Achieving Quality of Life at Work (eBook)

This book provides an understanding and imaging of how a stress-free workplace might be designed and implemented in the context of the 'new normal.' Statistics show that more and more people are experiencing an increase in work-related stress, and its impact on individual psychology and well-being as well as organizational performance can be devastating. Globally, the most recent data on work-related illnesses account for 2.4 million deaths.  Against this backdrop, and taking stock of how the pandemic is affecting the workplace and employee well-being, this book proposes transformations in work spaces, from implementing effective 'greening' features, to more efficient technology-supported spaces. It establishes links between workplace design and creativity, happiness and productivity, confronting related issues such as generation gaps, digital interruptions, collaborative work environments and sustainability, and their respective connections with workspace environment and well-being. The book situates this discussion within a broader discussion on work and quality of life. Furthermore, the book demonstrates how several sustainable development goals might be achieved through transformed work spaces. Through an intersection between organizational psychology, well-being and quality of life studies, sociology, human resources, and ergonomics, this book is a timely examination of work-related stress in relation to work spaces that require rethinking and transformation in the throes, and wake, of the pandemic.  

Suhana Mohezar is an associate professor at the University of Malaya, Malaysia. She earned her Ph.D. in operations management from the University of South Australia. She is a member of the Asian Academy of Management. She has taught several graduate-level courses, namely operations management, supply chain management, and organizational risk management. She is a well-published author and a frequent speaker at conferences, seminars, and workshops, both at the national and international levels.

Noor Ismawati Jaafar is an associate professor and the deputy dean (Research and Development) at the Faculty of Business and Accountancy, University of Malaya, Malaysia. She obtained her highest academic qualification in Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) from Macquarie Graduate School of Management (MGSM), Macquarie University, Australia. She holds a professional qualification as a Certified Financial Accountant (CFiA) from the Malaysian Institute of Certified Public Accountants (MICPA). She is also a member of the Association for Information Systems (AIS) and an association of active academics and researchers in Information Systems. Having an accounting background and IT experience working in audit firms and major corporate organizations before joining the university, she now focuses on teaching core courses related to Information Systems. She is responsible for nurturing young academic talents to become ethical researchers. She has published in various refereed and indexed journals. She is currently leading research on online technologies adaptability among the community post the COVID-19 pandemic, in addition to a few other ongoing research projects. She was invited as a guest lecturer, keynote speaker, and presenter at symposiums and conferences held in Australia, China, India, Indonesia, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, and the United Kingdom.

Waqar Akbar is an assistant professor at the Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Institute of Science and Technology (SZABIST), Pakistan. He is pursuing his Ph.D. in the workplace environment for knowledge workers' productivity and health at the University of Malaya, Malaysia. He is currently the managing editor of Journal of Independent Studies and Research, published by SZABIST. He teaches graduate-level courses, namely Strategic Human Resource Management, Research Techniques, and Quantitative Data Analysis. He conducts primary data analysis workshops and training sessions at both the national and international levels. He also provides industrial training on Human Resource Information System (HRIS) and office ergonomics at the national level.

 

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This book provides an understanding and imaging of how a stress-free workplace might be designed and implemented in the context of the 'new normal.' Statistics show that more and more people are experiencing an increase in work-related stress, and its impact on individual psychology and well-being as well as organizational performance can be devastating. Globally, the most recent data on work-related illnesses account for 2.4 million deaths.  Against this backdrop, and taking stock of how the pandemic is affecting the workplace and employee well-being, this book proposes transformations in work spaces, from implementing effective "e;greening"e; features, to more efficient technology-supported spaces. It establishes links between workplace design and creativity, happiness and productivity, confronting related issues such as generation gaps, digital interruptions, collaborative work environments and sustainability, and their respective connections with workspace environmentand well-being. The book situates this discussion within a broader discussion on work and quality of life. Furthermore, the book demonstrates how several sustainable development goals might be achieved through transformed work spaces. Through an intersection between organizational psychology, well-being and quality of life studies, sociology, human resources, and ergonomics, this book is a timely examination of work-related stress in relation to work spaces that require rethinking and transformation in the throes, and wake, of the pandemic.