Purdue Quality of Work Environment Initiative focus groups highlight key staff issues
March 24, 2014
The Purdue Quality of Work Environment Initiative conducted focus groups with a cross-section of staff in December and January as part of Phase 1 of the initiative. The goal of the initiative is to better understand and improve the quality of Purdue's work environment for staff.
In the focus groups, participants shared their perceptions of the Purdue work environment, providing valuable information being used to develop a customized all-staff survey that will be launched in early spring. The survey results will be used to develop and pilot supervisory training modules.
Focus group participants discussed Purdue as an employer and spoke about a number of themes that contribute to job satisfaction and personal well-being. These themes include:
* Respect, recognition and involvement.
* Advancement, career paths, and training and development.
* Workload and staffing.
* Management and leadership skills.
* Work/life integration.
* Workplace flexibility.
* Organizational policies and practices.
* Stress, health and well-being.
The University-wide initiative is being led by two internationally known faculty experts – Ellen Ernst Kossek, the Basil S. Turner Professor of Management and research director of the Butler Center for Leadership Excellence, and Deborah Rupp, the William C. Byham Chair in Industrial/Organizational Psychology. Representatives from Human Resources, CSSAC and APSAC are providing valuable assistance as members of an advisory board that is guiding the implementation of this customized initiative.
Questions, comments and suggestions about the initiative can be sent confidentially to workqual@purdue.edu.