Research Article - (2012) Volume 2, Issue 5
1Department of Educational Administration, Tabriz branch, Islamic Azad university, Tabriz, Iran
2Department of Educational Administration, Marand branch, Islamic Azad university, Marand, Iran
The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between organizational culture and quality of work life of employees in Islamic Azad University of Tabriz (IAUT). Statistical population of survey is all employees who work in different organizational posts of IAUT (N=796). The Sample has been selected based on a stratified random sampling method using Cochran formula (n=260). We have used Hofstede Organizational questionnaire for collecting information based on Queen and Gareth model and Walton work life quality questionnaire. Both of them were standard questionnaires and have good stability and validity. Findings of the research show that: - There is direct and significant relation between organizational culture and quality of employees work life. - There is direct and significant relation between every components of work life quality. - Governed culture of the university is kind of Idiologic.
Organizational culture, quality of work life, Islamic Azad university of Tabriz.
In today's organizations, human force is considered as the main capital of organizations. In fact, human is considered as the basic unit of work, production and development and it has important role in organizations and group activities, so that human with unlimited potential and yet unknown - unknown origin was the origin of dramatic developments. Therefor the process of planning and realization of organizational goals based on proper utilization of human force and the role of the skilled and expertise human force has a particular importance in guiding the organization. In fact, for optimal use of the achievements of science and technology, we must develop potential capabilities and actualized them and properly trained human force [1]. Universities as the most influential organizations in each community are faced with numerous problems and a lot of anxiety particularly in relation to society, economy and culture. Promotion of higher education system is possible from primary education. The classroom is where the phenomenon occurred that we called socialization, while helping accumulation empowerments and human capital in the economic and private empowerments.
From appearance of universities to date, many changes and developments occurred in the education system. When people in different periods, find that universities have been unable to meet their needs and solve their problems, they show their own grievances in various forms and It is obvious that they do not neglect today’s undesirable and ineffective management Which leads to collapse of education system [17]. Given that the universities are an essential component in the scientific production and create professionals and is the main axis of converting ideas into product and knowledge into industry, development of countries is related to developing of universities and it is in turn, depends on the quality of work life of employees. While organizational culture has a long history, but it is the topic that recently has found its way in management knowledge, particularly in the scope of organizational developments and organizational behavior. The culture has long been used to describe the quality of life of human society, and much has been said about it but about the organization culture or what is basis of people's behavior in organizations has been said a little short.
Organizational culture
Overall, the combination of two words or the concept of "culture" and "organization" has emerged a new thinking that none of the two words have no idea on. The organization is a metaphor for the order and arrangement, while cultural elements necessity are not ordered and do not create by order. Consequently, culture in the interaction with the organization creates vision and values that occasionally place their order within the organization [21]. Hannagan (2002) believes that organizational culture can be described as "the way we do things based on it". Moshabakki refereed the definition of Stanely Davis as a clear and comprehensive definition that is: "organizational Culture is a pattern of shared values and beliefs that gives meaning to the members of the organization and provide commands for their behavior in the organization [16]. Harrison (1993) describes organizational culture as a view and outlook that create a certain feeling about the organization.
Quinn and Garth has been divided organizational culture into four categories:
1. Consensus and participatory culture
2. Rational culture
3. Ideological culture
4. Hierarchical culture
And that includes nine main organizational variables that have unique situation in every culture:
Goal of the Organization, performance criteria, option reference, power source, How to decide, leadership style, compliance and accept manner, evaluation criteria of members, employees' motivation. They believe that we can place the culture of each organization in a specific cultural group with respect to these variables [15].
The roots of organizational culture
What is certain is that organizational culture can never be without foundation. The goal here is to determine what factors is essential in creating an organizational culture.
• Founders of the organization
Founders of an organization have an essential role creation of primary culture.
It is Founders of organizations that think and decide about identity and entity of the organization that are established and about the organization's goals and what they are looking for and how to move. Organizations have a history for their own and the past history of the organization is some part of organization's culture.
• Environment
In many cases, important and determining role of culture is determined by the surrounding environment. The organization for existence and survival needs to activity. The actions of organization must be in direction of its goals and also satisfy the inner and outsider world. In many cases these are in one direction.
• Employees of Organization
What is certain is that we should select worthy people for work in organization and has activities toward predetermined objectives. If we select people that are not synchronized with the organizational culture and the primary function and approach that has been created by the founders, and they are not consistent and do not move toward them and reject the culture of the organization, if they become a high-ranking individuals or managers in organization can change the organizational culture and become part of the culture of the current organization roots and sources. So most organizations try to choose their managers among its members [16].
Quality of work life
Quality of working life first was invented in Europe during the 1950's (1959-1950) and was formed based on investigations of Eric Trist et al., in Tavistock university, London, in the field of human relations. This studies examines the organization's technical and human dimensions and assess relationships between them, which caused to create technical-social systems related to job design that today in the United States will cover most of the actions related to QWL [20]. Cummings & Worley divided QWL history as the quality of working life movement for two periods. The first period of the 1950s is described above. The second period of the 1960s and when civil rights are far more important that provide equal opportunity for employment and equal rights for equal works were considered as part of responsibilities of employers and organizations. QWL in the first period were considered as the individual results of work for satisfy person's basic needs and in the second period was considered as work methods to improve QWL and discussions were taken into consideration such as: Job enrichment, Authority working groups, Joint committees of staff and management and participation and involvement of staff in making important decisions.
QWL has a multi-dimensional structure and can not be provide a united, universal and consensus definition for it. Since the beginning of the QWL movement, numerous and varied definitions has been presented for it. Werther & Davis define appropriate QWL as Enjoyment of good stewardship, good working conditions, adequate wages and benefits and the challenging, interesting and useful job [19]. Cerrto (1998) defines involvement of employee in decision making as QWL and stated that work quality means that providing opportunity for employees to make decisions their working conditions. Richard Walton has provided a framework for QWL that has eight components and believes that the expected benefits of these programs include Improvement of organizational morale, productivity and effectiveness. The important point that needs attention is that all these variables are related to each other and emphasis on one or more of them does not seem enough. QWL are eight constituent components:
• Fair and adequate payment: It means Equal pay for equal work and making payments in accordance with social norms and employees standards.
• Safe and healthy work environment
It means create safe working conditions in terms of physical and also determine logical work time. Also, Environment must decrease the pollutions that have impact on physical and mental status of employees.
• Provide opportunities for continued growth and security:
It means providing improvement in the ability of progress, applying obtained skills and providing security, income and employment.
• Legalism in the organization
It means providing the freedom to speak without fear of retaliation of higher authorities and give more attention to the rule of law than human dominance.
• Social dependence on working life
It is referred to understanding of employees about social responsibility of the organization.
• Social dependence on working life. It refers to how employees Percepts and understanding about the organization's social responsibility.
• Total living space. It means to establish a balance between work life and other parts of employees life. It includes non-work activities that people have in outside of the organization and investigation the effect of work activities on the private lives of employees.
• Integration and social cohesion: it creates a working atmosphere and space that enhances employees' sense of belonging to the organization and this feeling that they needed to the organization.
• Development of human capacities: It referred to provide opportunities for using independence and self-control in the work, take advantage of various skills, access to appropriate information and planning about employees [12].
Incorrect perceptions of the quality of work life
1- QWL is not only for first employees of production line. The issue of employee’s compatibility with the work environment is important in all organizational levels. Of course, the QWL improvement in the production line causes the supervisor level managers spend less time to disciplinary issues.
2- QWL does not offer immediate solution to solve problems. The process of overcoming the barriers between management and employees and other issues, is a time consuming job. Many quality programs do not provide tangible and measurable results in short term.
3- QWL is not a system of exploitation of workers. QWL's philosophy is based on different values other than the traditional values of the organization [5].
4- QWL is not always equal profit; QWL may get closer to profit after several stages of innovation.
5- QWL may not be identical for all employees and members of the organization. Different perceptions of QWL makes the situation is different for employees.
6- QWL cannot always be satisfactory; some of the employees and even top managers may lose their position with effective implementation of QWL.
7- QWL is not a passing fad, but also is a stable and ordered program.
Research background
Hazrati (2009) showed in their study that the quality of working life of teachers depends on managers serving and higher serving of manager means higher quality of working life components. Allame (1999) found in their study that the Walton pattern of life quality organizational culture based on quality of life can be expand to the Islamic values of development. This study also showed that developed pattern of working life quality reduces psychological stress in the workplace [19]. Kheradmand and Nazim (2010) concluded in their study that there is direct and significant relation between hierarchical, participative and rational organizational culture and employee’s performance [12]. Jooyani (2007) in his study concluded that there exist direct and significant relation between organization culture and work satisfactions and cultural factors have strong and undeniable on work satisfaction. Rafi’e (2000) shows that in general, working life quality of employees is not satisfactory based on employees’ approach [19]. Aliyi (2007) in his research assessed the level of working life quality of employees as medium and concluded that there is not direct and significant relation between working life quality and age, sex, history and marital status. Rastgari (2008) shows that application of every component of working life quality caused improved performance of employees [19]. In another study Pardakhtchi (2000) concluded that greatest satisfaction is related to growth opportunities and the lowest satisfaction is related to fringe benefits of job [19]. Jamshidi (2000) suggested that none of the components of working life can be assessed in high level of quality.
Antony in his research showed that perceptions of quality of working life is not so good among employees including job-related aspects such as relationships with coworkers and the organizational commitment was also not very positive, and yet not nor negative but it is evaluated neutral [8]. Nonaka (2005) in their study concluded that till the dominant culture in organization does not evolve, creating new knowledge and guidance leads to no result [19].
The research hypotheses
A) The main hypothesis
There is a relationship between organizational culture and quality of work life of employees.
B) Subsidiary hypothesis
1 - There is a relationship between organizational culture and fair and adequate payment.
2 - There is a relationship between organizational culture and health and safety workplace of employees.
3 - There is a relationship between organizational culture and providing opportunities for continued growth and security.
4 - There is a relationship between organizational culture and the Legalism in the organization.
5 - There is a relationship between organizational culture and working life social dependence.
6 - There is a relationship between organizational culture and employee’s general space of working life.
7 - There is a relationship between organizational culture and the integration and social cohesion.
8 - There is a relationship between organizational culture and human development features.
The purpose of current study is applied and its method is correlated descriptive. Statistical population of the study is all employees of IAUT (n=796). The sample number determined 260 people based on Cochran formula. In the process of the research 40 people do not participate in the study for some reasons such as dislike or conservation. Finally, after adjustment of samples, 220 people in 7 working field selected by relational stratified random sampling method. For collecting information, two standard questionnaires were used, Hofstede organizational cutler questionnaire based on Quinn and Gareth model with 23 question that have closed answer and Richard Walton Quality of working life questionnaire with 40 questions that have closed answer. Reliability of the first questionnaire obtained by Cronbach Alpha 0.74, and the second one reliability gained by Cronbach Alpha 0.82. Form and content validity of the findings supported by professional groups and supervisors and advisors and Pearson correlation factor were used for hypothesis test.
Table 1 shows that average score of employees was 69.43. This score regarded to range of scores suggested that dominant organizational culture in IAUT is Ideological.
Table 1. Score and type of organizational culture
We use Pearson correlation factor for test all hypothesis. The results provided in table 2.
Table 2. Correlation between organizational culture with quality of work life and its components
The result obtained from the first hypothesis sowed that there is positive and significant correlation between organizational culture and quality of working life of employees and organizational culture factors has a very strong and undeniable effect on promotion of employees working life quality. The results is consistent with results of Hazrati (2009), Jooyani(2007), Mirzaei (2010), Kheradmand and Nazem (2010). The results obtained from second hypothesis showed in table 2. These results show that there is significant relation between organizational culture and quality of work life components. It means that organizational culture create improvement in all components quality of work life. In the other word, every component quality of work life is affected by organizational culture. The results is consistent with results of Fardipoor (2000), Hazrati (2009), Rastgari (1999), Mirzaei (2010) and Allame (2008). The result of present study, generally, showed that there is positive and significant relation between organizational culture and quality of work life and higher organizational culture caused greater improvement in quality of work life components.
Recommendations
It is recommended for university authorities to promote culture type of university to the Consensus and participatory culture.
- The results of present study revealed that the IAUT completely exit from Hierarchal culture and it is recommended to the university authorities to avoid from return to this type of organization culture by performing modern policies.
- The Results showed that the power reference in the university is the president of university. It is suggested that more importance be given to charismatic leadership.
- It is suggested that more importance be given to all components of quality of working life.
