There has been for over a century a movement for the humanization of work. The movement's two branches--a European one emphasizing worker alienation and structural change and a North American one emphasizing job enrichment--have converged somewhat as the concept of "quality of work life" (QWL) has emerged in the 1970's. Business concepts like QWL, it should be noted, are often borrowed by education. QWL has emerged at this time for many reasons, including increasing alienation, young workers' higher expectations, declining power of traditional institutions, desire for civil liberties in the workplace, and technological change. As currently defined, QWL is a broad philosophical concept with a humanistic value framework and a concern for traditional labor relations items, self-actualization, changing organizational culture, intrinsic meaning and social support, and social responsibility; QWL as a long-term process stresses participation, development, and workers' influence on their job environment. The introduction of QWL at General Motors' Tarrytown plant illustrates its positive effects. QWL's humanistic aspects make it very compatible with education, though QWL's sociotechnical aspects are not as applicable. Educational areas in which QWL might be applied include labor relations, community participation, student motivation, stress, staff development, and school decentralization. (Author/RW)