The determinants of the link between life satisfaction and job satisfaction across Europe

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore the effect of work values and socio-demographic characteristics upon the link between life satisfaction and job satisfaction.Design/methodology/approachThe European Values Study (EVS) 2008–2009 is used as the dataset. The sample is limited to those who have paid jobs (28,653 cases).FindingsSocio-demographic characteristics matter more than work values in explaining the effect of job satisfaction on life satisfaction. The association between life satisfaction and job satisfaction is stronger for higher educated individuals and those who are self-employed and weaker for women, married individuals, religious individuals and those who are younger. Extrinsic and intrinsic work values significantly influence life satisfaction independent of the level of job satisfaction.Practical implicationsIt is important to pay attention to the working conditions and well-being of the core of the labour force, in other words, of those who are ready to invest more in their jobs. Also, special attention should be given to self-employment.Originality/valueThe paper compares the roles of work values and of socio-demographic characteristics as predictors of the association between job satisfaction and life satisfaction. It shows that the role of job in person's life depends largely on demographic factors, religiosity and socio-economic factors.

Work values: a latent class analysis of Korean employees

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to identify latent classes of work values that influence the career choices of Korean workers through a person-centred approach. Because work values may be diverse in individuals, investigating the various combinations of those values will help understand individual's decisions to take, maintain and leave a job.Design/methodology/approachThe authors used a total of 15,103 datasets collected at the national level in South Korea. Data were analyzed by using latent class analysis (LCA); a three-step approach was employed to address classification.FindingsAs the results of this study, Class 3, “seeking balanced work values rather than income,” presented the highest level of job satisfaction, whereas Class 1, “seeking job security and income,” exhibited the lowest.Originality/valueEmploying an assessment tool to identify the distinct combinations of work values that individuals possess and then providing them with appropriate training and development programs and customized Human Resource (HR) policies aligned with the classes will be essential tasks for HRD (Human Resource Development)/HRM (Human Resource Management) practitioners.

Impact of Islamic work values on in-role performance: Perspective from Muslim employee in Indonesia

Religious values are contemporary issues associated with employees’ behavior in organizations, especially from the Islamic human resource (HR) management view. To address this issue, this study analyzed the influence of Islamic work values on engagement, job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and in-role performance of Muslim employees. Considering the potential spread of COVID-19, primary data was collected by distributing online questionnaire via emails and social media to 283 respondents in Makassar City, Indonesia, who fulfilled the predetermined sampling criterion. PLS-SEM was employed to check the measurement and structural models of the SmartPLS 3.0 program. It was revealed that Islamic work values have a significant influence on engagement and job satisfaction and in contrast, insignificant on organizational commitment and employee in-role performance. In addition, a significant interrelationship between the 4 endogenous variables was confirmed, namely engagement, job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and in-role performance. Furthermore, it was found that several constructs mediate the correlation between Islamic values and in-role performance. The findings are essential to provide theoretical enrichment for future studies pertaining to the measured Islamic values and HR behavior. Practically, managers are capable to devise and select the most appropriate HR strategies for Muslim employee in a particular organization.

Agile and generic work values of British vs Indian IT workers: a culture-clash case

PurposeAfter deciding to become agile, many information technology (IT) units struggle; they underestimate the needed managerial expertise to alter their current culture toward an agile one, particularly when cross-cultural (f)actors are involved. Given that work values are the key to an organizational culture, the study derived a set of agile work values of culturally diverse IT professionals together with a set of well-known generic work values. Consequently, the authors illustrate that managers in charge of the transition to an effective agile culture must pay serious attention to the specific value constellations of its often highly diverse workforce.Design/methodology/approachA literature review resulted in an initial list of agile work values. Then, mainly through a Delphi round, 12 agile-specific work values were established. These were survey rated, along with the validated set of 18 generic work values, by 102 British and Indian IT professionals in a digital service and consulting firm that was requested by its client to become agile. The observations made in 14 feedback group-interview-type dialogs enriched the surveyed data further.FindingsIn the current exploratory study, four generic value dimensions were complemented by two agile-specific ones: team communication and shared responsibility. Among the British and Indian (on-site and offshore) workers, only 2 of the 30 current work values were shared while 7 significant value differences were found, explaining the noted employee bitterness, productivity losses and client disengagement. This situation was reflected in the many discrepancies between the professionals' ideal agile way of working and how their unit was currently functioning.Originality/valueThe multi-method study shows an over-optimistic approach to becoming agile in a common cross-cultural context; insights are gained on how to optimize agile ways of organizing IT work when British IT workers collaborate with Indian IT workers. It may benefit many agile practitioners and managers working with(in) cross-culturally mixed and partly remote teams.

Work Value, Knowledge Sharing, and Creative Performance among Construction Employees in Jakarta

This research aimed to indicate the effect of work values of construction employees towards creative performance and to assess the role of mediation about sharing the knowledge among those variables. This research involved 315 respondents from various construction companies in Jakarta for assessing hypothesis research. Knowledge sharing had the role as mediator among comfort and status dimensions from work values towards creative performance. This research provided information about effect of work values towards creative performance from construction industry and confirmed the role of knowledge sharing in mediating work values dimension.

Působení rodinného zázemí, vzdělání a životních změn na pracovní hodnoty mužů a žen v České republice

This paper deals with work values as an important factor in individual career decisions. It relies on data from the PIAAC survey and the follow-up SKILLS II survey. Using a sample of Czech men and women 20–45 years old, we examine the factors that affect the formation of orientations to work as compared with family, and the values of high salary and career progress as compared with intrinsic enjoyment of work. Our results show the significant positive influence of family background for men and of higher education, especially for women, on an orientation to a job and to enjoyment of its contents. The orientation of men toward achieving high earnings is strengthened by the need to ensure income for their families, especially raising children, while for women, work centrality and perceived career importance increases after long periods of unemployment. The results show the contribution of high educational achievement to closing the gaps between the work-family orientations of men and women, but also a return to traditional gender roles during periods of childcare. In the conclusion we indicate directions for further research to focus on the different consequences of experiences with unemployment for men and women and on the role of cognitive skills in work values that are not always analogically related to formal education.

Challenges to Ethics and Values

This chapter addresses common ethical dilemmas and “sticky” practice situations related to the National Association of Social Workers Code of Ethics, which plays a crucial role in how school social workers perform their job duties. The Code of Ethics is grounded in six core social work values: dignity and worth of the person, social justice, service, importance of human relationships, integrity, and competence. Ethical challenges arise when values or principles clash and one value will need to take precedence over another. This chapter highlight five challenges that school social workers are likely to face: competence, confidentiality, boundaries, collegial relationships, and school reform efforts.

Exploring Extrinsic and Intrinsic Work Values of British Ethnic Minorities: The Roles of Demographic Background, Job Characteristics and Immigrant Generation

Despite the increasingly diverse ethnic composition of the British labor force, there is no research investigating whether ethnic minorities have different work values from the White British demographic (White British). Using nationally representative data (2012–2013), this article fills this gap by comparing extrinsic and intrinsic work values between White British and five ethnic minorities, while distinguishing between first and second generations. The results show that both first- and second- generation minorities have stronger extrinsic work values than White British, but the ethnic differences are more pronounced for the second generations. Compared to White British, while first-generation minorities have weaker intrinsic work values, the second generations have stronger intrinsic work values. Differences in extrinsic work values are partly explained by differences in age, education and income, while differences in intrinsic work values are largely explained by age, education and job autonomy. These results hold significant implications for understanding the career choices of ethnic minorities and labor market outcomes.