Does job support make workers happy?
Böckerman, Petri ; Bryson, Alex ; Kauhanen, Antti ; Kangasniemi, Mari
Institute of Labor Economics, Bonn
IZA - Bonn
2017
43 p.
human resources management ; job design ; job satisfaction ; quality of working life ; well being
Discussion Paper
10486
Quality of working life
English
Bibliogr.
"Using linked employer-employee data for Finland we examine associations between job design and ten measures of worker wellbeing. In accordance with Karasek's (1979) model we find positive correlations between many aspects of worker wellbeing and job control. However, contrary to the model, job demands have no adverse effects on worker wellbeing. We find a strong positive correlation between job support and all aspects of worker wellbeing that is independent of job controls and job demands, a finding that has not been emphasized in the literature. The effects are most pronounced in relation to supervisor support. We also find evidence of unemployment scarring effects: substantial experience of unemployment has long-term consequences for the wellbeing workers experience in their current jobs, even controlling for the quality of those jobs."
Digital
The ETUI is co-funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the ETUI.