This article examines cross-national differences and trends in perceived job quality, defined in terms of five dimensions -extrinsic rewards, intrinsic rewards, work intensity, working conditions and interpersonal relationships -as well as overall job satisfaction. We analyse country differences in 1989, 1997 and 2005, using data for four countries from the International Social Survey Programme. Job security, the ability to work independently and the quality of working conditions and interpersonal relationships tend to be greater in Norway and West Germany than in the USA and Great Britain; American workers tend to be most satisfied with advancement opportunities, intrinsic rewards and overall job quality. We find convergence in job in security and work intensity over time, which may reflect increased market pressures that encourage a 'lean and mean' management strategy.
The Working Papers on the Reconciliation of Work and Welfare in Europe series seeks to promote the diffusion of research and research integration activities taking place within the network and being produced by other researchers working on issues of work and welfare in Europe. Working papers are published either within the framework of a series of closed calls, which follow the different stages in the life-cycle of the network's activities, or as part of an open call, which aims to privilege both research focussed on cross-national comparative analysis of the various tensions between work and welfare and research focussed on the role of the European level in addressing these tensions. All papers are peer-reviewed.
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