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