Key contextual determinants of quality of work life in multinational enterprises : a contingency approach

Loading...
Thumbnail Image
Date
2002-04
Authors
Joseph O.T., Odusanya
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Universiti Sains Malaysia
Abstract
Multinational enterprises (MNEs) have always been in need of better ability to manage through diversity for optimal performance. One such way has been to manage the quality of work life (QWL) of their employees. Concomitantly, employees of MNEs too, need to be able to participate satisfactorily in the management of their imf!lediate work situation as a means to enhance their motivation and commitment. This study examined the effects of corporate culture and workgroup characteristics, together with the moderating influences of employee position, leadership climate, and MNE country of origin, on QWL. Measures were obtained using a 59-item questionnaire, constructed from modified scales existing in the literature. After a series of Principal Components Analyses (PCA), corporate culture was found to vary along three dimensions. Workgroup characteristics and leadership climate were found to contain two dimensions, and a single dimension was found for QWL. Demographic information pertaining to employee position, among others, were also collected through direct single-item questions. Eight broad hypotheses were tested on employees Q:l = 353) from American, European, and Malaysian petrochemical MNEs, in a cross-sectional field study. Results show corporate culture and workgroup characteristics to be predictors of QWL. Positions of the employees, leadership climate, and country of origin of the MNE were found to moderate the relationships between these independent predictors and QWL with the exception of employee position and leadership climate which did not moderate the relationship between workgroup characteristics and QWL. Practical implications include the confirmation of the existence of subcultures, the drawing of useful corporate culture maps that will enhance the management of QWL, and a feasible contingency framework that can be generalised to other industries.
Description
Keywords
Quality of work life (QWL) of their employees
Citation