Mgmt2718 Quality of Working Life
Introduction
Since its first conceptualisation in the early 1970s (Chisholm, 1983), the idea of the quality of working life (hereafter referred to as QWL) has attracted the attention of both academics and businesses. QWL refers to a set of HR practices which aim to boost job satisfaction and enhance the overall work experience for the individual, which can also be used as a means to heighten company morale, maximise employee productivity and, in turn, overall organisational performance, which adds to the organisation’s competitiveness (Lau & May, 1998). Noting the relevance of QWL in the contemporary workforce, the first part of the paper will examine the idea of QWL and outline how the implementation of QWL programs contributes in the issue of employee retention. The second part of the paper will propose a QWL program appropriate for DiscPharms, a company operating a chain of 16 discount pharmacies in NSW and Queensland, in retaining Gen Y workers. It will detail the aspects of QWL incorporated and provide justification for the choice.
QWL & Retention
Workers in today 's increasingly competitive market are feeling more pressure from their employers to perform than ever before. Managers are expecting employees to work tirelessly for longer time periods while producing high standards of work. With the growing accessibility of work outside the office via portable technology such as smartphones, tablets and PDAs, it is not uncommon for employers to expect their workers to be constantly on-call and even be continually working outside of the office after working hours. This raises the issue of excessive workload. Overworking can build up employee stress which may provoke low concentration levels, poor productivity, higher absenteeism and increasing turnover rates. Differing views have revolved around the contentious issue of the extent to which organisations should enforce policies which attend to their employees’ welfare and broader QWL. Keim (1978, as
Since its first conceptualisation in the early 1970s (Chisholm, 1983), the idea of the quality of working life (hereafter referred to as QWL) has attracted the attention of both academics and businesses. QWL refers to a set of HR practices which aim to boost job satisfaction and enhance the overall work experience for the individual, which can also be used as a means to heighten company morale, maximise employee productivity and, in turn, overall organisational performance, which adds to the organisation’s competitiveness (Lau & May, 1998). Noting the relevance of QWL in the contemporary workforce, the first part of the paper will examine the idea of QWL and outline how the implementation of QWL programs contributes in the issue of employee retention. The second part of the paper will propose a QWL program appropriate for DiscPharms, a company operating a chain of 16 discount pharmacies in NSW and Queensland, in retaining Gen Y workers. It will detail the aspects of QWL incorporated and provide justification for the choice.
QWL & Retention
Workers in today 's increasingly competitive market are feeling more pressure from their employers to perform than ever before. Managers are expecting employees to work tirelessly for longer time periods while producing high standards of work. With the growing accessibility of work outside the office via portable technology such as smartphones, tablets and PDAs, it is not uncommon for employers to expect their workers to be constantly on-call and even be continually working outside of the office after working hours. This raises the issue of excessive workload. Overworking can build up employee stress which may provoke low concentration levels, poor productivity, higher absenteeism and increasing turnover rates. Differing views have revolved around the contentious issue of the extent to which organisations should enforce policies which attend to their employees’ welfare and broader QWL. Keim (1978, as
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