Quality of Work Life: A Study on Civil Construction Workers

Abstract

The civil construction sector has experienced ongoing changes due to the economic globalization, new technologies, and competition. It demands a large number of workers that are often recruited outside their original city, far from their families, with low work conditions, and without guarantee of continuity in employment, which may affect their health and performance. This study presents an exploratory and descriptive study with a quantitative approach, conducted by the Job Diagnostic Survey (JDS), with 159 workers in the civil construction sector in Brazil. The objective is to assess the level of satisfaction with work, compare the results of different workers at the workplace, and contribute to the discussion about QWL. It was found that the variable General Satisfaction with Work obtained the most negative general average score among the personal and the professional results, pointing out little satisfaction with their work as a whole, which can be improved through training and increase workers empowerment. This study carried out a survey with the construction worker, subjects who are hardly evaluated in research on working conditions. The JDS questionnaire was an important tool in this evaluation, contributing to understanding the variables that impact on the performance of these workers. In this context, improving the quality of work life (QWL) make it possible to assist managers to help workers’ satisfaction at work.