Enhancing library user satisfaction : An exploration of models and instruments for evaluating the quality of work life among library professionals
*Mahendra Singh RaoCorresponding authorraoms78@gmail.comDepartment of Library and Information ScienceUniversity of RajasthanJaipur, Rajasthan, 302004, India0000-0002-9418-6437View full profile → , Monica Raoraodrmonica@gmail.comDepartment of SociologyUniversity of RajasthanJaipur, Rajasthan, 302004, India0009-0009-1601-7337View full profile →
* Corresponding author · click or hover a name for details
- Published Online:
- 30 Jun 2026
- Article type:
- Research Article
- Language:
- EN
- Article no.:
- CJSIM-2025-12003
- Pages:
- 275–287
Abstract
Quality of Work Life (QWL) is a critical determinant of employee wellbeing, organizational effectiveness, and service quality in academic libraries. This study investigates the determinants of QWL among library professionals working in engineering institute libraries in Jaipur and examines the relationships among key QWL dimensions. A quantitative, descriptive, and correlational research design was adopted. The study covered all 65 library professionals employed in 20 engineering institutions in Jaipur, using a census approach. Data were collected through a structured questionnaire and analyzed using descriptive statistics and Pearson’s correlation analysis.
The findings revealed significant positive relationships among the major determinants of QWL. The strongest correlations were observed between promotional policies and status (r = 0.746, p < 0.01) and interpersonal relations and status (r = 0.725, p < 0.01), indicating that career advancement opportunities and healthy workplace relationships substantially enhance employees’ perceived status and overall Quality of Work Life. Gender-wise analysis further showed that female library professionals placed greater importance on motivation for learning behaviour and future roles (r = 0.826, p < 0.01) and promotional policies (r = 0.744, p < 0.01), while significant associations were also observed between service conditions and job status. These findings demonstrate that organizational support, promotional opportunities, interpersonal relationships, and professional development are key determinants of QWL among library professionals.
The study concludes that strengthening promotion policies, improving interpersonal relationships, providing supportive service conditions, and encouraging continuous professional development can significantly enhance the Quality of Work Life of library professionals. The findings offer practical implications for library administrators and policymakers in designing evidence-based human resource strategies that improve employee well-being, organizational performance, and the quality of library services in engineering institutions.
Keywords
References
[1] B. Groysberg and R. Abrahams, “Manage your work, manage your life,” Harvard Business Review, Mar. 2014. [Online]. Available: https://hbr.org/2014/03/manage-your-work-manage-ur-life
[2] F. Herzberg, B. Mausner, and B. Snyderman, The Motivation to Work. New York, NY, USA: Wiley, 1959.
[3] J. Hackman and G. Oldham, The Job Diagnostic Survey. New Haven, CT, USA: Yale University, 1974.
[4] J. C. Taylor, “Centre for Quality of Working Life, University of California, Los Angeles,” in The Quality of Working Life in Western and Eastern Europe, C. L. Cooper and E. Mumford, Eds. Westport, CT, USA: Greenwood Press, 1979.
[5] P. Warr, J. Cook, and T. Wall, “Scales for the measurement of some work attitudes and aspects of psychological well-being,” Journal of Occupational Psychology, vol. 52, no. 4, pp. 129–148, 1979.
[6] E. E. Lawler, “Strategies for improving the quality of work life,” American Psychologist, vol. 37, no. 5, pp. 486–493, 1982.
[7] P. H. Mirvis and E. E. Lawler, “Accounting for the quality of work life,” Journal of Occupational Behaviour, vol. 5, no. 3, pp. 197–212, 1984.
[8] V. V. Baba and M. Jamal, “Routinization of job context and job content as related to employees’ quality of working life: A study of psychiatric nurses,” Journal of Organizational Behavior, vol. 12, no. 5, pp. 379–386, 1991.
[9] M. J. Sirgy, D. Efraty, P. Siegel, and D. Lee, “A new measure of the quality of work life (QWL) based on need satisfaction and spillover theories,” Social Indicators Research, vol. 55, no. 3, pp. 241–302, 2001.
[10] N. Ellis and A. Pompili, Quality of Working Life for Nurses. Department of Health and Ageing, 2002. [Online]. Available: https://research.monash.edu/en/publications/quality-ofworking- life-for-nurses
[11] S. Bearfield, Quality of Working Life, ACIIRT Working Paper 86. The University of Sydney, 2003. [Online]. Available: http://www.acirrt.com
[12] T. S. Nanjundeswaraswamy and D. R. Swamy, “Quality of work life of employees in private technical institution,” International Journal for Quality Research, vol. 7, no. 3, pp. 3–14, 2013.
[13] E. E. Lawler and L. W. Porter, “Predicting managers’ pay and their satisfaction with their pay,” Personnel Psychology, vol. 19, no. 4, pp. 363–373, 1966.
[14] S. Laughlin and R. Wilson, The Quality Library: A Guide to Staff-Driven Improvement, Better Efficiency, and Happier Customers. Chicago, IL, USA: American Library Association, 2008.
[15] B. Jain and Y. Swami, “Quality of work life with special reference to academic sector,” Research Journal of Management Sciences, vol. 1, no. 3, pp. 14–17, 2014.
[16] R. Gayathiri and L. Ramakrishnan, “Quality of work life – linkage with job satisfaction and performance,” International Journal of Business and Management Invention, vol. 2, no. 1, pp. 1–8, 2013.
[17] J. D. Barker, “Influence of quality of work life variables on the retention and career satisfaction of science and mathematics teachers,” Unpublished master’s thesis, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA, 1986.
[18] C. Jayasundara, P. Ngulube, and M. Minishi-Majanja, “A theoretical model to predict customer satisfaction with service quality in selected university libraries in Sri Lanka,” South African Journal of Libraries and Information Science, vol. 75, no. 2, pp. 179–194, 2009.
[19] Y. Van den Berg, “The relationship between organisational trust and quality of work life,” Unpublished dissertation, University of South Africa, 2011.
[20] B. E. Asogwa, B. Asadu, E. Ezema, C. Ugwu, and F. Ugwuanyi, “Use of ServQUAL in the evaluation of service quality of academic libraries in developing countries,” Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal), pp. 2–25, 2014. [Online]. Available: http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/libphilprac/1146
[21] S. Sims, H. Fletcher-Wood, A. O’Mara-Eves, S. Cottingham, C. Stansfield, J. Goodrich, J. Van Herwegen, and J. Anders, “Effective teacher professional development: New theory and a meta-analytic test,” Review of Educational Research, vol. 95, no. 2, pp. 213–254, 2025.
[22] K. P. Wong, P.-L. Teh, and A. H. S. Chan, “Seeing the forest and the trees: A scoping review of empirical research on work-life balance,” Sustainability, vol. 15, no. 4, p. 2875, 2023. doi: 10.3390/su15042875.
[23] R. E. Walton, “Quality of work life: What is it?” Sloan Management Review, vol. 15, no. 1, pp. 11–21, 1973.
[24] F. W. Taylor, The Principles of Scientific Management. New York, NY, USA: Harper & Brothers, 1979.
[25] S. B. Hangarki, “Quality of work life among employees in banking sector: A study undertaken at nationalized banks, Hyderabad Karnataka region,” Research Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences, vol. 5, no. 2, pp. 194–197, 2014.
[26] M. S. Rao, “Correlation between Quality of Work Life (QWL) of Library Professionals and their Job Satisfaction,” Educational Administration: Theory and Practice, vol. 29, no. 4, pp. 1003–1009, 2023.




