Koncepcja "jakości życia w pracy" (QWL) jako odmiana demokracji przemysłowej stosowanej w USA

Abstract

The article presents a general outline of the American concept of QWL, being an attempt a tradical changes in the entire work environment A very wide range of problems, which are sought to be solved with in the framework of practical realization of QWL induces the author to conduct some comparisons of this concept with classical forms of industrial democracy realized in Western Europe.The first part of the article deals with socio-economic relations accounting for definite changes in the U.S. work environment , with a special attention focussed on those which have paved the way for a specific character of QWL programme in comparison with the European experience in this field.The second part of the article is an attempt at defining the QWL term and, simultaneously, it contains short description of characteristic features of the QWL concept and an attempt at evaluation of its practical realization in the U.S. This description is supplemented by an at tempt to substantiate the lack of interest in the classical forms of industrial democracy in the U.S. (especially, lack of interest in the forms of indirect democracy). Moreover, there can be found a brief description of typicaly American experience aiming primarily at labour productivity improvement and betterment of interhuman relations and working conditions.