In the face of globalisation, one of the most pressing challenges within the EU is to balance economic performance against socially sustainable forms of work organisation, quality jobs, and the preservation and improvement of the quality of life in the broadest sense. The project will analyse international-comparative data on the social well-being of citizens and collect new data on social quality in European workplaces in eight strategically selected partner countries: UK, Finland, Sweden, Germany, the Netherlands, Portugal, Hungary and a candidate country for EU enlargement, Bulgaria. The main aims of this international, quantitative and qualitative project are: (1) to analyse, from an internationally-comparative perspective, the quality of life and work of European citizens, the way the quality of life and work are interrelated, and the impact public and organisational policies have on the well-being of European citizens; (2) to analyse how and under what conditions European workplaces could be transformed into healthy organisations, where work is organised in a socially as well as economically sustainable manner; (3) to explore future trends by consulting national high-level groups (policy-makers, politicians, researchers, managers) and by sketching/constructing scenarios with respect to trends concerning the quality of life and work of European citizens; (4) to analyse whether, to what extent and how gender matters in the relationship between well-being and public and organisational policies.

Team:

Eight research teams in 8 countries (UK, Finland, Sweden, Germany, the Netherlands, Portugal, Hungary, Bulgaria)

Research Team in Hamburg: Sonja Drobnič, Patrick Präg, Roland Verwiebe

Funding:

EU, 6th Framework Program

Duration:

2006-2009

More information about the project:
http://www.projectquality.org