

$0.02 trillion). In the same month, Samsung Electronics announced to strengthen its leadership in

the digital information display (DID) market with its lineup of ultra-slim bezel and specialized

LCD

display products for applications in video walls, digital signage, and outdoor advertisement.

In July 2010, Samsung Electronics started shipping its new Spinpoint MT2 1 terabyte (TB) 2.5

inch

internal mobile hard disk drive for use in portable storage solutions, digital TVs, home media

systems

and set-top boxes.

In September 2010, Samsung Electronics and Thales, a France-based electronics company,

entered

into a partnership agreement to jointly develop and market a mobile infrastructure and terminals

solution. In the same month, Samsung Electronics launched the SF series of ultra-portable note

PCs and NF series netbooks. Subsequently in September 2010, Samsung Electronics announced

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its plans to launch its Galaxy S smartphone in China in partnership with three mobile operators.

In October 2010, Samsung Electronics launched its Galaxy S smartphone and Galaxy Tab smart

media device in Japan. In November 2010, Samsung Electronics developed and started sampling

the industry’s first monolithic four GB, low power double-data-rate 2 (LPDDR2) DRAM using

30

nanometer (nm) class technology.

In December 2010, Samsung Electronics announced the development of an 8 GB registered dual

inline memory module based on its advanced Green DDR3 DRAM. In the same month, Samsung

Electronics was chosen by Sprint, a US-based telecommunications company, as a key equipment

and services supplier for Network Vision, the next evolution of Sprint’s network.

In 2011, new or expanded partnerships with Comcast and Time Warner Cable have been

established,

in order to bring streaming video-on-demand (VOD) services to Samsung Smart TV’s via the

Samsung

Apps storefront. Samsung and Time Warner Cable also announced a partnership to deliver the

enhanced content and navigation options across multiple smart TV screens, without the need for

an

additional set-top box.

In August 2011, Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., Panasonic Corporation, Sony Corporation and

X6D

Limited (XPAND 3D) announced their intent to collaborate on the development of a new

technology

standard for consumer 3D active glasses, under the name, “Full HD 3D Glasses Initiative.”

Sources: Datamonitor plc., Samsung Group:Company Profile, published December 28th,

2010.

Samsung Group, www.samsung.com

COMPANY PROFILE

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At Samsung, we follow a simple business philosophy: to devote our talent and technology to

creating superior products and services that contribute to a better global society.

Every day, our people bring this philosophy to life. Our leaders search for the brightest talent

from around the world, and give them the resources they need to be the best at what they do. The

result is that all of our products—from memory chips that help businesses store vital knowledge

to mobile phones that connect people across continents— have the power to enrich lives. And

that’s what making a better global society is all about.

Our Values

We believe that living by strong values is the key to good business. At Samsung, a rigorous code

of conduct and these core values are at the heart of every decision we make.

People

Quite simply, a company is its people. At Samsung, we’re dedicated to giving our people a

wealth of opportunities to reach their full potential.

Excellence

Everything we do at Samsung is driven by an unyielding passion for excellence—and an

unfaltering commitment to develop the best products and services on the market.

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Change

In today’s fast-paced global economy, change is constant and innovation is critical to a

company’s survival. As we have done for 70 years, we set our sights on the future, anticipating

market needs and demands so we can steer our company toward long-term success.

Integrity

Operating in an ethical way is the foundation of our business. Everything we do is guided by a

moral compass that ensures fairness, respect for all stakeholders and complete transparency.

Co-prosperity

A business cannot be successful unless it creates prosperity and opportunity for others. Samsung

is dedicated to being a socially and environmentally responsible corporate citizen in every

community where we operate around the globe.

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V I S I O N

Vision 2020

As stated in its new motto, Samsung Electronics' vision for the new decade is, "Inspire the

World, Create the Future."

This new vision reflects Samsung Electronics’ commitment to inspiring its communities by

leveraging Samsung's three key strengths: “New Technology,” “Innovative Products,” and

“Creative Solutions.” -- and to promoting new value for Samsung's core networks -- Industry,

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Partners, and Employees. Through these efforts, Samsung hopes to contribute to a better world

and a richer experience for all.

As part of this vision, Samsung has mapped out a specific plan of reaching $400 billion in

revenue and becoming one of the world’s top five brands by 2020. To this end, Samsung has also

established three strategic approaches in its management: “Creativity,” “Partnership,” and

“Talent.”

Samsung is excited about the future. As we build on our previous accomplishments, we look

forward to exploring new territories, including health, medicine, and biotechnology. Samsung is

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committed to being a creative leader in new markets and becoming a truly No. 1 business going

forward.

M I S S I O N

Guided by Christian principles, our vision will be achieved by:

Ensuring continuous distribution of Samsung quality mobile devices and introduction of

new products ahead of competition at all times.

Always seeking ways to provide excellent customer service experience, believing that

the customer is the lifeblood of the business.

Establishing a dynamic and proactive environment that will create a sense of

belongingness among the members of the organization and sustain a team of

empowered employees (trustworthy, enthusiastic, customer-friendly, competent,

committed, dynamic and proactive).

Providing the shareholders a maximum return of their investments

Actively supporting NGO-initiated programs.

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S A M S U N G G R O U P S T R U C T U R E

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R E V I E W   O F   L I T E R A T U R E

Definition

Various authors and researchers have proposed models of Quality of working life which include

a wide range of factors. Selected models are reviewed below.Hackman and Oldham (1976)(5)

drew attention to what they described as psychological growthneeds as relevant to

the consideration of Quality of working life. Several such needs wereidentified; Skill variety,

Task Identity, Task significance, Autonomy and Feedback. Theysuggested that such needs have

to be addressed if employees are to experience high quality of working life.In contrast to such

theory based models, Taylor (1979)(6) more pragmatically identified theessential components of

Quality of working life as; basic extrinsic job factors of wages, hoursand working conditions,

and the intrinsic job notions of the nature of the work itself. Hesuggested that a number of other

aspects could be added, including; individual power, employee participation in the management,

fairness and equity, social support, use of one’s present skills,self development, a meaningful

future at work, social relevance of the work or product, effect onextra work activities. Taylor

suggested that relevant Quality of working life concepts may varyaccording to organisation and

employee group.Warr and colleagues (1979)(7), in an investigation of Quality of working life,

considered a rangeof apparently relevant factors, including work involvement, intrinsic job

motivation, higher order need strength, perceived intrinsic job characteristics, job satisfaction,

life satisfaction, happiness,and self-rated anxiety. They discussed a range of correlations derived

from their work, such asthose between work involvement and job satisfaction, intrinsic job

motivation and jobsatisfaction, and perceived intrinsic job characteristics and job satisfaction. In

particular, Warr etal. found evidence for a moderate association between total job satisfaction

and total lifesatisfaction and happiness, with a less strong, but significant association with self-

rated anxiety.Thus, whilst some authors have emphasised the workplace aspects in Quality of

working life,others have identified the relevance of personality factors, psychological well being,

18

and broader concepts of happiness and life satisfaction.Factors more obviously and directly

affecting work have, however, served as the main focus of attention, as researchers have tried to

tease out the important influences on Quality of workinglife in the workplace.Mirvis and Lawler

(1984)(8) suggested that Quality of working life was associated withsatisfaction with wages,

hours and working conditions, describing the “basic elements of a goodquality of work life” as;

safe work environment, equitable wages, equal employmentopportunities and opportunities for

advancement.Baba and Jamal (1991)(9) listed what they described as typical indicators of quality

of workinglife, including: job satisfaction, job involvement, work role ambiguity, work role

conflict, work role overload, job stress, organisational commitment and turn-over intentions.

Baba and Jamal also explored routinisation of job content, suggesting that this facet should be

investigated as partof the concept of quality of working life.Some have argued that quality of

working life might vary between groups of workers. For example, Ellis and Pompli (2002)(10)

identified a number of factors contributing to jobdissatisfaction and quality of working life in

nurses, including: Poor working environments,Resident aggression, Workload, Unable to deliver

quality of care preferred, Balance of work andfamily, Shiftwork, Lack of involvement in

decision making, Professional isolation, Lack of recognition, Poor relationships with

supervisor/peers, Role conflict, Lack of opportunity to learnnew skills.Sirgy et al.; (2001)(11)

suggested that the key factors in quality of working life are: Needsatisfaction based on job

requirements, Need satisfaction based on Work environment, Needsatisfaction based on

Supervisory behaviour, Need satisfaction based on Ancillary programmes,Organizational

commitment. They defined quality of working life as satisfaction of these keyneeds through

resources, activities, and outcomes stemming from participation in the workplace.Maslow’s

needs were seen as relevant in underpinning this model, covering Health & safety,Economic and

family, Social, Esteem, Actualisation, Knowledge and Aesthetics, although therelevance of non-

work aspects is play down as attention is focussed on quality of work life rather than the broader

concept of quality of life.These attempts at defining quality of working life have included

theoretical approaches, lists of identified factors, correlational analyses, with opinions varying as

to whether such definitionsand explanations can be both global, or need to be specific to each

work setting.Bearfield, (2003)(12) used 16 questions to examine quality of working life, and

distinguished between causes of dissatisfaction in professionals, intermediate clerical, sales and

serviceworkers, indicating that different concerns might have to be addressed for different

19

groups.The distinction made between job satisfaction and dissatisfaction in quality of working

lifereflects the influence of job satisfaction theories. Herzberg at al., (1959)(13) used

“Hygienefactors” and “Motivator factors” to distinguish between the separate causes of job

satisfactionand job dissatisfaction. It has been suggested that Motivator factors are intrinsic to the

job, thatis; job content, the work itself, responsibility and advancement. The Hygiene factors

or dissatisfaction-avoidance factors include aspects of the job environment such as

interpersonalrelationships, salary, working conditions and security. Of these latter, the most

common cause of  job dissatisfaction can be company policy and administration, whilst

achievement can be thegreatest source of extreme satisfaction.An individual’s experience of

satisfaction or dissatisfaction can be substantially rooted in their  perception, rather than simply

reflecting their “real world”. Further, an individual’s perceptioncan be affected by relative

comparison – am I paid as much as that person - and comparisons of internalised ideals,

aspirations, and expectations, for example, with the individual’s current state(Lawler and Porter,

1966) (1).

 

In summary, where it has been considered, authors differ in their views on the core

constituentsof Quality of Working Life (e.g. Sirgy, Efraty, Siegel & Lee, 2001 (11) and Warr,

Cook & Wall,1979)(7).It has generally been agreed however that Quality of Working Life is

conceptually similar towell-being of employees but differs from job satisfaction which solely

represents the workplacedomain (Lawler, 1982)(15).Quality of Working Life is not a unitary

concept, but has been seen as incorporating a hierarchyof perspectives that not only include

work-based factors such as job satisfaction, satisfaction with pay and relationships with work

colleagues, but also factors that broadly reflect life satisfactionand general feelings of well-being

(Danna & Griffin, 1999)(16). More recently, work-relatedstress and the relationship between

work and non-work life domains (Loscocco & Roschelle,1991)(17) have also been identified as

factors that should conceptually be included in Quality of Working Life.

Measurement

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There are few recognised measures of quality of working life, and of those that exist

few haveevidence of validity and reliability, that is, there is a very limited literature based on

peer reviewed evbaluations of available assessments. A recent statistical analysis of a

new measure,the Work-Related Quality of Life scale (WRQoL)(18), indicates that this

assessment deviceshould prove to be a useful instrument, although further evaluation would be

useful. TheWRQoWL measure uses 6 core factors to explain most of the variation in an

individuals qualityof working life: Job and Career Satisfaction; Working Conditions; General

Well-Being; Home-Work Interface; Stress at Work and Control at Work.The Job & Career

Satisfaction Job and Career satisfaction (JCS)scale of the the Work-RelatedQuality of Life scale

(WRQoL) is said to reflect an employee’s feelings about, or evaluation of,their satisfaction or

contentment with their job and career and the training they receive to do it.Within the WRQoL

measure, JCS is reflected by questions asking how satisfied people feelabout their work. It has

been proposed that this Positive Job Satisfaction factor is influenced byvarious issues including

clarity of goals and role ambiguity, appraisal, recognition and reward, personal development

career benefits and enhancement and training needs.The General well-being (GWB)scale of the

Work-Related Quality of Life scale (WRQoL)(18),aims to assess the extent to which

an individual feels good or content in themselves, in a waywhich may be independent of their

work situation. It is suggested that general well-being bothinfluences, and is influenced by

work. Mental health problems, predominantly depression andanxiety disorders, are common, and

may have a major impact on the general well-being of the population. The WRQoL GWB factor

assesses issues of mood, depression and anxiety, lifesatisfaction, general quality of life, optimism

and happiness.

The WRQoL Stress at Work sub-scale (SAW) reflects the extent to which an

individual perceives they have excessive pressures, and feel stressed at work. The WRQoL SAW

factor isassessed through items dealing with demand and perception of stress and actual

demandoverload. Whilst it is possible to be pressured at work and not be stressed at work,

in general,high stress is associated with high pressure.The Control at Work (CAW) subsacle of

the WRQoL scale addresses how much employees feelthey can control their work through the

freedom to express their opinions and being involved indecisions at work. Perceived control at

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work as measureed by the Work-Related Quality of Lifescale (WRQoL)(18)is recognized as a

central concept in the understanding of relationships between stressful experiences, behaviour

and health. Control at work, within the theoreticalmodel underpinning the WRQoL, is influenced

by issues of communication at work, decisionmaking and decision control.The WRQoL Home-

Work Interface scale (HWI) measures the extent to which an employer is perceived to support

the family and home life of employees. This factor explores theinterrelationship between home

and work life domains. Issues that appear to influence employeeHWI include adequate facilities

at work, flexibile working hours and the understanding of managers.The Working Conditions

scale of the WRQoL assesses the extent to which the employee issatisfied with the fundamental

resources, working conditions and security necessary to do their  job effectively. Physical

working conditions influence employee health and safety and thusemployee Quality of working

life. This scale also taps into satisfaction with the resources provided to help people do their jobs.

Applications

Regular assessment of Quality of Working Life can potentially provide organisations

withimportant information about the welfare of their employees, such as job satisfaction,

generalwell-being, work-related stress and the home-work interface. Studies in the UK

University sector have shown a valid measure of Quality of Working Life exists (19) and can

be used as a basis for effective interventions.Worrall and Cooper (2006)(14) recently reported

that a low level of well-being at work isestimated to cost about 5-10% of Gross National

Product per annum, yet Quality of WorkingLife as a theoretical construct remains relatively

unexplored and unexplained within theorganisational psychology research literature.A large

chunk of most peoples’ lives will be spent at work. Most people recognise theimportance of

sleeping well, and actively try to enjoy the leisure time that they can snatch. Butall too often,

people tend to see work as something they just have to put up with, or evensomething they don’t

even expect to enjoy.Some of the factors used to measure quality of working life pick up on

things that don’t actuallymake people feel good, but which seem to make people feel bad about

work if those things are absent. For example, noise – if the place where someone works is too

noisy, they might getfrequent headaches, or find they can not concentrate, and so feel

22

dissatisfied. But when it is quietenough they don’t feel pleased or happy - they just don’t feel

bad. This can apply to a range of factors that affect someone's working conditions.Other things

seem to be more likely to make people feel good about work and themselves oncethe basics are

OK at work. Challenging work (not too little, not too much) can make them feelgood. Similarly,

opportunities for career progression and using their abilities can contribute tosomeone's quality

of working life.The recent publication of   National Institute of Clinical Excellence   (NICE) public

health guidance22; Promoting mental wellbeing through productive and healthy working

conditions (20)emphasises the core role of assessment and understanding of the way working

environments pose risks for psychological wellbeing through lack of control and excessive

demand. Theemphasis placed by NICE on assessment and monitoring wellbeing springs from the

fact thatthese processes are the key first step in identifying areas for improveming quality of

working lifeand addressing risks at work.

References

1. Lawler III E and Porter L, (1966). Managers pay and their satisfaction with their

pay.Personnel Psychology. XIX 363-732. Mullarkey S, Wall T, Warr P, Clegg C & Stride C

(1999) Eds.. Measures of Job Satisfaction,mental Healthand Job-related Well-being. Inst Work

psychol..3. Elizur D & Shye S 1990 Quality of work life and its relation toquality of life.

Applied psychology: An international review. 39 3 275-2914. Taillefer,-Marie-Christine;

Dupuis,-Gilles; Roberge,-Marie-Anne; Le-May,-Sylvie (2003)Health-related quality of life

models: Systematic review of the literature. Social-Indicators-Research. Nov; Vol 64 (2): 293-

3235. Hackman J & Oldham G (1974) The Job Diagnostic Survey. New Haven: Yale

University.6. Taylor J C in Cooper, CL and Mumford, E (1979) The quality of working life in

Western andEastern Europe. ABP7. Warr, P, Cook, J and Wall, T (1979) Scales for the

measurement of some work attitudes andaspects of psychological well being. Journal of

Occupational Psychology. 52, 129-148.8. Mirvis, P.H. and Lawler, E.E. (1984) Accounting for

the Quality of Work Life. Journal of Occupational Behaviour. 5. 197-212.

9. Baba, VV and Jamal, M (1991) Routinisation of job context and job content as related

toemployees quality of working life: a study of psychiatric nurses. Journal of

23

organisational behaviour. 12. 379-386.10.Ellis N & Pompli A 2002 Quality of working life for

nurses. Commonwealth Dept of Healthand Ageing. Canberra.11. Sirgy, M. J., Efraty,, D., Siegel,

P & Lee, D. (2001). A new measure of quality of work life(QoWL) based on need satisfaction

andspillover     theories. Social Indicators Research, 55, 241-302.12. Bearfield, S (2003)Quality of

Working Life. Aciirt Working paper 86. University of Sydney.www.acirrt.com13. Herzberg F,

Mausner B, & Snyderman B., (1959) The Motivation to Work. NewYork:Wiley.14. Worrall, L.

& Cooper, C. L. (2006). The Quality of Working Life: Managers’ health andwell-being.

Executive Report, Chartered Management Institute.15. Lawler, E. E. (1982). Strategies for

improving the quality of work life. AmericanPsychologist, 37, 2005, 486-493.16. Danna, K. &

Griffin, R. W. (1999). Health and well-being in the workplace: A review andsynthesis of the

literature. Journal of Management, 25, 357-384.17. Loscocco, K. A. & Roschelle, A. N. (1991).

Influences on the Quality of Work and Nonwork Life: Two Decades in Review. Journal of

Vocational Behavior, 39, 182-225.18. Van Laar, D, Edwards, J & Easton, S (2007). The Work-

Related Quality of Life scale for healthcare workers. Journal of Advanced Nursing, Volume 60,

Number 3, pp. 325–33319. Edwards, J., Van Laar, D.L. & Easton, S. (2009). The Work-Related

Quality of Life(WRQoL) scale for Higher Education Employees. Quality in Higher Education.

15: 3, 207-219.20.  National Institute of Clinical Excellence   (NICE) public health guidance 22;

Promotingmental wellbeing through productive and healthy working conditions.

www.nice.org.uk/PH22

24

1 . 3 . O B J E C T I V E S

PRIMARY OBJECTIVES:

To know the overall quality of work life in the organization and its impact on employeeswork

culture.

SECONDARY OBJECTIVES:

To measure the level of satisfaction of employees towards the quality of work life.

To suggest suitable measures to improve the quality of work life.

To identify the major areas of dissatisfaction if any, and provide valuable

suggestionsimproving the employees satisfaction in those areas.

To analyze the findings and suggestion for the study.

SCOPE OF QUALITY OF WORK LIFE:

Quality of work life is a multi dimensional aspect. The workers expect the

followingneeds to be fulfilled.

Compensation the reward for the work should be fair and reasonable.

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The organization should take care of health and safety of the employees.

Job security should be given to the employees.

Job specification should match the individuals.

An organization responds to employee needs for developing mechanisms to allowthem to

share fully in making the decisions that design their lives at work.

L I M I T A T I O N   O F T H E   S T U D Y :

Time was the major constraint for the project.

The study is restricted to HR dept., and can’t be generalized.

The individual perspective appears to be different.

Questionnaire is the major limitation for the project.

CHAPTER-2

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RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

Research methodology is a way to systematically solve the research problem. It may

beunderstood as a science of studying how research is done scientifically.  The scope

of researchmethodology is wider than that of research methods. When we talk of research

methodology wenot only talk of research methods but also consider the logic behind

the methods we use in thecontext of our research study and explain why we are using

a particular method or technique.

2.1 RESEARCH DESIGN

“A research design is the arrangement of conditions for collection and analysis of data ina

manner that aims to combine relevance to the research purpose with economy in

procedure”.Research design is the conceptual structure within which research is conducted;

itconstitutes the blueprint for the collection, measurement and analysis of data.The type of

research design used in the project was

Descriptive research

because ithelps to describe a particular situation prevailing within a company. Careful design of

thedescriptive studies was necessary to ensure the complete interpretation of the situation and

toensure minimum bias in the collection of data.

2.2 SAMPLING TECHNIQUE

Sampling is the selection of some part of an aggregate or totality on the basis of which

a judgment about the aggregate or totality is made.

Simple random sampling

method was used in this project. Since population was not of a homogenous group, Stratified

technique was appliedso as to obtain a representative sample. The employees were stratified into

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a number of subpopulation or strata and sample items (employees) were selected from

each stratum on the basis of simple random sampling.

2.3 SIZE OF THE SAMPLE

For a research study to be perfect the sample size selected should be optimal i.e. it shouldneither

be excessively large nor too small. Here the sample size was bounded to 46.

2.4 DATA COLLECTION METHOD

Both the Primary and Secondary data collection method were used in the project. Firsttime

collected data are referred to as primary data. In this research the primary data was collected by

means of a

Structured Questionnaire The questionnaire consisted of a number of questionsin printed form. It

had both open-end closed end questions in it. Data which has already gonethrough the process of

analysis or were used by someone else earlier is referred to secondarydata. This type of data was

collected from the books, journals, company records etc.

2.5 TOOLS USED FOR ANALYSIS

Percentage analysis.

Chi-Square.

five point liker scales.

Percentage analysis: 

One of the simplest methods of analysis is the percentage method. It is one of thetraditional

statistical tools. Through the use of percentage, the data are reduced in the standardform with the

base equal to 100, which facilitates comparison.

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PERSONAL DATA:

 Name : _______________________ Sex: 

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ Age: 

below 25 yrs

25-35 yrs

35-45 yrs

45-55yrs

Above55

yrsEducational Qualification : _______________________ Marital status : _________________

______ Department : _______________________ Designation : _______________________ Ex

perience:

Less than 5 yrs

5-10 yrs

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10-15 yrs

15-20yrs

Above20 yrs

1 .Are you s a t i s f i ed w i th you r s a l a ry package?

Highly satisfied

satisfied

Neutral

Dissatisfied

Highly Dissatisfied

2.How far you are satisfied with your current job?

 

Highly satisfied

satisfied

Neutral

Dissatisfied

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Highly Dissatisfied 

 

3.Is the organization providing casual leave with pay? 

Strongly Agree

Agree

Moderate

Disagree

Strongly Disagree

4.What do you feel about the medical facilities provided by the concern? 

Strongly Agree

Agree

Moderate

Disagree

Strongly Disagree

5.Are you satisfied with the bonus provided to you? 

Strongly Agree

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Agree

Moderate

Disagree

Strongly Disagree

6 .Are you s a t i s f i ed w i th you r c an t een f ac i l i t y?

 

Highly satisfied

satisfied

Neutral

Dissatisfied

Highly Dissatisfied

7.How far you are satisfied with the ESI and PF given by the organization?  

Strongly Agree

Agree

Moderate

Disagree

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Strongly Disagree

8.To what extend you are satisfied with the safety and healthy working conditions?

 

Highly satisfied

satisfied

Neutral

Dissatisfied

Highly Dissatisfied

9.What do you feel about the job security in your organization? 

Highly satisfied

satisfied

Neutral

Dissatisfied

Highly Dissatisfied

10.Are you satisfied with the promotion policies in your organization? 

Highly satisfied

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satisfied

Neutral

Dissatisfied

Highly Dissatisfied

11.What do you think about the quality of work life in the organization? 

very good

Good

Ok 

Bad

Very bad

12.The company communicates every new change that takes place from time to time. 

Strongly Agree

Agree

Moderate

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Disagree

Strongly Disagree

13.To what extend the cordial relationship exist among the employees and superiors? 

Strongly Agree

Agree

Moderate

Disagree

Strongly Disagree

14.How far you are satisfied with the training given by the employer?

 

Highly satisfied

satisfied

Neutral

Dissatisfied

Highly Dissatisfied

 

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15.Are you satisfied with the training method used in your organization? 

Highly satisfied

satisfied

Neutral

Dissatisfied

Highly Dissatisfied

 

36