Firm Specific Formalisation Structures and their Impact on the Job Satisfaction and Health of Women and Men – Analyses with the SOEP-LEE

• Applicant: Professorin Dr. Petra Stein, since 4/2019
• Subject Area: Empirical Social Research
• Term: from 2015 to 2021
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 279007293

For example with regard to the Gender Pay Gap, women in the German labor market suffer worse labor market opportunities compared to men. Despite their objectively worse job opportunities women are more satisfied with their work. Usually, this so called gender-job satisfaction paradox is explained with women`s lower expectations about their job. The planned follow-up project adopts a perspective on establishments and examines how establishment structures affect the job satisfaction of female and male employees and possibly mitigate the negative effects of unfavourable working conditions on their well-being (job satisfaction and health). Here, we especially consider possible gender specific effects. The project focuses establishment structures on formalisation and guidelines for equal opportunities and diversity (“formalisation structures”). On the one hand it can be presumed that these structures have negative effects on the well-being of the employees. Following neo-institutionalists arguments, it can be expected that establishments copy certain structures, such as equity and diversity policies, of other successful establishments, but that these structures are not consistently practiced. Besides, it can theoretically be assumed that formalisation affects employees job satisfaction negatively because such structures reduce employee`s decision latitude. On the contrary, formalisation structures can have positive effects on well-being as well, since they can diminish discrimination resulting from stereotyping, for example because decision makers can to a lesser extent decide on the basis of their own preferences. In addition, formalisation in general, and representation of interests at the establishments in particular, can by means of the so-called collective-voice-function increase the assertiveness of the interests of employees, and here maybe especially of disadvantaged employees. Above that, beside those positive direct effects of formalisation on well-being, those establishment structures also possibly mitigate the negative effects of unfavourable working conditions within establishments and balance out an effort-reward imbalance of employees. These theoretical assumptions will be analysed using the linked employer-employee survey of the Socio-Economic Panel Study (SOEP-LEE) and the Socio-Economic Panel Study (SOEP). In addition to the central dependent and explanatory variables, differentiated information at the firm level (e.g. measures on reconciliation) and at the level of employees (e.g. gross hourly wages and the importance of life domains) can be taken into account and statistically controlled in the analyses.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• Ehemalige Antragstellerin: Professorin Dr. Anne Busch-Heizmann, until 3/2019