Arbeitszufriedenheit
Zufriedene Mitarbeiter*innen sind produktiver, seltener krank und verursachen geringere Sozialkosten. Arbeitszufriedenheit hat aber nicht nur Vorteile für Betriebe. Das Wohlbefinden am Arbeitsplatz ist auch ein wichtiger Indikator für die Qualität der Arbeit selbst. Doch was ist überhaupt Arbeitszufriedenheit? Wie wird sie gemessen? Welche Faktoren und Prozesse fördern, welche schränken sie ein?
Das Thema Arbeitszufriedenheit steht seit Jahrzehnten im Mittelpunkt kritischer wissenschaftlicher Auseinandersetzungen. Die Infoplattform gibt einen Überblick über aktuelle Arbeiten und ausgewählte ältere Publikationen zu theoretischen Ansätzen und empirischen Resultaten der Arbeitszufriedenheitsforschung.
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Literaturhinweis
Can different types of employee involvement in decision-making suppress the effects of work intensification and job insecurity on employee well-being? An analysis of the European Working Conditions Survey 2021 (2026)
Zitatform
Boxall, Peter, Gordon W. Cheung, Md Shamirul Islam, Kenneth Cafferkey & Keith Townsend (2026): Can different types of employee involvement in decision-making suppress the effects of work intensification and job insecurity on employee well-being? An analysis of the European Working Conditions Survey 2021. In: Economic and Industrial Democracy, S. 1-31. DOI:10.1177/0143831x261421726
Abstract
"Work intensification and job insecurity undermine the quality of working life. To what extent can different types of employee involvement in decision-making ameliorate their impacts on employee well-being? Deploying job demands–resources theory and interrogating the European Working Conditions Survey 2021, this study shows that work intensification and job insecurity reduce well-being via lower work engagement and higher exhaustion. While each enhances job quality, individual organizational influence has a greater effect than task discretion in suppressing the negative effects of work intensification. The largest gains for employee and societal well-being will come through greater worker involvement at this level of participation." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
The long shadow of labor market entry conditions: Intergenerational determinants of mental health (2026)
Zitatform
De Vera, Micole, Javier Garcia-Brazales & Jiayi Lin (2026): The long shadow of labor market entry conditions: Intergenerational determinants of mental health. In: Labour Economics, Jg. 98. DOI:10.1016/j.labeco.2025.102843
Abstract
"What determines long-term mental health and its intergenerational correlation? Exploiting variation in unemployment rates upon labor market entry across Australian states and cohorts, we provide novel evidence that the mental health of daughters is affected by the labor market entry conditions of their parents. In particular, a one standard deviation shock to the unemployment rate upon parental labor market entry worsens daughters’ mental health during adolescence by 11% of a standard deviation. This effect is accompanied by lower levels of satisfaction with their health, financial situation, safety, and overall life. A mediation analysis suggests that a sizable proportion (24%) of the impacts on the descendants’ mental health is explained by the worse mental health of their parents at mid-life. We do not detect any systematic impact of parental labor market entry conditions among sons." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © 2025 Elsevier B.V. All rights are reserved, including those for text and data mining, AI training, and similar technologies.) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Love of the Job: What It Is, How to Measure It, and Why It Matters for Work Outcomes (2026)
Inness, Michelle ; Somerville, Kaylee ; Kelloway, E. Kevin ; Barling, Julian ; Turner, Nick ; Bygrave, Constance E. ; Francis, Lori ; Lyubykh, Zhanna ; Pitfield, Laure E. ;Zitatform
Inness, Michelle, Kaylee Somerville, Zhanna Lyubykh, Nick Turner, E. Kevin Kelloway, Julian Barling, Lori Francis, Laure E. Pitfield & Constance E. Bygrave (2026): Love of the Job: What It Is, How to Measure It, and Why It Matters for Work Outcomes. In: Human Resource Management, Jg. 65, H. 3, S. 925-948. DOI:10.1002/hrm.70055
Abstract
"Employee retention, motivation, performance, and well-being remain enduring priorities in human resource management, yet existing constructs such as engagement, commitment, and satisfaction do not fully capture the depth of emotional attachment that some employees feel towards their jobs. We introduce Love of the Job (LOJ) as a higher-order form of affective attachment to one's job that integrates passion for one's work, non-romantic intimacy with coworkers, and commitment to organizational membership, grounded in Sternberg's triangular theory of love. Across a four-stage, eight-sample program of research (total N = 1,801), we develop and validate a concise and reliable LOJ scale using diverse working-adult samples and longitudinal designs. The measure demonstrates strong psychometric properties and discriminant validity from related constructs, establishing LOJ as a distinct form of work attachment, and shows incremental predictive validity for key outcomes, including discretionary performance, innovation, and job crafting, as well as retention and well-being indicators such as turnover intentions, partial absenteeism, and work neglect. Together, these findings position LOJ as a novel, theoretically grounded construct with strategic relevance for HRM and provide scholars and practitioners with a robust tool to assess and better understand employees' deep emotional attachment to their work." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Does promotion foster career sustainability? A comparative three-wave study on the role of promotion in work stress, job satisfaction, and career-related performance (2026)
Zitatform
Udayar, Shagini, Ieva Urbanaviciute, Christian Maggiori & Jérôme Rossier (2026): 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, Jg. 26, H. 1, S. 451-477. 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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Literaturhinweis
Trajectories of job resources and the timing of retirement (2025)
Zitatform
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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Literaturhinweis
What an (Un) Favorable Match: Public Sector Employment and the Reversal of the Overeducation-Job Satisfaction Penalty (2025)
Zitatform
Geißler, Theresa (2025): What an (Un) Favorable Match: Public Sector Employment and the Reversal of the Overeducation-Job Satisfaction Penalty. In: Journal of happiness studies, Jg. 26, H. 6. DOI:10.1007/s10902-025-00926-z
Abstract
"It is a well-documented phenomenon that individuals with higher education than required for their job report lower job satisfaction. However, whether this also applies to public sector employees remains unclear. The German case reveals a negative relationship between overeducation and job satisfaction in the private sector, which is reversed to positive for public sector employees. This holds robust across various empirical alterations. Furthermore, it is revealed that individuals with altruistic motives and a stronger-than-average family orientation drive this positive relationship." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
The Moderating Role of Job Autonomy in the Relationship between the Use of Performance Appraisals and Job Satisfaction (2025)
Zitatform
Grund, Christian & Anna Nießen (2025): The Moderating Role of Job Autonomy in the Relationship between the Use of Performance Appraisals and Job Satisfaction. (IZA discussion paper / Forschungsinstitut zur Zukunft der Arbeit 18191), Bonn, 31 S.
Abstract
"We explore the moderating role of job autonomy for the link between the use of performance appraisals and employees' job satisfaction. Results based on German linked employer-employee panel data show that performance appraisals are linked to higher job satisfaction at moderate levels of job autonomy, whereas this positive relationship weakens at both low and high levels of autonomy. Moreover, the interplay between performance appraisals and job autonomy appears sensitive to broader institutional and contextual factors, such as the existence of employee representation, perceived job security, and design of the performance appraisals. Our findings highlight the complex role of job autonomy in shaping employee responses to performance management, underscoring the need for context-aware human resource practices." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
Weiterführende Informationen
Data product DOI: 10.5164/IAB.LPP1224.de.en.v1 -
Literaturhinweis
Benefits and Employees' Work Effort: An Empirical Analysis of Non-monetary Incentives (2025)
Zitatform
Manger, Helena (2025): Benefits and Employees' Work Effort: An Empirical Analysis of Non-monetary Incentives. (SOEPpapers on multidisciplinary panel data research at DIW Berlin 1228), Berlin, 63 S.
Abstract
"Despite extensive literature on incentives to increase employees' work performance, economic research on employer-provided non-monetary benefits remains rare. This study investigates the relationship between benefits and employees' work effort utilizing data from the German Socio-Economic Panel. The analysis is based on data from eleven survey waves from 2006 to 2022 and considers five benefit types: meal stipends, firm cars, phones and computers for personal use, as well as expense payments exceeding minimum costs. The results reveal a modest positive association between benefit receipt and employees' work effort, measured as the difference between actual and contractual working hours per week. On average, benefit receipt is associated with 13 minutes additional work per week. Furthermore, receiving a greater variety of benefit types is linked to even higher work effort, with two to five or more benefit types associated with an average increase of 27 to 97 minutes of extra work per week. However, the effectiveness of benefits does not seem to be universal but varies depending on the type of benefit as well as individual and organizational characteristics. Notably, the positive association of benefits with work effort appears significantly higher for males than for females, and sectoral differences are evident. These findings underscore the importance of further research to better understand the specific conditions under which benefits can effectively enhance employee work effort." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
What makes a good place to work? The effect of internal corporate social responsibility on word-of-mouth for employers (2025)
Zitatform
Mutter, Anna, Jasmin Afrahi & Thomas Armbrüster (2025): What makes a good place to work? The effect of internal corporate social responsibility on word-of-mouth for employers. In: The International Journal of Human Resource Management, Jg. 36, H. 11, S. 1807-1833. DOI:10.1080/09585192.2025.2534339
Abstract
"Word-of-mouth for employers (WOME; i.e., employees talking positively about their employer organization) is a valuable corporate means of recruitment in times of employee shortage and war for talent. However, research on the determinants of WOME is fragmented, and the identification of success factors is incomplete. Based on research on word-of-mouth mechanisms and social exchange theory, which explains exchange relationships between sender and receiver, we elaborate on a model of WOME that comprises classic and emerging factors of workplace attractiveness (monetary compensation, work environment, and workplace fun) and internal corporate social responsibility (ICSR). We hypothesize that ICSR exhibits the greatest explanatory power for WOME. We tested our assumption with a data set of 132,995 participants from 13 industrial sectors in Germany and ran a multiple linear regression analysis with four independent variables and WOME as the dependent variable. ICSR proved to have the greatest effect on WOME, which we consider a result of employees’ interest in a fair exchange relationship with their employers, followed by workplace fun, the work environment, and monetary compensation. We discuss the results in terms of the above-mentioned theories and point out directions for future research as well as practical implications." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Thriving from Work Questionnaire: Validation of a Measure of Worker Wellbeing Among Older U.S. Workers (2025)
Voss, Maren Wright ; Yadav, Kanchan; Peters, Susan E. ; Neidlinger, Stephanie M. ; Halvorsen, Cal J. ; Wagner, Gregory R.;Zitatform
Voss, Maren Wright, Cal J. Halvorsen, Kanchan Yadav, Stephanie M. Neidlinger, Gregory R. Wagner & Susan E. Peters (2025): Thriving from Work Questionnaire: Validation of a Measure of Worker Wellbeing Among Older U.S. Workers. In: International journal of environmental research and public health, Jg. 22, H. 9. DOI:10.3390/ijerph22091428
Abstract
"As life expectancy and retirement ages rise globally, understanding how older workers thrive in the workplace is an increasingly vital measurement and wellbeing priority. In this study, we validated the Thriving from Work Questionnaire (TfWQ) for workers aged ≥50. A U.S. online panel yielded 617 older workers and 372 younger counterparts for comparison. Using item response theory alongside model-fit evaluation and correlational tests with job/life satisfaction, engagement, burnout, and turnover intent—we assessed reliability and construct validity of the long- (30 reduced to 29-item) and short- (8-item) form TfWQ versions. We recommend omitting one of the original items from the long-form for use in older workers. Instrument reliability was high (α = 0.94 long-form; 0.90 short-form). Model fit was established for both long- and short-form versions with acceptable model fit indices. Convergent validity was supported by strong, theory-consistent correlations with the external constructs. Older workers, compared with those 20–49 years, had higher scores of thriving from work as well as differences identified on nine items. These age-patterned differences highlight actionable levers for occupational-health age-sensitive policy, wellbeing interventions, and workforce planning. The TfWQ offers a robust, reliable, valid, and practically oriented tool for evaluating older workers’ wellbeing with utility across research, practice, and policy." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
In the Hand of the Family: Management Practices and Perceived Job Quality (2024)
Zitatform
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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Literaturhinweis
Qualität der Arbeitsbedingungen von Beschäftigten in Sachsen 2023: Ergebnisse der Befragung zum DGB-Index Gute Arbeit in Sachsen (2024)
Ketzmerick, Thomas; Hosang, Christian;Zitatform
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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Literaturhinweis
The Digitalization Boost of the Covid‐19 Pandemic and Changes in Job Quality (2023)
Zitatform
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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Literaturhinweis
The Value of Working Conditions in the United States and the Implications for the Structure of Wages (2023)
Zitatform
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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Literaturhinweis
Cognitive Environments: Potenziale kognitiver Umgebungen in der Post-Covid-Zeit (2023)
Zitatform
Riedel, Oliver, Katharina Hölzle, Wilhelm Bauer & Stefan Rief (Hrsg.) (2023): Cognitive Environments: Potenziale kognitiver Umgebungen in der Post-Covid-Zeit. Stuttgart, 56 S. DOI:10.24406/publica-1684
Abstract
"Was wäre, wenn wir Arbeitsumgebungen entwickeln würden, die sich hochindividuell an einzelne Nutzer anpassen könnten? Arbeitsplätze, die erkennen bei welchen Umgebungsparametern wir bei unterschiedlichen Tätigkeiten am besten arbeiten können und dann unsere persönlichen Idealwerte einstellen. Oder Arbeitsplätze, an denen das Fenster uns einen erholsamen, virtuellen Anblick eines Bergsees einspielt, weil es Zeit für eine Pause wäre. Mit Hilfe von im Raum integrierter IoT-Technologie, Sensoren in Smartwatches und maschinellem Lernen könnten derartige Umgebungen bald real werden. Aber welche Funktionen eines »Cognitive Environments« würden positiv aufgenommen werden und an welcher Stelle wäre mit Skepsis zu rechnen? Welchen Stellenwert hat die persönliche Kontrolle bei der Aktivierung einzelner Funktionen? Wäre es vorstellbar, das eigene Präferenzprofil mit anderen zu teilen? Um das herauszufinden, wurden im Projekt Office 21 rund 50 mögliche Funktionen für Nutzende und Betreiber in einer Online-Befragung untersucht. Die Ergebnisse zeigen großes Interesse potenzieller Nutzerinnen und Nutzer, geben aber auch Hinweise zu möglichen Herausforderungen bei der Umsetzung." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)
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Literaturhinweis
Distinguishing challenging and overchallenging jobs: Cognitive and affective skills mismatches and their impact on job satisfaction (2023)
Zitatform
Santiago-Vela, Ana & Anja Hall (2023): Distinguishing challenging and overchallenging jobs: Cognitive and affective skills mismatches and their impact on job satisfaction. In: Research in Comparative and International Education, Jg. 18, H. 1, S. 55-78. DOI:10.1177/17454999221116486
Abstract
"This study supplements the existing conceptualisation of skills mismatch based on cognitive evaluations (being underskilled or overskilled) with an affective aspect that captures how workers cope with skills (mis)match situations (feeling overchallenged or underchallenged) and an analysis of skills mismatch situations’ influence on job satisfaction of workers with higher education (HE) and vocational education and training (VET). Using the German BIBB/BAuA Employment Survey 2018, the results indicated that underskilling by itself was not negatively associated with job satisfaction; however, underskilling in combination with feeling overchallenged exerted a significant negative influence on job satisfaction. This corroborates the approach of differentiating challenging (i.e. non-detrimental) jobs from overchallenging jobs. Overskilling was associated with penalties regarding job satisfaction, whereas overskilling in combination with underchallenging jobs produced a remarkably larger negative impact on job satisfaction. Moreover, overskilled HE workers received larger penalties regarding job satisfaction than those received by overskilled VET workers." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Das „German Job Search Panel“: Die Effekte von Arbeitslosigkeit und Covid19 auf das Wohlbefinden (2023)
Stephan, Gesine ; Schmidtke, Julia ; Lawes, Mario ; Schöb, Ronnie ; Eid, Michael ; Hetschko, Clemens ;Zitatform
Stephan, Gesine, Clemens Hetschko, Julia Schmidtke, Mario Lawes, Michael Eid & Ronnie Schöb (2023): Das „German Job Search Panel“: Die Effekte von Arbeitslosigkeit und Covid19 auf das Wohlbefinden. (IAB-Forschungsbericht 19/2023), Nürnberg, 21 S. DOI:10.48720/IAB.FB.2319
Abstract
"Zu den Auswirkungen von Arbeitslosigkeit auf das Wohlbefinden gibt es bereits eine Vielzahl von Studien (für einen Überblick s. z.B. Suppa 2021). Allerdings basieren diese in der Regel nicht auf hochfrequenten (also in kurzen Zeitabständen erfassten) Daten und erheben meist nur ausgewählte Dimensionen des Wohlbefindens. Im Rahmen eines DFG-geförderten Projektes befragte das „German Job Search Panel“ (GJSP) in den Jahren von 2017 bis 2021 zunächst arbeitsuchend gemeldete Personen daher monatlich zu ihrem Wohlbefinden. Die Erhebung erfolgte mit einer innovativen Smartphone-App. Anhand der Cortisolkonzentration im Haar wurde zudem die Stressbelastung der Befragten gemessen. Auf dieser Basis lässt sich sehr differenziert untersuchen, wie sich kritische Lebensereignisse - wie ein Eintritt in Arbeitslosigkeit - auf das Wohlbefinden auswirken. Zielgruppe der Befragung waren Personen, die sich zunächst arbeitsuchend gemeldet hatten. Denn ein zentrales Ziel des Projektes war es, den Auswirkungen des Eintritts in Arbeitslosigkeit auf die verschiedenen Facetten des Wohlbefindens nachzugehen. Nur ein Teil der Personen, die sich als arbeitssuchend registrieren, wird tatsächlich arbeitslos. Damit steht eine natürliche Vergleichsgruppe für diejenigen Personen zur Verfügung, die tatsächlich arbeitslos werden. Dies gilt insbesondere für Personen, die von Massenentlassungen und Betriebsschließungen betroffen waren. Denn bei diesen hängt die Wahrscheinlichkeit des Arbeitsplatzverlustes vornehmlich von externen Faktoren ab. Insgesamt nahmen anfangs knapp 1.900 Personen an einer ersten Kohorte und knapp 1.000 Personen an einer zweiten Kohorte des GJSP teil. Zwei Methodenberichte erläutern das Design der Befragung und die Selektion in die Befragung in Detail (Hetschko et al. 2022, Schmidtke et al. 2023). Das GJSP ermöglicht es unter anderem, die unmittelbaren Effekte des Eintritts in Arbeitslosigkeit bei zuvor arbeitssuchend gemeldeten Personen zu untersuchen. Wie ein erstes Teilprojekt (Lawes et al. 2023) zeigt, hat Arbeitslosigkeit unmittelbare negative Effekte auf die Zufriedenheit mit dem Haushaltseinkommen. Bei Personen, die sich aufgrund einer Entlassungswelle arbeitssuchend gemeldet hatten, sank mit Eintritt in die Arbeitslosigkeit auch unmittelbar die Lebenszufriedenheit. Wenn Personen aus anderen Gründen arbeitslos wurden, stieg beim Eintritt in die Arbeitslosigkeit hingegen die Zufriedenheit mit der Freizeit, und die Lebenszufriedenheit sank erst mit fortschreitender Zeit in Arbeitslosigkeit. Andere untersuchte Dimensionen des Wohlbefindens veränderten sich hingegen durch den Eintritt der Arbeitslosigkeit nicht signifikant. Durch die wiederholte Messung von Haarcortisol untersuchte ein weiteres Teilprojekt (Lawes et al. 2022) erstmals, wie sich die Arbeitssuche auf einen Biomarker für chronischen Stress auswirkt. Der Cortisolgehalt war kurz nach der Meldung als „arbeitsuchend“ am höchsten - also in einer Zeit mit tendenziell hoher Unsicherheit bezüglich der beruflichen Zukunft. In der Folge sank das Haarcortisol - unabhängig davon, ob die Betroffenen tatsächlich arbeitslos wurden. Zudem hatten bereits länger arbeitslose Personen eine höhere Haarcortisol-Konzentration, wenn sie ihre Wiederbeschäftigungschancen vergleichsweise schlecht einschätzten. Körperlichen Stress löst der Eintritt in Arbeitslosigkeit also nur dann aus, wenn Menschen davon ausgehen, dass ihre Wiederbeschäftigungsmöglichkeiten gering sind. Schmidtke et al. (2023) zeigten schließlich in einem weiteren Teilprojekt, dass die Covid19-Pandemie nur schwache und vorübergehende Effekte auf die allgemeine Lebenszufriedenheit hatte. Die mentale Gesundheit der Befragten war hingegen stärker beeinträchtigt. Insbesondere traf dies auf Menschen in Kurzarbeit zu. Insgesamt zeigten sich aber gewisse Anpassungseffekte an die Krise: Die zweite Welle der Pandemie wirkte sich geringer auf die Lebenszufriedenheit und die mentale Gesundheit aus als die erste Welle." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)
Weiterführende Informationen
Ein begleitendes Interview finden Sie im Online-Magazin IAB-Forum Open Access. -
Literaturhinweis
Doing boss-like tasks and worker well-being: Job enrichment revisited (2022)
Asuyama, Yoko;Zitatform
Asuyama, Yoko (2022): Doing boss-like tasks and worker well-being: Job enrichment revisited. In: Labour, Jg. 36, H. 2, S. 196-230. DOI:10.1111/labr.12217
Abstract
"This study revisits the relationship between job enrichment and worker well-being by analysing worker-level data from around 20 countries. Job enrichment, which vertically expands jobs, is primarily measured by the novel ‘boss-like tasks’ indicator, constructed from 42 task-frequency data. The aim of job enrichment is to motivate workers. However, the study finds that even though average non-boss workers doing more boss-like tasks earn higher wages, they are not necessarily more satisfied with their jobs. The non-positive or slightly negative association with satisfaction becomes positive when workers have low-skilled blue-collar jobs or when tasks involving planning and organizing are enriched." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, Published by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
New insights into self-initiated work design: the role of job crafting, self-undermining and five types of job satisfaction for employee's health and work ability (2022)
Döbler, Antonia-Sophie ; Wegge, Jürgen ; Nowak, Joshua; Richter-Killenberg, Stefanie; Emmermacher, Andre;Zitatform
Döbler, Antonia-Sophie, Andre Emmermacher, Stefanie Richter-Killenberg, Joshua Nowak & Jürgen Wegge (2022): New insights into self-initiated work design: the role of job crafting, self-undermining and five types of job satisfaction for employee's health and work ability. In: German Journal of Human Resource Management, Jg. 36, H. 2, S. 113-147. DOI:10.1177/23970022211029023
Abstract
"The present study provides evidence for the important role of job crafting and self-undermining behaviors at work, two new concepts that were recently integrated into the well-known job demands-resources (JD-R) theory (Bakker and Demerouti, 2017). We investigate how these behaviors are associated with work engagement, emotional exhaustion, and work ability as a long-term indicator of employee’s well-being. Furthermore, we examine the moderating role of personal resources in the stress-strain process by comparing groups of employees representing the five types of job satisfaction defined by Bruggemann (1974). Data was collected in a cross-sectional study within a German DAX company’s manufacturing plant from 1145 blue- and white-collar workers. Results of structural equation modeling provided, as expected, support for an indirect effect of job demands and job resources on emotional exhaustion and work engagement through job crafting and self-undermining. Work ability, on the other hand, was mainly affected by emotional exhaustion, but not by work engagement. Most important, we found significant differences between path coefficients across the five types of job satisfaction indicating that these types represent important constellations of personal resources and job demands that should be considered both for analyzing stress at work and for offering tailored stress interventions in organizations." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
An empirical analysis of the relationship between innovation activities and job satisfaction among French firms (2022)
Zitatform
Grolleau, Gilles, Naoufel Mzoughi & Sanja Pekovic (2022): An empirical analysis of the relationship between innovation activities and job satisfaction among French firms. In: Journal of vocational behavior, Jg. 133. DOI:10.1016/j.jvb.2021.103689
Abstract
"Drawing on the literature on innovation climate and employee attitudes, we discuss how innovations could impact job satisfaction. Using lagged predictors and relevant control variables, we investigate empirically this relationship on a large sample of French firms. Our estimation results show that employees in companies that engage in innovation activities are more likely to report increased job satisfaction. Moreover, building on previous organizational research arguing that layoffs are likely to create detrimental workplace atmosphere and conditions, we test whether the relationship between innovation and job satisfaction is moderated by downsizing decisions among the examined firms. We draw several theoretical and managerial implications." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © 2022 Elsevier) ((en))