Assessing organizational change: quality of work life interventions in the United States Postal Service

Abstract

Because of the changing nature of our society, it is agreed by scholars and practitioners that both private and public organizations face many uncertainties. Diverse solutions have been advanced to remedy these organizational maladies. One of the most popular solutions, theoretical and applied, has been the utilization of Quality of WorkLife (QWL) interventions.

The position taken in this dissertation is that in spite of the glowing testimonials about the effectiveness of QWL applications, it is still difficult to reach any definitive conclusions pertaining to the success(es) of this approach to the organizational change process. Previous research has offered little empirical data to support many of the theoretical assumptions QWL is based on.

Furthermore, most organizations have utilized the human relations conceptual framework (i.e., satisfaction causes performance) to describe the implementation and diffusion of the QWL process. Indeed, the organization evaluated in this study utilized this approach in its QWL endeavor. However, this investigation endorses a different concept, subsystems congruence, to achieve the institutionalization of QWL. A growing body of research literature strongly suggests that this integrated approach offers the best model for successful QWL intervention. Enhancing our understanding of QWL applications and processes is the focus of this study. This knowledge is necessary so organizational leaders, consultants, and academicians will better understand the nature and complexity of implementing, evaluating and institutionalizing various QWL interventions.