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Joshanloo, Mohsen (2023): A New Index of Perceived Job Quality in 116 Countries: Associations with Working Hours and Other National Characteristics. In: Social Sciences, Jg. 12, H. 9. DOI:10.3390/socsci12090492

Abstract

"The main purpose of this study was to create a global index of perceived job quality that assesses individuals’ perceptions of enjoyment, meaning, and engagement at work, as well as freedom of choice in job selection. The study also explored the correlation between weekly working hours and perceived job quality. A sample of 121,207 individuals from 116 countries was used, sourced from the Gallup World Poll. Additionally, variables from other sources were incorporated to establish the nomological net of the new index. Perceived job quality was highest in South and North America, while it was lowest in East Asia, the Middle East, and North Africa. Perceived job quality was weakly associated with cultural characteristics at the national level, while it was more strongly associated with experienced positive affect, psychosocial well-being, and optimism. No evidence was found that countries with higher levels of wealth have higher average levels of perceived job quality. The number of hours worked per week was not significantly related to perceived job quality at the national level. Working hours were found to be longer in collectivist, hierarchical, and less free countries, as well as in countries where work is valued over leisure. Weekly working hours was largely unrelated to economic indicators at the national level." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Pelly, Diane (2022): Worker well-being and quit intentions: is measuring job satisfaction enough? (UCD Geary Institute for Public Policy discussion paper series 2022,04), Dublin, 50 S.

Abstract

"While the links between worker well-being and quit intentions have been well researched, most studies to date rely on a very narrow conceptualisation of well-being, namely job satisfaction, thus ignoring the documented multidimensionality of subjective well-being. This paper explores whether this approach is justified. Using novel survey data, I compare the extent to which hedonic (job satisfaction and affect) and eudemonic (disengagement and basic psychological needs) well-being indicators individually and jointly explain variation in the quit intentions of 994 full-time UK workers. Well-being indicators perform well, explaining four to nine times more variation in quit intentions than wages and hours combined, with the disengagement measure performing best. I find systematic differences in the hedonic and eudemonic well-being profiles of workers who report positive quit intentions and those who do not. A composite model containing all seven well-being indicators offers the best fit, explaining 29.4% of variation in quit intentions versus 24.0% for job satisfaction on its own. My findings suggest that the standard single-item job satisfaction indicator is probably good enough for organisations who are looking for a quick and easy way to identify workers who may be most at risk of forming positive quit intentions. For organisations seeking to develop effective preventative quit strategies however, supplementing single-item job satisfaction with multifaceted well-being indicators is likely to yield valuable additional insights." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Wilcox, Annika & Amanda Koontz (2022): Workplace well-being: Shifting from an individual to an organizational framework. In: Sociology Compass, Jg. 16, H. 10. DOI:10.1111/soc4.13035

Abstract

"Well-being (or lack thereof) is one phenomena that is shaped by and has important implications for organizational (in)equalities, yet remains widely conceptualized at an individual level. Through a review of previous research on organizational inequality and diversity, we argue for a shift towards studying “workplace well-being”—well-being as created by and through work organizations. We identify and discuss three pillars of workplace well-being and consider how these pillars are constituted across three levels of analysis. We note that “workplace well-being” offers a more theoretically- and empirically-grounded framework for understanding how well-being operates in the workplace. This concept can be utilized to “check” where organizational change is needed and develop change initiatives that better support diversity, inclusivity, and equity." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, Published by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons) ((en))

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Clark, Andrew E., Maria Cotofan & Richard Layard (2021): Beyond income inequality: non-monetary rewards to work. In: Centrepiece. The Magazine of The Centre for Economic Performance, Jg. 26, H. 2, S. 26-28.

Abstract

"Discussion of income inequality focuses primarily on wages with limited consideration of the non-monetary rewards to work, not least the satisfaction that employees experience in doing their jobs. Andrew Clark, Maria Cotofan and Richard Layard use data on subjective wellbeing to reveal the full extent of UK labour market inequality." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Redmond, Paul & Séamus McGuiness (2019): Explaining the gender gap in job satisfaction. (IZA discussion paper 12703), Bonn, 7 S.

Abstract

"In general, women report greater job satisfaction than men. The existing literature cannot fully explain the nature of this difference, as the gap tends to persist even when controlling for job characteristics. In this paper, we study job satisfaction using recent data for 28 EU countries. Women, on average, are more satisfied than men and the gap remains even when we account for a wide range of personal, job and family characteristics. However, the gap disappears when we include job preferences, as women place greater importance on work-life balance and the intrinsic desirability of the work." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Sironi, Emiliano (2019): Job satisfaction as a determinant of employees' optimal well-being in an instrumental variable approach. In: Quality & quantity, Jg. 53, H. 4, S. 1721-1742. DOI:10.1007/s11135-019-00835-3

Abstract

"The correlation between measures of a high level of job satisfaction and well-being is well documented in the literature; however, such a relationship may be potentially bidirectional. If an increase in job satisfaction affects optimal well-being, the reverse relationship can also be hypothesized. In addition, the relationship between job satisfaction and well-being may be polluted by the presence of omitted variables that can be correlated both with the satisfaction in the workplace and with a measure of optimal wellbeing. Using the sixth round of the European Social Survey, this paper utilizes an instrumental variable approach to isolate the effect of job satisfaction on optimal well-being variation that is independent of unobserved individual characteristics. After having controlled for the role of socio-economic profiles of interviewed individuals, our findings confirm a strong and significantly positive influence of job satisfaction on optimal well-being. The novelty of our analysis is twofold: firstly, we employ an instrumental variable approach to correct for endogeneity that might the effect of job satisfaction on well-being. Secondly, we use an innovative measure of optimal well-being, which we adopt as an outcome variable for measuring a multi-dimensional definition of well-being dealing with both hedonic and eudemonic streams." (Author's abstract, © Springer-Verlag) ((en))

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Bell, David N. F. & David G. Blanchflower (2018): The well-being of the overemployed and the underemployed and the rise in depression in the UK. (NBER working paper 24840), Cambrige, Mass., 36 S. DOI:10.3386/w24840

Abstract

"In this paper we build on our earlier work on underemployment using data from the UK. In particular, we explore their well-being based on hours preferences rather than on involuntary part-time work used in the prior literature. We make use of five main measures of well-being: happiness; life satisfaction; whether life is worthwhile; anxiety and depression. The underemployed have higher levels of well-being than the unemployed and disabled but lower levels than any other group of workers, full or part-time. The more that actual hours differ from preferred hours the lower is a worker's well-being. This is true for those who say they want more hours (the underemployed) and those who say they want less (the over employed). We find strong evidence of a rise in depression and anxiety (negative affect) in the years since the onset of austerity in 2010 that is not matched by declines in happiness measures (positive affect). The fear of unemployment obtained from monthly surveys from the EU has also been on the rise since 2015. We find evidence of an especially large rise in anxiety and depression among workers in general and the underemployed in particular. The underemployed don't want to be underemployed." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Cassar, Lea & Stephan Meier (2018): Nonmonetary incentives and the implications of work as a source of meaning. In: The Journal of Economic Perspectives, Jg. 32, H. 3, S. 215-238. DOI:10.1257/jep.32.3.215

Abstract

"Empirical research in economics has begun to explore the idea that workers care about nonmonetary aspects of work. An increasing number of economic studies using survey and experimental methods have shown that nonmonetary incentives and nonpecuniary aspects of one's job have substantial impacts on job satisfaction, productivity, and labor supply. By drawing on this evidence and relating it to the literature in psychology, this paper argues that work represents much more than simply earning an income: for many people, work is a source of meaning. In the next section, we give an economic interpretation of meaningful work and emphasize how it is affected by the mission of the organization and the extent to which job design fulfills the three psychological needs at the basis of self-determination theory: autonomy, competence, and relatedness. We point to the evidence that not everyone cares about having a meaningful job and discuss potential sources of this heterogeneity. We sketch a theoretical framework to start to formalize work as a source of meaning and think about how to incorporate this idea into agency theory and labor supply models. We discuss how workers' search for meaning may affect the design of monetary and nonmonetary incentives. We conclude by suggesting some insights and open questions for future research." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Mateos-Romero, Lucía & María del Mar Salinas-Jiménez (2018): Labor mismatches: Effects on wages and on job satisfaction in 17 OECD countries. In: Social indicators research, Jg. 140, H. 1, S. 369-391. DOI:10.1007/s11205-017-1830-y

Abstract

"This study analyzes the effects of labor mismatches on wages and on job satisfaction in seventeen OECD countries by distinguishing between educational mismatch and skills mismatch. Using data from PIAAC, the results suggest that whereas educational mismatch shows greater effects on wages, the effects of labor mismatch on job satisfaction are generally better explained by skills mismatches. Both phenomena appear to be relevant for understanding the economic effects of labor mismatch and suggest that educational mismatch is not an accurate proxy for skills mismatch, mainly when the non-monetary effects of labor mismatch are addressed." (Author's abstract, © Springer-Verlag) ((en))

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Punzo, Gennaro, Rosalia Castellano & Mirko Buonocore (2018): Job satisfaction in the "Big Four" of Europe. Reasoning between feeling and uncertainty through CUB models. In: Social indicators research, Jg. 139, H. 1, S. 205-236. DOI:10.1007/s11205-017-1715-0

Abstract

"The paper offers a comparative investigation of objective and subjective driving forces behind the satisfaction that people feel in their job in four representative countries of Western Europe. The main element of this work's novelty is its linking the research of cross-country similarities and differences in the leading determinants of global job satisfaction to methodological issues that arise when responses to survey questions are detected on a rating scale through self-evaluation. In particular, this paper is one of the first attempts to test the potentialities of CUB models on EWCS data in a broader conceptual framework in which the response on overall job satisfaction depends on some psychological dynamics of the evaluation process. Although overall job satisfaction is significantly higher for British and German employees, the subjective factors - the amount of socio-economic security embodied in a job, the working conditions and the aspects of work-life balance - are the most relevant in shaping job satisfaction, disregarding the myth that considers earnings as the dominant factor." (Author's abstract, © Springer-Verlag) ((en))

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Ewers, Mara (2016): Vertrauen und emotionale Stabilität als Determinanten von Erfolg und Lebenszufriedenheit. In: IW-Trends, Jg. 43, H. 2, S. 1-89. DOI:10.2373/1864-810X.16-02-06

Abstract

"Wie erklären sich Unterschiede im guten und erfolgreichen Leben, wenn man dieses an der Lebens- und Arbeitszufriedenheit, dem Bruttostundenlohn, der Gesundheit und den Ausbildungsjahren festmacht? Erkenntnisse fachübergreifender Forschung von Ökonomen und Psychologen werfen die Frage auf, ob allein ökonomische Präferenzen sowie gesellschaftliche und ökonomische Rahmenbedingungen hierfür verantwortlich sind. Die vorliegende Untersuchung zeigt, dass Ungleichheit auch eine Folge der Entwicklung der Persönlichkeit ist. Ökonomische Präferenzen und Persönlichkeitsmerkmale sind nicht perfekt austauschbar. Vielmehr ergänzen sie sich. Erfolgreiche Bundesbürger in allen untersuchten Lebensbereichen weisen vor allem hohe Werte bei der emotionalen Stabilität und beim Vertrauen auf. Von den Bundesbürgern, die der Aussage 'Im Allgemeinen kann man den Menschen vertrauen' voll zustimmten, geben 72 Prozent eine hohe Lebenszufriedenheit an. Unter allen Deutschen trifft dies nur auf jeden zweiten zu." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

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Rollero, Chiara, Angela Fedi & Norma De Piccoli (2016): Gender or occupational status. What counts more for well-being at work? In: Social indicators research, Jg. 128, H. 2, S. 467-480. DOI:10.1007/s11205-015-1039-x

Abstract

"Literature has conceptualized well-being in the work domain through specific constructs, such as job satisfaction, work alienation, work-family conflict, and the perception of decision-making. Research from a gender perspective has examined gender differences in relation to these variables, showing that -compared to men -women in most cases experience lower job satisfaction, less decision-making, and higher work-family conflict. Another body of studies has driven the attention to the impact of the occupational status, demonstrating a general positive effect of high-status occupations. However, considering disparities between men and women in career success, the documented gender differences may also be influenced by the fact that women generally hold lower positions, as well as the effects of status may be related to the prevalence of men in high-status job. The purpose of the present study was to extend past research by examining the effects of both gender and status on job satisfaction, work alienation, work-family conflict, and decision-making. To this aim 238 workers (52.5 % males) holding high-status (N = 98) and low-status (N = 140) positions were involved in the research. Results indicated that when the relative salience of both gender and status is considered to understand well-being at work, status counts more than gender. Nevertheless, gender remains a significant dimension that may not be neglected, as it plays a relevant role, along with status, on job satisfaction and perception of decision-making. Implications are discussed." (Author's abstract, © Springer-Verlag) ((en))

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Hanglberger, Dominik & Joachim Merz (2015): Does self-employment really raise job satisfaction? Adaptation and anticipation effects on self-employment and general job changes. In: Journal for labour market research, Jg. 48, H. 4, S. 287-303., 2015-04-01. DOI:10.1007/s12651-015-0175-8

Abstract

"Zahlreiche empirische Analysen, auf Querschnittsdaten oder Paneldaten basierend, kamen zu dem Ergebnis, dass Selbständige ein höheres Niveau an Arbeitszufriedenheit erreichen als abhängig Beschäftigte. In unserem Beitrag untersuchen wir, ob dieses empirische Ergebnis möglicherweise auf die Vernachlässigung von Antizipations- und Adaptionseffekten zurückgeführt werden kann. Um den Sachverhalt empirisch zu überprüfen, spezifizieren wir fixed-effects Regressionsmodelle, die auch Antizipation und Adaption der Arbeitszufriedenheit vor einem Wechsel aus abhängiger Beschäftigung in Selbständigkeit und allgemein bei einem Arbeitsplatzwechsel berücksichtigen. Grundlage für unsere Analyse ist das Sozio-oekonomische Panel (SOEP) der Jahre 1984 - 2009. Im Gegensatz zur existierenden Literatur findet sich keine positive Langzeitwirkung der Selbständigkeit, wenn Antizipation und Adaption berücksichtigt werden. Werden Antizipation und Adaption bei Arbeitsplatzwechsel im Allgemeinen berücksichtigt, so reduziert sich der Effekt der Selbständigkeit auf die Arbeitszufriedenheit um ca. zwei Drittel. In Modellen, die Antizipation und Adaption an Selbständigkeit und Arbeitsplatzwechsel berücksichtigen, zeigt sich lediglich für die ersten drei Jahre der Selbständigkeit eine höhere Arbeitszufriedenheit. Der positive Effekt der Selbständigkeit nimmt in der Folge jedoch ab und ist für Personen, die 4 oder mehr Jahre selbständig sind, nicht mehr signifikant. Die Ergebnisse verdeutlichen damit, dass bisherige Studien die positive Wirkung der Selbständigkeit auf die Arbeitszufriedenheit zumindest deutlich überschätzen." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

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Gambacorta, Romina & Maria Iannario (2013): Measuring job satisfaction with CUB Models. In: Labour, Jg. 27, H. 2, S. 198-224. DOI:10.1111/labr.12008

Abstract

"In this paper we present two statistical approaches for discussing and modelling job satisfaction based on data collected in the Survey on Household Income and Wealth (SHIW) conducted by the Bank of Italy. In particular, we analyse these data by means of a mixture model introduced for ordinal data and compare results with the Ordinal Probit model. The aim is to establish common outcomes and differences in the estimated patterns of global job satisfaction, but also to stress the potential for curbing the effects of measurement errors on estimates by using CUB models [a Combination of discrete Uniform and (shifted) Binomial distributions], allowing control for the effect of uncertainty and shelter choices in the response process." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Lesch, Hagen, Holger Schäfer & Jörg Schmidt (2013): Gute Arbeit oder zufrieden mit der Arbeit? Konzeptionelle Überlegungen und empirische Befunde für Deutschland. In: Sozialer Fortschritt, Jg. 62, H. 5, S. 139-148. DOI:10.3790/sfo.62.5.139

Abstract

"Der Deutsche Gewerkschaftsbund veröffentlicht seit einigen Jahren den Index 'Gute Arbeit' und liefert damit einen wichtigen Beitrag zur 'Quality-of-Work'-Debatte. Eine kritische Auseinandersetzung mit dem Index deckt indes verschiedene methodische Schwächen auf. Diese Problematik lässt es sinnvoll erscheinen, die Befunde mit einem alternativen Ansatz zu ergänzen. Das Konzept der Arbeitszufriedenheit nimmt die subjektiv empfundene, von den Befragten implizit selbst gewichtete Einschätzung der eigenen Arbeit in den Blick. Die Ergebnisse von Schätzungen auf Basis des Sozio-oekonomischen Panels zeigen, dass unter anderem Faktoren auf die Arbeitszufriedenheit wirken, die im Index 'Gute Arbeit' nicht berücksichtigt sind. Für eine umfassende Charakterisierung der Beziehungen von Arbeitnehmern und Arbeitgebern bei der Gestaltung der Arbeit sollte daher neben einer möglichst breit angelegten Arbeitnehmerperspektive auch die Perspektive von Arbeitgebern berücksichtigt werden." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

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Schütz, Julia & Lea Hübner (2013): Von der Fremdevaluation zur Selbstevaluation. Chancen für die Arbeitszufriedenheitsforschung durch den Einsatz von Gruppendiskussionen. In: Der pädagogische Blick, Jg. 21, H. 2, S. 98-111. DOI:10.3262/PB1302098

Abstract

"In allen Bereichen des Erziehungs- und Bildungssystems sind Evaluationen wichtiger Bestandteil der pädagogischen Praxis. Der Beitrag führt im Rahmen einer ersten theoretischen Verortung und in der Perspektive einer komparativ pädagogischen Berufsgruppenforschung zunächst die Bedeutung von Evaluationen in den unterschiedlichen Bildungssegmenten auf. Am Beispiel einer Studie zur Arbeitszufriedenheit, die nach einem konservativen Verständnis von Evaluationen nicht als eine Evaluationsstudie bezeichnet werden kann, wird das Potential von Gruppendiskussionsverfahren für die empirische Sozialforschung im allgemeinen und für die Evaluationsforschung im Besonderen entfaltet. Ein besonders Spannungsverhältnis resultiert aus dem Umstand, dass sich die Arbeitszufriedenheitsforschung fast ausschließlich quantitativer Verfahren empirischer Sozialforschung bedient; mittels Gruppendiskussionen Befunde zur Arbeitszufriedenheit zu erzielen kann also als eine Art Experiment gewertet werden." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

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Semykina, Anastasia & Susan J. Linz (2013): Job satisfaction and perceived gender equality in advanced promotion opportunities. An empirical investigation. In: Kyklos, Jg. 66, H. 4, S. 591-619. DOI:10.1111/kykl.12038

Abstract

"Does gender equality in advanced promotion opportunities in the workplace have consequences for job satisfaction? We use data collected from workers in six formerly socialist economies (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, and Serbia) to investigate the link between job satisfaction and the perceived chance that a woman would hold a senior-level position at the firm. Among many survey participants, such a link exists and is positive; that is, these survey participants enjoy working at firms that promote gender balance at the top. The positive link is explained in part by worker personality/attitudes and firm characteristics, and in part by the result that participating workers often enjoy higher job satisfaction because they perceive the lack of 'glass ceiling' as a signal of improved own career opportunities. Among women, positive effects are more significant for younger workers. We discuss possible explanations for these findings, as well as cross-country differences and policy implications." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Smith, Conal & Carrie Exton (2013): OECD Guidelines on measuring subjective well-being. Paris, 265 S. DOI:10.1787/9789264191655-en

Abstract

"Being able to measure people's quality of life is fundamental when assessing the progress of societies. There is now widespread acknowledgement that measuring subjective well-being is an essential part of measuring quality of life alongside other social and economic dimensions. As a first step to improving the measures of quality of life, the OECD has produced Guidelines which provide advice on the collection and use of measures of subjective well-being. These Guidelines have been produced as part of the OECD Better Life Initiative, a pioneering project launched in 2011, with the objective to measure society's progress across eleven domains of well-being, ranging from jobs, health and housing, through to civic engagement and the environment.
These Guidelines represent the first attempt to provide international recommendations on collecting, publishing, and analysing subjective well-being data. They provide guidance on collecting information on people's evaluations and experiences of life, as well as on collecting 'eudaimonic' measures of psychological well-being. The Guidelines also outline why measures of subjective well-being are relevant for monitoring and policy making, and why national statistical agencies have a critical role to play in enhancing the usefulness of existing measures. They identify the best approaches for measuring, in a reliable and consistent way, the various dimensions of subjective well-being, and provide guidance for reporting on such measures. The Guidelines also include a number of prototype survey modules on subjective well-being that national and international agencies can use in their surveys." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Tansel, Aysit & Saziye Gazioglu (2013): Management-employee relations, firm size and job satisfaction. (IZA discussion paper 7308), Bonn, 27 S.

Abstract

"This paper investigates the job satisfaction in relation to managerial attitudes towards employees and firm size using the linked employer-employee survey results in Britain. We first investigate the management-employee relationships and the firm size using maximum likelihood probit estimation. Next various measures of job satisfaction are related to the management-employee relations via maximum likelihood ordered probit estimates. Four measures of job satisfaction that have not been used often are considered. They are satisfaction with influence over job; satisfaction with amount of pay; satisfaction with sense of achievement and satisfaction with respect from supervisors. Main findings indicate that management-employee relationships are less satisfactory in the large firms than in the small firms. Job satisfaction levels are lower in large firms. Less satisfactory management-employee relationships in the large firms may be a major source of the observed lower level of job satisfaction in them. These results have important policy implications from the point of view of the firm management while achieving the aims of their organizations in particular in the large firms in the area of management-employee relationships. Improving the management-employee relations in large firms will increase employee satisfaction in many respects as well as increase productivity and reduce turnover. The nature of the management-employee relations with firm size and job satisfaction has not been investigated before." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Abstract

"Was bestimmt die Lebensqualität der Menschen? Die 'Better Life Initiative: Wohlergehen und Fortschritt messen' der OECD analysiert die Lebensbedingungen der Menschen auf der Grundlage von elf wesentlichen Indikatoren, um diese Frage zu beantworten. Sie reichen von herkömmlichen Maßstäben wie Einkommen, Beschäftigung, Gesundheit, Bildung und Umwelt bis hin zu persönlicher Sicherheit und allgemeiner Zufriedenheit mit dem Leben. Aber das Wohlergehen hängt vom Einzelnen ab und kann deshalb nicht nur auf Landesebene gemessen werden. Aus diesem Grund ermittelt die OECD auch das Wohlergehen auf der Ebene der einzelnen Gesellschaftsgruppen. So kann untersucht werden, wie das Wohlergehen, sei es nun in Bezug auf Einkommen, Bildung, Gesundheit oder allgemeiner Zufriedenheit mit dem Leben in der Gesellschaft, verteilt ist und ob zum Beispiel Unterschiede zwischen den Geschlechtern beobachtet werden können. Ein breites Spektrum an vergleichbaren Indikatoren für das Wohlergehen ermöglicht es, die relativen Stärken und Schwächen eines Landes im Bezug auf das Wohlergehen der Bevölkerung zu bestimmen. Die Ergebnisse der Untersuchung können als Grundlage für politische Maßnahmen dienen. Es gibt allerdings keinen klar identifizierten Sieger in allen Aspekten des Wohlergehens, deshalb können die Maßnahmen zur Verbesserung des Wohlergehens in den einzelnen OECD-Ländern stark voneinander abweichen." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)