In the current business world, it is assumed that when an employee is rewarded for their time and labor, they are supposed to be stimulated to carry out tasks entrusted to them and should be happy with the job. However, these traditional methods of employee motivation are slowly becoming obsolete. Thus, there is need to apply the new form of work organization which stands for an optimal balance between the employees’ technical and social demands. The increased interest in a new way has been accompanied by the detonation of the term QWL (QUALITY OF WORK LIFE). This concept talks about the overall welfare of an employee rather than their roles in the company (Kara et al., 2018). A quality work-life balance is what motivates employees to perform exemplarily and enhance service delivery in the workplace. Thus, organizations such as the World Health Organisation, through the human resource department, make it a priority to improve the quality of work life for their employees to increase productivity and service delivery (Baum, 2016). The primary focus of this essay is to shed light on the implications of QWL in the healthcare setting, how the issue was addressed in this setting and give some recommendations on how it could be addressed in a better way.
Implications of QWL in a Healthcare setting
The quality of work life in such an organization affects workers’ performance and productivity. According to a study on the effects of work-life quality on employees in an organization by Bragard et al. (2016), it revealed that the nature of a work environment is the primary determinant of how workers’ productivity and service delivery. According to Herzberg, satisfaction in the workplace is intrinsic to an employee’s job. A worker’s motivation to perform better is derived from the conditions under which they work and their reward systems. Jaiswal (2014) gives a summary of the already existing research on the factors needed to achieve job satisfaction and states that among the critical issues which are essential to attain QWL. These include performance rewards, good working conditions that fit individual needs, employee career development programs and work promotions.
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The employees manifest a low work-life quality in a healthcare organization through indicators such as fatigue, headaches, anxiety, mood swings and general dissatisfaction with work. Some workers are always absent, or showcases of increased aggression and take longer than usual to complete simple tasks (Cascio, 2018). As a result, service delivery is affected, and patients start complaining.
Addressing Quality of Work Life in a health organization
An organization’s human resource management is responsible for ensuring a quality work life for the employees. The main aim is to create a fear-free work environment in which workers’ involvement is pursued vigorously (Kara et al., 2018). Thus, generating a high degree of reciprocal commitment between the work demand and social life of the employees and the organization’s objectives. Some of the ways through which WHO’s human resource ensures quality work life for their employees include:
Reward systems- compensation is an essential element in the management of people. The terms encompass anything received by a worker in return for their effort (Bragard et al., 2015). Quality work life comes into the reward structure through the management of rewards which is concerned with the implementation of strategies that ensure employees are rewarded reasonably and equitable by their value to the organization.
To attain efficient service delivery from their employees, the World Health Organization’s human resource management rewards their employees appropriately. These rewards are in the form of monetary allowances, salary increments, security, and recognition. Thus, their employees feel motivated and in return improve their workplace productivity and performance.
Career progression- the WHO organization, has a career lifecycle which starts from entry into the organization, stage two includes progress in the work structure where an employee develops skills and competence through training, coaching and mentoring and the last step is where already successful employees get more career prospects (Baum, 2016).
To enhance the quality of work life, the human resource management ensures that employees are provided with the security of tenure and many opportunities to advance through the job levels. Thus, workers showcase high productivity when they do not have to worry about job security and their career’s future.
HR policies in the organization and how they are applied
The world health organization utilizes strategies and plans meant to improve the quality of work life for their workers. These policies and plans include ensuring transparency in the workplace, implementation of fair reward systems, motivating workers, salary increments, and wage benefits, promotion, employee training and development and recognition (Jaiswal, 2014).
These policies help improve service delivery and performance in the organization through enhancing employee satisfaction. For instance, the policy of training and development is applied through training programs to workers who are seen as underperforming, thus need more mentorship (Cascio, 2018). As a result, employees are ensured of their job security, their future career and feel important in the organization. When good performing workers are rewarded with promotions and salary increments, they get an urge to perform better, and also their colleagues work harder to get promoted. This works as their motivation, and eventually, the organization experiences increased productivity.
Recommendations
I would like to recommend the increase in employees’ quality work life through improving the job design. A job design that satisfies employees is capable of producing better results. According to Jaiswal (2014), quality of work life is the degree to which employees have the ability to shape their job activities in accordance with their needs and interests. Thus, the individual employee has the power to meet their interest. Practically, it is impossible for an organization to meet the needs of every employee, therefore if it provides appropriate authority to every worker to design their job activities in a manner that will balance between job activities and personal interests, the organization would experience high productivity.
Additionally, regarding quality work life, a good job design would provide employees with an opportunity to develop creativity, their skills and use these to improve their lives. Hence, employees feel satisfied at the workplace and improve their service delivery.
Conclusion
In conclusion, an organization’s human resource is vested with the responsibility to ensure quality work life for their employees. The World Health Organization’s human resource management does this through reward systems and career progression programs, aimed at improving employee’s skills. On reward systems, employees are awarded promotions, salary increments, recognition, monetary allowances and job security. In return, the get motivated t to perform better and increase their productivity. Career progression provides employees with job security and ensures them of a prosperous future. Moreover, employees feel that they are an essential part of the organization and they do not have to worry about their future career. Thus, work harder to increase productivity and enhance service delivery.
References
Baum, F. (2016). The new public health (No. Ed. 4). Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Bragard, I., Dupuis, G., & Fleet, R. (2015). Quality of work life, burnout, and stress in emergency department physicians: a qualitative review. European Journal of Emergency Medicine , 22 (4), 227-234.
Cascio, W. (2018). Managing human resources . New York: McGraw-Hill Education.
Jaiswal, A. (2014). Quality of work life. Journal of business management and social sciences research , 3 (2), 83-89.
Kara, D., Kim, H., Lee, G., & Uysal, M. (2018). The moderating effects of gender and income between leadership and quality of work life (QWL). International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management , (just-accepted).
