Quality of work life and career development: perceptions of part‐time MBA students

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine what employees perceive as positive and negative aspects of their work, and how these affect their perceptions of the quality of work life (QWL) and their career development decisions. Design/methodology/approach – This is a qualitative study using data collected from an online discussion forum. Thematic and textual analysis was performed to identify core themes associated with perceptions of QWL and career development. Data analysis was based on the researchers' interpretations of narratives based on the online postings of 140 part‐time MBA students and guided by the literature. Findings – Four major themes emerged as domains of tensions within which employees operated to construct meanings around their work life. These include: internal and external tension, private and public tension, self and otherness tension, and present and future tension. Career development support, flexibility and autonomy in job design as well as flexibility in career development planning emerged as positive career development strategies that would affect employees' perceptions of QWL. Research limitations/implications – This research advances the understanding of employees' perceptions on QWL and its relationship with career development planning. Future studies should include primary data gathered through face‐to‐face interaction to overcome the limitations of this study. Practical implications – This study has identified the positive and negative factors that influence the way employees perceive their QWL. These factors can help organizations to conceptualize strategies that seek to positively integrate QWL and career development, ensuring long‐term competitive advantage. Originality/value – The paper offers four domains of tensions and a career development matrix that will add value to both the research and practice of QWL and career planning in organizations.