Does the use of Internet for professional purposes foster job satisfaction? We argue that Internet use affects well-being at work in an indirect manner: it mediates the effect of some important work characteristics on job satisfaction. Specifically, we focus on six main dimensions previously investigated in the literatureincome, education, occupation type, autonomy, time pressure and social interactionsand we develop new hypothesis on how Internet use interacts with these factors. To test these hypotheses, we use data on more than 60,000 workers from the European Working Conditions Survey (EWCS), and estimate a bivariate ordered probit econometric model. The results point out that Internet technologies enhance job satisfaction by improving access to data and information, creating new activities and opportunities, and facilitating communication and social interactions. However, the results also suggest that these positive effects are skewed. Workers in some specific occupations, and with higher income and education levels, tend to benefit relatively more from the Internet visa -vis workers in other sectors that are more weakly related to ICTs activities.

Temporary contracts are increasingly used in academia. This is a major concern for non-tenured researchers, since weak job security may hamper job satisfaction. This paper presents an empirical analysis of the role of academic tenure for job satisfaction of researchers in European countries. The work uses data from the MORE2 survey, a large-scale representative survey of researchers in all European countries. The results show that, ceteris paribus, academics with a permanent contract are on average more satisfied with their job than those that are employed on a temporary basis. We also show that academic tenure is a relatively more important factor of job satisfaction for researchers at an intermediate stage of the career. Finally, we point out some important differences in the working of the model among European countries.

Working life has come to permeate every domain of life. Characteristics once thought to affect only the job domain have become important determinants of how people assess their daily lives. This article explores the influence of job characteristics on satisfaction with several life domains in 28 EU countries, asking: 1) What is the relationship between job characteristics and satisfaction with work and other domains of life? 2) Is the job domain more important for life satisfaction than other domains of life? Additionally, we apply a domains-of-life perspective to investigate possible differences in these relationships between high-and low-skilled workers, using data on whitecollar workers from the third European Quality of Life Survey (3EQLS) and multiple Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regressions to estimate the models. Work-life balance and perceived job (in)security emerge as important determinants of satisfaction regarding all domains and both types of workers studied. Satisfaction in the work domain ranks fourth in contributing to overall life satisfaction, after the standard of living, family life and social life domains. This relatively low direct contribution to life satisfaction of the work domain is particularly visible among low-skilled workers. We conclude with a discussion of the implications for workers' wellbeing of the increasing insecurity in the job market and the fact that meaning is often sought through work despite the effects of poor work-life balance on most lifedomains.

This article analyses the determinants of job satisfaction among Knowledge Workers (KWs). Data from a representative sample of 14,096 employed workers from the European Social Survey (2010) are used for an empirical analysis drawing on multiple binary logistic regression models. Job satisfaction among KWs in 21 EU countries is found to be explained better by non-financial characteristics than by monetary rewards. Career advancement opportunities, flexible work schedules, colleague support, and work-family relations, as well as job security, emerge as central in explaining job satisfaction among KWs in our sample. Unlike the case for Other Workers (OWs), opportunities for further training and career experience are not determinants of job satisfaction among KWs. Management divisions in companies employing KWs would be well-advised to take these points into account.