scholarly journals Compared to whom? Reference groups in socio-economic comparisons and self-reported health

2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (Supplement_4) ◽  
Author(s):  
A Gugushvili ◽  
E Jarosz ◽  
M McKee
Keyword(s):  
Economic Transition ◽  
Reference Group ◽  
Good Health ◽  
Specific Reference ◽  
Eastern European ◽  
Reference Groups ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Reported Health ◽  
Communist Countries ◽  
Regression Adjustment

Abstract Background The association between socio-economic position and health is believed to be mediated, in part, by psycho-social comparison of one’s situation to that of others. But with who? Possibilities include family, friends, elites, or even those in other countries or in previous times. So far, there has been almost no research on whether the reference point matters. Methods We take advantage of a comparative data set that, uniquely, allows us to ask this question. The Life in Transition Survey was conducted in four Southern European and 30 Central and Eastern European and Eurasian countries. We sought differences in the probability of good self-reported health among those using different reference groups, including own family, friends and neighbours, domestic elites, people living in other countries and, those living prior to the major politico-economic transition. We used multivariable and multilevel mixed-effects Poisson regressions and estimated treatment effects via the regression adjustment of Poisson models. Results In most cases the choice of reference group did not matter but in some it did. Among men in Eastern European and Eurasian societies, those who compared themselves to their parents and their own families before the start of transition were less likely to report good health compared to those who did not compare their own economic situation with any specific reference group. Conclusions For some individuals, the choice of who to compare one’s situation with does seem to matter, pointing to an area for future investigation in research on psycho-social determinants of health. Key messages We found no difference in self-reported health between those who compare their situation with friends and neighbours, domestic elites, and people living in other countries. In post-communist countries, those who compared their situation to that of their parents and their own situation before the politico-economic transition were less likely to report good health.

scholarly journals Compared with whom? Reference groups in socio-economic comparisons and self-reported health in 34 countries

2019 ◽  
Vol 48 (5) ◽  
pp. 1710-1720 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexi Gugushvili ◽  
Ewa Jarosz ◽  
Martin McKee
Keyword(s):  
Economic Transition ◽  
Reference Group ◽  
Good Health ◽  
Specific Reference ◽  
Eastern European ◽  
Reference Groups ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Poisson Models ◽  
Reported Health ◽  
Regression Adjustment

Abstract Background The association between socio-economic position and health is believed to be mediated, in part, by psycho-social comparison of one’s situation with that of others. But with whom? Possibilities include family, friends, elites, or even those in other countries or in previous times. So far, there has been almost no research on whether the reference point matters. Methods We take advantage of a comparative data set that, uniquely, allows us to ask this question. The Life in Transition Survey was conducted in four Southern European and 30 Central and Eastern European and Eurasian countries. We sought differences in the probability of good self-reported health among those using different reference groups, including own family, friends and neighbours, domestic elites, people living in other countries and those living prior to a major politico-economic transition. We used multivariable and multilevel mixed-effects Poisson regressions and estimated treatment effects via the regression adjustment of Poisson models. Results In most cases the choice of reference group did not matter but in some it did. Among men in Eastern European and Eurasian societies, those who compared themselves with their parents and their own families before the start of transition were less likely to report good health compared with those who did not compare their own economic situation with any specific reference group. Conclusions For some individuals, the choice of who to compare one’s situation with does seem to matter, pointing to an area for future investigation in research on psycho-social determinants of health.

Social Comparison and Informal Group Influence

1976 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 237-244 ◽  
Author(s):  
George P. Moschis
Keyword(s):  
Social Comparison ◽  
Reference Group ◽  
Specific Reference ◽  
Reference Groups ◽  
Group Influence ◽  
Informal Group ◽  
Study Support ◽  
Insight Into

Little is known about the basis on which an individual selects and is influenced by specific reference groups. An attempt is made to explain consumer susceptibility to informal group influence by Festinger's theory of social comparison. The results of the study support hypotheses derived from the theory and offer insight into the determination of reference group influence. Marketing implications of this theory are discussed.

scholarly journals The Impact of Investments in New Digital Technologies on Wages – Worker-Level Evidence from Germany

2019 ◽  
Vol 239 (3) ◽  
pp. 483-521 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sabrina Genz ◽  
Markus Janser ◽  
Florian Lehmer
Keyword(s):  
Fixed Effects ◽  
Reference Group ◽  
Labor Demand ◽  
Digital Technologies ◽  
Wage Growth ◽  
Specific Reference ◽  
Skilled Workers ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Knowledge Intensive ◽  
The Impact

Abstract The strong rise of digitalization, automation, machine learning and other related new digital technologies has led to an intense debate about their societal impacts. The transitions of occupations and the effects on labor demand and workers’ wages are still open questions. Research projects dealing with this issue often face a lack of data on the usage of new digital technologies. This paper uses a novel linked employer–employee data set that contains detailed information on establishments’ technological upgrading between 2011 and 2016, a recent period of rapid technological progress. Furthermore, we are the first to develop a digital tools index based on the German expert database BERUFENET. The new index contains detailed information on the work equipment that is used by workers. Hence, we observe the degree of digitalization on both the establishment level and the worker level. The data allow us to investigate the impact of technology investments on the wage growth of employees within establishments. Overall, the results from individual level fixed effects estimates suggest that investments in new digital technologies at the establishment level positively affect the wages of the establishments’ workers. Sector-specific results show that investments in new digital technologies increase wages in knowledge intensive production establishments and non-knowledge intensive services. The wage growth effects of employees in digital pioneer establishments relative to the specific reference group of workers in digital latecomer establishments are most pronounced for low- and medium-skilled workers.

Self-Estimates of Intelligence: Interaction Effects of the Comparison to a Specific Reference Group and Neuroticism

2012 ◽  
Vol 110 (2) ◽  
pp. 403-415 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. Bipp ◽  
A. Kleingeld
Keyword(s):  
General Population ◽  
University Students ◽  
Interaction Effect ◽  
Reference Group ◽  
Specific Reference ◽  
Reference Groups ◽  
Sample Analysis ◽  
General Reference ◽  
Student Sample ◽  
Practical Implications

An experiment that investigated the interaction effect of Neuroticism and the comparison to different reference groups on self-estimates of intelligence is reported. University students (100 men, 15 women) were randomly assigned to two experimental groups and asked to rate their own intelligence on a one-item measure, in IQ points, having been provided with reference values for either the general population or a student sample. Analysis of data confirmed that the accuracy of self-estimates of intelligence was influenced by the variation of the instruction. Participants provided more accurate estimations when confronted with comparison information about fellow students than about the general population. Persons scoring high on Neuroticism estimated their intelligence lower, but only when their estimation was based on a general reference group. Theoretical and practical implications were discussed.

The Culturally Situated Process of Personality Judgment

2017 ◽  
pp. 489-501
Author(s):  
Yu Yang
Keyword(s):  
Reference Group ◽  
Specific Reference ◽  
Reference Groups ◽  
Cultural Groups ◽  
Personality Psychology ◽  
Lay Theory ◽  
Personality Judgment ◽  
Tremendous Progress ◽  
Personality Process ◽  
Trait Judgment

Personality psychology has made tremendous progress in demonstrating important outcomes of personality traits. Yet the process by which people make personality judgment needs to be better understood. In this chapter, it is argued that to provide personality judgment, people must rely on a reference group of the target, a lay theory of the trait, or both. Importantly, the specific reference group and lay theory that people naturally choose are situated in their immediate cultural milieu, affecting trait judgment in systematic ways. Moreover, the relative impact of reference groups and lay theories on personality judgment can change under different circumstances. Postulates concerning the nature of these circumstances, consideration of how traits are inferred, and possible routes to better compare cultural groups on traits can also stimulate new understanding of the personality process.

scholarly journals Market Choices Driven by Reference Groups: A Comparison of Analytical and Simulation Results on Random Networks

Entropy ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 23 (8) ◽  
pp. 1007
Author(s):  
Michał Ramsza
Keyword(s):  
Theoretical Model ◽  
Reference Group ◽  
Third Party ◽  
Qualitative Behavior ◽  
Reference Groups ◽  
Group Influence ◽  
Simple Theoretical Model ◽  
High Connectivity ◽  
Simulation Results ◽  
Two Equilibria

The present paper reports simulation results for a simple model of reference group influence on market choices, e.g., brand selection. The model was simulated on three types of random graphs, Erdos–Renyi, Barabasi–Albert, and Watts–Strogatz. The estimates of equilibria based on the simulation results were compared to the equilibria of the theoretical model. It was verified that the simulations exhibited the same qualitative behavior as the theoretical model, and for graphs with high connectivity and low clustering, the quantitative predictions offered a viable approximation. These results allowed extending the results from the simple theoretical model to networks. Thus, by increasing the positive response towards the reference group, the third party may create a bistable situation with two equilibria at which respective brands dominate the market. This task is easier for large reference groups.

scholarly journals A three-fold framework for understanding HRM practices in South-Eastern European SMEs

2016 ◽  
Vol 38 (3) ◽  
pp. 310-331 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexandros Psychogios ◽  
Leslie Thomas Szamosi ◽  
Rea Prouska ◽  
Christopher Brewster
Keyword(s):  
Eastern European ◽  
Exploratory Research ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
South Eastern ◽  
Hrm Practices ◽  
Business Environments ◽  
Yugoslav Republic ◽  
Communist Countries ◽  
See Region

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to study particular structural and organisational factors affecting the formality of human resource management (HRM) practices in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in South-Eastern European (SEE) post-communist countries, in particular Serbia, Romania, Bulgaria and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia in order to understand the antecedents of formalization in such settings. Design/methodology/approach – Adopting a quantitative approach, this study analyses data gathered through a survey of 168 managers of SMEs from throughout the region. Findings – The results show that HRM in SMEs in the SEE region can be understood through a threefold framework which includes: degree of internationalisation of SMEs, sector of SMEs and organisational size of SMEs. These three factors positively affect the level of HRM formalisation in SEE SMEs. These findings are further attributed to the particular political and economic context of the post-communist SEE region. Research limitations/implications – Although specific criteria were set for SME selection, the authors do not suggest that the study reflects a representative picture of the SEE region because the authors used a purposive sampling methodology. Practical implications – This paper provides useful insights into the factors which influence HRM in SMEs in a particular context. The findings can help business owners and managers understand how HRM can be applied in smaller organisations, particularly in post-communist SEE business contexts. Originality/value – HRM in SMEs in this region has hardly been studied at all despite their importance. Therefore, this exploratory research seeks to expand knowledge relating to the application of HRM in SMEs in SEE countries which have their business environments dominated by different dynamics in comparison to Western European ones.

Real Estate Marketing and Factors Impacting Real Estate Purchasing

2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 15-35
Author(s):  
Mustafa Likos ◽  
Mahir Nakip ◽  
Aytaç Gökmen
Keyword(s):  
Statistical Analysis ◽  
Real Estate ◽  
Structural Factor ◽  
Reference Group ◽  
Social Factor ◽  
Purchasing Behavior ◽  
Analysis Method ◽  
Reference Groups ◽  
The Real Estate ◽  
Real Estate Marketing

The purpose of the study is to introduce factors impact on purchasing behavior in real estate marketing. The seven factors analyzed—location, structural factor, neighborhood, social factor, reference group, financial, advertising—have a direct effect on real estate purchasing behavior. A questionnaire prepared for this purpose was applied to 235 randomly selected people and the collected data were analyzed by variance analysis method. According to the results of the statistical analysis, factors such as location, structural factor, social factor, neighborhood, financial, advertising factor influence the purchasing behavior of the real estate, and it is observed that the reference groups do not affect the purchasing behavior.

scholarly journals Backwardness of Central and Eastern Europe as a Heritage of the Soviet Period

2020 ◽  
Vol 43 (338) ◽  
pp. 61-66
Author(s):  
Sandris Ancans
Keyword(s):  
Eastern Europe ◽  
Central And Eastern Europe ◽  
Communist Regime ◽  
European Region ◽  
Eastern European ◽  
Planned Economy ◽  
Command Economy ◽  
Centrally Planned Economy ◽  
Communist Countries ◽  
The Eu

AbstractThe economy of Latvia lags behind economically developed nations approximately fourfold in terms of labour productivity in the tradable sector, which is the key constituent of a modern economy, thereby affecting future sustainable development in the entire country, including the rural areas. The economic backwardness is characteristic of the entire Central and Eastern Europe. This is the heritage of a communist regime that lasted for about half a century and the economic system termed a (centrally) planned economy or a command economy. However, such a term for the communist-period economy is not correct, as it does not represent the purpose it was created for. Accordingly, the paper aims to assess the effect of the communism period on the economic backwardness of the Central and Eastern European region of the EU. A planned economy that existed in all communist countries, with the exception of Yugoslavia, was not introduced to contribute to prosperity. It was intended for confrontation or even warfare by the communist countries under the guidance of the USSR against other countries where no communism regime existed, mostly Western world nations with their market economies. For this reason, it is not correct to term it a (centrally) planned economy or a command economy; the right term is a mobilised (war) economy. An extrapolation of a geometric progression for GDP revealed that during the half a century, Latvia as part of the USSR was forced to spend on confrontation with the West not less than EUR 17 bln. (2011 prices) or approximately one gross domestic product of 2011. The research aim of the paper is to assess the effect of the communism period on the economic backwardness of the Central and Eastern European region of the EU.

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