Zitatform

Addison, John T. & Paulino Teixeira (2025): Job satisfaction and workplace representation in Europe. In: The Manchester School, Jg. 93, H. 2, S. 123-148. DOI:10.1111/manc.12499

Abstract

"The backdrop to this inquiry into the relationship between worker job satisfaction and workplace representation in European nations is twofold. The first is that the bulk of research has focused on union membership and job satisfaction in Anglophone nations with their very different industrial relations systems and bargaining arrangements. The second and more immediate context is the dramatic shift from negative to positive in the association between union membership and job satisfaction (inter al.) observed in the most recent literature. Using data on 28 European nations from the last two waves of the European Working Conditions Survey, however, we report that workers in establishments with formal workplace representation record lower job satisfaction than their counterparts in plants without such representation. These findings of conditional correlation are then upgraded by constructing a pseudo-panel with cohort fixed effects to take account of unobserved worker heterogeneity. First-difference estimates suggest that the negative relationship between worker representation and job satisfaction found in cross section continues to hold. Next, an endogenous treatment effects model is deployed to address the possible endogeneity of worker representation. The results are supportive of a causal negative relationship between job satisfaction and worker representation. One interpretation of our findings is that in the matter of the association between unions and job satisfaction the jury is still out." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, Published by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons) ((en))

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El Khawli, Elissa, Mark Visser & Mustafa Firat (2025): Trajectories of job resources and the timing of retirement. In: Work, Aging and Retirement, Jg. 11, H. 2, S. 149-161. DOI:10.1093/workar/waae004

Abstract

"Job resources benefit and motivate workers and, therefore, facilitate longer working lives. Yet, little is known about how job resources develop over time and how, in turn, trajectories of job resources are associated with retirement timing. Accordingly, this study examines job resource trajectories of older workers and to what extent these trajectories are related to when people retire. Using data from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE), growth mixture models are conducted to examine the trajectory of three job resources, namely autonomy, skill development opportunities and recognition, from age 50 until workers retired or dropped out of the survey. Four trajectories of job resources are found: stable high resources, stable low skill development opportunities, stable low recognition and stable low resources. The results of the subsequent event history analysis of retirement timing show that older workers with trajectories of job resources characterized by stable low recognition and stable low resources are at higher risk of earlier retirement compared to those with other trajectories. The findings shed light on the importance of job resource trajectories for promoting longer working lives." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Rudolph, Cort W., Jack C. Friedrich, Ryszard J. Koziel & Hannes Zacher (2025): Character Strengths Use at Work: a Meta-Analysis of Relations with Work Performance and Employee Wellbeing. In: Applied Research in Quality of Life, S. 1-36. DOI:10.1007/s11482-025-10424-2

Abstract

"Character strengths, individual differences in positive, morally valued human characteristics, are a core concept in positive psychology and positive organizational behavior. The application of character strengths through “strengths use” at work is associated with a variety of positive outcomes, including higher levels of work performance and employee wellbeing. To address fragmentation in this literature, we conducted a meta-analysis of relations between strengths use and these outcomes. Consistent with pre-registered hypotheses, we find positive associations between strengths use and work performance (ρ = .421) and worker wellbeing (ρ = .621). However, contrary to the premise of “strengths overuse,” we did not find evidence for non-linearity in these associations. We also explore demographic and methodological moderators of these relations and present an accounting of additional relations between strengths use at work and a broader network of more specific performance- and wellbeing-related constructs, associated strengths-use constructs, job characteristics, dispositional and attitudinal constructs, and demographic characteristics." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Bachtal, Yassien Nico (2024): The efficiency scope of work from home: A multidimensional approach and the significance of real estate. (Publications of Darmstadt Technical University, Institute for Business Studies (BWL) 144916), Darmstadt: Darmstadt Technical University, Department of Business Administration, Economics and Law, Institute for Business Studies (BWL), 176 S.

Abstract

"Die Arbeitswelten und insbesondere die physische Organisation der Arbeit befinden sich in einem tiefgreifenden Transformationsprozess. Ursächlich für diesen Transformationsprozess sind technologische Innovationen, organisatorische Veränderungen und die zunehmende Pluralisierung der Anforderungen von Arbeitnehmenden. Auch wenn dieser Transformationsprozess der physischen Organisation der Arbeit schon vor einigen Jahren eingesetzt hat, hat die COVID-19 Pandemie die Transformationsgeschwindigkeit signifikant erhöht. Work from Home, als eine Maßnahme zur Eindämmung der COVID-19 Pandemie, ermöglichte es Büroarbeitenden weltweit Erfahrungen mit der Arbeit zu Hause zu sammeln. Work from Home beschreibt dabei das regelmäßige Arbeiten von zu Hause, das durch die Nutzung von Informations- und Kommunikationstechnologien ermöglicht wird. Arbeitnehmende haben dadurch den direkten Vergleich zwischen dem Arbeiten im Büro und dem Work from Home und wägen ihren Arbeitsort in Abhängigkeit der Arbeitstätigkeiten zielgerichteter ab. Die flächendeckende Einführung von Work from Home beeinflusst das Leben und Arbeiten auf mehreren Ebenen. Auf individueller Ebene stellt sich die Frage, welche Arbeitnehmenden grundsätzlich für das Work from Home geeignet sind. Auf der Ebene der Arbeitsumwelt fehlt es an Erkenntnissen, inwiefern Work from Home einen Einfluss auf die digitale Ausstattung von Wohnimmobilien hat. Weiterhin bleibt offen, wie sich das Zusammenspiel aus den Arbeitnehmenden (person) und der Arbeitsumwelt (environment) im Work from Home auf den individuellen Arbeitserfolg (fit) auswirkt. Diesen Forschungsfragen geht die vorliegende Dissertation mithilfe von insgesamt fünf Forschungsartikeln nach. Der erste Artikel ordnet Work from Home in eine hybride Arbeitswelt ein und nutzt dazu einen internationalen Vergleich zwischen den Vereinigten Staaten und Deutschland. Hybrides Arbeiten definiert sich über die Verteilung der Arbeitszeit auf das Büro, das Work from Home und dritte Arbeitsorte und beschreibt eine Kombination dieser Arbeitsorte. Der Artikel zeigt, dass WFH in einer hybriden Arbeitswelt für viele Arbeitnehmende einen hohen Stellenwert einnimmt. Während die Arbeitszeit im Büro mit rund einem Drittel in beiden Ländern nahezu identisch ist, zeigt sich, dass vor allem dritte Arbeitsorte (z. B. Coworking Spaces) für Arbeitnehmende in den Vereinigten Staaten einen höheren Stellenwert als in Deutschland einnehmen. Der Artikel zeigt, dass diese Divergenz vor allem kulturell begründet ist. In der Summe zeigt dieser Artikel, dass Arbeitnehmende dem WFH in einer hybriden Arbeitswelt international einen hohen Stellenwert einräumen. Der zweite Artikel greift den hohen Stellenwert des Work from Home in einer hybriden Arbeitswelt auf und untersucht in einer Vorstudie, welche Aspekte erfolgreiches Arbeiten zu Hause ermöglichen. Die Ergebnisse des Artikels zeigen, dass korrelative Zusammenhänge zwischen räumlichen, personenbezogenen und arbeitsbezogenen Merkmalen auf der einen Seite und der Zufriedenheit und Produktivität auf der anderen Seite existieren. Konsequenterweise ist erfolgreiches Arbeiten zu Hause nur durch positive Voraussetzungen aller drei Dimensionen möglich. Dieser Artikel gibt einen ersten Hinweis darauf, dass tatsächlich nur rund 25 % der Arbeitnehmenden, die die Möglichkeit haben von zu Hause zu arbeiten, dort auch erfolgreich sind. Im dritten Forschungsartikel werden die Ergebnisse aus der zweiten Studie aufgegriffen. So ist das Ziel, diese 25 % der erfolgreich von zu Hause arbeitenden Arbeitnehmenden, näher zu betrachten. Die Ergebnisse verdeutlichen, dass insbesondere berufserfahrenere Arbeitnehmende, die in gut ausgestatteten Wohnimmobilien leben und eine hohe Arbeitsautonomie haben im Work from Home erfolgreich arbeiten können. Weniger erfolgreich im Work from Home sind vor allem Berufseinsteiger, die häufig in Immobilien wohnen, die nicht für das Work from Home geeignet sind. Der vierte Artikel widmet sich konkret der Frage, welchen Einfluss die immobilienwirtschaftlichen Merkmale auf die Zufriedenheit und die Produktivität im Work from Home haben. Des Weiteren wird die relative Bedeutung der immobilienwirtschaftlichen Merkmale im Verhältnis zu arbeitsbezogenen und sozial-psychologischen Merkmalen gesetzt. Es zeigt sich, dass die immobilienwirtschaftlichen Merkmale im Work from Home einen hohen Einfluss auf die Zufriedenheit und die Produktivität haben. Im Vergleich zu arbeitsbezogenen und sozial-psychologischen Merkmalen haben die immobilienwirtschaftlichen Merkmale sogar die größte Bedeutung. Der fünfte Forschungsartikel untersucht, welche Aspekte die Kaufabsicht von Smart Homes beeinflussen und welche Rolle die gestiegene Technikaffinität, ausgelöst durch die COVID-19 Pandemie und insbesondere durch Work from Home, einnimmt. Die Kaufabsicht von Smart Homes wird vor allem durch das soziale Umfeld begünstigt. Die Ergebnisse machen aber auch deutlich, dass die gestiegene Technikaffinität die Einstellung gegenüber solchen Wohnimmobilien verbessert, was wiederum zu einer höheren Kaufabsicht führt. Mit diesen Erkenntnissen erweitert die vorliegende Dissertation die Forschung rund um das Thema Work from Home. Work from Home bietet sowohl für die Unternehmen als auch für die Gesellschaft Potentiale. Gleichzeitig zeigt die Dissertation auch Risiken, die mit dem Arbeiten von zu Hause verbunden sind. Nur durch die individuelle Betrachtung der Workforce einer Organisation und durch die Kombination des Büros, Work from Home und dritte Arbeitsorte lassen sich diese Potentiale realisieren. Die Dissertation bietet eine theoretisch-konzeptionelle Einordnung in den aktuellen Stand der Forschung und liefert mit den Ergebnissen Implikationen für die Praxis, um den Herausforderungen im Transformationsprozess der physischen Organisation der Arbeit gerecht zu werden." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

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Buchinger, Laura, Theresa Entringer & Daniel Graeber (2024): DIW Berlin: Zufriedenheit mit Einkommen, Arbeit und Gesundheit unterscheidet sich nach Haushaltseinkommen, Alter und Elternschaft. In: DIW-Wochenbericht, Jg. 91, H. 34, S. 523-532. DOI:10.18723/diw_wb:2024-34-1

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Ehmann, Stefanie, Patrick Kampkötter, Julian Wenzel & Stefanie Wolter (2024): In the Hand of the Family: Management Practices and Perceived Job Quality. (SSRN papers), Rochester, NY, 39 S. DOI:10.2139/ssrn.5060329

Abstract

"This paper explores the use and implications of management practices in family firms compared to firms with dispersed ownership. Our longitudinal and representative employer-employee data set contains detailed information on the implementation of management practices at the firm level, as well as on the type of management in family firms. The analyses show that family firms are not inherently less likely to implement management practices as compared to firms with dispersed ownership, as the differences are driven by the type of management rather than ownership. We find that family-managed family firms are less likely to have implemented structured management practices, whereas externally-managed family firms are not as different from firms with dispersed ownership. Yet, we show that perceived job quality in family firms such as job satisfaction, procedural fairness and leadership quality, does not suffer from the lack of formal practices, suggesting that informal practices play an important role in family firms. For externally-managed family firms, we even find tentative evidence for comparatively higher levels of perceived job quality." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Giuliano, Romina, Benoît Mahy, François Rycx & Guillaume Vermeylen (2024): Overeducation, Overskilling and Job Satisfaction in Europe: The Moderating Role of Employment Contracts. (GLO discussion paper / Global Labor Organization 1419), Essen, 34 S.

Abstract

"This paper is the first to examine whether and how overeducation and overskilling, considered separately and in interaction, influence workers' job satisfaction at European level. It also investigates the moderating role of employment contracts. Our results, based on a unique pan-European database covering 28 countries in 2014, show that overeducation and overskilling reduce the probability of workers being satisfied with their jobs, but also that the drop in job satisfaction is almost double for genuinely overeducated workers (i.e. workers that are both overeducated and overskilled). These adverse effects on job satisfaction are found to be more pronounced among mismatched workers (whether overeducated, overskilled or both) on fixed-term rather than indefinite contracts." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Grund, Christian, Dirk Sliwka & Krystina Titz (2024): Works councils as gatekeepers: Codetermination, management practices, and job satisfaction. In: Labour Economics, Jg. 90. DOI:10.1016/j.labeco.2024.102563

Abstract

"This paper analyzes the role of works councils as gatekeepers safeguarding employee's interests in the adoption of management practices to monitor employee performance and provide feedback. We first introduce a formal model predicting that (i) the introduction of such management practices leads to a stronger increase (or weaker decrease) in job satisfaction when a works council is in place, (ii) that this effect should be larger the lower the prior level of employee participation and (iii) that works councils increase the likelihood of the implementation of these practices at the level of individual employees. We provide evidence in line with these hypotheses, using linked-employer-employee panel data from Germany. We indeed find that the adoption of formal performance appraisals and feedback interviews is associated with a significantly larger increase in job satisfaction when there is a works council. This pattern is driven by establishments without collective bargaining agreements. The evidence also suggests that works councils indeed facilitate the implementation of such management practices, as codetermined firms have a higher likelihood that a practice implemented on the firm level is actually applied by middle management." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © 2024 Elsevier) ((en))

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Ketzmerick, Thomas & Christian Hosang (2024): Qualität der Arbeitsbedingungen von Beschäftigten in Sachsen 2023. Ergebnisse der Befragung zum DGB-Index Gute Arbeit in Sachsen. (Forschungsberichte aus dem zsh), Dresden, 43 S.

Abstract

"Im Jahr 2023 wurde im Auftrag des Freistaates Sachsen zum achten Mal eine Aufstockung der jährlichen Befragung für den DGB-Index Gute Arbeit realisiert, um einen detaillierteren Einblick in die Beschäftigungs- und Arbeitssituation im Land zu gewinnen. Die Befragung ermöglicht Aussagen zu den wahrgenommenen Arbeitsbedingungen aus Sicht der sächsischen Beschäftigten sowie den Vergleich mit den Ergebnissen für Deutschland. Auf dieser Grundlage können Fortschritte und Handlungsbedarfe im Sinne von guter Arbeit identifiziert werden. Der Gesamtindex Gute Arbeit setzt sich aus drei Teilindizes zusammen: Ressourcen (z.B. Einfluss- und Weiterbildungsmöglichkeiten), Belastungen (z.B. durch körperliche und psychische Anforderungen) sowie Einkommen und Sicherheit (einschließlich der Bewertung des erwarteten Rentenniveaus). Die Teilindizes basieren auf insgesamt 42 Einzelmerkmalen der subjektiv eingeschätzten Arbeitsqualität. Die Arbeitsqualität in Sachsen hat sich in den letzten Jahren deutlich verbessert. Mit einer Unterbrechung in der Pandemie hat der Gesamtindex seit 2018 stetig zugelegt. Eine ähnliche Entwicklung ist in Ostdeutschland zu sehen. Nach einem leichten Rückgang des gesamtdeutschen Wertes liegt die Arbeitszufriedenheit in Sachsen und Ostdeutschland 2023 erstmals nahezu auf dem bundesweiten Niveau." (Textauszug, IAB-Doku)

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Nelson, Jennifer L. & Tiffany D. Johnson (2024): How White Workers Navigate Racial Difference in the Workplace: Social-Emotional Processes and the Role of Workplace Racial Composition. In: Work and occupations, Jg. 51, H. 3, S. 362-407. DOI:10.1177/07308884231176833

Abstract

"Research on racialized emotions and racialized organizations has begun to inform how we understand social interactions in the workplace and their implications for racial inequality. However, most research to date focuses on the experiences and coping strategies of racial minority workers, especially when confronted with instances of racial prejudice and discrimination. We extend research on racialized emotions in the workplace by mapping the stages of belonging/unbelonging white workers go through when they encounter instances of racial discomfort or perceived prejudice in the workplace. This is an important contribution to the study of race and work because existing research suggests the deleterious effects for people of color when white people experience negative emotions such as threat, fear, and anxiety in interracial encounters. Drawing on interview data with 56 white teachers in a metropolitan area in the U.S. Southeast, we document a process of racialized belonging. This is a process whereby white workers experienced varying degrees of surprise, confusion, frustration, and fear resulting from interracial—and some intraracial—experiences with coworkers as well as students. We note how the process is informed by racialized imprinting prior to workplace entry and followed by racialized emotions and racialized coping. Racial composition of the workplace also played a role, though the process looked similar across contexts. We argue that by accounting for white workers’ prior life experiences as well as organizations’ involvement in accommodating their emotional expectations, the way white workers behave when race becomes salient to them can be better understood and addressed." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Udayar, Shagini, Ieva Urbanaviciute, Christian Maggiori & Jérôme Rossier (2024): Does promotion foster career sustainability? A comparative three-wave study on the role of promotion in work stress, job satisfaction, and career-related performance. In: International Journal for Educational and Vocational Guidance. DOI:10.1007/s10775-024-09694-3

Abstract

"The present study investigates the role of promotion in employees’ happiness (job satisfaction), health (work stress), and career-related performance (perceived employability and career prospects). Positive and negative changes in the above-mentioned career sustainability indicators were investigated over a 2-year period. The promotion subsample (n = 128) was compared with a matched sample of non-promoted employees (n = 150). We also tested the role of gender in responding to a promotion. The findings suggest that the promotion may have equivocal effects on employees’ happiness, health, and career-related performance over time, and therefore does not foster their career sustainability." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © Springer-Verlag) ((en))

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Zhou, Ying, Min Zou & Mark Williams (2024): Is there a mid-career crisis? An investigation of the relationship between age and job satisfaction across occupations based on four large UK datasets. In: Socio-economic review. DOI:10.1093/ser/mwae072

Abstract

"Previous research has yielded mixed evidence on the relationship between age and job satisfaction. While there is broad consensus that job satisfaction tends to increase from midlife into older age, considerable debate persists regarding whether it rises or falls during the early stages of a career. This study examines this relationship in depth by analysing four nationally representative datasets, which include both cross-sectional and longitudinal data from 108 401 workers in the UK covering all industries, occupations and geographical areas. Our findings reveal a distinct U-shaped trajectory of job satisfaction among workers in managerial, professional and associate professional occupations. However, this pattern is not evident among workers in intermediate or lower occupational classes. These results remain consistent even after adjusting for period effects, cohort effects and fixed individual characteristics. The results of this study suggest that commonly cited reasons for the mid-career crisis, such as increased work–family conflicts, are unlikely to fully explain the pattern. Instead, the answer is likely to lie in work-related factors that disproportionately affect highly skilled workers. By highlighting the role of occupational context in shaping how individuals experience their work as they age, this study contributes to resolving a long-standing debate in the job satisfaction literature and lays the groundwork for theoretical advancements in this field." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Śliwicki, Dominik (2024): Intergenerational Differences in Job Satisfaction in Germany. (Scientific Papers of Silesian University of Technology. Organization and Management Series 199), 13 S. DOI:10.29119/1641-3466.2024.199.44

Abstract

"The aim of the research is to determine the differences in the level of job satisfaction among employees representing different generations in the labor market in Germany. It is assumed that the younger the generation, the lower the chance for higher satisfaction. The first part of the methodology is based on the use of post hoc statistical tests and answers to the questions about the significance of differences in the level of job satisfaction among employees representing different generations. The second part of the analysis involves estimating multinomial logit models in which the dependent variable is job satisfaction. This part indicates important factors influencing the increase in the chances of achieving higher job satisfaction. The results of the study showed that there are statistically significant differences in the level of job satisfaction between the BB and X generations as well as the BB and Y generations. The general conclusion is that the younger the generation, the lower the average job satisfaction. Significant differences occur only when compared to the oldest generation. The sample of the data is representative for German establishments in the private sector with at least employees. Further research may focus on identifying the factors that create job satisfaction in generational groups and those that cause significant differences. An important element of the research would be to find substitution relationships between factors, which could certainly be used in human resources management processes. Practical implications: The research results can be used in practice in managing intergenerational teams. Knowledge of differences in approach to work and factors influencing job satisfaction allows for more accurate influence on, among others: employee commitment and performance and mitigating conflict situations. The social implications of the presented study are related to shaping the attitudes of both employees and managers towards representatives of different generations functioning in the workplace and their mutual relationships. The article is addressed to a wide range of management practitioners in intergenerational teams. The value is providing new knowledge about differences in job satisfaction and factors that build satisfaction." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Benjamin, Daniel J., Jakina Debnam Guzman, Marc Fleurbaey, Ori Heffetz & Miles Kimball (2023): What do Happiness Data Mean? Theory and Survey Evidence. In: Journal of the European Economic Association, Jg. 21, H. 6, S. 2377-2412. DOI:10.1093/jeea/jvad026

Abstract

"What utility notion—e.g. flow/lifetime, self/family-centered—do self-reported well-being (SWB) questions measure? Existing applications make different assumptions regarding the (i) life domains, (ii) time horizons, and (iii) other-regarding preferences captured by SWB data. To obtain relevant evidence, we ask survey respondents what they had in mind regarding (i)–(iii) when answering commonly used—life satisfaction, happiness, ladder—and new SWB questions. We find that respondents’ self-reports differ from researchers’ assumptions and differ across SWB questions and sociodemographic groups. At the same time, simple SWB-question wording tweaks are effective in moving self-reports toward desired interpretations. We outline actionable suggestions for SWB researchers. (JEL: D69, D90, I31)" (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Bińczycki, Bernard, Wiesław Łukasiński & Sławomir Dorocki (2023): Determinants of Motivation to Work in Terms of Industry 4.0 - The Gen Z Perspective. In: Sustainability, Jg. 15, H. 15. DOI:10.3390/su151512069

Abstract

"The mentality of Generation Z differs markedly from the approach to social and economic issues presented by earlier generations. These young people have had access to the internet and other innovative technologies since birth. A tape recorder or a floppy disk is a museum exhibit for them. They are unfamiliar with the everyday problems that citizens of Central and Eastern Europe faced during the socialist era, such as the lack of necessities on the shelves. The aim of this article is to present the results of the authors’ survey on the identification of work motivation factors relevant to Generation Z. The survey involved 649 respondents, young Poles who are currently entering the labor market. It was also an interesting research task for the authors to compare the results of surveys among young Poles with the results of international surveys. The research provided insight into young people’s expectations, values, and preferences regarding work. The results of the survey can provide valuable guidance for employers in shaping sustainable human resource management strategies. In addition, studying the competences of Generation Z can identify the gap between the requirements of the labor market and the skills possessed by young workers. The study conducted by the authors is among the first of its kind in Poland after the pandemic, emphasizing the growing trend in remote work. Earlier research was undertaken in a different economic climate. The current investigation took place following the COVID-19 outbreak and amidst heightened military operations in Ukraine. It also takes into account the effects of recent technological progress related to the rapid development of Industry 4.0. Notably, the questionnaire used in this study is unique as the authors categorized motivational factors into three essential groups, highly relevant in today’s markedly altered labor market." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Focacci, Chiara Natalie & François Pichault (2023): How does institutional context shape work-related functionings for regular and self-employed workers? A contextualised application of the capability approach to Belgium, France and the Netherlands. In: The international journal of sociology and social policy, Jg. 43, H. 13/14, S. 36-61. DOI:10.1108/IJSSP-12-2022-0312

Abstract

"Purpose: According to Sen's theoretical framework of capability (1985), individuals reach their full potential once they have the freedom, intended as the set of functionings at their disposal, to do so. However, many critiques have been developed against the lack of embeddedness of the capability approach in social and political relations and structures. In this article, the authors investigate the influence of three institutional contexts (Belgium, the Netherlands and France) on the respective work-related functionings of self-employed and regular workers, with a focus on human capital investment and institutional support offered to them. Design/methodology/approach Data from the European Working Conditions Survey (EWCS) are used to highlight similarities and differences in building work-related functionings for regular and self-employed workers. A regression analysis is provided at the country level. Findings In the three labor markets, the authors find that the building of work-related functionings is more successful for regular employees, especially as regards institutional support. Self-employed workers, on the other hand, need to rely on their individual capability as regards employment protection and human capital investment. However, the authors find interesting differences between the three institutional contexts. In both Belgium and France, self-employed workers are subject to higher instability in terms of changes in salary and hours worked, whereas atypical work is better positioned in the Dutch labour market. The Netherlands is also characterized by a less significant gap between regular and self-employed workers with respect to participation in training. Originality/value In this article, the authors contextualise Sen's (1985) theoretical framework by taking into account the institutional differences of labor markets. In particular, the authors provide a novel application of his capability approach to regular and self-employed workers in an economically relevant European area." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © Emerald Group) ((en))

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Folke, Olle & Johanna Rickne (2023): Workplace Sex Composition and Appreciation at Work. (Working paper / Swedish Institute for Social Research (SOFI) 2023,05), Stockholm, 24 S.

Abstract

"We study appreciation of one’s work using nationally representative survey data from Sweden linked with employer–employee data. The level of appreciation from colleagues rises sharply with the share of women in the workplace. This strong pattern holds for women and men workers, as well as for subordinates and managers. More appreciation from colleagues is associated with higher levels of job satisfaction and other indicators of worker well-being. These results demonstrate the benefits of workplace gender diversity and inclusion, and suggest new directions for research on gender inequality in the labor market." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Friedrich, Teresa Sophie & Basha Vicari (2023): The Digitalization Boost of the Covid‐19 Pandemic and Changes in Job Quality. In: Social Inclusion, Jg. 11, H. 4, S. 274-286., 2023-09-18. DOI:10.17645/si.v11i4.7082

Abstract

"The Covid‐19 pandemic caused a digitalization boost, mainly through the rise of telework. Even before the pandemic, advancing digital transformation restructured the way of working and thereby changed the quality of jobs—albeit at a different pace across occupations. With data from the German National Educational Panel Study (NEPS), we examine how job quality and the use of digital technologies changed during the first pandemic year in different occupations. Building on this, we analyze change score models to investigate how increased workplace digitalization connects to changes in selected aspects of employees’ subjective job quality. We find only a weak association between the digitalization boost in different occupational fields and the overall decrease in subjective job quality. However, telework—as one aspect of digitalization—is connected to a smaller decrease in work–family reconciliation and conformable working hours. Thus, it may buffer some detrimental pandemic effects on job quality. In addition, telework is connected to increased information overload, creating a new burden for specific employee groups." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Maestas, Nicole, Kathleen J. Mullen, David Powell, Till von Wachter & Jeffrey B. Wenger (2023): The Value of Working Conditions in the United States and the Implications for the Structure of Wages. In: The American economic review, Jg. 113, H. 7, S. 2007-2047. DOI:10.1257/aer.20190846

Abstract

"We document variation in working conditions in the United States, present estimates of how workers value these conditions, and assess the impact of working conditions on estimates of wage inequality. We conduct a series of stated-preference experiments to estimate workers' willingness to pay for a broad set of working conditions, which we validate with actual job choices. We find that working conditions vary substantially, play a significant role in job choice, and are central components of the compensation received by workers. We find that accounting for differences in preferences for working conditions often exacerbates wage differentials and intensifies measures of wage inequality." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Mensvoort, Carly van, Donald Tomaskovic-Devey & Tanja van der Lippe (2023): Manager's gender, supervisory style, and employee's perception of the demanding work climate. In: European Sociological Review, Jg. 39, H. 6, S. 862-875. DOI:10.1093/esr/jcad019

Abstract

"Prior research on the link between managers’ gender and workplace gender equity primarily focuses on career outcomes. The present study explores overly demanding work climates, which we see as a realization of the ideal worker norm, bad for all workers, but a particular barrier to women’s careers. We examine whether female managers are ‘agents of change’ toward better work climates, while also exploring the impact of gendered supervisory styles on employees’ experience of overly demanding work. Together we provide a novel elaboration of the doing gender framework and the question of whether women managers are agents of change. Two-level models with organization-fixed effects for a European manager-employee linked sample reveal overall support for female managers as change agents, particularly when they manage with a feminine supervisory style. A masculine supervisory style increases employee perceptions of being overworked irrespective of manager’s gender. When female managers only enact a masculine supervisory style, they produce particularly less favourable employee experiences. Male managers who combine both feminine and masculine styles also produce worse work climates for their subordinates." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))