Quality of Work Life as a Determinant of Social Responsibility in the Public Sector: The Case of the Governmental Sector of the Northern Borders Region in Saudi Arabia

Abstract

In this study, we investigated the effect of Quality of Work Life (QWL) on social responsibility (SR) in the Saudi public sector, taking the Northern Borders Region as a case study. We attempt to provide a framework for administrators to better understand employee behavior and assess the various dimensions of QWL and SR in governmental organizations. Questionnaires were administered among employees from the public sector, from which a research model was constructed to identify the dimensions of SR and determine the effect of QWL as its antecedent. The results indicate that QWL has a significant and positive effect on the two dimensions of SR— paternalistic and consultative—whereas survival has no significant relationship to consultative SR. Local QWL affects the SR of employees by signifying the moderating role of educational level and confirms that educational level impacts the perception of the importance of SR in improving QWL among employees. However, the findings show that gender has no moderating effects on employee perceptions of SR and QWL. Keywords: Social Responsibility, Quality of Work Life, Public Sector, Saudi Arabia.