QWL in Indian organisations - an irreverent view

Abstract

This paper takes the position that in Indian organisation, the most central and pivotal concern is the concept of work itself. Work is defined as activities that contribute to achieving organisational missions. Where work itself as a concept and a culture has not been internalised in Indian organisations, it is very difficult to talk about quality of work life (QWL). This paper takes the irreverent view that where work itself is not accepted as part of existence, it is meaningless to talk about quality of work life, in the sense that this term is used internationally. This view is elaborated in tow parts. The first part looks at why work is not a central concept in Indian culture and economy and how this affects performance of organisations. The second part illustrates through the author's experiences with a few organisations the importance of interventions to bring about a work culture.