Zitatform

Clark, Andrew E. (2011): The organisational commitment of workers in OECD countries. In: Management Revue, Jg. 22, H. 1, S. 8-27. DOI:10.1688/1861-9908_mrev_2011_01_Clark

Abstract

"The degree to which workers identify with their firms, and how hard they are willing to work for them, would seem to be key variables for the understanding of both firm productivity and individual labour-market outcomes. This paper uses repeated cross-section ISSP data from 1997 and 2005 to consider three of measures of worker commitment. There are enormous cross-country differences in these commitment measures, which are difficult to explain using individual- or job-related characteristics. These patterns do, however, correlate with some country-level variables. While unemployment and inflation are both associated with lower commitment to an extent, economic and civil liberties are positively correlated with worker effort and pride in the firm." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Brückner, Gunter, Erik Schäfer, Uwe Reim, Stefan Brings, Eckhard Priller, Olga Pötzsch, Angelika Scheuer, Weert Canzler, Joachim Frick, Silvia Deckl, Gabriela Fuhr, Dominik Asef, Patrick J. Droß, Reinhard Pollak, Claudia Finke, Heiko Pfaff, Michael Blohm, Tanja Mucha, Thomas Ziese, Dirk Mohr, Bernhard Weßels, Johanna Mischke, Stefan Weick, Heiner Meulemann, Martina Wasmer, Ursula Lauber, Ingrid Tucci, Thomas Lampert, Bettina Sommer, Benjamin Kuntz, Renate Schulze-Steikow, Christiane Krüger-Hemmer, Mareike Alscher, Lars Eric Kroll, Jörg Dittmann, Sascha Krieger, Mirjam Bick, Peter Krause, Christian Wingerter, Elle Krack-Roberg, Karl Weichs, Kristina Kott, Annette Spellerberg, Udo Kleinegees, Sebastian Czajka, Elke Holst, Klaus-Jürgen Duschek, Regina Hoffmann-Müller, Julia Weinmann, Ralf Himmelreicher, Jürgen Schupp, Roland Habich, Karin Böhm, Claire Grobecker, Hanfried H. Andersen, Markus Grabka, Jessica Walter & Jan Goebel (2011): Datenreport 2011. Ein Sozialbericht für die Bundesrepublik Deutschland. Band I und II. (Datenreport / Statistisches Bundesamt 13), Bonn, 448 S.

Abstract

"Der Datenreport ist ein Gemeinschaftsprojekt des Statistischen Bundesamtes (Destatis), des Wissenschaftszentrums Berlin für Sozialforschung (WZB) und des Deutschen Instituts für Wirtschaftsforschung (DIW). Im Datenreport werden die Ergebnisse des Statistischen Bundesamtes und der sozialwissenschaftlichen Forschung zusammengeführt, so dass ein differenziertes Bild der Lebensverhältnisse in Deutschland entsteht. Die amtliche Statistik ist mit ihren umfangreichen, vielfältigen und kontinuierlich durchgeführten Erhebungen nach wie vor der wichtigste Anbieter von Informationen über die Lebensverhältnisse und gesellschaftlichen Entwicklungen in Deutschland. Eine leistungsfähige sozialwissenschaftliche Datengrundlage ergänzt und bereichert das Informations- und Analysepotential der amtlichen Daten. Ein farbiges Leitsystem erleichtert die Unterscheidung der Beiträge des Statistischen Bundesamtes und der sozialwissenschaftlichen Forschungsinstitute." (Textauszug, IAB-Doku)

Zitatform

Hanglberger, Dominik (2011): Arbeitszufriedenheit im internationalen Vergleich. (FFB-Diskussionspapier 86), 43 S.

Abstract

"Ziel dieses Beitrags ist es, Niveaus und Bestimmungsfaktoren der Arbeitszufriedenheit von abhängig Beschäftigten in Europa zu vergleichen. Dafür werden Daten aus dem European Working Conditions Survey (EWCS) 2005 für 31 europäische Staaten ausgewertet. Neben detaillierten Informationen über Art und Ausgestaltung der Arbeit liegen dafür Personen- und Haushaltsinformationen sowie objektive und subjektive Einkommensinformationen vor. Ordered-Probit Regressionsmodelle für alle 31 Länder sowie getrennte Schätzungen für fünf Ländergruppen mit unterschiedlichen Wohlfahrtsniveaus und unterschiedlicher Ausgestaltung der Wohlfahrtsstaaten zeigen, dass die Erklärungsmuster der Arbeitszufriedenheit nicht einheitlich sind. Über alle Länder zeigt sich ein starkes Gewicht der subjektiven Bewertung des Einkommens, die nur in Skandinavien und Kontinentaleuropa nicht die stärkste Einflussgröße darstellt. Bezüglich der Arbeitszeiten zeigt sich in Ländern mit niedrigerem Wohlstandsniveau ein geringerer negativer Einfluss, wenn Arbeitszeiten mit privaten Verpflichtungen kollidieren. In Großbritannien und Irland spielt die Sicherheit des Arbeitsplatzes eine größere Rolle als in den übrigen betrachteten Ländern. Die Autonomie bei der Organisation der Arbeitsaufgaben findet sich nur in Staaten mit hohem Wohlstandsniveau (Großbritannien, Irland, Kontinentaleuropa und Skandinavien) unter den zehn stärksten Einflüssen." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

Zitatform

Herzer, Dierk & Peter Nunnenkamp (2011): Income inequality and health. New evidence from panel data. (Kieler Arbeitspapier 1736), Kiel, 34 S.

Abstract

"This paper argues that previous cross-country (panel) studies on the relationship between income inequality and health suffer from significant biases due to (i) omitted country-specific factors, (ii) endogeneity, and (iii) cross-country heterogeneity in the impact of inequality on health. Using panel cointegration techniques that are robust to omitted variables, endogenous regressors, and slope heterogeneity, we find that income inequality has, on average, a small, but robust and statistically significant positive impact on population health. Also, there is some evidence that inequality is endogenous in the sense that poor health leads to increased income inequality. Finally, we find that there are large cross-country differences in the effect of income inequality on health (in about 35 percent of the cases, the effect is negative)." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Holman, David & Charlotte McClelland (2011): Job quality in growing and declining economic sectors of the EU. (Walqing working paper 2011-03), Manchester, 138 S.

Abstract

"To provide a detailed review and analysis of job quality in new and growing sectors of the EU economy, it is necessary to conduct a review of the current literature on job quality in Europe and also to conduct new analyses on this topic. As such, this report has three main aims. The first aim is to review the current literature for evidence of the nature and effects of job quality in growing and declining sectors within the EU. In particular, we seek to identify the level of job quality within growing and declining sectors and to compare the level of job quality between growing and declining sectors. The second aim is to examine how the level of job quality varies between growing sectors and sub-sectors of the economy in the European Union and Norway using the European Working Conditions Survey data set from 2005. The third aim is to develop a taxonomy of job types in the European Union, to establish the job quality of these job types, and to then examine the distribution of job types in growing sectors of the European economy. Examining the distribution of job types in this way will help to provide a more nuanced understanding of the distribution of job quality in Europe. To meet these aims, the report has four parts. Part 1 discusses the concept of job quality and provides a definition that is used throughout the report. Parts 2, 3 and 4 address the first, second and third aims of the report respectively.
In this report we define job quality as the extent to which a job has factors that promote valued outcomes for the employee. The main factors of a job are areas and dimensions of job quality are (1) work quality, which includes the dimension of work organisation, (2) employment quality, which includes the dimensions of wages and payment system, and security and flexibility, (3) and empowerment quality, which includes the dimensions of skills and development, and engagement and representation. The main valued outcomes of job for an employee are defined as well-being (i.e., physical and psychological well-being) and performance. In this report we focus in particular on employee well-being as the main valued outcome of the job." (Text excerpt, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Krause, Annabelle (2011): Work to live or live to work? Unemployment, happiness, and culture. (IZA discussion paper 6101), Bonn, 20 S.

Abstract

"Happiness drops when individuals become unemployed. The negative impact of the unemployment shock, however, may differ by cultural background. To test the hypothesis of a 'Teutonic work ethic', this paper takes advantage of Switzerland in its cultural diversity. By comparing different cultural groups in the same institutional setting, I empirically test whether such deep psychological traits have an influence on how unemployment is perceived. It is found that unemployment has a significantly negative effect on life satisfaction in Switzerland. I furthermore present evidence which confirms to some extent the hypothesis that Swiss German individuals suffer more from unemployment, although for the most part, these results are without statistical significance. Swiss Germans are additionally found to be happier than their French-speaking compatriots - independent of whether they are unemployed. This difference between Romanic and Germanic cultural backgrounds is in line with previous findings, but deserves further research attention." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Vandekerckhove, Sem & Monique Ramioul (2011): Patterns of growth and changing quality of work in Europe. (Walqing working paper 2011-02), Leuven, 44 S.

Abstract

Die Bestrebungen der EU laufen darauf hinaus, Wirtschaftswachstum durch eine wissensintensive Wirtschaft mit mehr und besseren Arbeitsplätzen zu erreichen. In der Arbeit wird ausgeführt, dass die Qualität der Jobs eine sehr große Bedeutung für die Lebensqualität hat und von größerer Bedeutung ist als das Wachstum. Für einige Branchen (Bauwesen, Handel, Hotel und Restaurants, Informationstechnik, Gesundheitswesen) werden empirische Daten verwendet, um Wachstumsmuster zu erkennen. Mit Ausnahme der Informationstechnik (die überall wächst) sind die Wachstumsmuster geographisch unterschiedlich. (IAB)

Abstract

"This second annual Yearbook on Living and working in Europe 2010 aims to convey the main findings of some of Eurofound's key currents of research - in particular, results and analysis from its three pan-European surveys on company practices, working conditions and quality of life. All the surveys now enable us to paint some pictures of trends over time, crucial for understanding how Europe is developing and the changing challenges it is encountering. Not least among these challenges is the creation of a truly multicultural European society, a task being undertaken daily by both majority and minority communities. As detailed in last year's publication, European governments and social partners are still dealing with the effects of the economic crisis; in many countries, short-time working schemes were extended or introduced as one response. Eurofound's Yearbook also outlines how such responses to the crisis may also provide an opportunity, highlighting ways of adapting such schemes to combine both greater flexibility and greater security. Such adaptation can only take place with the cooperation of the social partners: the Yearbook 2010 looks at how both trade unions and employer organisations are adapting to meet the challenges of changing times." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Bryson, Alex & John Forth (2010): The evolution of the modern worker. Attitudes to work. (CEP discussion paper 1030), London, 31 S.

Abstract

"This paper examines how employees' experiences of, and attitudes towards, work have changed over the last quarter of a century. It assesses the extent to which any developments relate to the economic cycle and to trends in the composition of the British workforce. Many of the findings are broadly positive, particularly when compared with a picture of deterioration in the late 1980s and 1990s. The onset of a major recession in the late 2000s might have been expected to herald a fundamental shift in employees' attitudes to paid work and their working environment. The impression at the time of writing is, instead, of a more muted reaction than was seen in the early 1990s - in keeping with the more muted impact of the current recession on the labour market as a whole." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Diener, Ed, John Helliwell & Daniel Kahneman (Hrsg.) (2010): International differences in well-being. (Series in positive psychology), Oxford: Oxford University Press, 489 S.

Abstract

"This is a major compendium of the principles and practice of well-being research explaining international differences in well-being. It combines psychology, political science, and economics to examine the well-being of nations. This book draws together the latest work from scholars around the world using subjective well-being data to understand and compare well-being across countries and cultures. Starting from many different vantage points, the authors reached a consensus that many measures of subjective well-being, ranging from life evaluations through emotional states, based on memories and current evaluations, merit broader collection and analysis. Using data from the Gallup World Poll, the World Values Survey, and other internationally comparable surveys, the authors document wide divergences among countries in all measures of subjective well-being, The international differences are greater for life evaluations than for emotions. Despite the well-documented differences in the ways in which subjective evaluations change through time and across cultures, the bulk of the very large international differences in life evaluations are due to differences in life circumstances rather than differences in the way these differences are evaluated." (Text excerpt, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Fuchs, Tatjana, Karl Ullrich Lipproth, Gerd Peter, Norbert Breutmann, Klaus Pickshaus, Yasmin Fahimi, Stephan Sandrock, Arno Georg, Hans-Joachim Schulz, Kurt Landau, Manfred Schweres, Uwe Dechmann, Sascha Stowasser, Holger Kloft & Klaus J. Zink (sonst. bet. Pers.) (2010): DGB-Index "Gute Arbeit". In: Zeitschrift für Arbeitswissenschaft, Jg. 64, H. 1, S. 1-58.

Abstract

"Der DGB-Index Gute Arbeit, der zu sehr viel Aufmerksamkeit bei den Sozialpartnern und auch in der Arbeitswissenschaft geführt hat, misst Arbeitsqualität einmal jährlich bundesweit, differenziert nach Arbeitsdimensionen. Dazu werden die Beschäftigten befragt. Es ging und es geht dabei nicht nur um die Arbeitszufriedenheit oder die Arbeitsplatzzufriedenheit im engeren, sondern tatsächlich um das Arbeitsleben im weiteren Sinne. Also auch um Erwartungen und Einschätzungen von wirtschaftlichen Entwicklungen, die über den eigenen Arbeitsplatz hinausgehen.
Dieser Index wurde auf den Tagungen der Gesellschaft für Arbeitswissenschaft und auch in dieser Zeitschrift heftig und sehr kontrovers diskutiert, sodass sich die Schriftleitung entschlossen hat, ein eigenes Themenheft 'Gute Arbeit' mit Thesen und Antithesen herauszubringen." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

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Giaccone, Mario (2010): Annual review of working conditions 2009-2010. Dublin, 53 S.

Abstract

"This seventh annual review examines four key dimensions of working conditions and quality of work and employment: career development and employment security, health and well-being, skills and competence development, and work - life balance. The report outlines relevant legislative and policy developments, and examines trends in the workplace during the period 2009-2010." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Greenan, Nathalie, Ekaterina Kalugina & Emmanuelle Walkowiak (2010): Trends in quality of work in the EU-15. Evidence from the European Working Conditions Survey (1995-2005). (Centre d'Etudes de l'Emploi. Document de travail 133), Noisy-le-Grand, 41 S.

Abstract

"This paper has three main objectives: to provide a mapping of quality of work across European countries, to measure its evolution between 1995 and 2005 and to explain the observed trends. This general assessment of quality of work is based on three waves of European Working Conditions Surveys carried out with employed persons in 1995, 2000 and 2005. We analyze the quality of work by measuring the working conditions as well as the intensity and complexity of the work. We find evidence of a decreasing trend in the quality of work in the EU-15 over the 1995-2005 period. Over that period, quality of working conditions has deteriorated, while at the same time, technical and market constraints have become more intense and work complexity has decreased. It is known that work contexts that are very demanding, with high work intensity and low decision latitude, generate stress. Thus, we may infer from the work intensity and complexity trends that mental strain has been on the rise in Europe, while physical working conditions have not improved. To understand the observed trends, we investigate country-level and individual-level heterogeneity in quality of work indicators using multilevel modeling. This permits measuring the sensitivity of descriptive trends to composition effects and testing the significance of 'country effects'." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Grimshaw, Damian & Steffen Lehndorff (2010): Anchors for job quality. Sectoral systems of unemployment in the European context. In: Work Organisation, Labour and Globalisation, Jg. 4, H. 1, S. 24-40.

Abstract

"This paper argues that we can improve our understanding of the factors that shape job quality by interrogating the challenges facing sectoral systems of employment in diverse country contexts. Drawing on the work of the EU-funded Dynamo (Dynamics of national employment models) project, we describe an approach that includes paying attention to the set of social actors, product market rules, mix of technologies and skills and the character of the workforce in any given sector. Sectoral characteristics are shaped by the 'core' institutions constitutive of each national model but also retain distinguishing features. We then develop the argument that job quality is strengthened and sustained by key 'institutional anchors' and that these anchors vary in presence and strength by sector and country. A review of research on two specific sectors - care of the elderly and the automotive industry - shows that an inclusive model of industrial relations is a crucial anchor for job quality, but that its effects are contingent upon the specific production, employment and welfare characteristics of each sector." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Guest, David E., Kerstin Isaksson & Hans De Witte (Hrsg.) (2010): Employment contracts, psychological contracts, and employee well-being. An international study. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 327 S.

Abstract

"Temporary employment has become a focus of policy debate, theory, and research. The book addresses as its core concern the relationship between temporary employment contracts and employee well-being. It does so within the analytic framework of the psychological contract, and advances theory and knowledge about the psychological contract by exploring it from a variety of perspectives. It also sets the psychological contract within the context of a range of other potential influences on work-related well-being including workload, job insecurity, employability, and organizational support. A key aim of the book is to identify the relative importance of these various potential influences on well-being.
The book covers seven countries; Belgium, Germany, The Netherlands, Spain, Sweden and the UK, as well as Israel as a comparator outside Europe. Data were collected from over 5,000 workers in over 200 organizations; and from both permanent and temporary workers as well as from employers.
The book's conclusions are interesting and controversial. The central finding is that contrary to expectations, temporary workers report higher well-being than permanent workers. As expected, a range of factors help to explain variations in work-related well-being and the research highlights the important role of the psychological contract. However, even after taking into account alternative explanations, the significant influence of type of employment contract remains, with temporary workers reporting higher well-being. In addition to this core finding, by exploring several aspects of the psychological contract, and taking into account both employer and employee perspectives, the book sheds new light on the nature and role of the psychological contract. It also raises some challenging policy questions and while acknowledging the potentially precarious nature of temporary jobs, highlights the need to consider the increasingly demanding nature of permanent jobs and their effects on the well-being of employees." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Olsen, Karen M., Arne L. Kalleberg & Torstein Nesheim (2010): Perceived job quality in the United States, Great Britain, Norway and West Germany, 1989-2005. In: European journal of industrial relations, Jg. 16, H. 3, S. 221-240. DOI:10.1177/0959680110375133

Abstract

"This article examines cross-national differences and trends in perceived job quality, defined in terms of five dimensions - extrinsic rewards, intrinsic rewards, work intensity, working conditions and interpersonal relationships - as well as overall job satisfaction. We analyse country differences in 1989, 1997 and 2005, using data for four countries from the International Social Survey Programme. Job security, the ability to work independently and the quality of working conditions and interpersonal relationships tend to be greater in Norway and West Germany than in the USA and Great Britain; American workers tend to be most satisfied with advancement opportunities, intrinsic rewards and overall job quality. We find convergence in job in security and work intensity over time, which may reflect increased market pressures that encourage a 'lean and mean' management strategy." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Watson, Dorothy, Florian Pichler & Claire Wallace (2010): Second European quality of life survey. Subjective well-being in Europe. Dublin, 98 S.

Abstract

"What are the factors that give rise to a feeling of satisfaction with one's life and do these vary from country to country across Europe? This report explores the role of different aspects of an individual's life - such as income, age, employment, marital status and health - in shaping the quality of their lives. Drawing on findings from the second European Quality of Life Survey, carried out by Eurofound in 2007, it gives a wide-ranging picture of the diverse social realities in Europe today." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Abstract

"What is quality of employment? What indicators should be used to assess it? These questions are not easy to answer objectively. Our interpretation depends largely on our experience and participation in the labour market.
This publication presents a concept paper and 9 country pilot reports (Canada, Finland, France, Germany, Israel, Italy, Mexico, Moldova and Ukraine). They are primarily designed to measure quality of employment from the perspective of employed individuals, but also include some societal aspects.
Although the conceptual structure for measurement itself is still work in progress, the publication is the first to address the measurement of quality of employment on the technical and empirical levels." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Anderson, Robert, Branislav Mikulic, Greet Vermeylen, Maija Lyly-Yrjanainen & Valentina Zigante (2009): Second European quality of life survey. Overview. Dublin, 108 S.

Abstract

"This report is based on the second EQLS carried out in 2007-8 and offers a wideranging view of the diverse social realities in the 27 Member States, as well as covering Norway and the candidate countries of Turkey, Macedonia and Croatia. The report presents the views and experiences of people living in Europe across a set of key domains: employment and income, family and community life, health and housing. It looks at factors influencing wellbeing and happiness and reflects people's views on the quality of the society in which they live." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Badura, Bernhard, Helmut Schröder & Christian Vetter (Hrsg.) (2009): Fehlzeiten-Report 2008. Betriebliches Gesundheitsmanagement: Kosten und Nutzen. Zahlen, Daten, Analysen aus allen Branchen der Wirtschaft. (Fehlzeiten-Report 10), Heidelberg: Springer Medizin-Verl., 492 S.

Abstract

"Der Fehlzeiten-Report, der vom Wissenschaftlichen Institut der AOK (WIdO) und der Universität Bielefeld herausgegeben wird, informiert jährlich umfassend über die Krankenstandsentwicklung in der deutschen Wirtschaft. Er beleuchtet detailliert das Arbeitsunfähigkeitsgeschehen in den einzelnen Branchen und stellt aktuelle Befunde und Bewertungen zu den Gründen und Mustern von Fehlzeiten in Betrieben vor. In seinem Schwerpunkt beschäftigt sich der Fehlzeiten-Report 2008 mit dem Thema 'Betriebliches Gesundheitsmanagement: Kosten und Nutzen'. Neben einem Überblick über den aktuellen Forschungsstand zur Evidenzbasis von Maßnahmen der betrieblichen Gesundheitsförderung und Prävention wird aufgezeigt, wie der wirtschaftliche und Gesundheitliche Nutzen von betrieblichen Gesundheitsmaßnahmen aus der Sicht von Unternehmen und Arbeitnehmern bewertet wird. Darüber hinaus geht der Report der Frage nach, wie sich Wirksamkeit und Nutzen der betrieblichen Gesundheitsförderung bestimmen lassen und welche in Betrieben vorhandenen Daten und Kennzahlen dafür herangezogen werden können. Dabei geht es insbesondere auch darum, wie sich instabile Vermögenswerte von Unternehmen - als Treiber von Wohlbefinden und Gesundheit - sichtbar und messbar machen lassen. Vorgestellt werden sowohl Ergebnisse aus aktuellen Forschungsprojekten als auch Erfahrungen aus der Unternehmenspraxis. Umfassende Daten und der aktuelle Schwerpunkt machen den Fehlzeiten-Report zu einem wertvollen Ratgeber für alle, die Verantwortung für den Arbeits- und Gesundheitsschutz in Betrieben tragen." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)