Abstract
In a worldwide context shaped by the intensification of global competitive demands, there is a growing need to identify the features of “healthy organizations”, perceived as those with the “dual agenda” of pursuing their core business objectives while simultaneously meeting their employees’ needs for quality of working life. Focusing the specific case of public healthcare sector organizations, this article discusses how increasing organizational demands are influencing the quality of working life of healthcare occupations. The analysis is based in the results of the EU funded project QUALITY. With a multi-method approach that combined quantitative and qualitative research methods, 32 organizations were surveyed and around 8.000 questionnaires and 111 in-depth interviews were conducted to European professionals from eight countries. This article focuses the quality of working life in healthcare occupations in these countries, presenting then an organizational case study undergone at a Portuguese university hospital. Results show significant differences between countries, which can be explained by its institutional functioning and socioeconomic context. Differences amongst occupational groups were also found and can be justified by the distinct working associated to each occupation.
Keywords
Healthy organizations; Quality of life; Public hospitals; Occupations; Europe