Quality of Working Life and Retaining Generation Y Workers - Case Study Example

Retaining Generation ‘Y’ Workers Student’s Name: Name of Institution: Instructor’s Name: Course Code: Date of Submission: Introduction Quality of Working Life (QWL) is a process of work organization that allows its members within all levels to participate actively in shaping the environment, methods, and outcomes of organizations. It is important to note that QWL works effectively when incorporated with various related theories like job analysis, job design, and job description. They are several major criteria for improving QWL which includes total life space, social relevance, development of human capabilities, safe and healthy environment, and adequate remuneration (Dolan et al. 2008, p. 205). Some of the major essential elements of QWL include community wellbeing, social wellbeing, physical wellbeing, financial wellbeing, and career wellbeing. The purpose of this paper is to look at the concept of QWL and how it contributes to organizations’ objective to retain employees. Part of this study will be based on a Living Case Study, Discpharms Pty Ltd. being the company of choice. The concept of QWL and its significance in retaining employees Adoption of QWL: As mentioned earlier, organizations hope and expect to sustain growth by looking into the future and taking steps to secure it. Toward achieving this goal, adoption of QWL-improving strategies has increasingly gained prominence in the corporate world. In America, for instance, rankings of companies based on the quality of workplace for employees are conducted annually, e.g. Fortune Magazine’s list of “100 Best American Companies to work for” (Dolan et al. 2008, p. 208). And from a different perspective, the list of ‘Best Workplaces in India’ produced by the collaboration of Great Place to Work Institute India and The Economic Times is based on the perceptions of employees rather than that of management (Vanmathy et al., 2009). These further emphasize on organizational need to attract and retain their employees as the most valuable assets (Vanmathy et al., 2009). Furthermore, the concept of QWL rests on the premise that in order for an organization to build a sufficient intellectual capital foundation so as to boost its competitive advantage, the overall satisfaction of employees must be given considerable attention. This argument that an organization’s value is raised by creating high QWL is supported by Balou and Godwin (2007, p. 45). Ultimately, the employees’ loyalty and commitment to effective and efficient work are boosted. The indicators of QWL: The indicators of QWL, i.e. the parameters upon which QWL is to be judged have been suggested by many theorists. However, in the end, the suggestions still seem to be based on the eight conceptual categories suggested by Steenkamp & Van Schoor (2006). These include sufficient and fair compensation; safe and healthy conditions of work; opportunities to utilize and develop human capacities; opportunities for career security and growth; social integration within the organization; organizational constitutionalism; a sufficient space and balance of work and total life; the work life’s social relevance. A research conducted by Dolan et al. (2008, p. 208) found a correlation between supervisor support, intrinsic and extrinsic demands of job, and motivation on the general QWL. This is evidence showing that the expression and experience of QWL perceptions is a product of the prevailing socio-cultural context. Emphasizing on these non-economic aspects can cut issues to do with job insecurities and provide a framework through which sources of employee problems are identified and solutions found. The significance of investing in human capital and infrastructure facilities in India so as to accelerate institutional growth has been emphasized by The Global Innovative Index (2008-2009, cited in Vanmathy et al., 2009). In addition, according to a report by Worrall and Cooper (2006, cited in Vanmathy et al, 2009), poor well-being at work cost about 5percent of GNP annually. QWL and Effects on Generation ‘Y’: Nevertheless, it is important to note that the mobility of the ‘Y’ generation is not merely for the sake of it. Instead, it is a search for suitable working conditions that give floor to personal creativity and voice, good work and personal life balance (Saraji & Dargahi 2006, p. 14). The assumption is that, once this combination of conditions is found by a generation ‘Y’ employee, then the option of quitting is no more. Employee satisfaction are boosted by QWL measures such as increasing employee involvement and participation in the decision-making processes, suitable organizational and work setting features, amongst others (Saraji & Dargahi 2006, p. 15). Moreover, once an employee is satisfied, it only follows that there is no reason to quit. Of course, the situation is not as simplistic as it appears here. However, this discussion provides a basic framework upon which the significance of QWL in attracting and retaining employees can be theorized and policies towards the same can be created. Living Case Study: Discpharms Pty Ltd Anaysis of Workforce at Discpharms: Discpharms Pty Ltd., like many other companies has been prompted to adopt strategies to improve QWL, not only to attract ‘new’ employees but also retain the ‘old’ ones. Discpharms Pty Ltd is a company running a chain of discount pharmacies in Europe, including New South Wales and Queensland in Australia. Despite suffering great losses in the period of the Global Finance Crisis, which led it to entrench some of its employees and shut down a total of six pharmacies, the company seems to have weathered the worst times and is now back in business, aiming to reopen some of its closed pharmacies and recruiting new employees. The question here is about the QWL measures that the company has adopted, including in its internship program. Discpharms puts a lot of emphasizes on the importance of QWL criteria. Employees at Discpharms are provided with healthy environment to ensure their workings conditions are safe and significant in ensuring workers have a greater feeling of remaining within (Meenakshi & Parul 2011, p. 79-85). Workers at Discpharms are usually provided with a chance to develop human capabilities in them. This is a way of ensuring they cope up with required skills and knowledge. At Discpharms, workers have a total life space to enable them have freedom as they work. It is through such policies that employees’ wellbeing at Discpharms is boosted consequently boosting performance. This is in particular in relation to generation ‘Y’ who forms the largest percent of workforce in the pharmacy. Job Analysis & QWL at Discpharms: One of the major work concept or theory that is practiced at Discpharms is Job Analysis. Job analysis can be viewed as the process by which jobs are divided so as to determine the responsibilities, tasks, and duties they comprises, the relation they have with other jobs, the working conditions of those jobs, and capabilities/capacity needed for acceptable performance or delivery (Meenakshi & Parul 2011, p. 79-85). At Discpharms, job analysis ensures there is a proper match between capabilities of workers and their job. it clearly defines to workers why their jobs exist as well as the tasks needed for the job, where, when, and even how it is performed. Qualifications and conditions are matters significantly. Effective job analysis ensures that QWL is efficiently achieved Discparms hence high motivation among the workers. QWL at Discpharms: It is important to note that just like many other companies in the world, Discpharms could not sustain all of its operation bases and employees. It was forced to make a choice between dying with all its employees and surviving the crisis, and still have a few things to return to afterwards. Retrenchment, argue Dulworth and Usilaner (2006, p. 146), ensures reduced pressure on the available limited resources. In other words, it is a process by which to limit operations so as to fit within the capacity of resources available. There were only two possible scenarios here: keeping the same number of employees and size of operation and retrenchment. Obviously, salaries paid to many employees would be lower than having the same amount of money distributed to fewer employees. The key objective here is to improve the QWL of employees. Keeping all employees is to have a bunch of poor and depressed workforce. On the other hand, entrenching some means the few left are well cared for and as such, highly motivated and committed (Meenakshi & Parul 2011, p. 79-85). The same goes to shutting down some branches of operation, especially the ones that are less profitable or active. QWL in relation with Discpharms and Australian labor laws: Nevertheless, there is need to analyze the case of Discpharms operations in relation to Australian labor laws. The Australian government law, for instance, provides the basic framework for employee QWL. For instance, under ‘Labor and Employee Benefits’, the law addresses recruitment incentives, minimum wage, employee entitlement to holiday, regulation of relationships at work, maximum working hours, injury and illness of employees, i.e. safety and health obligations, discrimination and harassment, etc. (Williams, et al., 2012). In accordance with the law, Discpharms includes a comprehensive system for addressing grievances. The first step towards this is the organization’s recognition and acknowledgement of possible forms of grievances that could arise (Dulworth & Usilaner 2006, p. 150). For example, in order to ensure conducive work environment for all its employees, the company takes any form of discrimination and harassments/bullying seriously. At Discpharms, the basis for discrimination are classified to include race and color, sexual orientation, disability, age, and other issues related to human-rights. Moreover, categories of harassment are classified to include offensive jokes, intruding into other staff members’ personal life, etc (Meenakshi & Parul 2011, p. 79-85). Thus, management at Discpharms ensures its employees experience none of these. Bullying is also greatly condemned at the Discpharms as a way of ensuring no any worker is hurt at any moment. This is as well according to set laws and regulations of workers in Australia. The main areas in which these acts are mostly manifested are also recognized, e.g. the process of recruitment and selection, the process of training allocation, promotion and retrenchment or dismissal, and the offered Terms and conditions (Dulworth & Usilaner 2006, p. 150). Conclusion The shifts in the needs and expectations of employees have been shaped by the changes of the social and political contexts. More changes are therefore likely to arise as time goes by and the world grows more dynamic (Dulworth & Usilaner 2006, p. 150). Organizations will then need to put in place strategies for accommodating these changes and the resultant employee expectations. Bibliography Dolan, LS, Garcia, S, Cabezas, C & Tzafrir, S 2008, ‘Predictors of "Quality of Work" and "Poor Health" Among Primary Health-Care Personnel in Catalonia’, International Journal of Health Care Quality Assurance, vol. 21, no. 2, pp. 203- 218. Dulworth, M & Usilaner, B 2006, ‘Federal government gainsharing systems in an environment of retrenchment’, National Productivity Review, vol. 6, no. 2, pp. 144-152. Meenakshi, G & Parul, S 2011, Factor credentials boosting quality of work life of BSNL employees in Jamu region, APJRBM, vol. 2, no. 1, p. 79-90. Retrieved from http://www.skirec.com/images/download/apjrbm/APJRBM-VOL2-ISSUE-1-JAN-2011/2.5%20Parul%20Sharma%20FACTOR%20CREDENTIALS%20BOOSTING.pdf Saraji, G & Dargahi, H 2006, ‘Study of Quality of Work Life (QWL)’, Iranian Journal of Public Health, vol. 35, no. 4, pp. 8-14. http://journals.tums.ac.ir/upload_files/pdf/_/2896.pdf (accessed 17 April, 2012) Steenkamp, R & Van Schoor, A 2006, The Quest for Quality of Work Life: A TQM Approach, Landsdowne, Mega Digital Ltd. 45-50. Retrieved from http://books.google.co.ke/books?id=H8hY2AyaKtkC&printsec=frontcover&dq=Quality+of+Work+Life&hl=en&sa=X&ei=0iWZT9u3A-i80QXg-tnoBQ&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=Quality%20of%20Work%20Life&f=false Vanmathy, A & Nickhil, M 2009, An exploratory study on perceived quality of working life among sales professionals employed in pharmaceutical, banking, finance and insurance companies in Mumbai. http://www.thefreelibrary.com/An+exploratory+study+on+perceived+quality+of+ working+life+among+sales...-a0206056230 (accessed 17 April, 2012) Williams, G., Tehan, M., Williams, D. & Ellison, M 2012, ‘Labour and Employee Benefits: Australia’, Practical Law Company. http://usld.practicallaw.com/3-503- 3758?q=&qp=&qo=&qe= (accessed 17th April, 2012). Read More