dilip patel 2011

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ANNEXURE A (COVER PAGE)

Institute of Business Management and ResearchCode: 2911

Project Title : Quality of Life and Work Life

Prepared By : Mrugesh JoshiAnuj Sharma

A project report submitted in partial fulfillment of the

requirement for the degree of Master of Business

Administration of Sikkim Manipal University, India.

Sikkim Manipal University f Health, Medical and Technological

Science

Distance Education Wing,

Syndicate House,

Manipal 576 104


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ANNEXURE B (STUDENT DECLARATION)

We here by declare that the project report Quality of

Life and Work Life entitled submitted in partial fulfillment

of the requirements for the degree of Masters of Business

Administration to Sikkim-Manipal University, India, are our

original work and not submitted for the award of any other

degree, diploma, fellowship, or any other similar title or prizes.

Name Registration No.

Anuj Sharma 510827956

Mrugesh Joshi 510827953

Date: 10th December 2009

Place: IBMR, Ahmedabad.


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ANNEXURE C (EXAMINERS CERTIFICATE)

The Project Report prepared by Mr. Mrugesh Joshi and

Mr. Anuj Sharma on Quality of Life and Work Life is

approved and is acceptable in quality and form.

Internal Examiner External Examiner

Name: Name:

Qualification: Qualification:

Designation: Designation:


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ANNUXERE D(UNIVERSITY STUDY CENTRE CERTIFICATE)

This is to certify that the Project Report entitled Quality

of Life and Work Life submitted in partial fulfillment of the

requirement for the degree if Master of Business

Administration of Sikkim Manipal University of Health,

Medical and Technological Sceince.

Mr. Mrugesh Joshi and Mr. Anuj Sharma has worked

under my supervision and that no part of this report has been

submitted for the award of any other degree, diplomo,

fellowship or other similar titles or prizes for Sikkim Manipal

University.

Name Registration No.

Anuj Sharma 510827956

Mrugesh Joshi 510827953

Certified:

Prof. (Dr.) Jayshreeben Thakore

BA (Hons.), MSW, L.B. & Ph.D.

Associate Director (Placement)

IBMR, Ahmedabad


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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Before beginning with the documentation, we would

like to heartily express our gratitude to lots of people

because of whose support we could accomplish our project

successfully.

Our obligations remain to all those people and friends

who have directly or indirectly helped us in successful

completion of our project. No amount of words written here

will suffice for our gratitude towards all of them.

Last but not least; we thank to our parents for giving

us continuous guidance, support and motivation for the

growth in professional approach.


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Contents (Index)

Sr.

No. Contents Page No.

1 Objective of Study 1

2 Quality of Life 2

2.1 Hierarchy of Needs 4

2.2 Extrinsic Hygiene Factor 10

3 Quality of Work Life 14

3.1 Attitude 15

3.2 Environment 24

3.3 Opportunities 27

3.4 Nature of Job 28

3.5 Cultural Diversity 41

3.6 Stress Level 44

3.7 Challenges 51

3.8 Growth and Development 52

3.9 Risk Involved and Reward 61

4 Conclusion 62


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Objective of Study

In modern organizational environment employees stress

is a significant factor and Quality of Work Life is the most

important factor determining the quantum or absence of work

stress. As can be seen from the succeeding pages in this

project work many factors can be included in the list of

determinants of quality of work.

The main objective of this study is to discuss in detail

the major factors influencing quality of work life in an

organization. The reader, after going through this work may

become more familiar with those factors and, if he is a

manager, may be in position to put into the practice many

aspects of the determinants discussed in the work.

Also an important objective for me as a student is to

enrich myself by studying the related materials. I am satisfied

that this objective has already been accomplished.

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Quality of Life

The concept of Quality of Life has become an important

topic both in the health field and social welfare. Enhancing the

QOL is more and more considered to be an objective in

treatment and prevention of illness together with the provision

of psychosocial support. For the last few years Quality of Life

has been a major issue of debate, and in recent years the

concept of Quality of Life or living a good life has been the

subject of a number of philosophical and psychological studies

It is becoming increasingly apparent that illness is closely

related to the individual perception of a good life, and

therefore the exploration of indicators related to QOL appears

to be of broad importance for the prevention and treatment of

diseases.

Identifying, which factors constitute a good life may

reveal an understanding about what areas in life should be

encouraged, in order to enhance the global QOL. We include

three major lines of indicators: indicators of the present life,

indicators of the personal history, and indicators from the

beginning of life, including a series of social and biologicalfactors. Our belied was that a part of the variation of QOL in

the adult population could be explained by biological and

social heritage, another part could be explained by life event

happy and unhappy and a third part could be explained by

the conscious choices in life, recently, here and now.

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THE QUALITY OF LIFE

The individual can best be compared to a green apple

with red patched with a hidden nucleus. When this picture is

combined with the picture of humanity as an onion with a

number of layers between the surface and the nucleus, the

taxonomy underlying the Quality of Life analysis is achieved.

Between lifes surface and its inexpressible depth lies well-

being, satisfaction, harmony and meaning and deep concord.

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Hierarchy of Needs

Abraham Maslow developed a theory of personality that

has influenced a number of different fields, including

education. This wide influence is due in part to the high level

of practicality of Maslow's theory. This theory accurately

describes many realities of personal experiences. Many people

find they can understand what Maslow says. They can

recognize some features of their experience or behavior which

is true and identifiable but which they have never put into

words.

Maslow is a humanistic psychologist. Humanists do not

believe that human beings are pushed and pulled by

mechanical forces, either of stimuli and reinforcements

(behaviorism) or of unconscious instinctual impulses

(psychoanalysis). Humanists focus upon potentials. Theybelieve that humans strive for an upper level of capabilities.

Humans seek the frontiers of creativity, the highest reaches of

consciousness and wisdom. This has been labeled "fully

functioning person", "healthy personality", or as Maslow calls

this level, "self-actualizing person."

Maslow has set up a hierarchic theory of needs. All of his

basic needs are instinctoid, equivalent of instincts in animals.

Humans start with a very weak disposition that is then

fashioned fully as the person grows. If the environment is

right, people will grow straight and beautiful, actualizing the

potentials they have inherited. If the environment is not "right"

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(and mostly it is not) they will not grow tall and straight and

beautiful.

Maslow has set up a hierarchy of five levels of basic

needs. Beyond these needs, higher levels of needs exist. These

include needs for understanding, esthetic appreciation and

purely spiritual needs. In the levels of the five basic needs, the

person does not feel the second need until the demands of the

first have been satisfied, nor the third until the second has

been satisfied, and so on. Maslow's basic needs are as follows:

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Physiological Needs

These are biological needs. They consist of needs

for oxygen, food, water, and a relatively constant body

temperature. They are the strongest needs because if a

person were deprived of all needs, the physiological ones

would come first in the person's search for satisfaction.

Safety Needs

When all physiological needs are satisfied and are

no longer controlling thoughts and behaviors, the needs

for security can become active. Adults have little

awareness of their security needs except in times of

emergency or periods of disorganization in the social

structure (such as widespread rioting). Children often

display the signs of insecurity and the need to be safe.

Needs of Love, Affection and Belongingness

When the needs for safety and for physiological

well-being are satisfied, the next class of needs for love,

affection and belongingness can emerge. Maslow states

that people seek to overcome feelings of loneliness and

alienation. This involves both giving and receiving love,

affection and the sense of belonging.

Needs for Esteem

When the first three classes of needs are satisfied,

the needs for esteem can become dominant. These

involve needs for both self-esteem and for the esteem a

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person gets from others. Humans have a need for a

stable, firmly based, high level of self-respect, and

respect from others. When these needs are satisfied, the

person feels self-confident and valuable as a person in

the world. When these needs are frustrated, the person

feels inferior, weak, helpless and worthless.

Needs for Self-Actualization

When all of the foregoing needs are satisfied, then

and only then are the needs for self-actualization

activated. Maslow describes self-actualization as a

person's need to be and do that which the person was

"born to do." "A musician must make music, an artist

must paint, and a poet must write." These needs make

themselves felt in signs of restlessness. The person feelson edge, tense, lacking something, in short, restless. If a

person is hungry, unsafe, not loved or accepted, or

lacking self-esteem, it is very easy to know what the

person is restless about. It is not always clear what a

person wants when there is a need for self-actualization.

The hierarchic theory is often represented as a pyramid,

with the larger, lower levels representing the lower needs, and

the upper point representing the need for self-actualization.

Maslow believes that the only reason that people would not

move well in direction of self-actualization is because of

hindrances placed in their way by society. He states thateducation is one of these hindrances. He recommends ways

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education can switch from its usual person-stunting tactics to

person-growing approaches. Maslow states that educators

should respond to the potential an individual has for growing

into a self-actualizing person of his/her own kind.

Suggestions:

We should teach people to be authentic, to be aware of theirinner selves and to hear their inner-feeling voices.

We should teach people to transcend their culturalconditioningand become world citizens.

We should help people discover their vocation in life, theircalling, fate or destiny. This is especially focused on finding

the right career and the right mate.

We should teach people that life is precious, that there is joyto be experienced in life, and if people are open to seeing

the good and joyous in all kinds of situations, it makes life

worth living.

We must accept the person as he or she is and help theperson learn their inner nature. From real knowledge of

aptitudes and limitations we can know what to build upon,

what potentials are really there.

We must see that the person's basic needs are satisfied.This includes safety, belongingness, and esteem needs.

We should refresher consciousness, teaching the person toappreciate beauty and the other good things in nature and

in living.

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We should teach people that controls are good, andcomplete abandon is bad. It takes control to improve the

quality of life in all areas.

We should teach people to transcend the trifling problemsand grapple with the serious problems in life. These include

the problems of injustice, of pain, suffering, and death.

We must teach people to be good choosers. They must begiven practice in making good choices.

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Extrinsic Hygiene Factor

Frederick Herzberg interviewed 203 American

accountants & engineers, chosen because of their professions

growing importance in the business world. The subjects were

asked to relate times when they felt exceptionally good or bad

about their present job or any previous job, and to provide

reasons, and a description of the sequence of events giving

rise to that positive or negative feeling.

The research showed that responses tended to be

consistent, revealing two different sets of factors affecting

motivation at work. One set of factors if absent or weak

caused dissatisfaction. These related to the job environment /

the context in which the job was performed and thus extrinsicto the job itself, e.g. the quality of supervision, or level of pay.

Herzberg labeled these as the Hygiene or Maintenance

Factors. The second set of factors if present lead to feelings of

satisfaction. These relate to the job itself, for example its

complexity, or importance, which Herzberg named the

Motivators or Growth Factors.

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Herzberg argues that both factors are equally important,

but that good hygiene will only lead to average performance,

preventing dissatisfaction, but not, by itself, creating a positive

attitude or motivation to work. To motivate the employee

management must enrich the content of the actual work they

ask them to do. For example, building into tasks set a greater

level of responsibility, and the opportunity to learn new skills.

In advocating making work more interesting, and improving

the quality of the work experience for the individual, Herzberg

coined the phrase 'Quality of Working Life'.

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The table below lists the common hygiene factors and

motivators identified within organizations.

Herzberg's Two-factor Theory

Hygiene Factors Motivators

Salary,

Job Security,

Working Conditions,

Level and Quality of

Supervision,

Company Policy and

Administration,

Interpersonal Relations

Nature of Work,

Sense of Achievement,

Recognition,

Responsibility,

Personal Growth and

Advancement

Herzberg and Money

It is often wrongly assumed that Herzberg did not value

money, in the sense that he did not consider it a motivator.

This is misleading, as Herzberg argues that the absence of

good hygiene factors including money, will lead to

dissatisfaction and thus potentially block any attempt to

motivate the worker. Herzberg prefers us to think of money asa force which will move an individual to perform a task, but

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not generate any internal desire to do the task well. In fact to

get an individual to perform the task again, he argues, we will

need to offer more money.

Although the original studies have been repeated with

different types of workers, and results have proved consistent

with the original research, Herzberg's theory has been

criticised. Critics point out that a single factor may be a

satisfier for one person, but cause job dissatisfaction for

another. For example increased responsibility may be

welcomed by some, whilst dreaded by others. Whatever the

criticisms, Herzberg has drawn our attention to the

importance of job design in order to bring about job

enrichment, emphasised in the phrase 'Quality of Life'.

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Quality of Work Life

Work is an integral part of out everyday life, as it is our

livelihood or career or business. On an average we spend

around ten to twelve hours daily in the work place, that is one

third of our entire life; it does influence the overall quality of

our life. It should yield job satisfaction, give peace of mind, a

fulfillment of having done a task, ass it is expected, without

any flow and having spent the time fruitfully, constructively

and purposefully. Even if it is a small step towards our lifetime

goal, at the end of the day it gives satisfaction and eagerness

to look forward to the next day.

The factors that influence and decide the Quality of work

life are:

Attitude Environment Opportunities Nature of Job Cultural Diversity

Stress Level Challenges Growth and Development Risk Involved and Reward

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Attitude

An optimistic attitude will enable you to take risks,

innovate, communicate, have confidence and create a better

workplace. This means you are more productive and achieve

more. Where negativity exists in a workplace, people are quick

to blame each other and feel a sense of injustice. With a

negative attitude, you are less likely to be accountable and

reliable.

You carry your attitude around with you, like a pair of

glasses that tints your perception of the world. The great

philosophers sometimes talk about how there is no such thing

as truth, because we all have a slightly different perception of

it, so how can there be an unbiased reality?

In its extreme, there is no world at all, just our

interpretation of it. Think of Descartes famous quote: I think,

therefore I am.

How does this relate to attitudes? Well, the fact is that

your view of the world is limited by your perception of it. Your

experiences, education and personality shape your attitude to

everything around you.

So, depending on how you perceive the world, you will

interpret and react differently to situations than someone who

has a different view. Your tinted glasses (your attitude) will

affect how you think, how you behave and even how you feel.

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The person who is entrusted with a particular job needs

to have sufficient knowledge, skill and expertise, enough

experience, enthusiasm, energy level, willingness to learn new

things, dynamism, sense of belongingness in the organization,

involvement in the job, inter personnel relations, adaptability

to changes in the situation, openness for innovative ideas,

competitiveness, zeal, ability to work under pressure,leadership qualities and team-spirit.

Positive attitudes lead to:

Resilience Bouncing back from adversities is quicker

and easier if you view failure as a learning experience and look

for new approaches, rather than blaming yourself or others

and thinking that the task is too hard or the world is unfair.

Optimism

Success, longevity and happiness are all by-products of

optimism. With an optimistic attitude, you will see yourself as

being able to influence the world and will carry a flame of hope

that enables you to take risks and accept failure.

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Confidence

Confidence stems from optimism. If you are confident,

you believe in your own abilities and think you have the ability

to impact your environment. Your confidence remains steady

during setbacks, because you see them merely as challenges,

and are ready to take new risks.

Creativity

Positive attitudes are at the heart of innovation, because

it takes a risk to try something different. Without confidence

and hope, you would not attempt a new idea.

Conflict resolution

If you pause and think, you can probably think of dozensof examples of where differing attitudes have caused problems

or conflict in your personal and professional relationships.

Conflict arises because we expect everyone to have the same

attitude as ourselves. But, with a positive attitude you can

build your empathy and can more readily see how other

people think and feel.

Emotional intelligence

Once you have the attitude, you will find your emotional

intelligence moving into overdrive. This will enable you to

better manage and express your emotions and understand

others.

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Achievement drives

The attitude of achievement, i.e. the will to get results,

enables you to set challenging goals, takes calculated risks

and learns how to improve performance.

Motivation

Surveys show that most peoples motivation in their job

comes from stimulation and challenge the chance to learn.

Bringing an optimistic attitude to the workplace will create a

culture of innovation. The creativity and stimulation of ideas

will keep you and your workforce motivated and keen to learn.

Focus

If you are focused, you are committed to tasks, take

responsibility for them and are able to align your goals withthe companys goals.

Attitudes can be changed

We develop our attitudes and over time we form habits,

of which we usually have little awareness. Not all our habits

are helpful and some can be destructive or goal defeating. But,

since our attitudes are learned, they can be unlearned.

Many negative attitudes stem from ignorance. This

means you can often change your attitude with the right

knowledge.

For example, if your colleague is short-tempered with

you, you might have a negative attitude towards her (you will

feel angry, you will think she is moody, and your behaviour

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towards her will reflect this you might be unpleasant back to

her or avoid contact with her altogether). But if you were to

learn that she had just been diagnosed with cancer, your

attitude might alter somewhat. Your attitude could be positive

(you will feel compassion and your behaviour will be kind and

understanding).

Changing an attitude starts with self-awareness and

usually includes changing a belief. Over the course of our lives

we develop many beliefs that are bias and cause us to look at

the world in a particular way. It is not surprising that the way

we think effects our behaviour. But, research has also found

that behaviour can affect attitudes just as much.

Therefore, a change in behaviour can change an attitude.Applied to the workplace, this means if you can get employees

to behave a certain way (for example, by calling clients to

make sure their deliveries have arrived), their attitude will

change towards that issue (they will believe following up with

the customer is important).

There are two ways that your attitude can change:

Education

Learning helps develop your attitude. For example, after

learning about emotional intelligence in one of our workshops,

participants reported an average of 55 percent improvement in

their ability to deal with negative emotions.

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It is easier to have the right attitude if you have the right

knowledge.

Experiences

Experiences shape our attitudes. You can provide

employees with the opportunity to think differently. For

example, employees may have poor relationships until they

are given an opportunity to bond together through team

building exercises.

We use theoretical and experiential learning as the basis

for our training. By combining scientific research and self-

analysis with activities and case studies, we are able to offer

the best opportunities for people to develop proactive

attitudes.Developing Attitudes

Workshops, feedback and coaching will benefit your

attitude. Training programs can improve leadership, sales,

handling change, project management, team building,

communication and customer service.

Resilient attitudes the power of optimistic thinking

Resilience is like a rubber band that when stretched

bounces back to its original shape. If you are resilient, you

handle problems better while others are frozen by stress, you

are able to take control. You are proactive and future focused,

because negativity doesnt overwhelm you.

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Building a resilient attitude means becoming more

optimistic.

Pessimism is running amok

Yet, pessimism prevails. Anxiety and depression have

taken a grip on the world. Depression is predicted to become

the second biggest killer after heart disease by 2020.

Pessimism in the workplace is rife.

Job satisfaction is low in a 2003 survey by the job

agency Seek, 49 per cent of respondents said they were

unhappy or very unhappy with their job. And when asked if

there was anything they hated about their job, six out of ten

people said the quality of management.

Low job satisfaction and disdain for the boss causes a

negative workplace culture. But not only is coming to work a

drain, the business is suffering serious economic loss.

Research from the U.S. shows that depression causes

more absenteeism than almost any other physical disorder,

and costs U.S. employers over US$51 billion per year in

absenteeism and lost productivity.

Pessimists are in a constant state of helplessness. They

tend to think of themselves as victims, unable to control the

situations around them. They blame themselves for problems.

They see negative events as permanent and insoluble.

Dont worry, be happy!

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But its in the optimistic moments that brilliance shines

through. Optimists dont internalise negative events, but they

often take credit for positive ones. They are confident and live

with hope so they are more ready to take risks and cope with

failure.

Optimists see themselves as being able to influence their

environment. So, they are resilient able to accept change. In

fact, they are often pioneers of change. Creativity and

innovation stem from optimism.

The can do attitude that comes from optimism is often

self-fulfilling. Very little progress would be made if everyone

sat around fuelled by negative thoughts, like Im hopeless or

I will never be able to do this.

As Thomas Edison said: I have not failed. Ive just found

10,000 ways that dont work. Its that attitude that led him to

patent over 1,000 inventions, including the light bulb, the

phonograph and the "kinetoscope", a small box for viewing

moving films.

Building a positive workplace culture

Your attitude is influenced by the workplace itself, and

this usually comes down to its leadership.

There are many ways to build a productive culture at

work. We can help you do this by looking at your current

situation and finding ways to improve the workplace culture

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by changing peoples attitudes to their job, their environment,

each other and themselves.

Firstly, you need to identify any deficiencies that are

causing negative attitudes. These could include issues like

favouritism, lack of recognition or different sets of standards

for different employees.

Managers who get the best from their teams inspire a

positive workplace culture. Some of the positive influencesinclude:

Fair and equal treatment of all employees Achievements recognised and rewarded Open management style Regular feedback Open and honest communication Clear goals set out Regular training Equal opportunities for all employees

Creating a supportive workplace culture is the first step

to creating pro-active attitudes. To develop your employees

attitudes further, you will need to provide them with theopportunity to assess their feelings, beliefs and behaviours.

You can encourage attitude change by using some of the

tools on this site. Remember though, you cannot change other

peoples attitudes; they need to change their own. But, you

can provide an environment and the resources to encourage

self-awareness and effective behaviours.

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Environment:

The job may involve dealing with customers who have

varied tolerance level, preferences, behavioral pattern, level of

understanding; or it may involve working with dangerous

machines like drilling pipes, cranes, lathe machines, welding

and soldering machines, or even with animals where

maximum safety precautions have to be observed which needs

lot of concentration, alertness, presence of mind, quick with

involuntary actions, synchronization of eyes, hands and body,

sometimes high level of patience, tactfulness, empathy and

compassion and control over emotions.

It is not about managing retention. It is about managing

people. If an organization manages people well, employee

retention will take care of itself. Organizations should focus on

managing the work environment to make better use of the

available human assets.

People want to work for an organization which provides

Appreciation for the work done Ample opportunities to grow A friendly and cooperative environment

A feeling that the organization is second home to the employee

Organization environment includes

Culture

Values

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Company reputation

Quality of people in the organization

Employee development and career growth

Risk taking

Leading technologies

Trust

Types of environment the employee needs in an organization

Learning environment

It includes continuous learning and improvement of the

individual, certifications and provision for higher studies, etc.

Support environment

Organization can provide support in the form of work-life

balance. Work life balance includes:

o Flexible hourso Telecommutingo Dependent careo Alternate work scheduleso Vacationso Wellness

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Work environment

It includes efficient managers, supportive co-workers,challenging work, involvement in decision-making, clarity of

work and responsibilities, and recognition.

Lack or absence of such environment pushes employees

to look for new opportunities. The environment should be

such that the employee feels connected to the organization in

every respect.

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Opportunities

Some jobs offer opportunities for

learning, research, discovery, self-

development, of skills, room for

innovation, public recognition,

exploration, celebrity-status and loads

and loads of fame. Others are

monotonous, repetitive, dull,

routine, no room for improvement

and in every sense boring. Naturally

the former ones are interesting and

very much rewarding also.

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Nature of JobFor example, a driller in the oil drilling unit, a diver, a

fire-fighter, traffic policeman, train engine driver, constructionlaborers, welder, miner, lathe mechanic have to do dangerous

jobs and have to be more alert in order to avoid any loss of

limb, or loss of life which is irreparable; whereas a pilot,

doctor, judge, journalist have to be more prudent and tactful

in handling the situation; a CEO, a professor, a teacher have

more responsibility and accountability but safe workingenvironment; a cashier or a security guard cannot afford to be

careless in his job as it involves loss of money, property and

wealth; a politician or a public figure cannot afford to be

careless, for his reputation and goodwill is at stake. Some jobs

need soft skills, leadership qualities, intelligence, decision

making abilities, abilities to train and extract work from

others; other jobs need forethought, vision and yet other jobs

need motor skills, perfection and extreme carefulness.

In today's world, the structure, content, and process of

work have changed. Work is now:

more cognitively complex

more team-based and collaborative more dependent on social skills more dependent on technological competence more time pressured

more mobile and less dependent on geography.

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In today's world, you will also be working for an

organization that is likely to be very different due to

competitive pressures and technological breakthroughs.

Organizations today are:

leaner and more agile more focused on identifying value from the customer

perspective

more tuned to dynamic competitive requirements andstrategy

less hierarchical in structure and decision authority less likely to provide lifelong careers and job security continually reorganizing to maintain or gain competitive

advantage.

This Resource Page explores the changing nature of

organizations and work, the drivers behind the changes, and

the consequences for workers and the workplace.

A. The Key Drivers for Changing Nature of Work

Although many factors ultimately contribute to the

changing patterns of work, organizational theorists point to

two key drivers:

Increasing pressures on organizations to be morecompetitive, agile, and customer focusedto be a "lean

enterprise."

Communication and information technologybreakthroughs, especially mobile technologies and the

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Internet that enable work to be separated from time and

space.

Changes in Organizational Focus: What does it Mean to

be Lean?

The Lean Enterprise model was introduced to the world

by Toyota in the 1970s. Since then, it has fueled changes in

organizations across the globe, particularlybut not

exclusivelyin manufacturing and product development.

The key principles of Lean Enterprise (or "lean thinking",

as it is sometimes called) are:

Define value from the customer's perspective. Identify internal activities and processes that add value

for the customer and identify linkages between them (the

"value chain").

Eliminate non-value added activities (or "waste") acrossthe organization.

Reduce waste and inefficiencies in support (e.g.,overhead) functions.

The lean enterprise principles enabled many

organizations to respond more rapidly to the marketplace by

reducing cycle time, developing mass customization processes,

and supporting continual change and innovation.

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Creating the Lean Machine: Changes in Organizational

Structure and Relationships

Adopting lean principles and lean thinking has led to

numerous changes in organizational structure to improve the

efficiency of internal processes, with a goal of eliminating

waste and defining customer value.

These changes have been supported and enabled by

transformations in information and communications

technology, especially the Internet and mobile computing and

communication devices.

Key organizational changes include:

Reduced hierarchical structureHierarchies arecumbersome and cannot respond quickly to changing

market demands, such as pressures for reduced cycle

time and continuous innovation. Hierarchies are being

replaced by cross unit organizational groupings with

fewer layers and more decentralized decision making.

Blurred boundariesAs organizations become morelaterally structured, boundaries begin to breakdown as

different parts of the organization need to work more

effectively together. Boundaries between departments as

well as between job categories (manager, professional,

technical) become looser and there is a greater need for

task and knowledge sharing.

Teams as basic building blocksThe move toward ateam-based organizational structure results from

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pressures to make rapid decisions, to reduce

inefficiencies, and to continually improve work

processes.

New management perspectiveWorkers are no longermanaged to comply with rules and orders, but rather to

be committed to organizational goals and mission. The

blurring of boundaries also affects organizational roles.

As employees gain more decision authority and latitude,

managers become more social supporters and coaches

rather than commanders.

Continuous changeOrganizations are expected tocontinue the cycles of reflection and reorganization.

However, changes may be both large and small and are

likely to be interspersed with periods of stability. Kling

and Zmuidzinas identify three types of change

"metamorphosis" (far reaching, fundamental change),

"migration" (shifts toward a new form), and "elaboration"

(changes that enhance some aspect of work).

B. How Work is Changing for Individuals and Groups

Over the past two decades, a new pattern of work is

emerging as the knowledge economy realizes the full potential

of both new technologies and new organizational models. The

changes fall into the following domains:

Cognitive competence Social and interactive competence

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The new "psychological contract" between employees andemployers

Changes in process and placeAlthough these domains are discussed separately, they

overlap. We briefly discuss the overlaps, where they exist, and

point to the benefits and concerns the new work patterns

present for workers and managers.

Cognitive Competence

Cognitive workers are expected to be more functionally

and cognitively fluid and able to work across many kinds of

tasks and situations. The broader span of work, brought

about by changes in organizational structure, also creates new

demands, including:

Increased complexity of workWorkers need to knowmore, not only to do their jobs and tasks, but also to

work effectively with others on teams. Many knowledge-

based tasks require sound analytical and judgment skills

to carry out work that is more novel, extemporaneous,

and context based, with few rules and structured ways of

working. Although demand for high cognitive skills are

especially prominent in professional, technical, and

managerial jobs, even administrative tasks require more

independent decision making and operational decision

making.

Continuous competency developmentNot only doworkers need to keep their technology skills up to date,

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they need to be continuous learners in their knowledge

fields and to also be more conversant with business

strategy. Time to read and attend training classes is no

longer a perquisite of only a few, it is essential for all

workers.

Different ways of thinkingRosabeth Kantor argues thatcross-functional and cross boundary teams require

"kaleidoscope thinking," the ability to see alternative

angles and perspectives and to create new patterns of

thinking that propel innovation. Workers also need to be

able to synthesize disparate ideas in order to make the

cognitive leaps that underlie innovation.

Cognitive Overload: The Cost of Complexity

Vastly increased access to information has made work

both easier and more difficult. The ease comes from ability to

rapidly locate and download information from diverse web

sites. The difficulty comes with the need to consume and make

sense of new information in a timely fashion. Information

overload, coupled with time pressures and increased work

complexity, lead to what psychologists call "cognitive overload

syndrome (COS)." Symptoms of COS include stress, inability

to concentrate, multitasking, task switching, and a tendency

to focus on what is easy to do quickly rather than what is

important.

Social and Interactive Competence

In a 2001 report on the changing nature of work, theNational Research Council called attention to the importance

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of relational and interactive aspects of work. As collaboration

and collective activity become more prevalent, workers need

well-developed social skillswhat the report calls "emotional

labor."

Good social skills are necessary for:

Team work and collaborationConflict resolution andnegotiation skills are essential to collaborative work.

Conflicts often occur about group goals, work methods,assignments, workloads, and recognition. Team

members with good conflict and negotiation skills are

better equipped to deal openly with problems, to listen

and understand different perspectives, and to resolve

issues in mutually beneficial ways.

Relationship development and networkingSharingimportant information, fulfilling promises, willingness to

be influenced, and listening are building blocks of

reciprocity and the development of trust. When workers

trust one another, they are more committed to attaining

mutual goals, more likely to help one another through

difficulties, and more willing to share and develop newideas.

Learning and growthMany organizations strive to belearning centersto create conditions in which

employees learn not only through formal training but

through relationships with coworkers. Learning

relationships build on joint problem solving, insightsharing, learning from mistakes, and working closely

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together to aid transmission of tacit knowledge. Learning

also develops from mentoring relationships between

newcomers and those with experience and organizational

know-how.

The Costs of Collaborative Environments

In a collaborative work setting, the fate of individuals is

inextricably bound to collective success. Dependence on

others for one's own success is often uncomfortable. As Susan

Mohrman and Susan Cohen write in a chapter from The

Changing Nature of Work:

"We have been socialized to value individual

responsibility and individual achievement, and feel

discomfort with the thought of relying on others."

Comments about the fear of not having individual efforts

recognized are common in the literature on team work.

Collaboration and relationship development also take

time and effort. Understanding coworkers' perspectives and

"thought worlds" requires time spent listening, integrating,

and synthesizing. For those workers recognized as both

knowledgeable and approachable, the demands of interaction

may be especially high.

C. The New Psychological Contract

As work changes, so does the nature of the relationships

between employees and employers. In the new work context,

the informal, "psychological contract" between workers and

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employerswhat each expects of the otherfocuses on

competency development, continuous training, and work/life

balance. In contrast, the old psychological contract was all

about job security and steady advancement within the firm. As

already discussed, few workers expect, or desire, lifelong

employment in a single firm.

As job security declines, many management scientists see

clouds on the horizon, including:

Corporate indifferenceShoshana Zuboff and JamesMaxmin, in The Support Economy, describe a new

individualism among U.S. workers. These new

individuals are invested in "psychological self

determination." They desire participation, expression,

identity, and quality of lifeall values which areespoused by organizations, but largely ignored in

practice as organizations continue to focus on reducing

fixed labor costs.

Reduced loyalty and commitmentWith little expectationfor advancement, workers feel less committed to

organizational goals and more committed to their ownlearning and development. The knowledge and

technological skills that employees bring with them to

the workplace are transportable and are not lost when a

new job is taken.

Increased time burdensYears of downsizing and

outsourcing have produced what Lesie Perlow calls a"time famine"the feeling of having too much to do and

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too little time to do it. In order to keep up with

workloads, many workers are spending longer hours at

work, according to reports by the Bureau of Labor

Statistics and the Center for Workforce Development.

Flexible work arrangements do not keep up withemployee preferencesThe Work Trends 2000 report

found that 74% of workers were not allowed flexible

hours and work arrangements (such as telecommuting).

Those with flex hours have limited freedom regarding

when and where to work. The vast majority of workers

have to commit to a specific day to work at home or a

specific day to take off if they work four10-hour days.

D. The Changing Workplace

The changing workplace is driven by the organizational

issues described above and enabled by technologies that

support mobility and easy access to information. These

pressures and opportunities, however, have not resulted in a

specific new workplace model. Many models and ideas exist

concurrently, with designs depending upon the organization,

its work practices, culture, and customers. Table 1 highlights

key drivers, solutions, and potential issues raised by the

solution.

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Table 1. Drivers, Solutions, and Issues for the Changing

Workplace

DriversWorkplace and technology

solutionsIssues and concerns

Increased useof teams andcross unitwork; morepressure forcommunicationand informationflow

More meeting space Greater variety of meeting

spaces (open & enclosed, large& small)

Smaller individualworkspaces

More open individualworkspaces

Unassigned workspaces Greater interior visibility to

support awareness

Mobile supports (phones, laptops,PDAs, wireless)

Personal video, instantmessaging, desktop teamsoftware

More use of project rooms Displayed information and work

progress

Small rooms for individualfocus

Lockers for personal belongings

Increased noise Increased distractions and

interruptions

Potential for "overcommunicating"

Cultural barriers tobehavioral change

Individuals working longerhours to compensate forlack of time to do individualtasks

Expectations that workersare always available

Greater use ofdispersed workgroupsoftenglobal

Increased use of videoconferencing, computer-basedteam tools

More reliance on conferencecalls

Greater need for mobiletechnological supports formeeting rooms

Use of facilities beyond normalworking hours

Expansion of the workday toaccommodate geographicallydispersed team meetings

Loss of opportunity todevelop trust through face toface interaction

More difficulty managingand coordinating

Very high dependence ontechnological reliability

Continualreorganizationandrestructuring

Flexible infrastructure to supportrapid reconfiguration

Mobile furnishings Acoustical problems with

loss of good enclosure

Potential for reducedergonomic effectiveness

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Reducedcosts/moreefficient spaceuse

Shared or unassignedworkspaces

Centralized filing system

Reduced workstation size andincreased overall densities

Greater overall spatial variety toenable different kinds of workto be accommodated at sametime

Increased distractions andinterruptions

Increased noise

May meet with employeeresistance

More difficult for paperintensive work

Improvedquality of worklife andattraction of

new workers

More equitable access to daylight,views, and other amenities

More equitable spatialallocation and workspacefeatures

Amenities for stress reductionand quiet relaxation

Resistance from those whosupport hierarchical spaceallocation

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Cultural Diversity

Employees in almost any organization are divided into

subgroups of various kinds. Formation of groups is

determined by two broad sets of conditions. First, job-related

differences and similarities, such as type of work, rank in the

organization, and physical proximity to one another,

sometimes cause people to align themselves into groups.

However, a second set of non-job-related conditions arise

primarily fro an individuals personal background; these

conditions are highly important for legal, moral and economic

reasons. In particular, the U.S. workforce has rapidly become

much more diverse, with females, African Americans,

Hispanics and Asian

immigrants bringing their

talents to employers inrecord numbers. This

cultural diversity or rich

variety of differences

among people at work

raises the issue of fair

treatment for worker who

are not in position of

authority.

Equal Employment Opportunity Laws

An early attempt to deal with cultural diversity at work

and fair treatment for employees was through federal and

state legislation. It requires employers, labour unions and

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employment agencies to treat all people equally, without

regard to race, colour, religion, national origin, gender, sexual

preference or age in all phases of employment.

Equal Employment Opportunity laws prohibit

discrimination on factors other than job performance. In

response, many organizations voluntarily developed

affirmative-action plans, in which they adopted

nondiscrimination policies, reviewed their personnel practices,

and monitored their progress. Affirmative-action programs,

designed to expand the opportunities for qualified people, have

three major goals.

To provide redress fir past discriminations.To correct current discrimination.

To pursue greater diversity as a value objective.

If Equal Employment

Opportunity were completely

successful, it would produce lost

of greater benefits. Although

considerable progress has been

made, it has often been show,

and problems still remain while a

societal debate over the merits of

affirmative action has raged. Problems may persist because of

a key difference in this context between discrimination and

prejudice. Discrimination is generally exhibited as an action,

whereas prejudice is an attitude. Either may exist without the

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other. The law focuses on an employers actions, not feelings.

If actions lead to what is legally determined to be

discriminatory results, such actions are unlawful regardless of

the employers alleged good intentions.

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Stress Level

All these above mentioned factors are inter-related and

inter-dependant. Stress level need not be directly proportional

to the compensation. Stress is of different types - mental

stress/physical stress and psychological or emotional stress. A

Managing Director of a company will have mental stress, a

laborer will have physical stress, a psychiatrist will have

emotional stress. Mental stress and Emotional stress cause

more damage than physical stress.

Pressure and stress

There is

sometimes confusion

between the termspressure and stress. It

is healthy and

essential that people

experience challenges

within their lives that

cause levels of

pressure and, up to a

certain point, an increase in pressure can improve

performance and the quality of life, . However, if pressure

becomes excessive, it loses its beneficial effect and becomes

harmful and destructive to health.8

Stress is the reaction that people have to excessivepressure or other types of demand placed on them. It arises

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when they worry that they cannot cope9. The pressures of

working life can lead to stress if they are excessive or long-

term. Examples of long-term or chronic stress are the fear,

frustration and anger that may be produced by an unhappy

relationship with one's boss or with a difficult customer, and

the unhappiness of an unsuitable job. .

Dealing with stress at work

There are four main approaches that organizations can

adopt to address stress at work. These can be used together

as a single initiative or may be adopted individually in a more

step-by-step well-being program.

Policy, procedures and systems audit - requires the

organization to undertake an audit of its policies, procedures

and systems to ensure that it provides a working environment

that protects the well-being of the workforce and is able to

identify troubled employees and provide them with an

appropriate level of support.

Problem centered approach - provides a problem solving model

for dealing with stress and other psycho-social issues. It takes

issues and problems that arise within the workplace and

identifies why they have occurred and then finds ways to solve

them. The identification process may involve undertaking a

risk assessment, examining sickness absence levels, employee

feedback, claims for compensation and performance deficits.

Well-being approach - takes the view that the aim is to

maximize employee well-being. Although it uses similar tools

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to those used by the problem centered approach it is much

more proactive in identifying ways to create a healthy

workforce.

Employee centered approach -works at the individual level of

the employee. Individuals are provided with education and

support in order to help them deal with the problems they face

in the workplace. The employee centered approach focuses on

employee counseling and stress management training.

Measures to reduce workplace stress

Undertaking a stress audit using the OccupationalStress Indicator and subsequently directing resources to

reduce or eliminate the sources of stress.

Agenda items should include terms and conditions ofemployment, physical and psychological working

conditions, work content, communication systems and

working relationships.

The development of a supportive work ethos toencourage staff to discuss and seek support when

experiencing stress.

When sources of stress cannot be eliminated other

interventions may be considered, such as:

stress management and relaxation techniques training promoting of healthy behaviour and exercise personal counseling schemes.

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Should an organization have a stress policy?

While many organizations have developed stress policies,

others have found that a well-being policy is much more

effective in recognizing the need to maximize the well-being of

their employees rather than merely reduce their level of stress.

This approach is in line with that taken by the World Health

Organization (1990). Whether organizations choose a 'well-

being' or 'stress' policy the elements that should be contained

in the policy are very similar.

The policy should:

begin with a clear statement which shows that theorganization is committed to developing a working

environment that promotes the health and well-being of

the organization and its employees

be supported by senior management be kept under constant review, together with other

company policies, procedures and initiatives to ensure

that they maximize employee well-being

provide for identification of and a regular review of the

key well-being indicators ensure the provision of effective advice, support,

counseling and training to enhance employee well-being

incorporate the process for evaluating the effectiveness ofall well-being initiatives. .

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Stress and the employee

Excessive pressure and problems can occur in an

employee's personal life as well as at work. If an employee is

facing a relationship breakdown, financial problems,

difficulties with neighbors or bereavement, it is possible that

these problems may affect the employee's ability to work

effectively. Employees do not have to describe the nature of

their personal problems to their manager or HR. However, if

personal problems begin to affect performance at work then

this will need to be raised and discussed with the employee.

The objective of the meeting would be to identify the help that

the manager or HR can give to the employee to return to

effective working.

Signs of stress

The first signs that indicate employees may be suffering

from excessive pressure or stress are changes in behaviour or

appearance. A guide on the kinds of changes that may occur

is given below.

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Work performance

declining/inconsistentperformance

uncharacteristic errors loss of control over work loss of

motivation/commitment

indecision lapses in memory increased time at work lack of holiday

planning/usage

Regression

crying arguments undue sensitivity irritability/moodiness over-reaction to problems personality clashes sulking immature behaviour

Withdrawal

arriving late to work leaving early extended lunches absenteeism resigned attitude reduced social contact elusiness/evasiveness

Aggressive behaviour

malicious gossip criticism of others vandalism shouting bullying or harassment poor emplyee relations temper outbursts

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Other behaviours

out of characterbehaviour

difficulty in relaxing increased consumption

of alcohol

increased smoking lack of interest in

appearance/hygiene

accidents at home orwork

reckless driving unnecessary risk taking

Physical signs

nervous stumblingspeech

sweating tiredness/lethargy upset

stomach/flatulence

tension headaches hand tremor rapid weight gain or loss constantly feeling cold

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Challenges

The job should offer some challenges at least to make it

interesting; That enables an employee to upgrade his

knowledge and skill and capabilities; whereas the monotony of

the job makes a person dull, non-enthusiastic, dissatisfied,

frustrating, complacent, initiative - less and uninteresting.

Challenge is the fire that keeps the innovation and thrill alive.

A well-accomplished challenging job yields greater satisfaction

than a monetary perk; it boosts the self-confidence also.

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Growth and Development

The way people treat each other in companies and other

organizations is affected by the common vision that employees

share. One of the deepest desires underlying shared vision is

the desire to be connected, to a larger purpose and to one

another.

Peter Senge, 1990

The Psychologically Healthy Workplace

Most of us go through our lives using no more than a

fraction of the potential within us. (Gardner, 1990) The way acompany conducts its business and treats its employees can

either reinforce this lost potential or nurture the untapped

capabilities that every person possesses. It is a well-known

fact within American corporations that employees are more

likely to perform effectively when they experience mutual trust

and loyalty from their colleagues, are involved in decisions

about their work, and believe the company cares about their

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development as individuals. It is easier to acknowledge this

fact, however, than it is to create and maintain a corporate

culture that embodies the principles of trust and shared

decision-making.

The issue of developing employees potential is further

complicated by the team-based environment in which many

companies operate how can companies promote individual

excellence while, at the same time, encouraging a collaborative

approach to solving problems and producing innovative,

coordinated action? Even those companies that rely on

individual achievement inevitably find themselves operating in

a team environment, at times. It is important for companies to

provide opportunities for individual professional development

as well as to offer training in the development of collaborativeskills and practices. Before companies can increase team

cooperation, individual employees need the kind of training

experiences that foster honest, thoughtful communication

among employees and the opportunity to receive constructive

feedback. A psychologically healthy workplace values the

importance of team-building and leadership development for

all of its employees. Organizations that create a climate of

trust and mutual respect develop healthy practices and rituals

that all employees can learn, participate in, and support.

Ultimately, healthy organizations reflect the example of

their leadership. In such an organization, management checks

in with employees regularly to get feedback on what's working

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and not working. These organizations build in time for

professional development. Leadership skills are taught and

nurtured across the company, so that employees can learn

and practice new skills and have the time to plan, implement

and assess progress. In a healthy work environment,

employees have a common vision about what's possible, and

they feel empowered to make that vision a reality. A sense of

commitment and passion is shared among employees. People

are willing to risk thinking creatively; share their ideas openly;

and deal with conflict in a timely and thoughtful fashion.

Working in a Pressure Zone

A company's long-term success lies in building a strong

foundation of healthy relationships among employees. The

basic communication skills implicit in building theserelationships can be named and taught, and teaching them to

employees as part of their professional development plan

establishes a company-wide shared language and set of

assumptions. Three critical skills that can help employees

work in increasingly diverse and demanding work

environments are: Active Listening, Negotiation, and Straight

Talk. At the Princeton Center, we have developed a simulation

game called "The Pressure Zone" that teaches employees how

to use these three skills in commonplace work situations, thus

helping them maneuver through potentially conflict-ridden

scenarios with care. Each of these skills is defined below in

the context of three sample situations that players of The

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Pressure Zone must successfully address in order to progress

along the game board.

Situation #1: A colleague confides in you that he didn't get the

raise he was expecting and he's very upset.

Active Listening Standards: Paraphrase what you're hearing

and reflect back to him what you think he must be feeling.

Avoid giving advice or making a judgment about his situation.

Situation #2: A colleague has asked for your help on a project

but you are feeling overwhelmed with an assignment that is

already overdue.

Negotiation Standards: Clarify what your colleague wants andoffer an alternative for not helping him at this time. Create a

"win-win" situation by reaching an agreement that meets both

of your needs.

Situation #3: An employee who is under your supervision has

been coming to work late, and you are concerned about his

recent lack of motivation in meeting deadlines.

Straight Talk Standards: Share with this person what you

appreciate or value about this work as well as what is getting

in the way of a successful working relationship. Make sure he

can "play back" to you what you've said to avoid any

miscommunication.

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In each of these simulated experiences, employees practice

new ways of communicating with each other and, in the

process, they establish a healthier work environment that

promotes mutual respect and trust.

Creating a Climate for Positive Change

Once employees have the tools for improving their

communication with one another, companies can then direct

their attention to a model of shared leadership, or an

environment in which skilled and motivated individuals are

empowered to provide feedback and take action to further the

vision of the company. The Princeton Center can help to build

the leadership capacity of organizations to establish such a

model. It involves three essential steps or stages:(1) conducting Focus Groups that reach all employees in a

company; (2) running Town Meetings that include large group

gatherings and small group reflection; and (3) creating Action

Teams that implement needed internal changes that have

been identified during this three-step process.

The support and participation of upper management in

every level of this process is critical. Company executives must

be willing to move to a shared-leadership model that involves

all employees in developing and enacting a common vision.

Executives must be comfortable receiving constructive

feedback from employees about what's working and not

working within the company. And, finally, those that run the

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company must commit the time required for teams of

employees to work on improving the company's internal

communications. In our experience, what seems initially to be

time away from daily work is in fact an investment in the

development of a positive, forward-looking organizational

energy that yields long-term productivity. Creating a climate

for positive change within a company begins with courageous

and committed executives who are open, flexible and

responsive who are themselves willing to take a risk.

Conducting Focus Groups

A Focus Group is a small discussion forum intended to

expedite the exchange of ideas in an honest, safe and

constructive way within a company or organization. (Powell

and Attias, 2000) Focus group teams are diverse andthoughtfully put together. Employees with different roles from

all divisions within a company are selected to become co-

facilitators of Focus Groups. Each two-person team runs a

forum for 10-12 other employees. The co-facilitators have two

roles. First, their role is to engage group members in

thoughtful discussion and guide them to reflect, share and

gain new understanding about company goals and future

needs. Second, their role is to accurately document the ideas

and suggestions of focus group members by recording

verbatim comments and highlighting key themes. Focus

Group facilitators are trained by Princeton Center staff to

carry out these two roles confidently and competently. Focus

Group questions examine issues that affect the culture and

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climate of the organization, such as current vision; level of

trust within the company; clarity regarding employee roles and

responsibilities; employee morale and commitment to

company goals; degree of confidence in the organizations

leadership; and employee empowerment and willingness to

take risks.

Running Town Meetings After all data from Focus Group

meetings has been collected, analyzed and prioritized, the

results are communicated at a large group gathering of all

employeessometimes referred to as a Town Meeting. Town

Meetings are vital public gatherings that embody and

showcase not only a companys commitment to

communication, but also its willingness to act on its

employees needs and concerns. Upper level management

conducts this meeting and plays back to employees the centralthemes that came out of the Focus Group meetings and the

specific suggestions made to improve the internal workings of

the company (note that this approach demonstrates Active

Listening). A list of short- and long-term improvements is

presented with a timetable for action.

Immediately following the presentation, employees are

given the opportunity to reflect together on what theyve

heard, and provide feedback to upper management. They

return to their small group forums, which are led by the same

two facilitators who ran their Focus Group. Sufficient time is

provided for these groups to respond to the presentation

specifically, what members heard that most excited them and

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what is still missing from the plan of action that must be

addressed to improve communication, company morale, best

work practices, etc. Each team reports back to the large

group, and agreements are made about next steps.

Creating Action Teams

Action Teams represent the next phase of committing to

a shared leadership model that views its employees as a rich

intellectual and strategic resource. Teams that embody the

diversity of interests and talents within the organization are

formed to research or carry out the mutually agreed-upon

plans of top executives and company employees. It is

recommended that each team is co-led by trained employee-

facilitators who have knowledge about group dynamics and

skill in how to conduct meetings and encourage the activeparticipation of all members. This process of sharing

leadership across all facets of the company will raise employee

morale and increase personal commitment to the company's

vision and goals. If the company's vision is unclear or is

creating conflict, then one of the Action Teams may want to

take employees through a visioning exercise that helps build a

common understanding of what the company's primary

mission is and where it's going in the future. Another Action

Team may want to tackle ways to introduce new rituals or

company practices that help to build an esprit de corps among

employees. Action Team tasks may be short- or long-term, but

the team's specific objectives always derive from Focus Group

data and Town Meeting agreements. Action Teams periodically

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report their progress at follow-up Town Meetings to insure

accountability and encourage ongoing input from employees

not directly involved on the teams.

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Risk Involved and Reward

Generally reward or

compensation is directly proportional

to the quantum of work, man-hours,

nature and extent of responsibility,

accountability, delegated powers,

authority of position in the

organizational chart, risk involved,

level of expected commitment,

deadlines and targets, industry,

country, demand and supply of skilled

manpower and even political stability and economic policies of

a nation. Although risk is involved in every job its nature and

degree varies in them; All said and done, reward is a key

criteria to lure a prospective worker to accept the offer.

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Conclusion

The Quality of Life is closely connected to health. Wherehealth is very difficult to change, there are a number of factors

related to Quality of Life that actually seems changeable.

Some of these factors can be changed by the person, like

attitudes and general philosophy of life, the liking of others,

the inner state of harmony and balance created from

integrating one personal past and learning from everythingthat has happened in life, including the emotionally negative

events. A very interesting finding from our study was that the

yearly income, social group, educational level, and other

objective factors showed only a very limited association with

Quality of Life and health. This is interesting as most people in

our time strive for material wealth and social status, which in

fact does not give a better Quality of Life and Health. Many

people blame their past for their poor Quality of Life, but our

findings did not support this idea.

A happy and healthy employee will give better turnover,

make good decisions and positively contribute to the

organizational goal as well as the society. An assured good

quality of work life will not only attract young and new talent

but also retain the existing experienced talent

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