Title: PERCEIVED QUALITY OF WORK LIFE AMONG THE EMPLOYEES OF SUGAR CO-OPERATIVES

Authors: Tejas N. Patel and Mehul G. Thakkar

Publisher: The President, Society of Extension Education Gujarat

Keywords: quality of work life, workplace attributes, job satisfaction, work-life balance, organizational well-being

Volume: 41

Issue: 1

Year: June 2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.56572/gjoee.2026.41.1.0016

Abstract: Quality of Work Life (QWL) plays a vital role in enhancing employee satisfaction, productivity, and organizational sustainability, particularly in cooperative-based industries. In sugar co-operatives, understanding employees' perceptions of workplace quality is essential for improving organizational effectiveness. Despite the importance of QWL, limited empirical research exists on its multidimensional assessment in Indian sugar co-operatives. This study addresses this gap by examining employees' perceived availability of QWL attributes in selected sugar co-operatives of South Gujarat. A descriptive crosssectional research design was adopted, and data were collected from 300 administrative employees selected through simple random sampling from three sugar co-operatives. Perceptions were measured across 48 QWL attributes using a five-point Likert scale. Data were analyzed using weighted mean, Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test, and Principal Component Analysis. The findings revealed an overall neutral QWL perception (mean = 3.23). Constitutionalism at work recorded the highest mean (3.578), followed by social relevance (3.553), while social integration (2.752) and work-life balance (2.772) were rated comparatively lower. The largest negative gap was observed for occupied space by work in life (rank gap = -5). Factor analysis extracted six components, explaining 75.426% of total variance, with KMO value 0.955 indicating excellent sampling adequacy. The results suggest that employees perceive organizational fairness and ethical practices positively, but challenges remain in work-life balance and social integration. The study highlights the need for sugar co-operatives to strengthen flexible work policies, employee engagement initiatives, and participatory management practices to improve QWL and organizational performance.