ORIGINAL PAPER
Working conditions and their impact on work satisfaction in migrating and non migrating workers. Factor structure of the Polish version of the Working Conditions Questionnaire
| 1 | Insitute of Psychology, University of Opole, Opole, Poland |
| 2 | Department of Social Psychology, Social Work, Social Anthropology and East Asian Studies, University of Malaga, Malaga, Spain |
Submission date: 2020-05-12
Final revision date: 2020-07-24
Acceptance date: 2020-07-26
Online publication date: 2020-10-01
Publication date: 2020-10-01
Health Psychology Report 2021;9(1):87–100
KEYWORDS
TOPICS
ABSTRACT
Background:
The study compares the impact of working conditions and wages as predictors of work satisfaction of Poles, working in Poland and abroad. Although the work environment plays a crucial role in determining the work sat-isfaction of migrants, most mention higher income abroad as the main migration motive. The increased in-come may not boost the work satisfaction however, because during migration the wage reference point chang-es. Based on those observations, it was assumed that working conditions will have a greater impact on mi-grants’ work satisfaction than nominal earnings. Additionally, migrants, while having higher nominal wages, should subjectively judge them as lower.
Participants and procedure:
Two samples – 351 subjects working in Poland, and 158 working in the UK and Germany – were analyzed. Everyone filled in an online survey including questions about their work environment and income, the Polish versions of the Working Conditions Questionnaire and the Work Satisfaction Scale. The results of the structural analyses (EFA and CFA) and between-sample measurement invariance of the Working Conditions Question-naire were obtained. Migrants and stayers were compared using a Kruskal-Wallis ANOVA. The impact of work-ing conditions and wages on work satisfaction was analyzed with multiple linear regression.
Results:
The factorial structure of the Working Conditions Questionnaire in the Polish version is comparable to the Span-ish original. Additionally, the nominal wages were perceived as higher for migrants than stayers. The reverse was true for subjective wage evaluations. Some working conditions were shown to have a significant impact on work satisfaction.
Conclusions:
The Polish version of the Working Conditions Questionnaire is an internally consistent and reliable tool for measuring work properties. Higher nominal wages of migrants do not lead to their higher work satisfaction. Working conditions are a better predictor of work satisfaction than wages for all analyzed groups.
The study compares the impact of working conditions and wages as predictors of work satisfaction of Poles, working in Poland and abroad. Although the work environment plays a crucial role in determining the work sat-isfaction of migrants, most mention higher income abroad as the main migration motive. The increased in-come may not boost the work satisfaction however, because during migration the wage reference point chang-es. Based on those observations, it was assumed that working conditions will have a greater impact on mi-grants’ work satisfaction than nominal earnings. Additionally, migrants, while having higher nominal wages, should subjectively judge them as lower.
Participants and procedure:
Two samples – 351 subjects working in Poland, and 158 working in the UK and Germany – were analyzed. Everyone filled in an online survey including questions about their work environment and income, the Polish versions of the Working Conditions Questionnaire and the Work Satisfaction Scale. The results of the structural analyses (EFA and CFA) and between-sample measurement invariance of the Working Conditions Question-naire were obtained. Migrants and stayers were compared using a Kruskal-Wallis ANOVA. The impact of work-ing conditions and wages on work satisfaction was analyzed with multiple linear regression.
Results:
The factorial structure of the Working Conditions Questionnaire in the Polish version is comparable to the Span-ish original. Additionally, the nominal wages were perceived as higher for migrants than stayers. The reverse was true for subjective wage evaluations. Some working conditions were shown to have a significant impact on work satisfaction.
Conclusions:
The Polish version of the Working Conditions Questionnaire is an internally consistent and reliable tool for measuring work properties. Higher nominal wages of migrants do not lead to their higher work satisfaction. Working conditions are a better predictor of work satisfaction than wages for all analyzed groups.
REFERENCES (55)
1.
Baka, Ł. (2018). Mechanizmy kształtowania się zdolności do pracy w świetle modelu wymagania w pracy – zasoby [Process of work ability development in the light of job demands-resources model]. Czasopismo Psychologiczne, 24, 481–490. https://doi.org/10.14691/CPPJ.....
2.
Bakker, A. B., & Demerouti, E. (2017). Job demands-resources theory: Taking stock and looking for-ward. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 22, 273–285. https://doi.org/10.1037/ocp000....
3.
Bańka, A., Wołoska, A., & Bazińska, R. (2002). Polska wersja Meyera i Alen Skali Przywiązania do Organizacji [Polish version of Meyer and Allen’s Organizational Commitment Scales]. Czasopismo Psychologiczne, 8, 65–74.
4.
Blanch, J. M., Sahagun, M., & Cervantes, G. (2010). Estructura Factorial del Cuestionario de Condiciones de Trabajo [Factor structure of Working Conditions Questionnaire]. Revista de Psicología del Trabajo y de las Organizaciones, 26, 175–189.
5.
Brown, G. D., Gardner, J., Oswald, A. J., & Qian, J. (2008). Does wage rank affect employees’ well-being? Industrial Relations, 47, 355–389. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468....
6.
Byrne, B. M., & van de Vijver, F. J. R. (2010). Testing for measurement and structural equivalence in large-scale cross-cultural studies: Addressing the issue of nonequivalence. International Journal of Testing, 10, 107–132. https://doi.org/10.1080/153050....
7.
Chan, S. H., & Qiu, H. H. (2011). Loneliness, job satisfaction, and organizational commitment of mi-grant workers: Empirical evidence from China. The International Journal of Human Resource Man-agement, 22, 1109–1127. https://doi.org/10.1080/095851....
8.
Chen, F. F. (2007). Sensitivity of goodness of fit indexes to lack of measurement invariance. Struc-tural Equation Modeling, 14, 464–504. https://doi.org/10.1080/107055....
9.
Clark, A. (2011). Happiness, habits and high rank: Comparisons in economic and social life. Retrieved from https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/p....
10.
Clark, A. E., Kristensen, N., & Westergaard-Nielsen, N. (2009). Job satisfaction and co-worker wages: Status or signal? The Economic Journal, 119, 430–447. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468....
11.
Cohrs, J. C., Abele, A. E., & Dette, D. E. (2006). Integrating situational and dispositional determinants of job satisfaction: Findings from three samples of professionals. The Journal of Psychology, 140, 363–395. https://doi.org/10.3200/JRLP.1....
12.
Gardner, D. G., Cummings, L. L., Dunham, R. B., & Pierce, J. L. (1998). Single-item versus multiple-item measurement scales: an empirical comparison. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 58, 898–915. https://doi.org/10.1177/001316....
13.
Hackman, J. R., & Oldham, G. R. (1980). Work redesign. Boston, MA: Addison-Wesley Publishing Company.
15.
Hodson, R. (1997). Group relations at work: Solidarity, conflict, and relations with management. Work and Occupations, 24, 426–452. https://doi.org/10.1177/073088....
16.
Hombrados-Mendieta, I., & Cosano-Rivas, F. (2013). Burnout, workplace support, job satisfaction and life satisfaction among social workers in Spain: a structural equation model. International Social Work, 56, 228–246. https://doi.org/10.1177/002087....
17.
Hu, L., & Bentler, P. M. (1998). Fit indices in covariance structure modeling: Sensitivity to underpa-rameterized model misspecification. Psychological Methods, 3, 424–453. https://doi.org/10.1037/1082-9....
18.
Hulin, C. L. (1969). Source of variation in job and life satisfaction: The role of community and job-related variables. Journal of Applied Psychology, 53, 279–291. https://doi.org/10.1037/h00278....
19.
Itzhaki, M., Ea, E., Ehrenfeld, M., & Fitzpatrick, J. J. (2013). Job satisfaction among immigrant nurses in Israel and the United States of America: Job satisfaction of immigrant nurses. International Nurs-ing Review, 60, 122–128. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1466....
20.
Judge, T. A., Piccolo, R. F., Podsakoff, N. P., Shaw, J. C., & Rich, B. L. (2010). The relationship be-tween pay and job satisfaction: a meta-analysis of the literature. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 77, 157–167. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvb.....
21.
Judge, T. A., & Watanabe, S. (1993). Another look at the job satisfaction-life satisfaction relationship. Journal of Applied Psychology, 78, 939–948. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9....
22.
Kahneman, D., & Deaton, A. (2010). High income improves evaluation of life but not emotional well-being. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 107, 16489–16493. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1....
23.
Kline, R. B. (2016). Principles and practice of structural equation modeling (4th ed.). Guilford Press.
24.
Kostrzewa, Z., & Gudaszewski, G. (2019). Informacja o rozmiarach i kierunkach czasowej emigracji z Polski w latach 2004-2018 [Information on the size and directions of temporary emigration from Po-land in 2004-2018]. Retrieved from https://stat.gov.pl/download/g....
25.
Leider, R., & Buchholz, S. (1995). The rustout syndrome. Training & Development, 49, 7–10.
26.
Lubrańska, A. (2011). Klimat organizacyjny a doświadczanie wypalenia zawodowego [Organizational climate and burnout syndrome]. Medycyna Pracy, 62, 623–631.
27.
Massey, D. S., Arango, J., Hugo, G., Kouaouci, A., Pellegrino, A., & Taylor, J. E. (1993). Theories of international migration: a review and appraisal. Population and Development Review, 19, 431–466. https://doi.org/10.2307/293846....
28.
Meyer, J. P., & Allen, N. J. (1991). A three-component conceptualization of organizational commit-ment. Human Resource Management Review, 1, 61–89. https://doi.org/10.1016/1053-4....
29.
Muchinsky, P. M. (1977). Organizational communication: Relationships to organizational climate and job satisfaction. Academy of Management Journal, 20, 592–607. https://doi.org/10.5465/255359.
30.
Mudor, H. (2011). Conceptual framework on the relationship between human resource management practices, job satisfaction, and turnover. Journal of Economics and Behavioral Studies, 2, 41–49. https://doi.org/10.22610/jebs.....
31.
Peiró, J. M., Agut, S., & Grau, R. (2010). The relationship between overeducation and job satisfaction among young Spanish workers: The role of salary, contract of employment, and work experience. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 40, 666–689. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1559....
32.
Portes, A., Guarnizo, L. E., & Landolt, P. (1999). The study of transnationalism: Pitfalls and promise of an emergent research field. Ethnic and Racial Studies, 22, 217–237. https://doi.org/10.1080/014198....
33.
Pujol-Cols, L., & Dabos, G. E. (2019). Dispositional and situational factors at work: a validation of scales and examination of effects on job satisfaction. Academia Revista Latinoamericana de Administración (ahead-of-print). https://doi.org/10.1108/ARLA-1....
34.
Qin, X., Hom, P., Xu, M., & Ju, D. (2014). Applying the job demands-resources model to migrant workers: Exploring how and when geographical distance increases quit propensity. Journal of Oc-cupational and Organizational Psychology, 87, 303–328. https://doi.org/10.1111/joop.1....
35.
R Core Team. (2013). R: a language and environment for statistical computing. The R Foundation. Re-trieved from http://www.R-project.org/.
36.
Rosseel, Y. (2012). Lavaan: an R package for structural equation modeling and more. Version 0.5–12 (Beta). Journal of Statistical Software, 48, 1–36. https://doi.org/10.18637/jss.v....
37.
Rzepnikowska, A. (2019). Racism and xenophobia experienced by Polish migrants in the UK before and after Brexit vote. Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, 45, 61–77. https://doi.org/10.1080/136918....
38.
Sjaastad, L. A. (1962). The costs and returns of human migration. Journal of Political Economy, 70, 80–93. https://doi.org/10.1086/258726.
39.
Spector, P. E. (1997). Job satisfaction: Application, assessment, causes, and consequences. Sage Publications.
40.
Szostek, D., & Glińska-Neweś, A. (2017). Identyfikacja wymiarów jakości relacji interpersonalnych w organizacji [Identification of the quality’s dimensions of interpersonal relationships in the organi-zation]. Organizacja i Kierowanie, 3, 11–24.
41.
Taris, T. W., & Schreurs, P. J. G. (2009). Well-being and organizational performance: an organization-al-level test of the happy-productive worker hypothesis. Work & Stress, 23, 120–136. https://doi.org/10.1080/026783....
43.
Walczak, R. (2013). What do young educated workers want? The impact of work enrichment compo-nents on the perceived job satisfaction. In M. Seitl & L. Vavrysova (Eds.), Psychologie práce a organizace 2013: Sborník mezinárodní konference [Psychology of Work and Organization 2013: Proceedings of the International Conference] (pp. 194–201). Palacký University Olomouc.
44.
Walczak, R. (2016). Wage level or internal dispositions – what is more important in determining the satisfaction of employees on different positions? In P. Slavíčková (Ed.), Knowledge for market use 2016: Our interconnected and divided world (pp. 580–587). Palacký University Olomouc.
45.
Walczak, R. (2017). Why do objective wage levels have lesser impact than relative earnings on work satisfaction? Comparison of objective and subjective work evaluations in the context of job choice decisions. In P. Slavíčková (Ed.), Knowledge for market use 2017: People in economics – decisions, behavior and normative models (pp. 532–539). Palacký University Olomouc.
46.
Wang, Z., & Jing, X. (2018). Job satisfaction among immigrant workers: a review of determinants. Social Indicators Research, 139, 381–401. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11205....
47.
Warr, P., Cook, J., & Wall, T. (1979). Scales for the measurement of some work attitudes and aspects of psychological well-being. Journal of Occupational Psychology, 52, 129–148. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.2044....
48.
Weiss, H. M. (2002). Deconstructing job satisfaction. Human Resource Management Review, 12, 173–194. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1053-....
49.
Winchie, D. B., & Carment, D. W. (1989). Migration and motivation: The migrant’s perspective. Interna-tional Migration Review, 23, 96–104. https://doi.org/10.1177/019791....
50.
Work Service (2014). Migracje zarobkowe Polaków [Labor migrations of Poles]. Retrieved from http://www.workservice.com/pl/....
51.
Wrench, J., Rea, A., & Ouali, N. (2016). Migrants, ethnic minorities and the labour market: Integration and exclusion in Europe. Springer.
52.
Wright, T. A., & Cropanzano, R. (2007). The happy/productive worker thesis revisited. In J. J. Martocchio (Ed.), Research in personnel and human resources management (Vol. 26, pp. 269–307). Emerald Group Publishing Limited.
53.
Yao, C., Thorn, K., Duan, Z., & Taskin, N. (2015). Workplace stress in a foreign environment: Chinese migrants in New Zealand. Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, 34, 608–621. https://doi.org/10.1108/EDI-08....
54.
Zalewska, A. (2003). Skala Satysfakcji z Pracy – pomiar poznawczego aspektu ogólnego zadowolenia z pracy [The Satisfaction with Job Scale – a measure of cognitive aspect of overall job satisfac-tion]. Retrieved from http://repozytorium.uni.lodz.p....
55.
Zdybek, P., & Walczak, R. (2009). Badania nad rzetelnością i trafnością Kwestionariusza Oceny Do-brostanu Psychicznego [Research on the validity and reliability of the Psychological Wellbeing Questionnaire]. In A. Oleszkowicz & P. Zdybek (Eds.), Psychologia ilości, psychologia jakości. Uzu-pełniające się spojrzenia [Quantitative psychology, qualitative psychology. Two supplementary out-looks] (pp. 103–120). Atut.
We process personal data collected when visiting the website. The function of obtaining information about users and their behavior is carried out by voluntarily entered information in forms and saving cookies in end devices. Data, including cookies, are used to provide services, improve the user experience and to analyze the traffic in accordance with the Privacy policy. Data are also collected and processed by Google Analytics tool (more).
You can change cookies settings in your browser. Restricted use of cookies in the browser configuration may affect some functionalities of the website.
You can change cookies settings in your browser. Restricted use of cookies in the browser configuration may affect some functionalities of the website.