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
Does Performance Pay Increase the Risk of Worker Loneliness? (2026)
Zitatform
Baktash, Mehrzad B. (2026): Does Performance Pay Increase the Risk of Worker Loneliness? In: Kyklos, Jg. 79, H. 1, S. 129-148. DOI:10.1111/kykl.70018
Abstract
"Increased wages and productivity associated with performance pay can be beneficial to both employers and employees. However, performance pay can also entail unintended consequences for workers' well-being. This study is the first to systematically examine the association between performance pay and loneliness, a significant policy-relevant social well-being concern. Using representative survey data from Germany, I show that performance pay is significantly associated with increased loneliness. Correspondingly, performance pay is negatively associated with the social life satisfaction of workers. Investigating the transmission channels reveals work hours, earnings, conflict with coworkers, and conflict with the life partner as important mediators. The key findings also hold in sensible instrumental variable estimations, addressing the potential endogeneity of performance pay and in various robustness checks. Finally, implications are discussed." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
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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
Is working from home changing the meaning of work? (2026)
Zitatform
Bähr, Sebastian, Bernad Batinic & Matthias Collischon (2026): Is working from home changing the meaning of work? In: PLoS ONE, Jg. 21, H. 1, 2025-12-22. DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0340452
Abstract
"Especially since the COVID-19 pandemic, working from home (WFH) has become a common practice in the workplace. This raises the question of whether WFH changes the non-monetary benefits of work, such as job quality or social contacts. Thus, in this article, we investigate how working from home affects Jahoda’s latent functions of employment as well as job quality measures. To this end, we use panel data from the German Panel Study Labour Market and Social Security (PASS) and estimate the effects of changing work patterns on the aforementioned outcomes. Our findings reveal basically no effects of WFH on job quality measures and latent benefits. This, in contrast to anecdotal evidence, implies that WFH does not harm psychological well-being." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © Sage) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Arbeitsbedingungen vor, während und nach der Covid-19-Pandemie: Die Beschäftigungsqualität ist weitgehend stabil geblieben (2026)
Zitatform
Collischon, Matthias, Matthias Kelsch, Alexander Patzina & Felix Rahberger (2026): Arbeitsbedingungen vor, während und nach der Covid-19-Pandemie: Die Beschäftigungsqualität ist weitgehend stabil geblieben. (IAB-Kurzbericht 04/2026), Nürnberg, 8 S. DOI:10.48720/IAB.KB.2604
Abstract
"Hat die Covid-19-Pandemie unsere Arbeitswelt nachhaltig verändert? Antworten auf diese zentrale Frage gibt eine eingehende Analyse der Entwicklung verschiedener Dimensionen der Beschäftigungsqualität während und nach der Pandemie. Die Autoren untersuchen in ihrer Studie Zufriedenheit mit dem Lohn, Arbeitsautonomie, Aufstiegschancen, Arbeitsbelastung und Work-Life-Balance. Neben einer umfassenden Betrachtung aller abhängig Beschäftigten liegt ein besonderes Augenmerk auf den sogenannten systemrelevanten Beschäftigten, deren Arbeitsbedingungen während der Pandemie häufig im Mittelpunkt öffentlicher Debatten standen." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)
Weiterführende Informationen
- Veränderungen der Beschäftigungsqualität in fünf verschiedenen Dimensionen während und nach der Covid-19-Pandemie im Vergleich zu den Jahren vor der Pandemie
- Dimensionen der Beschäftigungsqualität vor Beginn der Pandemie
- Dimensionen der Beschäftigungsqualität
- Veränderungen in objektiven Maßen der Beschäftigungsqualität während und nach der Covid-19-Pandemie im Vergleich zu den Jahren vor der Pandemie
- Veränderungen in der Work-Life-Balance nach Teilgruppen während und nach der Covid-19-Pandemie im Vergleich zu den Jahren vor der Pandemie
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Literaturhinweis
Do Firms Know What Workers Want? (2026)
Cordes, Simon; Müller, Max;Zitatform
Cordes, Simon & Max Müller (2026): Do Firms Know What Workers Want? (CRC TR 224 discussion paper series / EPoS Collaborative Research Center Transregio 224 739), Bonn, 126 S.
Abstract
"Labor supply depends on wages and amenities, and standard models implicitly assume that firms hold accurate beliefs about workers' amenity valuations. In a survey with firms and workers in Germany, we measure workers' valuations of amenities and firms' beliefs about workers' valuations. We find that firms systematically underestimate workers' valuations of all amenities. These misperceptions are driven by interpersonal projection: managers project their own preferences—they value amenities less—onto workers. Through the lens of a simple model of imperfect competition, we show that firm misperceptions result in (i) labor shortages and (ii) excess labor costs for biased firms, and increase the market power of unbiased firms. Empirical tests confirm these predictions: a simple calibration suggests that non-providing firms could reduce their labor costs by 5% by providing amenities." (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
Benefits and employees' work effort: an empirical analysis of non-monetary incentives (2026)
Zitatform
Manger, Helena (2026): Benefits and employees' work effort: an empirical analysis of non-monetary incentives. In: Review of Managerial Science, S. 1-34. DOI:10.1007/s11846-026-00985-3
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 (0.22 hours) 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 (0.45 to 1.62 hours) of extra work per week. However, the effectiveness of benefits does not seem to be universal but varies depending on the type of benefits 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
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)
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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
Wertschätzung und Dialog steigern das Wohlbefinden am Arbeitsplatz (2026)
Zitatform
Wolter, Stefanie (2026): Wertschätzung und Dialog steigern das Wohlbefinden am Arbeitsplatz. In: IAB-Forum H. 06.03.2026. DOI:10.48720/IAB.FOO.20260306.01
Abstract
"Tiefgreifende wirtschaftliche Veränderungen führen dazu, dass sicher geglaubte Arbeitsplätze sich wandeln und vielleicht sogar zur Disposition stehen. Die von den Beschäftigten wahrgenommene Arbeitsqualität verändert sich allerdings nur langsam und unterscheidet sich nach dem Alter. Betriebe können durch ihre Unternehmenskultur Einfluss darauf nehmen, ob sich Beschäftigte am Arbeitsplatz wohlfühlen." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)
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Literaturhinweis
Job satisfaction and workplace representation in Europe (2025)
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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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Literaturhinweis
The Job Demand-Resources (JD-R) model through the eyes of financial advisers: A scoping review (2025)
Arthur, Phoebe; Morrison, Ben; Earl, Joanne K.;Zitatform
Arthur, Phoebe, Ben Morrison & Joanne K. Earl (2025): The Job Demand-Resources (JD-R) model through the eyes of financial advisers: A scoping review. In: Australian journal of management. DOI:10.1177/03128962251350337
Abstract
"This scoping review examines the job demands and resources impacting financial advisers through the lens of the Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) model. Given the significant challenges facing financial advisers, this review identifies key factors contributing to job stress, satisfaction and turnover in the profession. A comprehensive desktop review and thematic analysis of 53 peer-reviewed articles revealed core job demands such as compliance, emotional strain, and work overload, alongside critical job resources like professional development, support and technology. In addition, personal resources, including self-efficacy and optimism, are explored as potential moderators. The findings offer insights into the complex dynamics within the financial advisory industry, providing a foundation for future studies that may look to enhance job satisfaction and retention." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Meaning at Work (2025)
Zitatform
Ashraf, Nava, Oriana Bandiera, Virginia Minni & Luigi Zingales (2025): Meaning at Work. (BFI Working Papers / University of Chicago, Becker Friedman Institute for Research in Economics 2025,67), Chicago, 65 S. DOI:10.2139/ssrn.5253315
Abstract
"We evaluate a firm's unusual, worker-centered, solution to the agency problem: enabling employees to reduce the cost of effort rather than pushing them with performance rewards. We randomize the roll-out of the firm's "Discover Your Purpose" intervention among 2,976 white-collar employees and evaluate their outcomes over two years. We find that performance increases because the low performers either leave the firm or improve in their current jobs. The trade-off between meaning and pay flattens as those with low meaning and high pay leave the firm. Treatment also reshapes stated priorities and reduces gender gaps in preferences and behaviors, including uptake of parental leave. A cost-benefit analysis reveals high returns that are shared between the firm and the employees through higher bonuses. Finally, we show that observational data obscure these gains, causing firms to underestimate the intervention's true value." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Erfolgreiche Jobwechsel: Wie berufliche Mobilität Einkommen und Arbeitszufriedenheit steigert (2025)
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Bachmann, Ronald, Inga Heinze, Lukas Hörnig & Roman Klauser (2025): Erfolgreiche Jobwechsel. Wie berufliche Mobilität Einkommen und Arbeitszufriedenheit steigert. Gütersloh, 67 S. DOI:10.11586/2024198
Abstract
"Die Studie untersucht die Auswirkungen beruflicher Mobilität auf das Einkommen und die Arbeitszufriedenheit von Beschäftigten in Deutschland. Sie zeigt, dass ein Stellenwechsel häufig mit einem Zuwachs an Einkommen und Zufriedenheit verbunden ist – vor allem bei Unzufriedenen. Die größten Gewinne ergeben sich bei Wechseln in Berufe mit neuen Tätigkeiten und Anforderungen, aber auch Wechsel in den gleichen Beruf sind mit Einkommens- und Zufriedenheitszuwächsen verbunden. Die Analysen basieren auf der Stichprobe der Integrierten Arbeitsmarktbiografien (SIAB) und dem Sozio-oekonomischen Panel (SOEP). Die Studie ist entstanden in Zusammenarbeit mit dem RWI – Leibniz-Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung unter der Leitung von Prof. Dr. Ronald Bachmann und seinem Autorenteam bestehend aus Inga Heinze, Dr. Lukas Hörnig und Roman Klauser." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)
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Literaturhinweis
A systematic review of how volunteering relates to job satisfaction and job performance (2025)
Bansi, Dylan; Sánchez-Gutiérrez, Teresa; Petkari, Eleni; Pinto da Costa, Mariana;Zitatform
Bansi, Dylan, Eleni Petkari, Teresa Sánchez-Gutiérrez & Mariana Pinto da Costa (2025): A systematic review of how volunteering relates to job satisfaction and job performance. In: Discover Psychology, Jg. 5. DOI:10.1007/s44202-025-00403-x
Abstract
"Volunteering is increasingly recognised for its benefits to individuals and organisations, yet its impact on workplace outcomes remains underexplored. This systematic review analysed six databases to identify studies assessing the relationship between corporate volunteering and workplace outcomes among working adults. Ten studies met the inclusion criteria, 86% reported a significant positive association between volunteering and job satisfaction, while 57% identified a positive effect on job performance. Key moderating factors - such as Corporate Social Responsibility attitudes, skill alignment, and intensity of participation - emerged as important influences on these outcomes. Notably, an S-shaped relationship was observed, suggesting that moderate levels of volunteering may maximise performance benefits, while lower or higher levels may diminish them. These findings highlight the need for strategically designed volunteering programs to enhance employee engagement and productivity. Future research should further explore these moderating variables and establish causality through longitudinal study designs. How volunteering boosts job satisfaction and job performance. Volunteering is widely recognised for its positive effects on mental health and well-being. However, its impact on work outcomes such as job satisfaction (how happy people are in their jobs) and job performance (how well they carry out their tasks) is not fully understood. This study aimed to examine how corporate volunteering may affect these important job-related outcomes. We conducted a systematic review, meaning we carefully examined multiple publications on volunteering to identify patterns and trends. We included studies that focused on working adults who volunteered and measured their job satisfaction or job performance. This approach allowed us to gain a clearer picture of how volunteering might impact workplace experiences. Most studies showed that volunteering is linked to higher job satisfaction. The results for job performance were more complex. An S-shaped pattern emerged, where moderate levels of volunteering appeared to enhance performance, while lower or higher levels were less beneficial. Factors such as Corporate Social Responsibility attitudes and the alignment of volunteer skills with job roles also played a role. These findings suggest that organisations can create more effective volunteer programs to improve employee engagement and productivity. By carefully structuring volunteer opportunities, organisations can help employees feel more satisfied and perform better at work. Future research should investigate the specific factors that influence these effects to improve understanding and application in the workplace." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Beyond the EVLN model: Quiet Quitting and the evolving dynamics of job dissatisfaction in human resource management (2025)
Zitatform
Bazargan, Amirhossein, Constance Bygrave, Dilpreet Singh Saini & Sylvia Eze (2025): Beyond the EVLN model: Quiet Quitting and the evolving dynamics of job dissatisfaction in human resource management. In: The International Journal of Human Resource Management, Jg. 36, H. 15, S. 2785-2814. DOI:10.1080/09585192.2025.2568602
Abstract
"This study examines ‘Quiet Quitting’ (QQ) as a novel and distinct response to job dissatisfaction, exploring its implications for Human Resource Management (HRM) and the evolving dynamics of employment relationships. Building upon Farrell’s Citation1983 Exit-Voice-Loyalty-Neglect (EVLN) model and integrating contemporary HRM theories, the research employs multi-dimensional scaling to better reflect current workplace behaviors. Using survey data from 238 workers across Canada, the USA, and the UK, the findings reveal that QQ mitigates individual dissatisfaction while subtly undermining organizational performance and employee engagement. Unlike traditional Exit and Neglect behaviors, QQ is less overtly disruptive and signifies a shift away from Loyalty and Voice. This evolution presents nuanced challenges for HR professionals, particularly in managing expectations, fostering engagement, and aligning HR practices with generational shifts in work-life balance and autonomy. Predominantly exhibited by Generation Z, QQ reflects changing workforce dynamics in the Western labour markets we study, emphasizing the need for innovative and contextually sensitive HR practices. By situating QQ within the broader HRM literature and offering practical recommendations, this study contributes to both HRM theory and practice, aiding organizations and policymakers in addressing generational trends in job dissatisfaction and workplace engagement." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Decline in job satisfaction and how it relates to investment decisions of the self‐employed (2025)
Zitatform
Block, Joern, Miriam Gnad, Alexander S. Kritikos & Caroline Stiel (2025): Decline in job satisfaction and how it relates to investment decisions of the self‐employed. In: International review of applied psychology, Jg. 74, H. 6. DOI:10.1111/apps.70039
Abstract
"Despite substantial research on job satisfaction in self-employment, we know little about the specific consequences for the venture when job satisfaction declines after an external shock. Taking the COVID-19 pandemic as an example of an external shock and drawing on a sample of nearly 7000 self-employed individuals living in Germany, we investigate how declines in job satisfaction are related to the investment decisions of self-employed individuals. Having separated job satisfaction into its financial and non-financial aspects, we build in our analysis on two complementary behavioral perspectives to predict how reductions in financial and non-financial job satisfaction relate to investments in venture development. Our results show that decreasing financial job satisfaction is positively related to time investments. This finding provides support for the performance feedback perspective, where negative performance, in terms of reduced financial job satisfaction, induces higher search efforts to improve the business situation. Moreover, we also observe that reductions in non-financial job satisfaction are negatively associated with both time and monetary investments. This supports the broadening-and-build perspective in that negative experiences – in the form ofreduced non-financial job satisfaction – narrow the thought-action repertoire, thus hindering resource deployment. Implications of reduced job satisfaction on investment behavior are discussed." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Wie fair empfinde ich meinen Lohn? Das Arbeitsumfeld macht den Unterschied (2025)
Zitatform
Brüggemann, Ole, Thomas Hinz, Julia Lang, Susanne Strauss & Nick Zubanov (2025): Wie fair empfinde ich meinen Lohn? Das Arbeitsumfeld macht den Unterschied. In: IAB-Forum H. 03.02.2025 Nürnberg. DOI:10.48720/IAB.FOO.20250203.01
Abstract
"Dass eine faire Entlohnung Auswirkungen auf die Arbeitszufriedenheit und auf den Verbleib im Unternehmen haben kann, ist den meisten Menschen bewusst. Welche Rolle das Arbeitsumfeld bei der Bewertung des eigenen Lohnes spielt, ist jedoch weniger bekannt. Anhand einer deutschlandweiten Befragung von Beschäftigten in größeren Firmen hat ein Forschungsteam der Universität Konstanz und des IAB drei relevante Aspekte des Arbeitsumfeldes untersucht: ob Beschäftigte über ihre Löhne sprechen, ob nach Tarifvertrag entlohnt wird und ob es Betriebsräte als Anlaufstelle für Fragen der fairen Entlohnung gib" (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)
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Literaturhinweis
Bonuses, Profit Sharing, and Job Satisfaction: The More, the Merrier? (2025)
Zitatform
Clemens, Marco (2025): Bonuses, Profit Sharing, and Job Satisfaction: The More, the Merrier? In: ILR review, Jg. 78, H. 5, S. 832-858. DOI:10.1177/00197939251339598
Abstract
"Managers frequently offer unconditional bonuses and profit-sharing payments to their employees. The isolated effects of the former payment type on job satisfaction, in particular, have received little empirical attention. This study uses German panel data and shows that workers report significantly higher levels of job satisfaction when wages contain such bonuses, mostly regardless of their relative size. This result persists even when income is held constant. Conversely, profit-sharing payments show a positive association with satisfaction only if they are sufficiently large. When endogeneity issues are taken into account, however, the latter correlation becomes weaker or vanishes. Findings have significant implications for managers when designing salary packages. They imply that monetary gifts in the form of unconditional bonus payments can be a beneficial alternative to incentives in efforts to enhance employees ’ job satisfaction." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Wishing to Work More? Preferences, Constraints, and Hours Worked (2025)
Cohen, Naomi; Gilbert, Mattis; Ghio, Nicolas;Zitatform
Cohen, Naomi, Nicolas Ghio & Mattis Gilbert (2025): Wishing to Work More? Preferences, Constraints, and Hours Worked. (Sciences Po Economics Discussion Paper 2025-14), Paris, 33 S.
Abstract
"Using data from the French Labor Force Survey, we show that 21.2% of workers experience an hours gap, meaning they work fewer hours than they would prefer at their current wage. This stands in sharp contrast to recent evidence from Germany, where most workers report being overworked. In France, hours gaps are concentrated among low-income part-time workers and remain stable over time. We argue that cross-country differences in labor market institutions — including minimum wage policies, working-time regulations, and unemployment insurance — are central to shaping both realized hours and the distribution of hours gaps. While hours gaps appear inefficient in standard labor supply models, they may reflect constrained-efficient outcomes in the presence of frictions. Understanding the mechanisms that generate hours gaps is crucial for evaluating the welfare effects of hoursbased policy interventions." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
When work loses its meaning: Voice or exit? A longitudinal analysis with the 2013–2016 French Working Conditions surveys (2025)
Zitatform
Coutrot, Thomas & Coralie Perez (2025): When work loses its meaning: Voice or exit? A longitudinal analysis with the 2013–2016 French Working Conditions surveys. In: Economic and Industrial Democracy, S. 1-27. DOI:10.1177/0143831x251358583
Abstract
"Although generating increasing debate in the media and in society, meaningful work has only recently become a legitimate research object in labour economics. The authors theoretically ground the concept of meaningful work by drawing on the theory of the psychodynamics of work. This leads to three dimensions of the meaning of work: social usefulness, ethical coherence and development capacity. Then, they propose an empirical measure of this concept using the French Working Conditions surveys. Exploiting the surveys’ longitudinal nature (2013–2016), they assess how workers react to meaningless work (exit or voice). Using instrumental variable techniques to alleviate endogeneity biases that may affect estimations, they conclude that meaningless work favours job quits and, to a lesser degree, unionization." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Employability as antecedent of eudaimonic wellbeing at work: The mediating role of work meaningfulness (2025)
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Davcheva, Marija, Vicente González-Romá, Pascale Le Blanc, Ana Hernández & Inés Tomás (2025): Employability as antecedent of eudaimonic wellbeing at work: The mediating role of work meaningfulness. In: Journal of vocational behavior, Jg. 162. DOI:10.1016/j.jvb.2025.104170
Abstract
"Employee eudaimonic wellbeing is crucial for sustainable performance, health, and quality of work life. However, research is needed to understand what shapes eudaimonic wellbeing at work (EWW), and how and why. Drawing on the self-discovery framework of eudaimonic identity, this study investigated whether employability dimensions (career identity, personal adaptability, and social and human capital) are related to two dimensions of EWW (personal growth at work and purpose in career). Moreover, based on the worker-centric approach to work meaningfulness, we tested whether these relationships are mediated by work meaningfulness. Our study sample consisted of 263 employees. We implemented a longitudinal design with three data collection points. Path analysis results showed that career identity was positively and directly related to both dimensions of wellbeing, whereas social capital and human capital were positively and indirectly related to them via work meaningfulness. Personal adaptability was neither directly nor indirectly related to eudaimonic wellbeing. Our findings advance the theory on antecedents of EEW and its integration with vocational psychology by clarifying how and why employability influences eudaimonic wellbeing at work. The study highlights the importance of employees' employability, specifically career identity, social capital, and human capital, in fostering EWW." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © 2025 The Authors.Published by Elsevier Inc.) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Zur Extrameile motiviert: Performance Management (2025)
Zitatform
Ehmann, Stefanie, Philipp Grunau, Patrick Kampkötter & Julian Wenzel (2025): Zur Extrameile motiviert. Performance Management. In: Personalmagazin, Jg. 27, H. 11, S. 72-75., 2025-09-12.
Abstract
"Beschäftigte schätzen Mitarbeitergespräche mit Zielvereinbarung und strukturierte Leistungsbeurteilungen. Doch wer die erfolgsabhängige individuelle Vergütung eng daran koppelt, verliert den positiven Effekt. Mitunter sinkt sogar die wahrgenommene Arbeitsqualität. Besonders betroffen sind Aspekte wie Krankheitstage, Engagement und die emotionale Bindung an das Unternehmen. Unternehmen sollten deshalb den Trend zur Individualisierung variabler Vergütung kritisch hinterfragen. Viel spricht dafür, individuelle Leistungsbeurteilung und Zielvereinbarung als Entwicklungsinstrumente zu nutzen – ohne monetäre Folgen. HR sollte bei der Wahl der Instrumente bedenken: Das Performance Management unterliegt wie alle Management-Methoden gewissen Moden. Entscheidend ist, was wirklich auf den Unternehmenserfolg einzahlt." (Textauszug, IAB-Doku, © Haufe-Lexware)
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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
Beyond Borders: Building Employee Loyalty in Remote Work (2025)
Faber, Philipp; Gräf, Miriam;Zitatform
Faber, Philipp & Miriam Gräf (2025): Beyond Borders: Building Employee Loyalty in Remote Work. (Publications of Darmstadt Technical University, Institute for Business Studies (BWL) 156711), Darmstadt: Darmstadt Technical University, Department of Business Administration, Economics and Law, Institute for Business Studies (BWL), 17 S.
Abstract
"The digital transformation of workplaces has accelerated remote work adoption, reshaping traditional employment dynamics. While remote work offers benefits such as flexibility and productivity, it also raises concerns about employee engagement, workplace culture, and long-term organizational commitment. Post-pandemic, organizations have adopted divergent strategies, with some embracing remote work and others enforcing partial office returns, reflecting ongoing debates about its sustainability. Using qualitative semi-structured interviews with 15 experts and thematic coding, we identify ten key loyalty factors. The findings reveal that while remote work is now an expected norm in many industries, particularly IT, it is not a direct driver of employee retention. Instead, factors such as the degree of flexibility, managerial support, communication, and digital infrastructure play a crucial role. The study contributes to a deeper understanding of organizational commitment in remote settings, offering theoretical insights and practical recommendations for fostering long-term employee engagement in digitally driven workplaces." (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
Managing Skills in Organizations - Evidence from a Field Experiment (2025)
Zitatform
Grabe, Leonhard & Dirk Sliwka (2025): Managing Skills in Organizations - Evidence from a Field Experiment. (IZA discussion paper / Forschungsinstitut zur Zukunft der Arbeit 17727), Bonn, 59 S.
Abstract
"We study the value of skill management in organizations. In a natural field experiment with 2,582 service technicians, we vary managers' ability to monitor and manage employee skills. We find that removing managers' access to hard information on employee skills reduced training intensity, work performance, and job satisfaction. Combining detailed personnel records and survey data, we show that the intervention lowered employee efforts to identify training needs and managerial attention to employee development. In particular, high-skill employees received less training to broaden their skill set and, in turn, performance losses are driven by higher completion times for complex work assignments." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Performance Management in deutschen Betrieben: Leistungsorientierung lohnt sich - aber nur mit kollektiven Zielen (2025)
Zitatform
Grunau, Philipp, Patrick Kampkötter & Kevin Ruf (2025): Performance Management in deutschen Betrieben: Leistungsorientierung lohnt sich - aber nur mit kollektiven Zielen. (IAB-Kurzbericht 11/2025), Nürnberg, 8 S. DOI:10.48720/IAB.KB.2511
Abstract
"Unternehmen sind mit ständigem Wandel und wachsendem Wettbewerbsdruck konfrontiert, was auch das Personalmanagement betrifft. Außerdem verändert sich der Arbeitsalltag für viele Beschäftigte, sodass die Instrumente des Performance Managements, insbesondere die traditionellen Leistungsbeurteilungs- und Vergütungspraktiken, zunehmend auf dem Prüfstand stehen. Entscheidend für Betriebe und Beschäftigte ist dabei unter anderem, ob und inwieweit diese Praktiken die wahrgenommene Arbeitsqualität beeinflussen. Die Autoren untersuchen in diesem Bericht Trends und Entwicklungen für die Jahre 2012 bis 2023 auf Basis des Linked Personnel Panels (LPP)." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)
Weiterführende Informationen
- Zusammenhang zwischen Instrumenten des betrieblichen Performance Managements und der wahrgenommenen Arbeitsqualität
- Vergütungsmix für Führungskräfte und Beschäftigte ohne Führungsverantwortung mit erfolgsabhängiger Vergütung
- Instrumente des betrieblichen Performance Managements
- Instrumente des betrieblichen Performance Managements im Zeitverlauf
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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
The relation between employees’ self-evaluations of performance and job satisfaction (2025)
Zitatform
Grund, Christian & Alexandra Soboll (2025): The relation between employees’ self-evaluations of performance and job satisfaction. In: Review of Managerial Science, S. 1-23. DOI:10.1007/s11846-025-00956-0
Abstract
"Using panel data from middle-managers in the German chemical industry, we investigate the relationship between employees’ self-evaluations of performance with job satisfaction. Self-evaluations are made in comparison to colleagues’ performance. Results based on individual fixed effects panel estimations reveal a positive relation between self-evaluations and job satisfaction with the exception that employees with particularly high self-evaluations do not show particular high levels of job satisfaction. We cannot find evidence to support our presumption that employees’ disappointment or inequity perceptions regarding their compensation may play a meaningful role for this relationship. We discuss our findings and suggest implications for practice as well as avenues for future research." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Krisenzeiten als Stresstest für die Zusammenarbeit (2025)
Hammermann, Andrea; Stettes, Oliver;Zitatform
Hammermann, Andrea & Oliver Stettes (2025): Krisenzeiten als Stresstest für die Zusammenarbeit. (IW-Kurzberichte / Institut der Deutschen Wirtschaft Köln 2025,84), Köln, 3 S.
Abstract
"Das Arbeitsklima wird in Deutschland mehrheitlich gut oder sehr gut bewertet. Dennoch macht sich die wirtschaftliche Krise in den Unternehmen hierzulande bemerkbar. Die Zusammenarbeit im Kollegenkreis und mit der Führungskraft wird in stürmischen Zeiten auf eine harte Probe gestellt." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)
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Literaturhinweis
Alle unmotiviert?: Arbeitsmotivation und Arbeitgeberbindung in Deutschland (2025)
Hammermann, Andrea;Zitatform
Hammermann, Andrea (2025): Alle unmotiviert? Arbeitsmotivation und Arbeitgeberbindung in Deutschland. (IW-Report / Institut der Deutschen Wirtschaft Köln 2025,19), Köln, 19 S.
Abstract
"In den nächsten Jahren ist die demografiebedingte Verknappung des Arbeitskräfteangebots eine der größten arbeitsmarktpolitischen Herausforderungen. Umso wichtiger ist es, das Arbeitskräftepotenzial hierzulande bestmöglich zu nutzen. Dafür braucht es Menschen, die gerne arbeiten und sich in ihrem Beruf engagieren. Doch einige vor kurzem veröffentlichte Befragungsergebnisse (Gallup, 2025a; EY, 2025) erwecken den Eindruck, in Deutschland gäbe es ein Motivationsproblem. Die vorliegende Studie geht anhand von vier Indikatoren der Frage nach, wie es um die Motivation und Arbeitgeberbindung der Beschäftigten in Deutschland steht. Die Indikatoren weisen keine besorgniserregenden Auffälligkeiten oder Trends auf, die auf einen Motivationsmangel von Arbeitnehmern hindeuten würden – eher im Gegenteil. Die meisten Menschen arbeiten – alles in allem – gerne, fühlen sich engagiert und haben nach wie vor ein hohes Commitment zu ihrem Arbeitgeber." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)
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Literaturhinweis
Die Rückkehr der Leistungskultur: Analyse zur Gestaltung und Wirkung betrieblicher Vergütungssysteme in Deutschland (2025)
Hammermann, Andrea;Zitatform
Hammermann, Andrea (2025): Die Rückkehr der Leistungskultur. Analyse zur Gestaltung und Wirkung betrieblicher Vergütungssysteme in Deutschland. (IW-Report / Institut der Deutschen Wirtschaft Köln 2025,43), Köln, 32 S.
Abstract
"Die Arbeitsproduktivität in Deutschland ist in den letzten beiden Jahren gesunken und hat längst ihre Dynamik früherer Zeiten eingebüßt. Dabei müsste die Produktivität in Zukunft deutlich steigen, um die demografiebedingten Rückgänge an Arbeitskräften der nächsten Jahre ausgleichen zu können (Bardt/Grömling, 2025). Deutschland befindet sich zudem in einer wirtschaftlichen Schwächephase und vor diesem Hintergrund wird die Debatte um die Arbeitsmotivation und -leistung in Deutschland vehementer geführt als in den Jahren des Beschäftigungswachstums zuvor. Während es in der Politik um nicht weniger als die Stabilisierung der sozialen Sicherungssysteme bei rückläufigem Erwerbspersonenpotenzial geht, stellen betriebliche Entscheider ihr Leistungsmanagement auf den Prüfstand, um unter aktuell schwierigen Markt- und Absatzbedingungen wettbewerbsfähig zu bleiben und sich mit Blick auf die Verknappung des Arbeitskräfteangebots und die Herausforderungen der digitalen und ökologischen Transformation zukunftssicher aufzustellen. Daneben spielen strukturelle Veränderungen in der Arbeitswelt in die Gestaltung des betrieblichen Leistungsmanagements hinein. Arbeitsergebnisse spielen zwangsläufig dort eine gewichtigere Rolle, wo die eigentliche Leistungserbringung weniger sichtbar ist und Beschäftigte ihre Arbeit eigenverantwortlicher gestalten. Dabei scheinen immer mehr betriebliche Entscheider das Thema der Leistungskultur neu für sich entdeckt zu haben. Öffentlichkeitswirksam hat sich der Vorstandsvorsitzende von SAP zu einem Kurswechsel bei den Leistungsbewertungen bekannt, indem Mitarbeiter stärker anhand ihrer Leistung differenziert werden sollen. Dabei ist die Einteilung von Mitarbeitern in Leistungsgruppen nicht unumstritten, stellt sich doch immer auch die Frage, wie Leistung gemessen werden kann und welche Konsequenzen sich aus zu geringer Leistung ergeben. Als Vorbilder dienen oftmals US-Konzerne, wie beispielsweise Meta oder Amazon. Allerdings sind Unternehmen hierzulande hinsichtlich arbeitsrechtlicher Konsequenzen für vermeintlich leistungsschwache Mitarbeiter aufgrund des Kündigungsschutzes engere Grenzen gesetzt. Das Leistungsmanagement richtig aufzustellen ist eine herausfordernde Aufgabe und es gibt bereits umfangreiche wissenschaftliche Befunde zu den Wirkungsweisen von Leistungsbeurteilungen und der Vergütungsstruktur. Im vorliegenden Beitrag soll es um die Frage gehen, wie Vergütungssysteme in Deutschland derzeit gestaltet sind und welche Entwicklungen und strukturellen Unterschiede sich erkennen lassen. Zu diesem Zweck werden sowohl Daten der Statistischen Ämter in Form der Verdiensterhebung der Jahre 2022 bis 2024 betrachtet als auch die Perspektive der Unternehmen und Beschäftigten über Befragungen im Jahr 2025 erhoben. Der Fokus liegt dabei insbesondere auf leistungs- und erfolgsabhängiger Vergütung sowie ihrer intendierten und tatsächlichen Wirkung im Arbeitskontext. Die Begriffe Vergütung, Lohn und Gehalt sowie Entgelt werden in der Studie synonym verwendet." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)
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Literaturhinweis
The multidimensionality of psychological overemployment: Development and initial validation of a new scale (2025)
Zitatform
Hiemer, Julia & Maike Andresen (2025): The multidimensionality of psychological overemployment: Development and initial validation of a new scale. In: German Journal of Human Resource Management. DOI:10.1177/23970022251391028
Abstract
"Recent qualitative research has expanded the traditional definition of overemployment—typically understood in economics and sociology as a mismatch between actual and preferred working hours—by conceptualizing it as a multidimensional psychological construct. However, research still lacks a reasonably complex and statistically validated measure of psychological overemployment. To address this issue, the present research developed and validated a multidimensional Psychological Overemployment Scale (POS)—the first psychometrically tested instrument of its kind. Study 1 (N : 26 and N : 27) generated items and assessed their content validity. Study 2 (N = 303) identified three dimensions of psychological overemployment: work time duration, density, and distribution (on tasks). Study 3 (N = 500) and study 4 (N = 350) tested the reliability and validity of the POS across different samples. Study 5 (N = 254 and N = 267) confirmed the discriminant validity of the POS by demonstrating that its dimensions differ clearly from orbiting constructs. We confirmed the scale’s three-dimensional structure and provided evidence for construct validity by relating the POS to traditional overemployment measures and to work-life balance. We also demonstrated criterion validity by correlating the POS with well-being, job attitudes, and work behavior. Researchers can use the POS to develop knowledge on psychological overemployment, its antecedents and outcomes, and practitioners can apply it to evaluate work flexibilization instruments, for organizational diagnosis, or coaching." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Work organization in social enterprises: A source of job satisfaction? (2025)
Zitatform
Joutard, Xavier, Francesca Petrella & Nadine Richez‐Battesti (2025): Work organization in social enterprises: A source of job satisfaction? In: Kyklos, Jg. 78, H. 1, S. 111-148. DOI:10.1111/kykl.12411
Abstract
"Many studies suggest that employees of social enterprises experience greater job satisfaction than employees of for-profit organizations, although their pay and employment contracts are usually less favorable. Based on linked employer–employee data from a French survey on employment characteristics and industrial relations and using a decomposition method developed by Gelbach (2016), this paper aims to explain this somewhat paradoxical result. Focusing on work organization variables, we show that the specific work organization of social enterprises explains a large part of the observed job satisfaction differential both in general and more specifically, in terms of satisfaction with access to training and working conditions. By detailing the components of work organization, the higher job satisfaction reported by employees in social enterprises stems from their greater autonomy and better access to information. In contrast to earlier studies, however, our results show that these work organization variables do not have more value for social enterprise employees than for for-profit organization employees in the case of overall job satisfaction. This result casts doubt on the widespread hypothesis that social enterprise employees attach more weight to the nonmonetary advantages of their work than their counterparts in for-profit organizations." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, Published by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Work Meaning and the Flexibility Puzzle (2025)
Zitatform
Kesternich, Iris & Thimo De Schouwer (2025): Work Meaning and the Flexibility Puzzle. In: Journal of labor economics. DOI:10.1086/739081
Abstract
"We study heterogeneity in the prevalence of and preferences for workplace flexibility and work meaning. We show that, internationally, women and parents value flexibility more but do not work more flexible jobs. The gender dimension of this flexibility puzzle is related to differences in meaningful work, which women value higher and sort into, at a significant price corresponding to 20 to 70% less flexibility. The parental dimension is connected to preferences for meaning and flexibility diverging after childbirth. We show through counterfactuals that making meaningful jobs more flexible reduces the gender gap in total compensation by almost a quarter." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Die Relevanz der beruflichen Resilienz für die mentale Gesundheit und Arbeitszufriedenheit von Beschäftigten (2025)
Knispel, Jens; Arling, Viktoria; Slavchova, Veneta; Brenner, Julia;Zitatform
Knispel, Jens, Veneta Slavchova, Julia Brenner & Viktoria Arling (2025): Die Relevanz der beruflichen Resilienz für die mentale Gesundheit und Arbeitszufriedenheit von Beschäftigten. In: Arbeitsmedizin, Sozialmedizin, Umweltmedizin, Jg. 2025, H. 2, S. 98-107. DOI:10.17147/asu-1-417844
Abstract
"Zielstellung: Schätzungsweise 15% aller Fehltage von Beschäftigten aller Altersgruppen sind auf psychische Erkrankungen zurückzuführen. Ziel der vorliegenden Studie ist es, die Relevanz verschiedener Facetten der beruflichen Resilienz als mögliche Schutzfaktoren für die langfristige Aufrechterhaltung der mentalen Gesundheit von Beschäftigten und dem Erleben ihrer beruflichen Situation zu untersuchen. Zu den Facetten der beruflichen Resilienz zählen Optimismus, Akzeptanz, Lösungsorientierung, Selbstfürsorge, Netzwerkorientierung, Verantwortungsübernahme und Zukunftsplanung. Methode: Zur Untersuchung der Forschungsfrage wurden im Rahmen einer Online-Studie 235 Beschäftigte mit einem Stellenumfang von mindestens 20 Stunden pro Woche mittels Fragebögen bezüglich ihrer beruflichen Resilienz (RB-7-30) und ihrer emotionalen Irritation, Depressivität und Arbeitszufriedenheit befragt. Ergebnisse: Die Ergebnisse weisen darauf hin, dass berufliche Resilienz mit emotionaler Irritation, Depressivität und Arbeitszufriedenheit assoziiert ist. Multiple Regressionsanalysen geben Hinweis darauf, dass die jeweiligen Resilienzfacetten einen differenzierten Zusammenhang mit der mentalen Gesundheit von Beschäftigten und dem Erleben ihrer beruflichen Situation aufweisen. Schlussfolgerungen: Berufliche Resilienz stellt einen potenziellen Schutzfaktor zum Erhalt der mentalen Gesundheit dar. Es erscheint lohnenswert, weitere Untersuchungen zur Wirksamkeit beruflicher Resilienz durchzuführen, um anschließend gezielte Trainingsmaßnahmen für Beschäftigte (Führungskräfte und Mitarbeitende) abzuleiten und so einen nachhaltigen Beitrag zur langfristigen Stabilisierung des psychischen Wohlbefindens und der Arbeitszufriedenheit zu leisten" (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)
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Literaturhinweis
Why Life Gets Better after Age 50, for Some: Mental Well-Being and the Social Norm of Work (2025)
Zitatform
Kraats, Coen van de, Titus Galama, Maarten Lindeboom & Zichen Deng (2025): Why Life Gets Better after Age 50, for Some: Mental Well-Being and the Social Norm of Work. In: Journal of labor economics, S. 1-24. DOI:10.1086/737772
Abstract
"We provide evidence that the social norm (expectation) that adults work has a substantial detrimental causal effect on the mental well-being of unemployed men in mid-life, as substantial as, e.g., the detriment of being widowed. As their peers in age retire and the social norm weakens, the mental well-being of the unemployed improves.Using data on individuals aged 50+ from 10 European countries, we identify the social norm of work effect using exogenous variation in the earliest eligibility age for old-age public pensions across countries and birth cohorts." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Job Enrichment: Wie Unternehmen Potenziale erkennen und Beschäftigte motivieren (2025)
Köhne-Finster, Sabine; Flake, Regina;Zitatform
Köhne-Finster, Sabine & Regina Flake (2025): Job Enrichment: Wie Unternehmen Potenziale erkennen und Beschäftigte motivieren. (KOFA kompakt / Kompetenzzentrum Fachkräftesicherung 2025,09), Köln, 6 S.
Abstract
"Die IW-Beschäftigtenbefragung 2024 zeigt: Bei rund einem Drittel der abhängig Beschäftigten besteht das Potenzial, sie über Job Enrichment noch stärker zu motivieren. Dieser Beschäftigtengruppe sind Entscheidungsräume im Arbeitsalltag, Möglichkeiten, ihr Wissen und Können einzubringen, sowie Karriereperspektiven im Unternehmen besonders wichtig. Veränderungen in diesen Bereichen wirken sich unmittelbar auf ihre Arbeitszufriedenheit aus. Das volle Potenzial, Beschäftigte über mehr Verantwortung und das Einbringen eigener Ideen zu motivieren, wird häufig jedoch noch nicht ausgeschöpft. Obwohl das Interesse an individueller Karriereberatung und praxisnaher Weiterbildung bei Beschäftigten mit Potenzial für Job Enrichment überdurchschnittlich hoch ist, haben viele von ihnen noch keine entsprechenden Angebote wahrgenommen. Dabei wäre gerade die Kombination aus herausfordernden Aufgaben, Entwicklungsberatung und gezielter Qualifizierung für Unternehmen ein wirksamer Hebel, um die Potenziale von Job Enrichment erfolgreich zu entfalten – und damit Motivation, Arbeitszufriedenheit und Mitarbeiterbindung der Potenzialgruppe langfristig zu stärken." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)
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Literaturhinweis
Mismatch between actual and preferred number of days working from home: parental status, work-family conflict, and stress (2025)
Love, Jasmine ; Lambert, Katrina A. ; Leach, Liana ; Giallo, Rebecca ; Hokke, Stacey ; Oakman, Jodi ; Doan, Tinh ; Cooklin, Amanda ; Findley, Helen ;Zitatform
Love, Jasmine, Katrina A. Lambert, Amanda Cooklin, Stacey Hokke, Liana Leach, Rebecca Giallo, Tinh Doan, Helen Findley & Jodi Oakman (2025): Mismatch between actual and preferred number of days working from home. Parental status, work-family conflict, and stress. In: Community, work & family, S. 1-22. DOI:10.1080/13668803.2025.2584084
Abstract
"This study assessed whether the mismatch between Australian employees actual and preferred number of days working from home is associated with work-to-family conflict, family-to-work conflict and four indicators of stress (burnout, general stress, somatic stress, cognitive stress). Whether these relationships were moderated by parental status was examined. Employees working from home completed online surveys in May 2021 (n = 451), November 2021 (n = 358) and May 2022 (n = 320). The three waves of data were pooled (337 non-parents, 179 parents) and generalised mixed effects models were used. For parents, a mismatch between actual and preferred amount of working from home, particularly working from home less than preferred, was associated with increased work-to-family conflict (but not family-to-work conflict). Working from home more than preferred was associated with increases in all four aspects of stress for parents and non-parents. Working from home less than preferred was associated with increased burnout among non-parents and decreased general stress and cognitive stress among parents. Findings suggest there is no one-size-fits-all approach in how much working from home is optimal, but a mismatch in work from home preferences can have adverse associations with employee wellbeing, particularly work-to-family conflict for parents. Work from home arrangements should be tailored to individual needs." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
The effects of new ways of working (NWW) on employees’ well-being and happiness. A theoretical overview (2025)
Zitatform
López-Cabarcos, M. Ángeles, Analía López-Carballeira & Carlos Ferro-Soto (2025): The effects of new ways of working (NWW) on employees’ well-being and happiness. A theoretical overview. In: ESIC market, Jg. 56, H. 1. DOI:10.7200/esicm.56.341
Abstract
"Purpose: New ways of working (NWW) is an emerging trend in contemporary organisations, driven by the need to be flexible and adapt quickly to changes. Thus, NWW provides employees with greater control over their working time, also increasing their autonomy with the support of ICTs. However, the adoption of flexible work arrangements can be a source of a wide range of concerns, which can influence employees’ well-being and happiness at work. This research aims to develop an overall framework to guide future research on new flexible work models. Methodology: This theoretical overview proposes to analyze the influence of e-demands (technostress, e-work-life balance, etc.) resulting from NWW adoption on employees’ e-well-being (e-psychological well-being, e-emotional exhaustion, etc.) and e-happiness. To mitigate the potential negative effects of NWW practices, both organizations and employees should identify personal e-resources (e-psychological capital, e-work self-efficacy, e-psychological empowerment) and job e-resources (e-engaging leadership, e-work effectiveness) that can serve as effective moderators to promote employees’ well-being. Results: The proposed model attempts to provide an overview based on available knowledge about the relationships between e-demands, employees’ e-well-being and personal and job resources in e-work contexts. Practical implications: This research aims to shed light on the need for effective strategies to adapt the NWW to work environments characterised by higher levels of flexibility and the intensive use of ICTs, with the aim of guaranteeing employees’ well-being, health and happiness, and achieving better results." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
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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
Vocational education, earnings and job satisfaction in Europe (2025)
Zitatform
McGuinness, Seamus, Lorcan Kelly, Anne Devlin & Adele Whelan (2025): Vocational education, earnings and job satisfaction in Europe. In: Education Economics, S. 1-21. DOI:10.1080/09645292.2025.2584065
Abstract
"This paper examines the earnings and job satisfaction of Vocational Education and Training (VET) graduates in the European Union (EU) using two definitions of vocational education: a self-reported definition and a more specific definition that incorporates work-based learning. The incidence of third-level VET falls from 74% to 29% under the stricter definition. Across the EU, the returns to vocational and academic qualifications are comparable for upper secondary, post-secondary and tertiary qualifications. Earnings premia vary between countries, with VET generating higher returns in just under one-third of all EU-28 members. Additionally, third level VET graduates enjoy higher levels of job satisfaction." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Vocational Education, Earnings and Job Satisfaction in Europe (2025)
Zitatform
McGuinness, Seamus, Lorcan Kelly, Anne Devlin & Adele Whelan (2025): Vocational Education, Earnings and Job Satisfaction in Europe. (IZA discussion paper / Forschungsinstitut zur Zukunft der Arbeit 18134), Bonn, 43 S.
Abstract
"This paper examines the earnings and job satisfaction of Vocational Education and Training (VET) graduates in the European Union (EU) using two definitions of vocational education: a self-reported definition and a more specific definition that incorporates work-based learning. The incidence of third-level VET falls from 74% to 29% under the stricter definition. Across the EU, the returns to vocational and academic qualifications are comparable for upper secondary, post-secondary and tertiary qualifications. Earnings premia vary between countries, with VET generating higher returns in just under one-third of all EU-28 members. Additionally, third level VET graduates enjoy higher levels of job satisfaction." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Coercion and Consent under Techno-Economic Despotism: Workers’ Alienation and ‘Liberation’ in the Amazon Warehouse (2025)
Zitatform
Miszczyński, Miłosz & Patrizia Zanoni (2025): Coercion and Consent under Techno-Economic Despotism: Workers’ Alienation and ‘Liberation’ in the Amazon Warehouse. In: Work, Employment and Society, Jg. 39, H. 5, S. 1179-1200. DOI:10.1177/09500170251336954
Abstract
"This article explores the role of subjectivity in workers’ control in warehouses.Relying on Marx’s theory of the alienated subject under capitalism, we analyze the narratives of Polish Amazon workers to understand how alienating work produces a contradictory consenting subject. Workers are both estranged from the labor process, commodities, social relations and themselves, and simultaneously reconstituted as agents with new potentialities. Reflecting Marx’s ‘civilising’ dimension of capitalism, they are reconstituted as sellers of labor, consumers, individuals deserving respect and holders of legal rights. This transformation elicits workers’ consent to alienating work conditions because these new possibilities depend on such conditions. Our study advances discussions of control in global warehousing by highlighting how workers’ consent operates alongside coercion. It also advances our understanding of consent by showing that it is not merely a coping mechanism for meaningless work but rather emerges from workers’ integration into capitalist relations."(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
Gender differences in job satisfaction across Europe: do men and women experience work differently? (2025)
Zitatform
Nappo, Nunzia (2025): Gender differences in job satisfaction across Europe: do men and women experience work differently? In: Journal of Economic Studies, S. 1-25. DOI:10.1108/jes-01-2025-0051
Abstract
"Purpose: The main aim of this paper is to study gender differences in job satisfaction in Europe. Design/methodology/approach: For the empirical analysis, we employed data from the Sixth European Working Conditions Survey (EWCS, 2017). To assess the associations between some work-role inputs and outputs and satisfaction with work, we employed ordered probit models. Findings: The results show that women report greater job satisfaction than men do. Women value the intrinsic characteristics of their jobs more than men do. While women report that helping others and doing a useful job is important to them, men place a greater value on wage level. However, good prospects for career advancement matter more for women than for men. Being helped and supported both by colleagues and managers, since this support implies good work relationships, influences job satisfaction for both groups but is more important for women than for men. Originality/value: We have added new evidence to the literature on job satisfaction (i.e. the correlation between work-role inputs and outputs and job satisfaction) using a very large sample of countries, whereas most previous research has focused on single nations or small groups of countries. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time that the EWCS (2017) has been employed with this aim. In addition, we have expanded the evidence on the correlates of job satisfaction within the European labour market." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © Emerald Group) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Welfare regimes and gender gaps in job satisfaction across Europe. Evidence from the European Working Survey (2025)
Zitatform
Nappo, Nunzia & Giuseppe Lubrano Lavadera (2025): Welfare regimes and gender gaps in job satisfaction across Europe. Evidence from the European Working Survey. In: Applied Economics, Jg. 57, H. 32, S. 4695-4709. DOI:10.1080/00036846.2024.2364088
Abstract
"Often women report higher levels of job satisfaction than men, although their jobs are worse than men’s jobs. Evidence on this paradox, which is known as the ‘gender-job satisfaction paradox’, is still controversial. This paper focuses on gender differences in job satisfaction across groups of countries in the European Union. The following five groups of countries have been considered: 1) Nordic countries, 2) Anglo-Saxon countries, 3) Continental countries, 4) Southern European countries, and 5) Eastern European countries. For the empirical analysis, data from the Sixth European Working Conditions Survey (EWCS6), collected in 2015 and released in 2017 (EWCS 2017), were employed. To examine the gender job satisfaction gap, a continuous and normally distributed dependent variable derived from a principal component analysis (PCA) of six questions in the survey was employed. An Oaxaca‒Blinder estimation was implemented after unconditional quantile regression (UQR) to capture gender gaps for different levels of job satisfaction. The results are in line with the main literature and show that the paradox is mostly disappearing. However, the paradox persists in the Anglo-Saxon and the Southern European countries." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Gallup Engagement Index Deutschland 2024 (2025)
Nink, Marco; Sinyan, Pa;Zitatform
Nink, Marco & Pa Sinyan (2025): Gallup Engagement Index Deutschland 2024. Berlin: Gallup GmbH, 42 S.
Abstract
"Zum ersten Mal in der Geschichte des Gallup Engagement Index Deutschland liegt die hohe emotionale Bindung der Beschäftigten im einstelligen Bereich. Gleichzeitig hat auch die Zahl der Mitarbeitenden ohne emotionale Bindung abgenommen. Das Resultat: Die überwältigende Mehrheit macht Dienst nach Vorschrift. Die schwach ausgeprägte emotionale Bindung treibt die Wechselbereitschaft: Nur die Hälfte der Beschäftigten möchte in einem Jahr noch uneingeschränkt bei ihrem derzeitigen Arbeitgeber sein, während Headhunter so aktiv wie nie zuvor sind. Gleichzeitig sinkt das Vertrauen: nicht nur in die finanzielle Zukunft des Arbeitgebers, sondern auch in die Führungskräfte. Wie können deutsche Unternehmen diesen Trend umkehren und das Vertrauen und die Loyalität ihrer Mitarbeitenden zurückgewinnen? Ausführliche Informationen und darüber hinaus gehende Zahlen gibt es im Report zum Gallup Engagement Index Deutschland 2024." (Verlagsangaben, IAB-Doku)
Weiterführende Informationen
Kurzfassung -
Literaturhinweis
Der Bezug von Grundsicherungsleistungen geht auch längerfristig mit einer geringeren Lebenszufriedenheit einher (Serie „Befunde aus der IAB-Grundsicherungsforschung 2021 bis 2024“) (2025)
Zitatform
Nivorozhkin, Anton & Markus Promberger (2025): Der Bezug von Grundsicherungsleistungen geht auch längerfristig mit einer geringeren Lebenszufriedenheit einher (Serie „Befunde aus der IAB-Grundsicherungsforschung 2021 bis 2024“). In: IAB-Forum H. 16.07.2025, 2025-07-14. DOI:10.48720/IAB.FOO.20250716.01
Abstract
"Für viele Menschen sind Grundsicherungsleistungen eine unverzichtbare finanzielle Hilfe. Doch wie verhält es sich mit dem subjektiven Wohlergehen der Betroffenen? Befunde aus der IAB-Forschung, die auf Daten vor der Bürgergeld-Reform basieren, zeigen: Obwohl Grundsicherungsleistungen die materielle Situation von Menschen absichern, geht der Bezug als solcher im Schnitt auch langfristig mit einer geringeren Lebenszufriedenheit einher. Bei Männern verstärkt sich dieser Effekt im Zeitverlauf sogar." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)