Hrm and Job Quality

Introduction

Job quality relates to pay, job satisfaction, conditions and linkages between internal and external of workforce. HRM programmes can enhance it, so job quality can be used to improve competitiveness by organizations and countries. Job quality also relates to the working life quality, organizations can improve it to achieve work-life balance by raising wellbeing and rewards.

Some surveys showed, although income increased, but employees don't feel happier with their jobs. Organizations have to assess management of employees' happiness. Strategic HRM think employees are human assets that can improve organizations' strengths. They should value and find out how to enhance job quality and happiness. Moreover, in some countries, the labor force competition becomes more stressed due to economic growth and population structure change. So employers have to enhance job quality to retain employees to remain competitiveness.

This volume is to address job quality, find out the relations between HRM and job quality. And it also specifies how HRM strategies both improve and compromise job quality. Organizations should know: firstly, the meaning and operation of job quality and evaluation criterion. Secondly, improving job quality is an objective of HRM. Finally, HRM programmes can improve job quality and organizational performance. So organization can reflect and develop job quality and strategic HRM in future.

Objective: Improving job quality

At macro economy level, the job quality issue has been debated and addressed for many times. First, working can shake off poverty. Job quality relates to improving income and sustaining living standard. Beside income, other things such as job security and rights also need to be considered.

To developed countries, they need to find the key point to let public policy switch discussions from job quantity to job quality. Government should support job generation and improve the quality at the same time. Most OECD countries utilize collective safety nets and legislative to protect labor rights. EU's institutions have attempted to research and lift the union employment standard. So they find these four main work attributes: ensure employment security, maintain and improve workers' wellbeing, develop the skills and balance work and life.

On the other hand, although workers gain more money, everyone has job and gain more wages, but the wellbeing remains almost motionless. The resistance maybe part in the workplace. Job generation is important, however, workers feel unsatisfied as work stress and intensity increased. So government should focus on both of them.

So countries should know how to translate the issue from macro to micro, from economy to workplace. By considering the resolution of job quality such as collective safety nets and legislative or HRM programmes to attract and