Quality of Work Life and Human Resource Outcomes

Abstract

This study develops and tests hypotheses regarding the influence of Quality of Work Life (QWL) initiatives on absenteeism, accidents, grievances, and quits, using monthly longitudinal human resource archival data collected at a unionized Midwestern heavy manufacturing firm for the period from 1976 to 1986. The sample size is 129 months (48 months of pre‐QWL measures and 81 months of post‐QWL measures). Autoregression procedures are utilized to examine the direct impact of QWL on human resource outcomes. QWL is found to significantly reduce absenteeism, minor accidents, grievances, and quits.