Quality of Work Life (QWL) and Organizational Justice

Introduction

Work-life can exist in any business interaction because of the engagement of diverse individuals working for a common goal. However, quality work-life exists where fair justice is upheld to support a favorable work environment. For an organization to maintain a quality work environment for its workforce, organizational justice must be practiced. By definition, organizational justice is the equity in regulations and social norms that governs business entities in terms of resource and benefits distributions, processes, and procedures that initiate that distribution (Colquitt et al., 2013).

Impact of Organizational Justice

The impact of practicing organizational justice is that it shapes organizational behavior, which is a fundamental element in providing quality work life.  Organizational behavior gives insights into how individuals internal to an organization, and the external entities behave and perform in the workplace.

This paper supports the rationale that organizational justice should be a fundamental right in the workplace because it plays an integral part in enhancing the quality of working place for the employees. That said, organizational justice stimulates positive organizational behavior since it propels corporate citizenship, employee satisfaction, increased performance, and strong business ethics, which are the depicters of quality work life.  

According to Iqbal et al. (2012), fair practices within an organization increases organizational citizenship. “It can be said that when fair and justice procedures are followed in the organizations and institutions, then employees are more satisfied which lead them in performing a behavior that is beyond the job description” (Iqbal et al., 2012)

Organizational citizenship

Organizational citizenship is the constructive input employees make beyond their job description. When employees are treated equally and with respect to their input in the organization, they develop a sense of ownership and appreciation, which is a crucial element in promoting quality work life. By this, employees get motivated and energized to exploit their potential and go extra in terms of creativity and innovation. Organizational citizenship is an employee loyalty pledge to the company to put in extra effort to accomplish the daily tasks.

When equity is practiced, it enhances the business environment because it provides equal opportunities for employees to showcase their talents and skills facing discrimination of any sort, and this contributes to increased organizational citizenship. However, while employees struggle to fulfill the organization’s demand, they may experience job-related stress and work-life balance problems.

Quality work life

Quality work life can be described as a business environment where employees are justly provided equity, respect, and appreciation of their input in the organization. These justice defining factors can be made a reality when organizational justice is implemented because fair treatment ensures that the state of everything within the organization remains morally justified. Organizational citizenship goes beyond loyalty and commitment since it establishes interactional ethics.

This means that it defines the operational norms on how employees and stakeholders interact with one another, keeping in mind that they all have equal rights to be heard and treated. As Iqbal states, “Organizational justice is important in institutions because it discloses that equitable treatment with all employees and workers exists, which enhances the perception of employees regarding justice “(Iqbal et al., 2012).

This logic helps avoid the mistreatment of others because of their status. By implementing this, the work environment is enhanced since everyone will function in their rightful place without engaging in unnecessary conflicts that may taint the quality of work life.

Quality work life identifiers

Quality work life can be identified when employees do not strain to come to work. But rather appear motivated and enthusiastic in their performance. Favorable working conditions reduce work stressors that may interfere with employee’s mental stability. Hazardous work environments such as unequal resource allocation increase strain, which is associated with mental disorders such as stress.

As Ndjaboué et al. (2012) explain, “One plausible mechanism through which perceived organizational injustice may affect mental health is prolonged stress.” In the article, she explains in detail that the pressure that organizational injustice put on workers is alarming. This is because it makes employees feel unappreciated, and this limits them from robust engagements.

When an entire workforce feels deprived of their rights to be heard and treated fairly, their input decreases systematically. It affects organizational productivity. Thus, Ndjaboué and other researchers urge business organizations to maintain fair treatment of employees. They cite thatthis creates a quality working environment for them. 

The workplace sometimes limits organizational citizenships because of its obligation to other external influences. For instance, the government controls how taxes are cut per individual monthly salary. Employees are limited to support increment of wages to hardworking employees. this is because of the fear of an increased social security tax rate.

Example

I remember a cafeteria store I worked in one time. I was a freshman with little experience in the hospitality industry. This cafeteria had so many customers that working overtime became the norm. However, employee motivation by generous reimbursements was rare. This is because the institution feared an increment in taxes with the increase in wages. For this reason, people were unjustly compensated (on a cash basis). It was depending on the aggressiveness of the unit manager, and this demoralized organizational citizenship.

Organizational injustices taint interpersonal relationships within the hierarchies since the injustice draws a line between the favored and the unfavored. As Ndjaboué explains, “individuals develop beliefs about what would be fair recognition for their work. Then, they compare themselves or someone else with a ‘referent’ in terms of the input/output ratio. The comparison may lead to a perception of unequal treatment between an employee and one or more referent(s). This could, in turn, lead to emotional and/or physical problems” (Ndjaboué et al., 2012).

The difference in treatments creates division within the standard working unit and creates a group of rivals. Following this, collaboration within the work environment becomes impossible because of the destroyed relationship. When employees work in cohesion, they create a peaceful coexistence where people can talk about their issues and get help. If this is impossible, employees experience work pressure, which is proven to cause mental disorders.

For instance, when just a few employees are promoted due to exemplary input and others with good professional records on productivity are left out, this act results in reduced associations. With this situation, employees become socially disconnected and limited to share issues that may trigger depression and anxieties or other mental disorders.

Quality work life Impact

Quality work life increases employee satisfaction and productivity. This can be achieved by practicing organizational justice. Through fair reimbursements, employees get satisfaction knowing that their perceived work outcome is equivalent to their work input. Employee commitment is usually determined by how the business organization treats them. Suppose they are treated well in terms of fair representation and appreciation.

In that case, they trust the process, and this motivates them to work extra hard. Pan et al. (2018) point out that a “Low level of organizational justice would lead to dissatisfaction and negative feelings of employees, which, in turn, lead to some negative consequences.” Therefore, unfair employee treatment may interfere with quality work-life because when employees are unequally treated, they develop destructive behaviors such as undermining organizational goals. Unequal treatment disregards the input of the unfairly judged.

According to Pan et al., (2018), “All fairness variables, as a group, are significantly associated with employees’ work-related attitudes and behaviors.” The fair judgment of employees creates a platform where employees can air out their grievances and be heard. The reason is that organizational justice paves the way for everyone to deliberate on issues that affect their daily operations.

Quality work life Strategy

This strategy helps solve problems amicably and faster to avoid creating irreconcilable differences (Pan et al., 2018). Dealing with issues immediately enhances the quality of working life because employees are able to move past the mistakes and learn to work together again, and this impacts the organizational retention percentage. When employee’s grievances are solved, it boosts their morale because they feel that the organization cares about their feeling.

Organizational justice enables a company to enforce critical values of integrity and trust. Rai (2015) explores how organizational justice leads to a virtuous organization. According to this philosopher, organizational culture is that which is based on integrity to determine how employees behave. For instance, a company that fights against corruption must maintain business ethics that discourages fraudulent behaviors.

This practice must be upheld across all hierarchies to act as a guide that informs and directs all team members. Rai (2015) proposes that “Employees seen as having high benevolence and integrity engender feelings of obligation and trust from their direct supervisors, increasing the likelihood that these supervisors will adhere to interpersonal and informational justice rules, which in turn influences employee perceptions of justice.

Effect of Quality work life

Thus, continually practiced collection of ethical standards helps generate the organizational culture, enhancing the quality of working life. Employees working in a corrupt-free organization are sure that their retribution justice will be based on their efforts and not favored by the system. This policy ensures that employees are satisfied with the company’s growth since the organization’s reports and suggestions concerning matters of importance to the business will be transparent and open to all relevant parties.

This practice encourages employees to excel in their areas of expertise because rewards or reimbursements will be fairly accorded depending on one’s contribution to the company’s establishment. With this type of treatment, employees become more satisfied and productive in their duties.

Organizational justice, in many cases, operates in four faced-justice waves.  Following this, Colquitt et al. (2013) explain that the types of organizational justice include distributive justice, procedural justice, interactional justice, and integrative justice. Each of the mentioned types of organizational justice plays a specific role within the organization.

If one is ignored, it may affect employees significantly because, in a working environment, the composition of the workforce is diverse. Each individual within the working environment upholds distinct beliefs and moral ethics that may not incline with the organizational virtues. Thus, organizational justice creates standards that apply to everyone, and this establishes the organizational culture, which improves equality in the working environment.

Moreover

Additionally, fair treatment of employees entails acknowledging employees’ rights to privacy and providing just feedback regarding their performance. This treatment enhances the quality of working life because employees understand that the company cares about them and appreciates their contributions.

Happy employees exhibit more talents that are significant in improving productivity. When employees are satisfied with how they are treated, the organization experiences fewer sick leave and less employee turnover. As per Colquitt et al. (2013), trustworthy employees engender social exchange relationships with supervisors and supervisors reciprocate employee trustworthiness with increased justice.“

Quality of work-life can be gauged by determining employee’s reactions and behavior in managing their assigned responsibilities. This means that employees who are self-driven and inspired to solving their company’s needs are supported by the management than their counterparts who try to sabotage the organizational plans.

As Rai (2015), posit “fair distribution of resources and fair use of procedures improves 5 dimensions of QWL“. Quality of Work Life (QWL) operates in -5 dimensions, which relies on substantive organizational justice. These dimensions of QWL include employee satisfaction, employee engagement, work-life balance, rewards, and recognitions.

Employee satisfaction

Employee satisfaction is revealed when employees receive justified remunerations. This creates a bond between the employer and the employee to develop an appropriate work environment (Rai, 2015). Thus, just payment of wages plays an essential role in enhancing job satisfaction. Organizational justice increases the employee’s trust in their job security because fair treatment creates an illusion of secured pay because of the transparency within the work environment.

Organizational justice paves the way for participative management. This is a system where employees are involved in critical decision-making processes within the company. Participative management enhances the quality of work-life because it cultivates communication between the company and its employees, which is a strategy that helps employees feel they are valued.

This enhances the QWL since it gives employees an upper hand in reporting any mistreatments that may go unnoticed within the work environment, and this establishes an excellent work-life.  A safe environment is where employees are adequately staffed and allocated resources, and there are reduce work hazards that may affect their productivity and commitment within the organization.

As Rai explains, “work safety and security are effective drivers of QWL.” (Rai,2015) Therefore, organizations applying a fair treatment of employees enhances employee engagement and status since most employees react in response to how they are treated.  

Subordinate relationship

The practice of Organizational justice also creates peer subordinate relationship. This is a system where employees interact with each other at different levels of hierarchy. For instance, any subordinate can report on the progress of a project to the supervisor at a given point without following any protocols.

This process enables easy access and retrieval of results and feedback, and this eases decision making. Peer-superior relationships encourage commitment, which also fosters cohesion between people working in the same environment’s conditions. Moreover, a friendship between coworkers makes the work environment mote intrinsically rewarding.

The most influencing variable of organizational justice is trust in one another, commitment, and job satisfaction (Iqbal et al., 2012).  With these variables, ‘ coworkers can confidently help each other with managing job-related stress, which can be a hindrance to achieving a quality work life.

Consequently, coworker friendships serve as an information chain where individuals can convey information they know concerning occurrences within the organization. This helps employees be aware of opportunities for promotions and places to trade carefully. Friendship across departmental boundaries helps organizational workforces prepare to adapt to changing contexts within the industry.

Most supervisor-subordinate relationships involve much information exchange that mostly benefits the subordinate (Iqbal et al., 2012). Besides, this type of relationship has the potential to formulate significant mentoring opportunities that support career growth and development. However, when organizational justice is ignored, productive business relations fail, putting the organization in jeopardy. Iqbal et al. (2012) conclude that “Unfairness or biasness is the base that leads the organization to troubles and offenses.”

Conclusion

The research proposes that organizations should adopt organizational justice to act as a guide within all their business transactions. This ensures that employees are treated with the dignity they deserve since their input is integral in establishing the business. The current competitive market demand high performance to boost the global economy.

To achieve this, organizations must provide employees with a satisfying work environment. The organizational justice is determined by the degree of fairness applied to treatment and appraisals of employees for their input. With the application of organizational justice, the mentioned provisions can be enforced to create an excellent work environment. Most employees appreciate QWL since it provides a stress-free environment where they feel appreciated, loved, and cared for.

In all the journals used in this essay, the most outstanding detail is that employee actions are usually a reaction. This is cultivated by how they are treated within the company. Therefore, organizational justice equals Quality Work Life.

References

Colquitt, J. A., Greenberg, J., & Zapata-Phelan, C. P. (2013). What Is Organizational Justice? A Historical Overview. Handbook of Organizational Justice.

Iqbal, H. K., Aziz, U., & Tasawar, A. (2012). Impact of organizational justice on organizational citizenship behavior: An empirical evidence from Pakistan. World Applied Sciences Journal, 19(9), 1348-1354.

Ndjaboué, R., Brisson, C., & Vézina, M. (2012). Organizational justice and mental health: a systematic review of prospective studies. Occupational and environmental medicine, 69(10), 694-700. Retrieved from; https://oem.bmj.com/content/69/10/694.full

Pan, X., Chen, M., Hao, Z., & Bi, W. (2018). The effects of organizational justice on positive organizational behavior: Evidence from a large-sample survey and a situational experiment. Frontiers in psychology, 8, 2315.

Rai, G. S. (2015). Organizational justice and quality of working life: A road that leads to a virtuous organization. Journal of Social Service Research, 41(2), 269-294.