Quality of employment conceptual framework and indicators intrinsic

Quality of employment: conceptual framework and indicators intrinsic nature of work Greet Vermeylen, Maija Lyly-Yrjanainen and Margarida Barroso European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions Geneva, 14/16 October 2009 30/09/2020 1

Intrinsic nature of work? l l Still a lesser clear dimension … Discussion still needed… 4 But idea is there that there is something ‘more in work’: information on characteristics of employment that are inherently satisfying to the employed person 4 which make people accept some more difficult/challenging elements related to job/working conditions/employment conditions Useful/meaningful work? Motivation? Satisfaction (not with working conditions but with the work…) l 4 30/09/2020 Included in EU quality of work framework 2

Starting point: some theoretical frameworks: job characteristics model of work Hackman and Oldman, 2005 30/09/2020 3

Expanded to include social environment and work context l 30/09/2020 Humphrey et all, 2007 l H 4

To intrinsic job motivation l l l 30/09/2020 Experienced meaningfulness : best mediator between motivational characteristics and work outcomes Skill variety, task identity and task significance (Hackman and Oldman) Also add autonomy and feedback (Humphrey) -> ‘the development of meaning may be viewed as a process of setting and important goals, autonomy + feedback important in this’ Job satisfaction Work engagement ? 5

Intrinsic work motivation l Houkes: determinants of intrinsic motivation, emotional exhaustion and turnover intension: 4 Work content variables are most important predictors 4 Task characteristics autonomy, task variety, job feedback, task identity, task significance might lead to higher intrinsic work motivation l l 4 Other work characteristics work load, social support, unmet career expectations were more related to outcomes such as emotional exhaustion and turnover intension l l 30/09/2020 cfr Herzberg (Hanna’s paper) 6

Re-evaluation l Concept ‘intrinsic nature of work’ : rename, refocus? l Intrinsic work motivation = having a meaningful work 4 l l Meaningful work= have valuable goals + have the means to do it (competence, autonomy, sufficient feedback) But also: material working conditions matter for the work to be intrinsically motivating 4 30/09/2020 an idea? Might be the outcome of all the other indicators 7

Indicators in the current framework l 7 b) Intrinsic nature of work 4 Share of employees who feel they do "useful" work 4 Share of employees who receive regular feedback from their supervisor 4 Share of employees who feel they are able to apply their own ideas in work 4 Share of employees who feel satisfied with their work l 30/09/2020 -> will be discussed in Federica’s presentation 8

A quick round of the indicators l l Share of employees who feel they do useful work 4 Aimed at capturing the meaningfulness of the job to the individual 4 Might be culturally biased ? You know what is expected of you at work (new) 4 l 30/09/2020 In new EWCS (but more to measure role clarity) Share of employees who receive regular feedback 4 Fits very well with proposed approach 4 Quality of feedback? 9

A quick round of the indicators ctd l Share of employees who feel that they are able to apply their own ideas at work 4 Ok, might also be linked to dimension on skills dev and learning but very useful indicator l Autonomy (new) 4 composite indicator: tasks, methods of work etc 4 We feel that this could be a useful addendum, present in numerous working conditions surveys 30/09/2020 10

A quick round of the indicators ctd l Job satisfaction 4 Indicator quite often debated 4 Does it measure satisfaction with job or more general effects of welfare regimes & national institutions (Gallie, Russell, ) cultural differences (some countries more positive than others, eg Huang et al) l l 4 Linked also with quality of work (diverging opinions in literature) 4 Still useful indicator in this framework: job satisfaction is outcome variable, framework includes obj and subj dimensions of work in a broader perspective There is a link to ‘characteristics of empl which are inherently satisfying to the employed person’ l l l 30/09/2020 11

No conclusions but start of a common reflection l What exactly do we want to cover? 4 l Indicators which might be useful 4 l 30/09/2020 Agree on new name (suggestions still welcome) or slight refocus see also Federica’s validation study + test results from the different country reports Sources for these indicators: 4 EWCS – or other national/global working conditions surveys 4 ISSP (work orientation modules, also several waves, maybe also other modules) 4 … 12

Thank you gve@eurofound. europa. eu 30/09/2020 13