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A Work-Life Identity Model of Well-Being: Towards a Research Agenda Linking Quality-of-Work-Life (QWL) Programs with Quality of Life (QOL)

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Abstract

QWL is conceptualized in terms of the interface between employee role identities and work resources. QWL programs serve to enhance QOL by (1) providing appropriate work resources to meet the expectations of employee role identities, (2) reducing role conflict in work and non-work life, (3) enhancing multiple role identities, (4) reducing role demands, (5) reducing stress related to work and non-work role identities, and (6) increasing the value of the role identity. We describe a variety of QWL programs related to work life (decentralized organization structures, teamwork, parallel structures, ethical corporate mission and culture, the organization work schedule, etc.) and non-work life (work at home, flextime, compressed work week, part-time work arrangements, job sharing, etc.) and show how they serve to enhance QOL using the language of work-life identity. Doing so helps develop a research agenda based on the work-life identify model.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Marketing, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, 24061-0236, USA

    M. Joseph Sirgy

  2. Department of Psychology, Radford University, Radford, VA, USA

    Nora P. Reilly

  3. Department of Management, Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY, USA

    Jiyun Wu

  4. Department of Business Management, University of Houston-Downtown, Houston, TX, USA

    David Efraty

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  1. M. Joseph Sirgy
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Sirgy, M.J., Reilly, N.P., Wu, J. et al. A Work-Life Identity Model of Well-Being: Towards a Research Agenda Linking Quality-of-Work-Life (QWL) Programs with Quality of Life (QOL). Applied Research Quality Life 3, 181–202 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11482-008-9054-6

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