Making sense of quality of work life programs

Quality circles, flextime, and wellness in the workplace are but a few of the plethora of new, and often confusing, ideas about improving America's business. What they seek to do and why they have arisen now are the subjects of this article.     

Negative influences of working life on sustainable consumption

Working life can have negative influences on sustainable consumption. In order to promote environmentally and socially friendly consumption patterns and a sustainable society, these negative influences need to be identified and prevented. Research on sustainable consumption has considered different positive and negative influences of working life on sustainable consumption. However, with regard to work‐life‐research and its gained insights into the work‐life relationship, it can be assumed that significant work interferences that restrain sustainable consumption have been ignored so far. Therefore, this article proposes an integrated approach. An overview on sustainable consumption research and work‐life‐research regarding their insights into work interferences is first presented. On this basis, the article then integrates both research perspectives and shows that additional work interferences need to be considered in order to prevent restraints of sustainable consumption.     

Selecting quality based programs in small firms

Over the last decades, the quality issues have received increased attention from top managers and academics. The international debate mainly focused on managerial and economical implications resulting from the implementation of TQM programs in large companies, thus not considering peculiarities that such investments present within small firms. As a matter of fact, many small firms have adopted quality based programs and, unfortunately, failed to achieve the planned results: a major reason of the failure of TQM initiatives is due to the lack of effective decisional tools aimed at identifying the most suitable quality related investments.Hence, the objective of the paper is to define a model that supports managers of small firms in the identification of most effective quality related priorities: to this end, a contingent approach that identifies different contexts according to the environment where the company operates and to the relationships between the firm and its stakeholders is suggested. Guide-lines for choosing a specific decisional technique aimed at selecting the most effective choice among the identified feasible priorities are suggested, too.     

Implementation of quality programs in health care organizations

Any organization??s efforts to achieve continuous quality improvements must involve applying various quality related programs and tools. Such efforts are important for improving quality of products and/or services and increasing business performance. It is especially important for health care organizations as quality of care and service is a top priority. The focus of this study is on the implementation of quality programs which are based on tools, awards criteria, or standards to improve quality of care in the health care industry. Two hundred fifty-four hospitals with more than 100 beds that have quality programs were used to collect data for this study. Two of the most widely used quality programs were quality control (61.8?%) and total quality management (60.6?%). As widely known quality programs have shown to play a role in improving quality of care in the global health care market, some hospitals implement a combination of various quality programs to get certification or an award that helps them enter the international market such as medical tourism.     

一个生活品质的梦想

房子是和生活方式息息相关的,有形的产品无形的社区及精神联系都很重要。北京星河湾,创造出—个品牌、一种品质和一种精神,让人们进入更高层次的生活。沐浴着 LAMPE BERGER 的香薰,抱着现代人不可或缺的宝贝 LifeBook P1510,陷在沙发里,一种工作,别样的雍容。星河湾满足的是一种愿望和梦想。     

Social factors and company location decisions: Technology,quality of life and quality of work life concerns

A number of factors must be considered in facility location decisions. Recent research on job design suggests that the effects jobs may have on quality of work life and quality of life in general should be considered in facility location decisions in addition to other normal factors. The present study was designed to examine quality of work life and quality of life factors of residents in a low income and low education area. The intent was to determine what types of jobs might have the most positive effect on people in this type of region. Data were collected from 409 households in a low income/education region. The results showed that people from this region were as satisfied with their quality of work life and quality of life as people in other regions with better jobs, higher incomes, and better general life situations. Results are discussed in light of facility location decisions and types of jobs having the most positive impact.     

人统计数据质量角度谈调查问卷的设计质量

从保证统计数据质量的统计工作过程看，统计数据质量可以被划分为统计设计质量、统计调查质量、统计整理质量、统计分析质量以及数据发布传输质量等。统计设计质量是保证统计数据质量的首要环节，在统计数据质量保证体系中起着关键性作用。统计设计质量一般包括调查问卷设计质量与调查方案设计质量，其中调查问卷设计质量指的是：通过问卷测量得到的，[第一段]     

从统计数据质量角度谈调查问卷的设计质量

<正>一、引言从保证统计数据质量的统计工作过程看,统计数据质量可以被划分为统计设计质量、统计调查质量、统计整理质量、统计分析质量以及数据发布传输质量等。统计设计质量是保证统计数据质量的首要环节,在统计数据质量保证体系中起着关键性作用。统计设计质量一般包括调查问卷设计质量与调查方案设计质量,其中调查问卷设计质量指的是:通过问卷测量得到的,反映调查对象客观现象的统计数据的准确性和有效性,即调查问卷设计质量的好坏,需要通过问卷测量能力的高低来检验。     

The quality of work life — the volvo experience

Volvo is convinced that there are great possibilities to create more effective job design solutions. The new strategy on production technology and works organization was developed in the early 70s. Since then the concept of flexible technology, team work and a spirit of collaboration has diffused to all the different product groups.The base for this development must be new technology, the capability and knowledge among the employees combined with a managerial approach that mobilizes the potential of good working ability. The changed directions both include moving toward craftsmanship in assembly operations as well as automation in manufacturing whenever feasible.Berth Jönsson, Corporate Development, Volvo.     

An evaluation of the assessment of quality of life utility instrument as a measure of the impact of injury on health-related quality of life

The Assessment of Quality of Life (AQoL) is a generic health-related quality of life (HRQL) measure. It is the only HRQL instrument, currently available, that incorporates health preference values derived from an Australian population and has been extensively trialled in over 40 studies. However, prior to this study, it had not been used to measure HRQL in injury patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate the AQoL, as a measure of the impact of injury on HRQL, by examining its correlation with other commonly used measures of health outcome and its ability to discriminate between groups with injuries of varying type and severity. A total of 221 admitted injury patients, aged 18-74 years, were recruited into the study from four major Victorian metropolitan hospitals and followed up over 12 months. The AQoL and the SF-36 were administered to obtain retrospective measures of pre-injury HRQL and health status with post-injury measurements obtained at five intervals post-injury (to 12 months). A preliminary analysis of data from this study showed the AQoL was positively related to other common outcome measures and, overall, showed a strong correlation with the SF-36 Physical Component Summary and a moderate correlation with the Mental Component Summary. It also demonstrated good discrimination between groups on the basis of type of injury, body region injured and severity of injury. While further testing of the AQoL, in this context, is still necessary, this study suggests that the AQoL may be a useful measure of the impact of injury on HRQL.     

关于重视提高农村居民消费质量的思考

研究中国经济发展新阶段的消费问题,必须重视农民的消费问题研究,筘辊当城镇居民消费质量正“向更加宽裕的小康生活迈进”、进入到以提高消费质量为主的阶段时,农村居民的消费质量却明显滞后于城镇居民,并出现了差距的扩大,对此,我们必须认真思考。     

构建农村剩余劳动力有序转移长效机制探讨

实现农村剩余劳动力合理有序转移,是建设现代农业、解决"三农"问题的重要途径。目前,由于多种因素的制约,农村剩余劳动力的转移速度趋缓,影响了农民收入的增加。因此,必须从战略层面,进行全方位多角度的分析和探讨,破解农村剩余劳动力转移的制约因素,拓宽转移渠道,形成一个协调有效的转移机制和政策体系,加快农村剩余劳动力转移。     

冠生园：不断提升人们的生活质量

冠生园品牌创建于一九一五年，已整整九十二年的历史。冠生园是中国民族工业的名牌老字号企业。     

共建生态环境，提高居民生活质量

生态环境是衡量生活质量好坏的重要内容之一，对生态环境的保护和建设已越来越被人们重视，我国政府历来重视环境保护和建设，而且力度越来越大，将环境问题列入经济、社会发展战略规划之中，将西部地区环境保护和建设作为西部大开发的切入点。本文着重就生态环境保护与建设和我国居民生活质量的关系谈几点看法。     

Engaging employees for quality of life: mediation by psychological capital

The objective of this study is to examine the mediating role of psychological capital (PsyCap) between work engagement and the six dimensions of quality of work life (QoWL). Data were collected from the employees working in the accident and emergency department of tertiary hospitals in India involved in rendering emergency healthcare services. Structural analysis showed that PsyCap fully mediates the relationship between work engagement and control at work and partially between work engagement and the other five dimensions of QoWL. These results augment broaden and build theory by explaining the role of PsyCap in channelizing the positive effect of work engagement to improve employees’ QoWL. Hospitals with the accident and emergency department are encouraged to recruit psychologically capable employees. Such employees can transfer the benefits of their personal resources and engagement to the quality of life at work and be less prone to burnout.     

Global talent management: A life cycle view of the interaction between human and social capital

We present a theoretical model that describes the interaction between social and human capital and the different forms that such an interaction may take – positive and negative. Extending the concepts of stocks and flows of knowledge, this model evaluates social capital flows against human capital stocks. When we compare these flows to the value of human capital, we are able to better understand how these resources can interact with each other, influence global talent development, and change over time. We discuss the implications for practices in global talent management in selecting, developing, and harnessing talent.     

Exploring the impact of packaging interactions on quality of life among older consumers

ABSTRACT

This paper explores the concept of consumer vulnerability in the context of older consumers’ packaging interactions. Consumer vulnerability is viewed as a situational state of powerlessness where marketplace imbalances or harm may occur from consuming marketing messages and/or products. The paper draws upon evidence from a series of in-depth interviews and observations with a cross section of 11 consumers aged between 59 and 85 years concerning their experiences with fast-moving consumer goods packaging. The findings reveal that changes as a result of the multiple dimensions of ageing can increase older consumers’ risk of experiencing vulnerability during packaging interactions. The paper provides new insights to aid firms in empowering older consumers through packaging development, thus reducing vulnerability.