scholarly journals New Model for Measuring Job Quality: Developing an European Intrinsic Job Quality Index (EIJQI)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
María Cascales Mira
Keyword(s):  
Quality Index ◽  
Relevant Information ◽  
Job Quality ◽  
Quantitative Methodology ◽  
New Model ◽  
Measurement Models ◽  
European Working ◽  
European Working Conditions Survey ◽  
Indicator Systems

AbstractThis article deals with the development of a new model for measuring job quality based on the intrinsic components of work, an European Intrinsic Job Quality Index. The objective is measure job quality on the basis of the characteristics inherent to the labour activity itself, and not from its financial rewards. First, we review the existing literature on current measurement models and justify the need for an index of this nature. Secondly, we explain the fundamental methodological decisions adopted for the construction of the index, and present the descriptive model, the indicators that make up each dimension, and the empirical model. Finally, we present the index scores by European Union countries within the framework of institutional theories. In this work, we have used a quantitative methodology, based on social indicator systems, and it has been carried out mainly with data from the European Working Conditions Survey (2015). The fundamental contribution of this article is the construction of a new model for measuring the quality of work, robust, valid and reliable, which will allow us to monitor the intrinsic job quality of the member countries, and thus provide relevant information that contributes to the framework of public policies.

Multiple jobholding in Europe: features and effects of primary job quality

2020 ◽  
pp. 102425892095883
Author(s):  
Agnieszka Piasna ◽  
Marcello Pedaci ◽  
Jan Czarzasty
Keyword(s):  
Job Insecurity ◽  
Working Hours ◽  
Job Quality ◽  
Work Pressure ◽  
European Working ◽  
European Working Conditions Survey ◽  
Cross Country ◽  
Using Data ◽  
The Relationship

This article investigates the relationship between job quality features of the primary job and the propensity to engage in multiple paid activities. The analysis covers workers from 28 European countries using data from the EWCS (European Working Conditions Survey) 2010-2015. The results show that workers experiencing economic and job insecurity in their primary job are more likely to engage in additional paid employment. Multiple jobholders (MJHs) report higher work pressure and more unsocial hours in their main jobs, but also more control over and flexibility in working hours, more autonomy and a wider scope for exercising skills, the latter largely explained by compositional factors. Moreover, the evidence shows that experiences of work diverge among multiple jobholders, and they can be classified into six clusters based on the quality of their primary job. This points to a variety of motivations and factors that encourage multiple jobholding. Finally, we find a considerable cross-country variation in job quality among multiple jobholders, with worse outcomes in more segmented labour markets with a higher proportion of non-standard employment.

scholarly journals The Nordic difference: Job quality in Europe 1995–2010

2012 ◽  
Vol 2 (4) ◽  
pp. 135 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tomi Oinas ◽  
Timo Anttila ◽  
Armi Mustosmäki ◽  
Juoko Nätti
Keyword(s):  
Welfare State ◽  
Working Conditions ◽  
Nordic Countries ◽  
Job Quality ◽  
The Other ◽  
European Working ◽  
European Working Conditions Survey ◽  
Advantageous Position ◽  
Nordic Welfare State ◽  
The Eu

Previous empirical research has pointed out that Nordic countries are distinguished from the rest of Europe in terms of job quality. On the other hand, it has been debated whether, in the longer run, the Nordic welfare state is able to insulate workers from globalization effects. This article investigates whether Nordic countries have retained their advantageous position concerning job quality compared with other EU countries. Empirical analyses are based on the European Working Conditions Survey collected in 1995, 2000, 2005, and 2010. We use data on employees in the 15 member states of the EU prior to enlargement in 2004 (n = 61,457). The results partly confirm previous findings of high job quality in the Nordic countries. However, there are clear differences between Nordic countries. To be precise, Denmark stands out from the rest of Europe and other Nordic countries with its higher level of job quality.

scholarly journals The Quality of Work Index and the Quality of Employment Index: A Multidimensional Approach of Job Quality and Its Links to Well-Being at Work

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (21) ◽  
pp. 7771
Author(s):  
Georges Steffgen ◽  
Philipp E. Sischka ◽  
Martha Fernandez de Henestrosa
Keyword(s):  
Psychological Health ◽  
Work Performance ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Job Quality ◽  
Computer Assisted ◽  
Work Intensity ◽  
Quality Of Work ◽  
Work Index ◽  
European Working

(1) Background: Job quality is a multidimensional and elusive concept that is back in vogue among social scientists and policymaker. The current study proposes a new job quality approach that is compared with the European Working Conditions Survey framework and structured with the help of the Job Demands-Resources model. Two new measures of job quality, the Quality of Work Index (QoW) and the Quality of Employment Index (QoE) are developed and validated in three different languages (German, French, Luxembourgish). The QoW is composed of 43 items, focusing on four areas of work—work intensity, job design, social conditions, and physical conditions (subdivided in eleven components)—which are particularly important for employees’ well-being. The QoE is composed of 13 items that cover training opportunities, career advancement, job security, employability, work life conflict, and income satisfaction. (2) Methods: Data were collected via computer-assisted telephone interviews in a representative sample of 1522 employees working in Luxembourg (aged 17–67 years; 57.2% male). (3) Results: Confirmatory factor analysis confirmed the proposed factors structure and scalar measurement invariance for the three different language versions. Internal consistencies were satisfactory for all subscales (Cronbach’s α between 0.70 and 0.87). Correlations and hierarchical regression analyses with different psychological health measures (i.e., burnout, general well-being, psychosomatic complaints, work satisfaction, vigor) and subjective work performance confirmed the construct validity of the new instruments. (4) Conclusions: The QoW and the QoE are globally and on the level of the sub-categories effective tools to measure job quality, which could be used to compare job quality between organizations and different countries. Furthermore, the current study confirms associations between the different components of the QoW and QoE and employees’ health.

scholarly journals Is Finland Different? Quality of Work Among Finnish and European Employees

2010 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
pp. 29-41
Author(s):  
Armi Hartikainen ◽  
Timo Anttila ◽  
Tomi Oinas ◽  
Jouko Nätti
Keyword(s):  
Job Satisfaction ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Nordic Countries ◽  
Job Quality ◽  
Quality Of Work Life ◽  
Multivariate Techniques ◽  
Great Effort ◽  
Quality Of Work ◽  
European Working

The issue of the quality of work-life has risen in popularity due to concerns about the economic and social sustainability of European societies. Throughout the continent, global competition, technological change and the intensification of work are common developments which are seen to affect the well-being of the workforce. Nevertheless, European countries differ substantially in terms of job quality. According to earlier research, employees in Sweden and Denmark (and to lesser extent in Finland) report a higher quality of work tasks than elsewhere in Europe. The aim of this paper was to investigate, in a cross-national context using multivariate techniques, whether job quality in Finland really is divergent from that of other Nordic countries and rest of the Europe. Empirical analyses were based on the fourth wave of the European Working Conditions Survey (EWCS) collected in 2005. In this study we used data from the 25 Member States of the European Union and Norway (n=21,196 interviews). Our results support earlier findings that Finland lags behind other Nordic countries in terms of work discretion and the perceptions of being well paid. Instead, Finnish employees were less worried about health issues. When comparing Finland to Scandinavia, we did not find major differences in the amount of highly skilled jobs, insecurity nor the quantity of jobs requiring great effort. We also examined the associations of the dimensions of job quality to job satisfaction. The results indicated that the subjective aspects of job quality were more important determinants of job satisfaction, and that there were only modest differences in the determinants of job satisfaction between country clusters.

Job quality dynamic in Benin

2019 ◽  
Vol 41 (3) ◽  
pp. 475-488
Author(s):  
Kenneth Kponou ◽  
Benjamin Fomba Kamga
Keyword(s):  
Social Security ◽  
Quality Index ◽  
Job Quality ◽  
Work Hours ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Level Of Education ◽  
Four Dimensions ◽  
Employment Conditions ◽  
Career Opportunities

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to analyze the job quality in Benin between 2007 and 2011. To do this, the study constructed a multidimensional measure of job quality and identified the determinants of the quality of the job. The measure adopted by the authors includes four dimensions: wages; extra-wage benefits and regularity of employment; conditions and career opportunities; and, finally, social security. Two methods, including the construction of measure of job quality and the estimation of determinants of the job quality index, were used to test the robustness of the effects. The results show that the quality of job improved slightly between 2007 and 2011 and that factors such as experience, the type of contract, the level of education, the formal character of the company and the work hours explain the job quality of workers in Benin. Design/methodology/approach The measure adopted by the authors includes four dimensions: wages; extra-wage benefits and regularity of employment; conditions and career opportunities; and, finally, social security. Two methods, including the construction of measure of job quality and the estimation of determinants of the job quality index, were used to test the robustness of the effects. Findings The results show that the quality of job improved slightly between 2007 and 2011 and that factors such as experience, the type of contract, the level of education, the formal character of the company and the work hours explain the job quality of workers in Benin. Originality/value The contribution of this study lies in its analytical approach and in the fact that it reinforces the knowledge that exists on this theme, which is still little studied in African countries.

scholarly journals Emotional Management in the Workplace of the Spanish Population. Quantitative Analysis through the Construction of an Emotional Quality Index at Work and its Link to Social Structure

2021 ◽  
pp. 43-54
Author(s):  
María Cascales Mira
Keyword(s):  
Social Class ◽  
Social Structure ◽  
Interpersonal Relationships ◽  
Quality Index ◽  
Service Sector ◽  
Quantitative Methodology ◽  
Emotional Quality ◽  
Emotional Management ◽  
European Working ◽  
And Gender

The organisation of work, located in the post-Fordist paradigm, stresses the emotional aspects of employee-client interaction processes. This emphasis arises from the shift in the productive structure towards growth in service activities in which interpersonal relationships are key factors. In this "new culture", the organisation is conceived as a ‘sentient’ environment and emotional workcaptures the interest of researchers and social scientists who analyse the role played by emotionsin occupations and organisational culture (Zapf, 2002, Grandey 2000, 2015, Seymour and Sandiford2005, Bolton 2000, Wharton, 2009, Totterdell, and Holman, 2003). Most related research has focused on qualitative case studies of workers in the service sector (Steinberg and Figart, 1999) — an approach that limits the inferences one can make and hinders one in linking findings to the socialstructure. The aim of our research is to expand this field of analysis and explore the link between emotional management and social structure. That is why we used a quantitative methodology, for which purpose we built an Emotional Quality Index in the Workplace (EQIW), allowing us to measure the emotional quality of workers in Spain and analyse their relationship with the threekey structural variables: social class; occupation; gender. Here, we used data from the European Working Conditions Survey (2015). The results show that there are significant differences in the emotional management of work by occupation, social class and gender, verifying that there isindeed a link between the EQIW and the social structure.

scholarly journals Accountancy as a Meaningful Work. Main Determinants from a Job Quality and Optimization Algorithm Approach

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (16) ◽  
pp. 9308
Author(s):  
José-Joaquín del-Pozo-Antúnez ◽  
Horacio Molina-Sánchez ◽  
Francisco Fernández-Navarro ◽  
Antonio Ariza-Montes
Keyword(s):  
Professional Competence ◽  
Meaningful Work ◽  
Job Quality ◽  
Work Intensity ◽  
Accounting Profession ◽  
Personal Time ◽  
The Social ◽  
European Working ◽  
European Working Conditions Survey ◽  
Main Determinants

The primary purpose of the accounting profession is to provide quality information to the market that facilitates the allocation of resources. The context in which it operates must attend to some stressors that can affect the professional’s meaning of the work. Meaningful work (MW) is based on the concept of valuable work and work well done, so it is directly related to the concept of quality at work, which is a constant concern in the accounting profession. The method used to determine meaningful work identifies the set of job quality indexes, as defined by the European Working Conditions Survey (EWCS), related to the MW. This paper has used an integer programming genetic algorithm (GA) to determine the JQIs and the statistically significant combinations. The findings showed that JQIs, skills development and discretion (SD), and physical environment (PE) positively and intensely relate to MW. Likewise, reduction of the work intensity (WI) and improvement of the social environment (SE) are related in the same direction as the MW. On the other hand, the results showed different indicator weightings depending on the age of the accountants. This paper shows the importance that accountants attribute to professional competence and how, throughout their careers, the JQI that most relate to MW is changing, from a social vision to preferences where the care of personal time also prevails.

scholarly journals Gender, Educational Attainment, and Job Quality in Germany, Sweden, and the UK: Evidence from the 2015 European Working Conditions Survey

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (23) ◽  
pp. 13139
Author(s):  
Yi-Jung Wu ◽  
Xiaojie Xu ◽  
Jingying He
Keyword(s):  
Job Satisfaction ◽  
Gender Differences ◽  
Postsecondary Education ◽  
Working Conditions ◽  
Gender Gap ◽  
Job Quality ◽  
European Working ◽  
European Working Conditions Survey ◽  
Work Autonomy ◽  
The Uk

This research aims to explore the relationships between gender, educational attainment, and job quality, including work autonomy, work intensity, and job satisfaction across Germany, Sweden, and the UK. The European Working Conditions Survey 2015 was used to achieve this research objective. Descriptive statistics and multivariate regression analysis were used to determine how educational level plays an important role in creating gender differences in job quality across three countries. The findings show that receiving postsecondary education can improve work autonomy for both German and Swedish women. However, postsecondary education has different impacts on gender gaps in job quality in these countries. While postsecondary education lowers the gender gap in work autonomy and intensity in Sweden, postsecondary education increases the gender gap in work autonomy and intensity in Germany. Postsecondary education does not significantly decrease gender differences in job satisfaction in Germany or Sweden or any of our job quality measures in the UK. These findings challenge the commonly held belief that higher education has a positive effect on job quality. In fact, gender norms and national institutional factors may also play important roles in this relationship.

Quality of supervisor behaviour, workplace social capital and psychological well-being

2020 ◽  
Vol 70 (4) ◽  
pp. 243-250
Author(s):  
Masashi Kizuki ◽  
Takeo Fujiwara
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Capital ◽  
Quality Index ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Psychological Well Being ◽  
Lower Odds ◽  
European Working ◽  
Workplace Social Capital

Abstract Background Employees with a higher level of workplace social capital (i.e. relationships, trust and reciprocity at work) have a lower risk of mental health problems. Supervisor behaviour may be a predictor of workplace social capital. Aims To examine the associations between supervisor behaviour, workplace social capital and psychological well-being. Methods We conducted a secondary analysis of the sixth European Working Conditions Survey. The study sample included 28 900 employees in 35 European countries with an immediate line manager. Depression was assessed with the WHO-5 Well-Being Index. Supervisor behaviour quality and workplace social capital were each measured with a 6-item question. Association between quality of supervisor behaviour and workplace social capital was analysed using a hierarchical linear modelling. A mediation analysis was conducted by using hierarchical logistic models of depression with and without workplace social capital index. Results A higher supervisor behaviour quality index was associated with an increased workplace social capital index (β, 0.55; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.51–0.59). A higher workplace social capital index was associated with lower odds of depression (odds ratio [OR], 0.89; 95% CI, 0.87–0.90). A higher supervisor behaviour quality index was associated with lower odds of depression (OR, 0.90; 95% CI, 0.89–0.92); 58% of the effect was mediated by workplace social capital. Conclusions Our findings support the hypothesis that better supervisor behaviour quality increases workplace social capital and contributes to psychological well-being of employees. This may be useful for planning organizational interventions to enhance mental health of workers.

scholarly journals 1758 6th european working conditions survey: job quality in europe

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Agnès Parent-Thirion ◽  
Isabella Biletta ◽  
Jorge Cabrita ◽  
Oscar Vargas ◽  
Greet Vermeylen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Working Conditions ◽  
Job Quality ◽  
European Working ◽  
European Working Conditions Survey
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