A web survey analysis of subjective well-being

Abstract

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the role of work conditions and job characteristics with respect to three subjective well-being (SWB) indicators: life satisfaction, job satisfaction and satisfaction with work-life balance. From a methodological point of view, the paper shows how social sciences can benefit from the use of voluntary web survey data. Design/methodology/approach – The paper makes use of a large sample of individual data obtained from voluntary web surveys collected as part of the WageIndicator project. The sample includes extensive information on the quality of working conditions together with different well-being indicators. The propensity score adjustment weights are used to improve the sample performance. Findings – The results shed light on the importance of certain job characteristics not only in determining job satisfaction, but also in other SWB domains. The findings support the theory of spillover perspectives, according to which satisfaction in one domain affects other domains. Research limitations/implications – As a voluntary web-survey, WageIndicator is affected by selection bias. The validity of the sample can be improved by weighting, but this adjustment should be made and tested on a country-by-country basis. Originality/value – The paper provides analysis of the quality of a web survey not commonly used in happiness research. The subsequent presentation of the effects of working conditions on several satisfaction domains represents a contribution to the literature.

Skill mismatch among migrant workers: evidence from a large multi-country dataset

“…Often it has supplied information in circumstances where official sources (a) face technical difficulties, e.g., wage studies in African countries; (b) do not provide adequate sector breakdowns, e.g., De Vries and Tijdens (2010;Tijdens et al (2013a), and Steinmetz et al (2014), who approach several labour related issues in the health sector; or (c) do not provide specific information, e.g., Guzi and de Pedraza (2015) research workers well-being. One of its main advantages consists in providing a solid base for international comparisons.…”

Using online vacancies and web surveys to analyse the labour market: a methodological inquiry

“…Guzi and de Pedraza (2015) use weighted WageIndicator data to study life-and job satisfaction, and based on an Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) analysis, they confirm the importance of certain job characteristics going beyond pay such as job insecurity for job satisfaction and other subjective well-being indicators. De Bustillo and de Pedraza (2010) conduct a logistic regression analysis to study job insecurity and find that age, wages, education as well as the type of contract determine job insecurity.…”

A Influência da Satisfação Laboral no Bem-estar Subjetivo: Uma Perspectiva Geracional

“…Alguns apontaram para a maior satisfação laboral entre os Millenials em comparação às gerações mais velhas (Kowske, Rasch, & Wiley, 2010;Twenge, 2010), mas outros evidenciaram maior satisfação laboral entre os boomers (Benson, & Brown, 2011;Costanza, Badger, Fraser, Severt & Gade, 2012). Ainda no que tange à comparação entre gerações, estudos apontam para maiores níveis de BES entre os boomers, quando comparados com as gerações mais novas (Blanchflower & Oswald, 2008;García, 2015). O modo como a ST e o BES se relacionam depende, contudo, de alguns fatores, como, por exemplo da importância atribuída ao trabalho (Henne & Locke, 1985), de modo que os efeitos tendem a ser mais intensos entre aqueles que atribuem ao trabalho um papel mais forte de centralidade, como ocorre com a geração dos baby boomers.…”