CHAPTER 5

JOB ANALYSIS, JOB DESIGN AND QUALITY OF WORK LIFE

INTRODUCTION

Revolutionary changes, complex technologies and global competition mean increasing vulnerability. Organisations that
fail to have the right people in the right place at the right time are at risk. A proper match between work and employee
capabilities is now an economic necessity. Moreover, work itself is in a state of constant flux (Change) as organisations
downsize, outsource, restructure and re-engineer their work processes, and introduce self-directed work teams and
independent contractors to gain a competitive advantage. Such workplace changes dramatically affect the work lives of
employees. Organisations that change their existing strategies, or develop new business strategies.
 Need to reassess their structures. If there is a poor fit between the chosen strategy and the organisation’s
structure, the structure will need to be redesigned.
 The move from a tall, hierarchical structure to a flat structure involves eliminating layers of management.
- This will produce wider spans of control - More delegation of responsibilities
- Increased empowerment - Decentralised decision making
- New skill sets.

Thus, changes in strategy affect not only how work is performed, but also the knowledge, skills, abilities and attitudes
required by workers. Job restructuring, for example, may highlight gaps in the current skill levels of employees, calling
for new recruitment, training and development, coaching, redeployment and outsourcing programs. This means that
HR managers need a good understanding of work and how it is organised to ensure that the organisation’s strategic
business objectives are being supported and employee needs are being met. Job analysis and job design provide the
foundations for this knowledge.

1. JOB ANALYSIS

Job analysis is a basic HR activity because it focuses attention on the job content, the job requirements and the job
context. It identifies what employees are expected to do.
 Knowledge about jobs and their requirements
 What tasks, duties and responsibilities they include
 Their relationships to other jobs
 The conditions under which work is performed
 The personal capabilities required for satisfactory performance

Components of job analysis

Job analysis provides information about three basic aspects of a job
 Job content describes the duties and responsibilities of the job in a manner that can range from global statements
to very detailed descriptions of tasks and procedural steps
 Job requirements identify the formal qualifications, knowledge, skills, abilities and personal characteristics
 Job context refers to situational and supporting information regarding the particular job
- Its purpose - where it fits within the organisations scope data
- The availability of guidelines - The potential consequences of error
- The amount and closeness of supervision received or provided
- The work setting (outdoors, remote areas) and working conditions
Ex: Ability to work under pressure, to travel overseas, to work alone or to work as a team member
Approaches to job analysis
I. A job-oriented (or task) approach : concerned with what gets done, that is, the tasks, duties and responsibilities
of the job
II. An employee-oriented (or behavior) approach: focuses on how the job is done, that is, the human behavior
required to perform the job (job requirements).

Job analysis and job design

Job information is gathered, analyzed and recorded as the job exists, not as the job should exist.
Industrial engineers, methods analysts or technical specialists initially structure work to achieve the organisation’s
strategic business objectives. Job analysis is normally conducted after the job has been designed, the worker has been
trained and the work has been performed.
The organisations can then use the information generated via the written job descriptions and job specifications in the
design or redesign of jobs

When to analyses a job

Job analysis must keep up with job changes, but it is not possible to identify precisely how often a job should be
reviewed. Cherrington identifies three occasions when job analysis is generally undertaken:
I. When the organisations commences and the job analysis program is started
II. When a new job is created
III. When a job is changed significantly as a result of new methods, new procedures or new technology

Indicators that a job analysis may be needed;

 No evidence of any job analysis ever having been done
 A considerable period having passed since the last job analysis was undertaken
 Increasing employee grievances (Complaint) regarding job content and/or working conditions
 Disagreement between a supervisor and a job holder on the work to be performed
 Reorganization, restructuring or downsizing that involves job changes or the creation of new jobs
 Changes in technology whereby new processes, machinery or equipment are introduced (required to
understand the basics of broadband and wireless internet access, while hotel managers are expected to have
additional IT troubleshooting skills)

The uses of job analysis

A job description Defines what a job is by identifying its content, requirements and context. Providing a written
summary of the duties and responsibilities of the job
Job specifications Focus on the knowledge, skills, abilities, personal characteristics and formal qualifications that
an employee must possess to perform the job successfully
Job design Identifies what work must be performed, how it will be performed, where it is to be performed
and who will perform it

Job analysis information can help

 To identify and clarify the structure and design which helps to minimize overlap or duplication
 To accurately determine the number and types of employees to be recruited
 Aids the recruitment process by identifying the job requirements and enabling HR managers to target their
recruiting efforts and attract superior candidates
  Identifies irrelevant and/or inaccurate job information, thus facilitating more realistic job previews
 Assists the selection process by identifying what formal qualifications, knowledge, skills, abilities and personal
characteristics are required for satisfactory performance
 Essential to the establishment of a performance assessment system because it provides a thorough
understanding of what the employee is supposed to do
 Used to design and implement training and development programs
 promotes good industrial relations by providing a clear description of tasks, duties and responsibilities

Job analysis can identify the critical elements of a job and the necessary knowledge, skills, abilities and other personal
characteristics required for successful job performance. It provides insurance that an organisation’s HR policies and
practices are legally defensible and that job-related selection criteria will be employed.
2. JOB DESCRIPTIONS
A job description, or position description, is a written statement explaining why a job exists, what the job holder actually
does, how they do it and under what conditions the job is performed. There is no standard format used for preparing a
job description; the format, in fact, depends on managerial preference and how the job description will be used.
Most job descriptions contain information on:

 Job identification
Locates the job in the organizational structure. It includes information on the employee’s job title, department
and reporting relationships
 Job objective
Describes in a nutshell why the job exists — that is, the primary purpose or objective of the position
 Duties and responsibilities
Heart of the job description and should indicate clearly and specifically what the employee must do. Six to eight
of key duties are enough to describe most jobs. A common mistake is to list every task regardless of importance.
 Relationships
With other positions that are necessary for satisfactory job performance. What positions report directly to this
job? What are the job’s most frequent contacts within the organisations?
 Knowledge
Concerned with the minimum levels of skills, experience and formal qualifications required to do the job
 Problem solving
The amount of original thinking required in decision making and the environment in which problem solving
takes place (Does the job require simple, routine and repetitive solutions or complex & creative solutions?)
 Authority
Specific rights and limitations that apply to the position’s decision-making authority
 Accountability
It measures the answerability for actions taken on the job
 Special circumstances
Concerned with what is special, unusual or hazardous about the position and/or the environment in which the
job is performed
 Performance standards
(a) The standards required for effective performance and (b) the measures for evaluating performance.
It identifies what is expected to be achieved, how the job holder is expected to behave (for example, to be ethical,
to be a team player) and how performance will be measured (by results — sales volume, production output)

Guidelines for Job description

 List duties and responsibilities in a logical sequence
 State separate duties and responsibilities clearly, simply and concisely.
 Begin each sentence with an action verb.
 Use quantitative terms where possible to achieve greater objectivity and clarity.
 Use specific rather than vague terms.
 Use standardized terminology.
 Answer the questions of how, what, when and why. This will help produce a complete job description
 Clearly identify the end results or standards on which performance will be evaluated.
Job specifications
The job specification, or person specification, is derived from the job description. It identifies the experience, education,
knowledge, skills, abilities, personal characteristics and special requirements needed to perform the job successfully.
This is essential, because it identifies in job-related terms what kind of candidates need to be recruited and how they
should be assessed. The job specification may be incorporated into the job description form or documented separately.

Job descriptions, job specifications and trade unions

Badly written job descriptions and job specifications restrict management’s freedom to change job tasks, duties and
responsibilities and to assign work to employees. To avoid disputes, it is critical that job descriptions and job
specifications be clear, concise and understandable.
This is particularly so with jobs that have hierarchical skill and responsibility classifications (for example, machinist
grade A or grade 1, highest level; machinist grade B or grade 2, next level down and so on). Such jobs must be carefully
distinguished by job title and clearly involve different job content and job requirements. Precise job descriptions cannot
overcome incompetent management or inadequate wage and salary administration, but they do help.
Job descriptions that are subject to award or contract negotiation can minimize the risk of disputes by attending to
the following matters:
 Job descriptions and job specifications for higher-level positions should include only job content and job
requirements that reflect the highest level of difficulty encountered by the job holder on a regular and consistent
basis. Tasks, duties and responsibilities performed occasionally should not be included if they already appear
in lower-level job descriptions.
 Job descriptions and job specifications for jobs at each level should use only terms and definitions that have the
complete agreement and common understanding of employees, union representatives, supervisors and
managers.
 The job content or job requirements should not be identical for jobs covered by rival unions present on the same
site.
 Job description language should be kept clear and simple to avoid the union argument that the job sounds
‘difficult to do’.
 Job specifications should identify the minimum requirements needed to perform the job satisfactorily, thus
avoiding the union argument that the job is ‘highly skilled’.
 Job descriptions for jobs at different levels should use clearly different titles and clearly different language

Criticism of Job Descriptions

The traditional job description has been criticized for being a straitjacket (limitation) suitable only for repetitive work.
Being a static written description, it ignores the dynamics of the job.
 Cascio, describes job descriptions as being behaviorally sterile! This is especially true for problem-solving and
managerial work ‘where incumbents have a great deal of influence over their work activities, the percentage of
time they allot to different work activities, and the way in which the activities are carried out’.
 Peters argues that ‘it is imperative today that managers and non-managers be induced to cross “uncross able”
boundaries as a matter of course day after day’. Japanese companies, for example, avoid specialization and
generalize training programs to promote flexibility in the assignment of personnel. Thus, their job descriptions
are merely a general guide, with everyone crossing job boundaries.
 Townsend says, ‘a job description freezes the job as the writer understands it at a particular instant in the past.
At worst, they are prepared by personnel people who can’t write and don’t understand the jobs.
 Thus, job descriptions are seen as being appropriate only for stable, predictable and bureaucratic organisations.
According to Brass, ‘there is considerable evidence that “jobs” are created by organizations and bureaucracies
merely because this makes organizational life more ordered and more easily controlled from the top’.
3. COLLECTION OF JOB ANALYSIS INFORMATION

I. Observation
To understand what an employee does, along with how, why and where they do it, the job analyst observes an
employee working and records a description of the tasks and duties performed. Direct observation is primarily
used for standardised, repetitive short job cycle or manual jobs.
In contrast, jobs that involve thinking yield almost no information to the observer.
 there is often no way an observer can obtain an accurate description of the mental energy
 If a job cycle is irregular or extends over a long period of time, job observation will be difficult.
 The process of observation can also create an unrealistic situation and cause the employee to behave
differently. This problem can be particularly serious when an employee knows that a job description
will be used to determine their job grade and remuneration.
 This can be extremely time-consuming, requiring many hours of direct observation.

II. Interviews
Interview information is especially valuable for managerial and professional jobs that involve difficult-to-
observe behavior. The interview method generally requires the job analyst to visit the job location and meet
with the employee performing the job, but whether this is realistic depends on conditions such as noise,
weather, safety, accessibility. Interviews can be conducted with a single employee, a group of employees or a
manager who is knowledgeable about the job.
Limitations of the interview method include the following:
 Developing a questionnaire, establishing rapport between the job analyst and the employee and
interviewing multiple job holders (especially those in managerial and professional positions) can be
expensive and time-consuming.
 The job analyst needs considerable skill to ensure that only accurate and unbiased information is
recorded.

III. Job analysis questionnaires

The major advantage of the job analysis questionnaire method is that information on a large number of jobs can
be collected within a relatively short time. Consequently, the use of questionnaires is usually the most
economical job analysis method. It permits the job analyst to put standard questions to all participants.
 However, there is a danger (especially with open-ended or narrative questionnaires) that employees
may not complete the questionnaire,
 Some questions — such as: What type of formal education do you consider to be the minimum
requirement for satisfactory performance of your job? What do you think is the most complex or difficult
part of your job?— allow the employee to fully describe the job as it is being performed, but may be
perceived as threatening, invasive, complicated, time-consuming and annoying.

The checklist questionnaire attempts to overcome some of these problems by reducing the employees’ time and
effort in completing the form. It also facilitates statistical analysis by computer.
Nevertheless, there are some established guidelines to make the questionnaire easier to use:
 Keep it as short as possible.
 Explain how the questionnaire results are being used. Employees want to know why they must answer
the questions.
 Keep it simple.
 Test the questionnaire before using it. To improve the questionnaire, ask some employees to complete
it and to comment on its features.
IV. Critical incident reports
Critical incident reports are snapshot accounts of effective or ineffective job performance. If a large amount of
incident information is collected, describing what led up to the incident, what the employee actually did and
why the performance was effective or ineffective, then the job requirement can be defined. However, the critical
incident technique does not identify the routine activities performed by the employee, so it is best suited for use
in performance appraisal, and training and development. Critical incident reports require the employee’s
supervisor to keep written records of the employee’s activities that have contributed to success or failure.

V. Using a combination of data collection methods

A combination of methods increases the probability of better results, so multiple methods are frequently used.
The job analyst ultimately must decide which method or combination of methods is required to produce a
thorough job analysis. It is critical that the purposes of the job analysis (for example, recruitment and selection,
performance appraisal or job evaluation) be clearly stated before the data collection method is determined

4. JOB ANALYSIS TECHNIQUES

VI. The Position Analysis Questionnaire (PAQ)

Is a job analysis instrument and scoring/reporting service that is marketed commercially. Developed by Purdue
University, the PAQ is a structured questionnaire for quantitatively assessing jobs. It contains 194 questions
divided into six major categories:
 Information input: Where and how does the employee get the information needed to perform the job?
 Mental processes: What reasoning, decision-making, planning and information-processing activities are
involved in performing the job?
 Physical activities: What physical activities does the employee perform and what tools or devices are used?
  Relationships with other people: What relationships with other people are required in the job?
 Job context: In what physical or social contexts is the work performed?
 Other job characteristics: What activities, conditions or characteristics, other than those described, are
relevant to the job?

The big advantage of the PAQ is that it can be used to analyses almost any type of job. In addition, it has been
widely used and researched and appears to be both valid and reliable.

VII. The Management Position Description Questionnaire (MPDQ)

Is a 197-item, behaviorally oriented, structured questionnaire for describing, comparing, classifying and
evaluating management positions. The MPDQ is divided into ten sections: general information, decision making,
planning and organizing, supervising and controlling, consulting and involving, contacts, monitoring business
indicators, overall ratings, know-how, and an organizational chart.

VIII. The Position Classification Inventory (PCI)

Is a job analysis inventory that can be used to classify occupations and to assess person–job fit. It can help the
HR manager to:
 Describe skills required within specialized occupations
 Compare employee views and supervisor views of the position
 Enhance person–job fit
 Understand sources of satisfaction and dissatisfaction with a position or occupation.
 The 84-item inventory can be completed in less than ten minutes.

Practical Problems with Job Analysis

 Lack of top management support
 The use of only one method of job analysis
 The use of only a single source for collecting job information
 Lack of participation by supervisors and job holders in the design of the job analysis exercise
 The fact that the job analyst, the supervisor or the job holder has not been trained in job analysis
 Employees’ lack of awareness of the importance of job analysis
 Insufficient time allowed to complete the job analysis

5. COMPETENCY PROFILING

The usefulness of task-oriented approaches to job analysis has been reduced by changes in the workplace:
widespread corporate downsizing; improvements in information technology; the introduction to the workplace of
flexible job design, teamwork, multiskilling and project assignments; and the demise of authoritarian hierarchies
and the replacement of specialization with a new style generalist.
As a result, HR managers have increasingly focused on person-oriented approaches such as critical incident
reporting and Behavioral Event Interviews to identify the skills and behaviors needed to perform a job, which is
known as competency profiling.
This attributes model of competencies has three key elements:
 underlying characteristics — the competency is an integral part of a person’s personality
 causality — the competency causes or predicts behavior and performance
 Performance — the competency actually predicts effective (that is, minimally acceptable) or superior
performance as measured on a specific criterion or standard.
Competency Characteristics

 Motives
What drives, directs and selects behavior towards certain actions or goals and away from others.
Ex: achievement-motivated people consistently set challenging goals, take responsibility for accomplishing
them and use feedback to do better.
 Traits
Physical characteristics and consistent responses to situations or information. Example: reaction time and good
eyesight are physical trait competencies of fighter pilots.
 Self-concept
A person’s attitudes, values or self-image. Example: self-confidence, a person’s belief that they can be effective
in almost any situation, is part of that person’s concept of self.
 Knowledge
Information a person has in specific content areas. Example: a surgeon has knowledge of the nerves and muscles
in the human body.
 Skill
The ability to perform a certain physical or mental task. Example: a computer programmer should be able to
organised 50 000 lines of code in a logical, sequential order.62

It should be noted that knowledge and skill competencies tend to be visible while self-concept, trait and motive
competencies tend to be hidden and more central to personality. Consequently, the surface competencies are easier to
develop than the deeper competencies. It is therefore more cost-effective for HR managers to use training for focusing
on the visible competencies and to use selection for focusing on the hidden competencies.
In developing a competency standard, HR managers typically ask three questions:
 What action must the employee demonstrate? (the element)
 What performance standards must be met? (performance criteria)
 What are the conditions under which the action must be carried out? (range of
variables)
For example:
 Element. Must type at 50 words per minute.
 Performance criteria. Must have a maximum ten per cent error rate.
 Range of variables. Must use computer, must undertake typing test.

Criticisms of competency profiling

 The ambiguous meaning of competency. There is no universal agreement as to what competency means. Ex:
Competency is sometimes used to refer to ‘behaviors or actions, sometimes to the abilities or characteristics
underlying behavior and sometimes to the outcomes or results of actions’
 Its generic ‘off-the-shelf’ nature. It is argued that particular organizational and national cultures require
competencies tailored to their specific situation.
 Its focus on the past, rather than the present. Many competency models are based on ‘what has made for
successful performance in the past, rather than what will make for successful performance in the future’.
 The emphasis on ‘technical’ competencies. Competencies such as creativity and sensitivity, which are
difficult to measure, are often ignored.
 The assumption of rationality. Townley argues that the political dimensions of the job along with the gender
and racial imbalances present in most organisations are ignored.

Despite these criticisms, proponents argue that competency profiling, by identifying specific occupational
requirements that facilitate the achievement of the organisation’s strategic objectives, fosters competitiveness
and a more strategically focused approach to HRM.
6. JOB DESIGN
Are employees committed? Do they demonstrate pride in their work? Do they feel free to make decisions? Will they
accept responsibility? Are they frequently absent? Are they productive? Job design is frequently the key to the answers
to these questions. But when such problems arise, managers often blame employees rather than the design of the job.

HR managers must promote employee productivity by finding ways to unlock the potential that exists in the
overwhelming majority of employees. Better job design is one way of doing this, because productivity, job stress and
quality of work life are tied to job design.Job issues such as high work pressure, emotional demands and role ambiguity,
for example, can lead to sleeping problems, exhaustion and impaired health.

Methods of Job Design

I. Job Specialization Or Simplification
Involves using standardized work procedures and having employees perform repetitive, precisely defined and
simplified tasks. The job analyst records the various movements made in performing the job, clocks the time
taken for each movement and undertakes rational or ‘scientific’ job analysis to:
 Redesign the job to make movements simpler and quicker to perform
 Develop more efficient patterns of movement so employees can do the job faster
 Set standards for designated jobs

Advantages

 Improved operating efficiencies through the use of low-skilled and low-cost labour
 The need for minimum on-the-job training
 The easy control of production quantities
 Fewer errors made when workers perform simple routine jobs

Problems

 Repetition. Boredom and lack of challenge to learn anything new or to improve the job quickly and
cause low organizational commitment.
 Mechanical pacing. Employees are restricted by the speed of the assembly line
 No end product. Employees find that they don’t produce any identifiable end product, so develop little
pride
 Limited social interaction
 No employee involvement. Employees complain that they have no decision-making authority over how
the job is done.
 Higher employee turnover
 Lack of flexibility. Employees cannot cover for each other, which creates problems when employees are
absent or have to leave the workplace.

II. Job Enlargement

Job enlargement seeks to expand a job by horizontal loading — that is, adding to the variety of tasks to be
performed. As organisations downsize and become flatter, multiskilling and increasing work interest are
becoming increasingly important.
However, although sometimes effective, job enlargement is often resisted because:
 The enlargement is seen as just adding more routine, boring tasks to the job
 The advantages of job specialization are reduced
III. Job Rotation
Job rotation increases task variety by periodically shifting employees between jobs involving different tasks. It
is closely related to job enlargement but, rather than having more tasks to do, the employee rotates between
different jobs with similar skill requirements. Job rotation aims to reduce boredom by diversifying the
employee’s tasks. More challenging jobs may help to develop a generalist perspective, increase skills and
workforce flexibility.
But, job rotation may increase training costs, disrupt work groups and lower productivity, where an inefficient
worker replaces an efficient worker.

IV. Job Enrichment

Job enrichment involves making basic changes in job content and level of responsibility. The vertical loading
gives the employee the opportunity to experience greater achievement, recognition, responsibility and personal
growth, and the horizontal loading increases the complexity of work to promote interest.

Introducing job enrichment

Job enrichment has received wide publicity, but has not always produced favourable results in the workplace.
Problems center on;
 The poor research design of many supporting studies
 The lack of adequate cost benefit data
 The high cost of implementation
 The need to change pay schedules, supervision style and work group interactions
 The assumption that all employees will like it

Thus, HR managers thinking of introducing a job enrichment program should consider the following matters:
 Is there widespread discontentment among employees?
 Is it economically and technically feasible to enrich jobs?
 Are there natural units of work?
 Can employees be given control over their jobs?
 Do employees perceive their jobs as being meaningful to society?
 Is there a reward for assuming increased responsibility?
 Can performance feedback be given?
 Do employees want enriched jobs?
 Are the jobs easy to enrich?

Benefits of job enrichment

 Can lead to improvements in both job performance and job satisfaction.
 Can resulted in greater productivity, improved product quality, fewer employee grievances,
 improved worker attitudes,
 reduced absenteeism and labour turnover,

a. Socio-Technical Enrichment
Socio-technical enrichment focuses on the relationship between technology and groups of workers. The aim is
to integrate people with technology. It is of interest to the HR manager confronted with situations where
specialized group tasks exist and where technological change disrupts the social group to such an extent that
the new technology becomes inefficient.
Socio-technical enrichment often means creating self-managing or autonomous (Self-directed) work groups to
perform a job that was previously done on an assembly line. It is usually difficult and expensive to change the
technology of an existing operation, so socio-technical enrichment works best when an entirely new operation
is being designed
 b. Autonomous work teams
Autonomous work teams represent job enrichment at the group level. The employer sets up self-managed work
teams who are responsible for accomplishing defined performance objectives. Planning and decision making
are done within the group. Typically, the team sets its own output and quality standards. Team members may
elect their own leader or decide to make decisions jointly. They may even establish pay levels and train and
certify team members as being qualified in required job skills. As a result, supervisory positions are reduced in
importance and may even be eliminated.

Team members are typically able to:

 Rotate their tasks to enhance skill variety
 Work together on a product that is a whole identifiable piece of work
 Relate to other members of the team
 Decide as a group who will belong to the team and what tasks various members will perform
 Obtain feedback from other team members about their performance
 Count on the assistance and support of other team members if and when needed

7. COMPREHENSIVE JOB ENRICHMENT: THE HACKMAN–OLDHAM

The Job Characteristics Model (JCM) is an example of comprehensive job enrichment. It is a type of job design
that combines both horizontal and vertical improvements to stimulate employee motivation and satisfaction.
The idea is that employees perform better when they perceive their work as being meaningful, have responsibility
for outcomes and receive feedback on the results of their activities.
Five core job characteristics are especially important to job design:
 Skills Variety
Refers to the degree to which a job holder must carry out a variety of different activities and use a number of
different personal skills in performing the job
 Task identity
The degree to which performing a job results in the completion of a whole and identifiable piece of work, which
can be recognized as the result of personal performance
 Task significance
Refers to the degree to which a job has a significant impact on the lives of other people. (That is, the extent to
which the job is regarded as important to people inside and outside the organisations).
 Autonomy
Refers to the degree to which the job holder has the freedom, independence to work and to decide
 Feedback
The extent to which the job permits the employee to obtain clear and direct knowledge about how well they are
doing.
These five core job characteristics, in turn, influence the extent to which employees experience three critical
psychological states:

 Meaningfulness of the work — the degree to which employees experience their jobs as having an outcome
that is useful and valuable to them, the company and the community.
 Responsibility for outcomes of the work — the degree to which employees feel personally accountable and
responsible for the results of their work.
 Knowledge of actual results of the work — the degree to which employees maintain an awareness of the
effectiveness of their work

Skills variety, task identity and task significance, for example, influence the experienced meaningfulness of the work,
autonomy affects the experienced responsibility for work outcomes, and feedback affects the knowledge of results.
8. QUALITY OF WORK LIFE

Quality of work life (QWL) programs incorporate principles of job enrichment and socio-technical enrichment in a
comprehensive effort to improve the quality of the work environment.
QWL programs especially seek to integrate employee needs and wellbeing with the organisation’s desire for
higher productivity. They bring management, and employees together to determine what needs to be done to
improve the work environment, job satisfaction and employee productivity. The establishment of such channels of
communication gives employees a much greater say in decision making.
Consequently, QWL programs emphasize cooperative relationships among employees, the union and management.
QWL can significantly change the way in which employee relations are conducted in an organisations
 Conflict being replaced with cooperation
 Flexible work arrangement
 Minimize work–family conflict
 Promote work–family enrichment
 Improve employee functioning and performance at work and home
The Major Criteria For Improving QWL Include:

 Adequate remuneration
How adequate are pay and benefits in terms of helping employees to maintain an acceptable standard of living?
 Safe and healthy environment
Are physical conditions hazardous? What job conditions affect the employee’s physical and psychological
wellbeing? How can furniture and equipment be designed
 Development of human capabilities
To what extent does a job enable employees to use and develop their skills, knowledge and abilities
 Growth and security
What career potential exists in the job?
 Social integration
Is there an opportunity to relate to others? Is advancement based on merit? Does equal opportunity exist?
 Constitutionalism
How much dignity and respect exists for employees? Can employees give honest opinions and be treated like
adults? What are employees’ rights and how are they protected?
 Total life space
Is there a balance between work and life away from work? Research shows that Australians prefer to work
standard hours based on an eight hour work day.
Employees prefer to work more hours over few days, because this reduces travel and childcare costs. Pressure
to work unpaid hours to meet job requirements or being forced to work overtime on an irregular and
unpredictable basis lead to employee dissatisfaction.
 Social relevance
Do employees view the organisations as socially responsible? Does the organisations account for society’s
values when developing and implementing its policies and practices concerning employees, customers,
competitors and the community