This unique longitudinal study examines the state of work centrality and other life areas (family, leisure, community and religion) in Israel among the same individuals (n=407) over a 12-year period. A new representative sample (serving as a control group) of the Israeli labour force in 1992-93 (n=942) assists us in exploring whether the changes occurred by cohort, life course or period effect. The restudied sample maturation led to a decrease in the importance of leisure, while the importance of work, family, community and religion remained stable. The increase of work centrality between the 1980s and the 1990s was found to be influenced by period effect; there was no evidence of a life course or cohort effect on work centrality, while life course effect was found on the importance of community. In contrast to findings from other countries showing that young people attributed relatively high importance to leisure and relatively less importance to work, cohort effect regarding the latter was not observed in Israel. There, young people in the 1990s tended to view work and leisure as important as their predecessors did in the 1980s.

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PurposeIn today's environment, higher education (HE) institutions need to become more efficient and participate in a competitive global market where client expectations are continually rising. In this new reality, quality is critical for success. While the economic benefits of quality have been long established, many HE institutions still ignore them at their own risk. This is especially true for service quality and this paper will focus on HE service quality management and improvement. This paper aims to discuss these issues.Design/methodology/approachThe paper implements Schneider and Bowen's model of the three tiers of service organizations and service quality management and improvement methods, on HE institutions.FindingsAn analysis of the service process within HE institutions reveals that the quality of service given to the customer tier (the students) by the boundary tier (all the employees who have contact with the students) is greatly dependent on the coordination tier (top HE management and its various departments). In this service chain, there are several problems and pitfalls that prevent the enhancement of service quality.Practical implicationsIn light of the three tiers of service model, the paper discusses practical implications and focuses on recommendations how to manage and improve service quality in HE.Originality/valueThe paper presents a comprehensive approach for managing and improving the service quality chain while addressing the integration between the coordination, boundary and customer tiers, with an emphasis on meeting students' needs and expectations.

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PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the changes of life domains centrality (work, family, leisure, community and religion) and of work goals preferences (interest, good pay, interpersonal relations, job security, etc.) in Israel, according to gender, between 1981 and 2006.Design/methodology/approachThis is a follow‐up research regarding “meaning of work” studies, held in 1981 and 1993. The participants constitute representative samples of the Israeli labor force in 1981, 1993 and 2006.FindingsWhile in the past, men showed a higher work centrality than women, in 2006 no traditional gender differences were found in work centrality; however, family centrality, as in the past, was higher among women than among men. The most meaningful change among men and women was regarding “job security”, and this goal has become more and more important throughout the 25 years of the study.Social implicationsThe transformation of men's and women's work values reflect the economic and social changes and those changes are influenced mainly by governmental decisions, for better or for worse. The findings disclose an increased potential for work‐family conflict among Israeli women in the last decade and this conflict can be reduced by economic and social policy.Originality/valueThis unique cross‐sectional study explores the changes in the importance of life domains and work goals among men and women over the course of time. Moreover, the study explains the causes for the major trends by social, economical and political factors.

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This paper presents partial findings of research examining the perceptions of managers and workers regarding promotions in the Israeli high-tech industry. A questionnaire containing a series of factors related to promotion was conducted with 95 workers and 36 managers in an international high-tech corporation's subsidiary located in Israel. The initial findings indicated a high degree of consent between workers and managers that the most important factor influencing promotion was success in projects. While workers and managers gave similar rankings for the most and least important factors influencing promotions, there were substantial differences in the ranking of the other factors. Among managers, education and multidisciplinary knowledge were ranked second and third, whereas among workers, politics and pressure on the supervisor were ranked second and third. The findings are discussed in terms of HRD in the organization.

Purpose -The purpose of this paper is to examine and compare the meaning of work (MOW) according to religiosity among Jews and Muslims in Israel. The paper attempts to explain the similarities and the differences between the two ethno-religious groups. Design/methodology/approach -In 2006 the MOW questionnaire was conducted on 1,464 working respondents and the final sample included 898 Jews and 215 Muslims, representing the labor force. The MOW dimensions were: work centrality, intrinsic orientation, economic orientation and interpersonal relations. Findings -While among Jews, religiosity degree affected all four dimensions of the MOW, there were no differences among Muslims with a different religiosity degree concerning all MOW dimensions, except for the economic orientation. Furthermore, among Muslims when religiosity is controlled, the other demographic variables do not influence the MOW domination. Practical implications -This additional knowledge of the relationship between religion, religiosity and the MOW, can help to better understand the employee's needs and how to fulfil them (e.g. implementing "Diversity Management" programs). This suitability will eventually lead to more desirable work outcomes. Social implications -Governmental policy can lead to higher participation of orthodox Jews in the labor market. Moreover, the extra-high work centrality among Arab Muslims reflects a high non-actualized potential for organizations and for the Israeli economy in general. Originality/value -There are no studies that compared work values of Jews and Muslims according to religiosity, in and out of Israel, and this paper explores the MOW of the ethno-religious groups in Israel and the causes for the different patterns.