QWL refers to the favorableness or unfavourableness of a job environment for people. The basic purpose is to develop job and working conditions that are excellent for people as well as for the economic health of the organization.The elements that contribute to the quality of work life include many items of supportive organizational behavior such as: open communications,equitable rewards system,participation in decision-making,caring supervisor,concern for employee job security and satisfying careersIn addition to improving the work system, QWL programs usually emphasize the:development of employee skillsreduction of occupational stressdevelopment of more cooperative labor-management relationsQWL is a large step forward from the traditional job design of scientific management, which focused mostly on specialization and efficiency for the performance of narrow tasks. As it evolved it used full division of labor, rigid hierarchy and standardization of labor to reach its objective of efficiency. The ideas were to lower cost by using unskilled repetitive labor that could be trained easily to do a small part of job. Job performance was controlled by a large literacy that strictly enforced the one best way of work as defined by technical people.Since, classical design gave inadequate attention to quality of work life, many difficulties developed. There was excessive division of labor and over-dependence in rules, procedures and literally specialized worker become socially isolated because their highly specialized work weakened their community of interest in whole product, there were higher turnover and absenteeism, quality declined and workers become alienated. Conflict arose as workers tried to improve their conditions.Employees began reaching higher-order needs, something more than merely earning their bread. Employers now had two reasons for redesigning jobs and organizations for better QWL:Classical design originally gives inadequate attention to human needsThe needs and aspirations of workers were changingWays to Improve QWL: Job Enrichment vs Job EnlargementThe efforts to change the scope of jobs in trying to motivate people create an interest in the quality of work life. JOB SCOPE has two dimensions: Job DepthJob Breadth- refers to the number of different tasks an individual is directly responsible for. It ranges from very narrow (one task performed repetitively) to wide (several tasks). Employees with narrow job breadth are given a wider variety of duties in order to reduce their boredom. This process is known as job enlargement. These additional tasks require less time to perform. to add more duties, and an increased workload to their workers (i.e. taking charge of more duties and responsibilities which are not mentioned in the job description).Another way to enlarge job breadth is job rotation which involves periodic assignment of an employee to diverse sorts of job activities. Job rotation is an effective approach to develop multiple skills in employees which benefits the organization while creating greater job interest for the employee. The approach to increase additional motivators to a job to make it more rewarding is known as job enrichment. This approach thinks that the most effective way to motivate workers is by concentrating on higher-order needs. Job enrichment looks for increasing depth of a job by providing workers more control, larger obligation, and judgment over how their job is performed. adds additional motivators to a job to make it more rewarding, such as giving workers more control, responsibility, and discretion over how their job is performed.[DIAGRAM]While job enrichment focuses on satisfying higher-order needs, job enlargement focuses on adding additional tasks to the workers job for greater variety. We can blend the two approaches together by expanding the number of tasks and adding more motivators for a two-pronged attempt to improve quality of work life.[DIAGRAM]Job enrichment brings benefits, as shown in the figure.Its general result is a role enrichment that encourages growth and self-actualization. The job is built in such a way that intrinsic motivation is encouraged. Because motivation is increased, performance should improve, thus providing both a more humanized and a more productive job. Negative effects also tend to be reduced, such as turnover, absences, grievances and idle time. In this manner both the worker and society benefit. The worker performs better, experiences greater job satisfaction and becomes more self-actualized, thus being able to participate in all life roles more effectively. Society benefits from the more effectively functioning person as well as from better job performance. Core DimensionsJ. Richard Hackman and Greg Oldham have developed a job characteristics approach to job enrichment that identifies five core dimensions:Skill Variety- permits employees to perform different operations that often require different skills. Jobs perceived high in variety are seen by employees as more challenging because of the range of skills involved and relieve monotony that develops from any repetitive activity. Variety provides employees a greater sense of competence, as they can perform different kinds of work in different ways. permits employees to perform different operations that often require different skills. Variety provides employees a greater sense of competence, as they can perform different kinds of work in different ways. Task Identity- Task identity allows employees to perform a complete piece of the work. When tasks are broadened to produce a whole product, then task identity has been established. allows employees to perform a complete piece of the work. When tasks are broadened to produce a whole product, then task identity has been established. Task Significance- Task significance refers to the amount of impact, as the worker perceives, that the work has on other people. The impact can be on others in the work organization, as when the worker performs a key step in the work process, or on those outside the firm. Task significance denotes that workers should believe they are doing something important in their organization and/or society. refers to the amount of impact the employee perceives his work has on other people. Workers should believe they are doing something important in their organization and/or society.Autonomy- Job autonomy gives employees some discretion and control over job-related decisions. Job autonomy seems to be essential in creating a sense of responsibility in workers. Although workers are ready to work within the broad limitations of an organization, they also demand a certain degree of freedom. Management by Objectives is one way of establishing more autonomy because it provides a greater role for workers in establishing their own goals and pursuing plans to achieve them. gives employees some discretion and control over job-related decisions. Job autonomy seems to be essential in creating a sense of responsibility in workers.Feedback- Feedback refers to information that tells workers how well they are performing. Feedback can directly come from the job itself or management and other employees can give it. The concept of feedback is of much significance to people at work. Since they are spending a substantial part of their lives in their work, they wish to know how well they are performing. The feedback also enables employees to adjust their performance, if there are any deviations. Workers must receive complete job feedback, both positive and negative. If they received only negative feedback, it may be de-motivating. refers to information that tells workers how well they are performing. Workers must receive complete job feedback, both positive and negative. Feedback can come directly from the job itself, management, or from other employees.A job must have all five dimensions to be fully enriched. If one of the dimensions is absent, workers are psychologically deprived and motivation may be reduced. These core dimensions influence an employees psychological state that improves performance, job satisfaction and quality of work and reduces turnover and absence from work. Their effect on quality of work is not so trustworthy. Several managerial and non-managerial jobs, often do not possess in some core dimensions. Employees react to these core dimensions differently, the typical employee finds them to be basic for internal motivation.THE INDIVIDUALS RESPONSIBILITIES TO THE ORGANIZATIONA discussion of the individual in the organization is incomplete if it covers only the organization of obligation had responsibilities to the individual. The employment, relationship is two-way. Without questions the organization had responsibilities to the individual but also and again without question the individual has responsibilities to the organization. Organizational CitizenshipEmployees who are organizational citizens engage in positive social acts designed to help others, such as volunteering their efforts on special projects, sharing their time and resources, and proactivity cooperating with others. They also are expected to use their talents and energies fully to help the organization achieve its goals of efficiency and effectiveness. Dues-PayingConsists of the total costs that a persons group believes an individual should pay for the privileges of full acceptance and continuing membership in it. These costs may include:Minimum qualifications of the employeeWillingness to get ones hands dirty while not complaining about undesirable tasksShowing proper respect to othersNot acting superior to othersPerforming at an above-average levelSpending the appropriate amount of time at ones job Blowing the Whistle on Unethical BehaviorBeing a good organizational citizen does not extend to blind conformity supporting illegal activities of the organization, bending to organizational pressures, or engaging in any other serious activities which seriously violate social standards. Exposing these illegal activities is called whistle blowing. Mutual TrustIt is a joint faith in the responsibility and actions of the parties involved; when it is present, each person has strongly positive expectation that the other person will do the right thing. Development of mutual trust occurs over a period of time through the emergence of mutual understanding, the development of emotional bonds, and the demonstration of trustworthy behaviors.