Enhancing Quality Enhancing Quality ofof

Work LifeWork 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 ‘assets’ to the organization rather than as ‘costs’.

It believes that people perform better when they are allowed to participate in managing their work and make decisions.

This approach motivates people by satisfying not only their economic needs but also their social and psychological ones.

To satisfy the new generation workforce, organizations need to concentrate on job designs and organization of work.

Further, today’s workforce is realizing the importance of relationships and is trying to strike a balance between career and personal lives.

““QWL” means different things QWL” means different things to different personsto different persons

to a clerk in dispatch

To a mineworker

Shop floor workers

A probationary officer

DeterminantsDeterminantsEmployee payBenefitsSchedule flexibilityWorking conditions

FactJohnson & Johnson, for example, reported

that its employees who used flextime and family leave were absent 50 % fewer days than its regular workforce.

Moreover, 71 % of those workers using benefits said that the policies were "very important" to their decision to stay with the company

Employee Involvement Employee Involvement PracticesPracticesQuality CircleSuggestion SystemEmployee Participation in Management EmpowermentSurvey Feedback Autonomous Work TeamsFlexible Organization Structure

Other ToolsOther ToolsFlextimeFlexi placePart-time EmploymentJob EnrichmentJob RotationJob Enlargement

QC in IndiaQC in India

The Ramchandrapuram unit of BHEL at Hyderabad is perhaps the first to have pioneered the quality circle movement in India.

The company today has nearly 1700 quality circles involving about 17,000 workers who have tackled over 6000 problems

Some others are J.K. Jute, Bharat Electronics & HMT

Quality Circles AdvantagesQuality Circles Advantages

1.It is a voluntary forum of workers

2. It makes full use of a worker’s potential.

3. It provides the worker autonomy and sense of achievement.

4. It ensures greater participation and involvement of a worker in the day-to-day functioning of his department.

5. It helps in finding solutions to several problems and in removing cobwebs and bottlenecks in daily functioning.

6. It helps in creating cohesive groups with improved morale.

Suggestion SystemSuggestion System

Direct benefits of a suggestion scheme are the following:

It can make work more easyIt can make-work more safeIt can remove mistakesIt can improve qualityIt can increase efficiencyIt can decrease rejectsIt can reduce costsIt can give more satisfaction to customers

through better service

Suggestion SystemSuggestion System

Indirect benefits of a suggestion scheme are as follows:

It increases employees’ work moraleIt develops their capabilitiesIt activates communicationIt improves human relationsIt identifies work-related problemsIt raises the level of group activities.

SS in IndiaSS in India

Hindustan Aircraft Ltd Hindustan Steel LtdHindustan Unilever Larsen and Toubro Maruti Udyog Ltd

SS in Maruti Udyog LtdSS in Maruti Udyog LtdPrize (Rs) Benefit to Company

10 025 <50050 >or =500

100 >or =1000200 >or =2000300 >or =3000500 >or =5000

1000 >or =100001500 >or =150002000 >or =20000

Employee Participation in Employee Participation in ManagementManagement

Subject matter of participation.

Level of participation.

Personal characteristics.

Extent of participation.

Employee Participation in Employee Participation in ManagementManagementTISCO in India provides an example of the

type of partnership which needs to exist between management and workers’ union

in any organization. Here the Tata Workers’ Union is involved

in almost every institutional matter and the union president is treated as part of the top level of the company.

EmpowermentEmpowerment

MeritsSpeed in Decision MakingMoraleCompensation for limited career paths.

DemeritsGreater potential for chaosBreakdown of hierarchical controlDemoralization

Quality of work life -Quality of work life - IBM IBMWages & benefits Working HoursNondiscrimination & harassment Respect & dignity Freedom of association Health & safety Communications Support for employees & community

involvement

Quality of Work Life –Quality of Work Life – TATA Group TATA GroupGifts & donations Health, safety & environment Ethical conduct Concurrent employment Citizenship Integrity of data furnished Reporting concerns

Quality of Work Life – Quality of Work Life – ING Mutual FundsING Mutual FundsCSR-Pratham-orphanageRegular OffsiteLunch with CEOInterdepartmental LunchesIdeation Box (Suggestions)Product Champions (SWOT of product)Skip level meetingsQC-ImplementingHealth Safety and Environment

Quality of Work Life – Quality of Work Life – Principal India AMCPrincipal India AMCFamily Day- Wednesdays5 Days working weekAnnual Rejuvenation with familiesMonthly Birthday CelebrationsIn House GymPaternity Leave, Wedding Leave,

Bereavement LeaveYoga Gymnasium ReimbursementsHealth Safety and Environment

New Methods QWLNew Methods QWL

Prayer and Meditation in the WorkplaceThe American Stock Exchange has a Torah

Study GroupBoeing has Christian, Jewish and Muslim prayer

groupsApple Computers office has a meditation room

and employees are given 30 minutes to meditate or pray.

Prentice-Hall Publishing has a quiet room for employees where they can take mental retreats

New Methods QWLNew Methods QWL

WorldwideMarriott International’s 10,000 workers

dedicate a day of service to their local communities each year

IBM funds childcare centers at 60 of its locationsIntel offers 22 weeks of maternity leaveSAS has low absenteeism and only 3% turnover

due to no-lay-off policy, 35-hour workweeks, flexitime and on site amenities like Gym, medical clinic and message therapists.

Volvo Changed its assembly line system which led to greater job satisfaction-low absenteeism and turnover

Checklist of quality-work goalsChecklist of quality-work goals Decent living standard & economic securityMutual trust among employers & workersParticipation in decision making Healthy & safe work environmentWork-life balanceEncourages initiative & creativityBuilding commitment to high quality work

environmentNegotiate clear roles & responsibilities for

mgt, govt, unions, professional associations

Benchmark job quality, analyzing impact on employees & results

Diagnose areas of strength & weakness, develop strategies to address latter, track progress

Evaluate impact of organizational change on employees & results

Build quality work environment goals into business plans, showing links to results

Provide incentives for managers to contribute to specific job quality goals

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